א VIth † empir3 א

The "I hate people" rant

2008-05-21T04:24:46Z

Earlier today, I had to go through something irritating and cumbering, and while it certainly wasn't the first time I've had to say "no," it's becoming increasingly ridiculous on how pestilent some people can get.

When I tell someone, "no," or any other variant of the negative, it's usually understood, and the topic at hand is dropped, and life goes on.

But there were two recent cases - one from earlier today and another a few days ago - where the ideal scenario did not apply, and my patience had been stretched and then snapped in both.

Scene 1: Yours truly is asked to be someone's prom date.

"Do you want to go to prom with me?"
"No, but thank you for asking, and I'm not even going to prom anyway."
"Well, that's too bad, because you're going since I already bought the tickets."
"Then do go ask someone else because I will not be going to prom."
"You're going with me. Why don't you want to go?"
"I am not going with anyone and I am not going to prom. I don't want to go because I have other plans, and I don't socialize much to begin with, so it would be miserable for me. If you keep on insisting, then you will not only be harassing me, but you'll be forcing me to attend something against my will."
"That's too bad because I am going to make you go."
"Do you not understand? I do not and will not go to prom."
"Why not? It's because I'm Mexican, huh? You don't want to go with a Mexican guy and you're all 'Ew' just because it's me, huh?"
"You've gone completely off on a stupid whim! I said I do not want to go at all. I don't care if you asked or my next door neighbor asked, I would still say "no" to the both of you."
"Okay, fine. I won't go to prom either."
"..."
"I mean I'll just go ask someone else."

...

o_o
o_O
O_o...
x_o;

...

It probably wouldn't have been so much of a pain in the ass if I hadn't known a few other things that led up to that nettlesome phone call:

He had the nerve to go ask a friend of mine to pass on a message: I should "call him when [I] have the time"
He still had the nerve to ask another classmate to call me and to have said classmate tell me "Can you call (insert name here)? It's an emergency."
Following that, I received a bloody text message on my mobile, and I wondered just how did this fucktard get my cell phone number before he made the call leading to that perversive conversation.

Yes, dearies, when I refuse and have the courtesy to add a thank you to the end of my "no," please just accept it and avoid making yourself look like a fucking idiot by doing otherwise.

Now let me move onto the next tirade which really covers for more than a specific case since such occurrences have happened more than once where interested party members chose to "pursue" their interests by giving me hell.

Scene 2: When yours truly is confessed to.

When I am told, "I like you," by some bloke or another and the fellow looks at me expectantly for an answer, I respond with, "I'm flattered, but I do not feel the same." Naturally, my response is followed with a, "Why not?" To my horror and dismay, a "You don't like me at all do you?" is added with a pity look in most of the cases.

Oh, the obstinacy of the dense. Woe, angst.

First of all, any "like" (read: tolerance) I may have had for that person goes out the window and suicides in the process because of the stupid question thrown on to the end. I personally believe it is legitimate to enquire for a 'why not' reason, but it's just fuckwittedness that brings on the second enquiry.

I see it as a rhetorical question because if I didn't even remotely "like" someone, I would probably do everything in my power to avoid encountering the unliked person at all so a conversation involving the confession of feelings that are or aren't existing wouldn't even be exchanged.
Nevertheless, my replies tend to follow something along the lines of "I am not interested since I know nothing about you" which is quite justifiable when I barely interact with the person. If there is any interaction, there's the chance that the interaction is muted because I simply do not like to deal with people who do not share any of my interests and with people who do not have any comprehension for anything other than sex, drugs, bitches, and jocks ~~and also speak like they cannot differentiate between English and Engrish~~, and I certainly do not feel compelled to be chums with people who invoke the urge in me to bludgeon them with a copy of The Origins of Species while screaming, "You're an abhorrence to science, you quirk of nature!"

I have actually had to deal with this crap online, too, which is less chagrining I imagine for the rejected parties but just as frustrating for me to handle.

Online or offline, the pestering and stubbornness of those who do not leave me alone afterwards results in an irate me and a me hoping they would all die a death by a thousand stag beetles. Because jamming your fucking emotions down a person's throat won't endear you any to him or her.

Please, if you cannot even type out a complete thought without the addition of 'lol' to every other line or say "Czechoslovakia" without stuttering like mad, and if you do not know even know who Auden is, then don't develop any fondness for me or even seek my companionship out for that matter.

Granted I'm currently as pleasant as a flyblown donkey from having just woke up in low blood pressure demon mode and finding myself in the crossfire of a petty argument between my parents, but my points are still fucking valid in that I hate people of epic fail and I don't want to be liked by people I loathe.

Health stuff and Burma from space among other things

2008-05-17T03:15:01Z

"Music Hath Charms to Calm Hypertension" - WEDNESDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Italian researchers have some advice for those with high blood pressure: Breathe slowly. Turn on some quiet, rhythmic music. And watch your high blood pressure take a little tumble.
(Shame there's nothing about reversing effects of low blood pressure and vertigo in the mornings after one wakes up.)

"Women Who Exercise May Cut Breast Cancer Risk" - TUESDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- New research has found both bad news and good news on breast cancer risk.

"VIEW FROM SPACE: Before and After the Cyclone"

"NEW Remington Model R-25™" - Remington is excited to announce the Model R-25, a modular repeating rifle designed for big game hunters.

"US video game sales lifted by GTA" - US sales of video game consoles and software were up 47% in April from a year before, fuelled by the release of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV.
(I couldn't and probably never really will get into the Grand Theft Auto video game series, but some millions of other gamers around the globe can.)

It's no surprise that AP students are hardcore.

From left to right: stuffed animal elephants in a Calculus class, today's AP Macroeconomics lesson includes three episodes of Family Guy and my browsing LJ through proxy, and a study session from Wednesday.

I really did take 5 AP classes, didn't I?
I passed 2 of my 3 exams last year, and I'm sure of at least 4 of 5 scores for this year, totaling 6 passing which would nab me the "award" of AP Scholar with Distinction.

To fellow acquaintances in the western States (or just California) affected by the recent heatwave, I part the following word to you: cucumbers.

[Downloads] Junjou Romantica stuff and Mysteria; also APs

2008-05-15T05:07:23Z

Well, I certainly feel miserable.

Am a bit late to share, but if anyone likes the pillows, it'd be worthwhile to give pigstar a twirl. You're welcome to download their latest single release "Kimi=Hana" here. It's the opening song to the Junjou Romantica anime, and both tracks are quite enjoyable in my personal opinion. You can find lyrics for "Kimi=Hana" here, and the lyrics for "gore" is just a click away. Much thanks to recodes for all her work. She has the first 5 episodes uploaded, as well as softsub files. Because yes, I got too lazy to upload the other 3 episodes. So for anyone in need of Sakurai-uke and a fluff-yaoi hybrid anime, drop by Junjou.info for goodies. /end shameless plug

Now to the other bit, I've uploaded another album of New Age and Gregorian chant music:

Sendspace away.
My muddled thoughts and minimal comprehension of what I've heard is that the songs are a) in English for the most part, b) lightish in tone ~~here I fail to remember what I learnt in my music appreciation malarkey of a class from last year~~, and c) very New Age.

I believe I have a French New Age/Gregorian-esque chant album lying about somewhere. I'll need to dig that up sometime.

I took my AP Psychology exam yesterday afternoon. I feel confident enough to say that I'm "qualified" for entry-level Psychology 101 credit, but I won't be finding out until the end of July. Tomorrow is my AP Macroeconomics exam, and I don't even want to consider how my high school completely screwed my class over by making us take said AP exam but not giving us a weighted AP score on our grades... Well, at least I ~~think I~~ 4'd my AP United States Government and Politics exam. I won't start with how I feel about my AP Calculus BC exam. On the 23rd, I'll be taking the late AP English Literature and Composition exam. I do hope I score higher than a 3, so I can get freshman composition credit, too, instead of just entry level writing credit under the "Unassigned" course (and I very well already earned that from my 3 on last year's AP English Language and Composition exam).

Although now that I think about it a bit more, there's a fat chance the credits I earn from acceptable AP exam scores will go into fulfilling some random, unheard of subject area rather than my GEs. I'll essentially be saving myself from elective classes in the end since the university's policy states that "AP credit does not satisfy General Education requirements."

Bah. I find little comfort in the fact that I have Sociology 101 already covered from a previous course at a local community college. Looks like more schooling this summer.

Just to say, pineapple juice does wonders if you suffer from the common cold.

But still, I need a stronger antihistamine, or my exam's answer sheet will have some uncalled for gifts if I'm not too careful. :P Still, it's better than having a nosebleed trying to write out essays or speaking German into a recorder while taming said nosebleed.

...

Ach!

Nukes and Nudes

2008-04-25T20:56:48Z

I found this comment most amusing when I finished reading the AOL News article "Syra, N. Korea Accused of Nuclear Work."

American Women...Do Your Part To Help! Stand Up, Be Seen! We need to get this message out. Please forward, America needs your help! The President has asked that we unite for a common cause. Since the hard line Islamic people cannot stand nudity, and consider it a sin to see a naked woman that is not their wife, tonight at 7:00 pm, all women should run out of their house naked to help weed out the terrorists. The United States appreciates your efforts, and applauds you. God bless America. Signed, William Jefferson Clinton

If that campaign is successful, I guess there's something for the front page.
And in other news, the White House is having fun again with nuclear talk. Wait, that's not news.

Downloads: God Child Hana to Yume CD

2008-04-22T22:45:50Z

	Hana to Yume Zenin Present: God Child CD
	Visual CD Sleeve (Back)
	Visual CD Booklet + Sleeve
	Visual CD
	Visual CD Cover

MegaUpload

MediaFire

Downloads: [RAW] Junjō Romantica 2

2008-04-19T23:04:02Z

Alternative title:

Junjou Romantica

純情ロマンチカ (Japanese)

Genres: romance
Themes: Yaoi

Download.

In which yours truly dreams a Colossus dream.

2008-04-17T04:51:26Z

Colossus CL

PROCESSOR 1	Intel® Core™2 Extreme Quad-Core Processor QX9775 at 3.20GHz, 1600MHz FSB, 2X6M Cache
PROCESSOR 2	Intel® Core™2 Extreme Quad-Core Processor QX9775 at 3.20GHz, 1600MHz FSB, 2X6M Cache
RIG	Vigor Cooler Master CM Stacker 830 Screwless Aluminum Chassis
RIG COLOR	Obsidian Black (Please allow 7 to 15 additional days for customized painting)
RIG STYLE	Metal Mesh Side Window for Improved Ventilation
RIG COOLING	Vigor Twin-Peaks X 2 Powered by Cooler Master Cooling System
RIG POWER	Enermax Galaxy nVidia-SLI/CrossFire Certified 1000Watt Power Supply
RIG DIMENSIONS	9.20" Width X 25.20" Depth X 21.10" Height.
MB CORE LOGIC	Intel D5400XS Intel 5400 FB-DIMM (DDR2) w/1600MHz FSB, Nvidia Quad SLI and Quad CrossFireX Ready
MEMORY	16GB Kingston KVR800D2D4F5K2/8G X 2 CL5 DDR2 800MHz Memory (4 X 4096MB)
OPERATING HARD DRIVE 1	WD Raptor Clear 150GB WD RAPTOR S-ATA 10000RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive
OPERATING HARD DRIVE 2	WD Raptor Clear 150GB WD RAPTOR S-ATA 10000RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive
RAID SETTING	RAID 1 Security - Mirrored Drives (2 Identical Hard Drives Only)
DATA HARD DRIVE 1	1TB (1000GB) S-ATA II 7200 RPM Hard Drive
DATA HARD DRIVE 2	1TB (1000GB) S-ATA II 7200 RPM Hard Drive
RAID SETTING	RAID 0 Performance - Striped Drives (2 or More Identical Hard Drives Only)
VIDEO CARD CROSSFIRE/SLI SLOT 1	nVidia GeForce 8800 Ultra 768MB Xtreme Edition @650MHz, DVI and TV Out
VIDEO CARD CROSSFIRE/SLI SLOT 2	nVidia GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB Xtreme @730MHz, DVI and TV Out
VIDEO CARD CROSSFIRE/SLI SLOT 3	ATI Radeon HD3870 X2 1GB DDR4 w/PCI Express, DVI and TV Out
OPTICAL DRIVE 1	SONY Internal BWU100A Blu-ray Disc Drive
OPTICAL DRIVE 2	Pioneer Internal BDC-2202BKS Blu-Ray Reader + CD/DVDRW Combo Drive
RECORDING SOFTWARE	Bundled DVD/CDRW Software
SOUND	Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty Gaming Retail Edition
NETWORK PORT	Onboard Gigabit (10/100/1000Mbps) PCI Network Card
WIRELESS NETWORK PORT	None.
I/O PORTS	1 Parallel, 1 Game/Midi, 1 IEEE 1394 Firewire and 6 to 10 USB ports (Varies by Motherboards)
MONITOR	Viewsonic N-4261W 42" 1920X1080 1500:1 8ms LCDTV Monitor
SPEAKERS	Logitech Z-5300E 5.1 6-Channel Speakers w/Subwoofer
KEYBOARD	Logitech MX3200 RF Wireless Keyboard & Matching Mouse
MOUSE	Logitech G5 USB Gaming Laser Mouse
FLOPPY DRIVE	1.44MB 3.5" Floppy Drive Plus 8-in-1 Card Reader
OPERATING SYSTEM	Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Professional Edition w/Original Disc
SERVICE	Standard 3 Year Limited Parts and Life-Time Labor Warranty
STORAGE MEDIA	None.
SOFTWARE BUNDLE	None.
ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE	None.
Price: 8.25% CA TAX: GROUND S&H fee: Grand Total:	$13077.00 $1078.85 $223.00 $14378.85

It's a bit pretentious, I suppose. If I ever end up with this beauty, I'm sure the electric company will be none too pleased at the spike in the energy consumption at my house.

"Blighty - noun; British Slang: England as home"

2008-04-14T00:39:59Z

Because something interesting here caught my attention at code_geass. Largely in response to the generalisation the poster made. It's also a wonderful opportunity for me to learn about another culture and understand an imaginary world at the same time~

Not once do you hear the characters say "bloody," "bugger," "Blighty," or "zed."
For starters, using British linguistics wouldn't have as great of an affect as one would hope for when you are listening to the Japanese voice actors.
I don't claim to know much about the British culture - no, not just the British, but the U.K. in general. I know only a few people who live in England and one person who might, to a whit, be of Irish descent but is rather oblivious to this genetical inheritance. Therefore, I, like several millions of Americans, probably know what I know about the British via history classes, textbooks, and the media (film, novels, news coverage, etc.). In a nutshell, we have Harry Potter to thank for a generalized list of terms that are considered 'British-only.' But when in the world does one hear the English or the British say "zed" in everyday conversation?
(I'm using the terms somewhat loosely I know, where the British are those who are from Britain/the U.K., and the English are those hailing from England; so do correct and pardon me if I'm being offensively ignorant. I'm under the idea that being British encompasses all the countries within the U.K. but you are still British and Welsh if you are from Wales, etcetera.)
I can understand that if you're reciting the alphabet, then maybe the use of "zed" will come in handy. But how often does a British bring up the alphabet in speech?
I'll be openly honest and admit I have no idea what "Blighty" is. A quick Google points me to a Wikipedia page, and said Wiki page tells me it's a slang term for Britain derived from a vilāyatī meaning 'foreign' which leads me to wonder why would the British need to say "Blighty" if they aren't abroad? Although I suppose in the case of Code Geass, Britannians in Japan or elsewhere not part of the Britannia Empire would say "Blighty" when referring to their motherland... [raises an eyebrow] Despite the fact that the motherland is actually America and not really Great Britain any more, particularly if said Great Britain motherland is actually part of the EEU. Furthermore, why the need for British slang if you're expecting intellect and sophistication that Americans hear in a British accent? You're better off asking the characters to speak like dictionaries to earn your intelligent and sophisticated dialect.

why were the stalls at the Ashford festival selling hamburgers and soda pop and not hot cider and scotch eggs or lamb kebabs?
As far as I'm concerned, the British like their varieties of food, just like any American (or any American who ought to). Hamburgers and soda pop sound and probably are more stall-able foods than hot cider and scotch eggs. Lamb kebabs - kebabs themselves are from the East - might be a maybe, but that's just me speaking from my experiences dealing with booths that sold kebabs.

While we're on the subject of Ashford academy, the teachers were WAYYY too nice. Teachers at British boarding schools are notorious for being snarky, jaded and cruel.
I have one thing to say to that: oRLY? Someone needs to go watch The Breakfast Club and get a feel of American teachers, and we're talking about a fucking public system in that movie.

This image should allow you to make your own conclusion about whether or not there is a need for Code Geass to amp up any Britishness. There is also a lovely entry providing a wealth of information regarding the history of the Britannia Empire. It would appear that someone did research and paid attention to the details the producers spouted.*

Everything aside, I'll enjoy the second installment of fiction as what it is: fiction~~screens ladened with fanservice catering to the otaku girl and boy~~.

Also in other news, it is annoyingly hot. 97F/36C is not my thing when it's just April.

*Addendum @ 17:37: In the light of my own sleuthing, I find that the information provided by zerorevenge is also found at the Wikipedia page. Draw your own opinions, fellow readers. :P

Subpar service + Downloads: Gregorian - Masters of Chant V

2008-04-13T00:10:38Z

Doesn't it drive you mad when your politely made requests are completely disregarded by waiters? I'm poked at often because I am "Asian," I will fail to leave a 'proper' tip. Just why the hell am I going to give more than the 'default' 10% of my total cheque if the service is substandard? It can't be terribly difficult to refill a teapot when the bloody vacuum flask of hot water is three tables down, now, is it?
At least the dim sum was nice.

Part 1.
Part 2.

Covered songs include "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Send Me an Angel," and "The Unforgiven."

Enjoy.

Downloads: [RAW] Junjō Romantica 1

2008-04-12T19:53:34Z

Junjō Romantica (TV)

[ adapted from Junjo Romantica (manga) ]

Alternative title:

Junjou Romantica

純情ロマンチカ (Japanese)

Genres: romance
Themes: Yaoi

Plot Summary: Misaki is suddenly having some unexpected and odd problems. What started as a need for some college entrance exam tutoring has somehow led him to being romanced by a suave older man who also happens to be his big brother’s best friend. Confused by all of his brand new emotions, Misaki struggles to deal with his suddenly very odd life. And if that wasn’t enough, his suitor, Usami, has plenty of issues of his own. A man-child who decorates his room in giant teddy bears and toys, Usami is a famous novelist who also writes steamy boys’ love novels on the side. When Misaki cracks open one of these books and reads sentences like “Misaki licks every inch of Usami’s hot body”…well, let’s just say that all hell breaks loose.

Running time: half hour

Number of episodes: 24

All information taken directly from ANN.

Click for uke-Sakurai in all its animated glory.

Edit 13:31 - very interesting discussion over at junjou_fanatics

Yes, Burma is Burma.

2008-04-01T12:55:49Z

Oh, Wiki...

I'm not sure if I should cry, laugh, or both at the blurb for Mohinga.

「HIGHNESS」 (yes, I am alive)

2008-03-23T19:21:43Z

Warning: mild BDSM tendencies abound!

As promised to the lovely jusrecht, I present to you, 「HIGHNESS」. I didn't feel like ruining the binding of the doujin, so I basically took pictures of some pages (because my scanner is horrible to start anyway). As such, please don't mind the occasional pinky or finger protruding at a corner. ^^;

Also, I have been granted admission to just about every university I applied to (within an amount that meant I would not need to pay insane application fees)...

Now I am simply waiting for a ~~rejection~~letter from University of Southern California.

_{*half-heartedly applied, but that's o.k. since they want me anyway... Buahahaha.}

My time has become estranged....

2007-08-12T19:09:38Z

shamana_shen and crazy_chick01, rejoice.

Internet: My ISP has decided to provide craptastic service during the summer in order to conserve energy (or so the theory goes); because us Southern Californians love to drain up the juice with useless electronic devices. Any sort of pre-hypertension in me can be blamed on the wrath I've built up over the random and frequent disconnects, and it certainly doesn't help much when I'm attempting to send e-mails to universities, only to see the red light flash and a "connection timed out" error appear in my browser.
For the time being, I have noticed that if I make an effort to wake up earlier, I can remain online up until the early afternoon before I start playing around with the "red light on, red light off, green back on" routine. Tech support was of very little help.
I should just take a friend's advice and purchase Monster cables instead of the generic Ethernet cables bundled around everywhere these days.

School/ROP: Well, I'm finally out, so to speak. Normal school ~~4.50 GPA Spring Semester, huzzah!~~ ended to let me out into the Medical Assistant Recreational Occupations Program course. I presume that because we only had 6 weeks to cover medical-related topics, and 6 weeks being a rather tight squeeze, the doctor decided to let the classroom feel what it was like to be an MA with random bookwork - and then let us run free with our stethoscopes and sphygmomanometers ~~and feed upon victims~~ to collect vital signs data as a class project. ROP resumes sometime in September, about a week after regular school starts.
Speaking of which, it's an official statement that has yet to register fully in my mind, but I am a senior/grade 12 student now. That means scholarship applications, financial aid applications, college/university applications, and a bunch of testing forms to fill out. Of course, one cannot forget all the procrastination and "senioritis" (I don't follow...we're inflamed?) included with the package. The free shipping would cost more Advanced Placement courses I'm taking nothing but AP classes it seems, and the added bonus consists of not making a valedictorian speech. :P
And just as a heads up notice, anyone of my senior will probably be hounded by yours truly in regards to...well, the life past high school. Please do enlighten me if I have any inquiries, yes? ^_^

Personal/Health: Eh, the weather/heat makes me moody. It doesn't help much when across the Atlantic, most of the U.K. was flooding, though Stonehenge looked fine and dandy from a mate's recent vacation trip to said location. I went ahead with an immunization for HPV (Gardasil, I think it was) not too long ago and my right arm has not quite fully recovered from the sensation of liquidized cement trickling down its veins. Of all possible side effects, I experienced pain, itching, swelling, and redness; no fever or bronchospasm. Y~ey.
More recently, I have been a victim of mysterious coughs (nothing new) and left eye infections. o_O

Family: The death of my grandmother wasn't altogether surprising; the Buddhist practices and traditions were. ~~I feel vulnerable making such a topic so open, so perhaps I'll babble more on this event and the near burning off of my hands later, after my day of seventeenage.~~

Miscellaneous: In the meanwhile, before my internet opts to shut off on me, the scholarly side of me is after The Plague, The Brother's Karamazov, As I Lay Dying, Moll Flanders, and The Hobbit. The more carefree of me had been pursuing Lolita, The Art of War (Sun-Tzu, not Machiavelli version), and random writings by Kafka. Then my brain realized I have less than 3 weeks to complete the assigned scholar reading list.

Cheers.

In which yours truly exploits the school's broken firewall

2007-03-28T17:44:42Z

And so this Friday NBC4 will be coming to my school and interviewing my US History AP class regarding affairs in Darfur. ~~Because we mercilessly spammed their post with our 'letter campaign.'~~

In light of this event, I'll be donning a lace blouse and pigtails because my job as a student is to look cute and perky. Anyone care for a picture?

Xenosaga, Xenogears, Xenophobia...?

2007-01-06T05:57:50Z

In 2007, herzog_ludwig resolves to...

Keep my literature clean.
Cut down to ten tactics a day.
Backup my saiyuki regularly.
Overcome my secret fear of xenogears.
Go to piano every Sunday.
Tell my family about get backers.

I think nikihiiragizawa had a far worse result than mine when it said for her to "give up tenmiyu rps."
It's not my fault Krelian was nekkid at the end of the game and then spoke and sounded like an old man in Xenogears! ~~Granted, he must have been some hundreds of years old.~~
Pants. imperial_artist. [pout]
Well, technically, my older brother already knows about Get Backers - it's just a matter of time before I acquire bootlegged versions of the DVDs to watch with my parents with Chinese subtitles.
Xenophilic power -- how you take that is entirely up to you.
Really, I'm not mean; I just like to scheme.

To-day I woke up early for no reason. Bah!

2007-01-05T18:44:24Z

[twitch] No sooner than I finish downloading Saint Beast (what can I say? I need to hear Takahiro Sakurai sing) and #aznmp3 has an upload for the series. And no sooner than I wake up I see on my monitor two flashing IMs from two of my friends informing me that the meeting planned for this morning was canceled. Marvellous ~~I refuse to spell it with a single 'l' because it makes no sense to me~~!

Well, aside from that, today happens to be the last day of my winter break and I'm feeling nostalgic enough to want to go back to school. Or at least, to my English, physiology, and calculus classes because I know that if I expose myself to the rest of the high school I'd be confronted with an ill-bred malady of no particular origin. Speaking of illness, smile away the flu.

Right, so. Back to bed it is. [nod]

~~I need to figure out when to reschedule for that midget basketball game society owes me.~~

Edit: Forget what I said about the #aznmp3 file. It contains other song files pertaining to something that's not related to the six OP songs...

"What? Say something!"

2007-01-03T05:54:44Z

I am firmly convinced that I am at least 50% completed with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Which is quite a shame in actuality because once I do finish the game, the Gamecube will be left on its own again for a very, very, very long time. Until I bring myself to purchase Baten Kaitos: Origins or end up importing a random title from Japan.

I've been a fan of the franchise since I first played A Link to the Past on the SNES; though I do not go out of my way to acquiring every item branded with the name or tattooing the Triforce on a limb.

Considering how the last Zelda title I played was Ocarina of Time: Master Quest (and I did not even bother attempting the MQ), it was a nice and refreshing transition to enter the Twilight Realm. Keep in mind that Ocarina of Time was never re-made so the graphics and gameplay were all exact copies of the version for the Nintendo64. So without much thought, I am quite satisfied with this latest installment through and through to the point where I left off and have no intention of picking up for who knows how long.

[smiles]

Odd, isn't it? Normally I play games and see them to the very end (though I haven't gotten to the point where I can finish Final Fantasy VII within 24 hours), but with Twilight Princess I feel no hurry nor any obligation to finish. I'm not sure if I should blame the fact that the game doesn't hook me in with its plot (don't get me wrong, there's an interesting story going on) or that possibly, just oh so possibly, my love for the series is waning--

--no, it has waned; but hasn't completely vanished.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is indeed a beautiful game in many ways. And it definitely lives up to the expectations after repeated delays (though the Wii version is questionable).
The graphics are crisp and sharp, with attention carefully delivered. Link hasn't looked this great since OoT, and he is much more appealing to the eye than Wind Waker. The more mature atmospheres added to the game are definitely a nice plus and an interesting shift from some of the previous titles (again, I'm looking at you, Wind Waker). You'll be travelling through dungeons that pose serious puzzles, ones that require healthy use of your noggin and you will find yourself wishing you had a comfort item to keep you company during some of the ordeals.

And the music score. Oh, how I love and hate the music!

Full orchestrations = much love. The Malo Mart song = WTFery.

[coughcoughcough]Don't expect too much straying from the classic Zelda elements.[coughcoughcough]

Now I know wickedrandom and whitecometx will probably have their eyes bugging out by now, so as a 'rest assured' message to the two of you:

Midna is an attractive beast. Seriously. Love the hair and eyes. Fear not, for the images are all G-rated and non-spoilers -- you won't have a clue as to what's going on. 'cept maybe someone may come up with something extremely witty.

I part by leaving a track that I fancy from what appears to be an "official" volume 1 soundtrack to the game and a Chris Isaak song.

2006: School's Sundries

2006-12-28T06:16:30Z

Sophomore year went by rather dully. I guess I shouldn't be too shocked at this revelation because, honestly as the years go by, intelligence becomes dangerously lacking in my high school. It's gotten to the point where it would appear to be despairingly hopeless (~~such redundancy!~~) to regain any motivatiion for students to aspire and exceed. For heaven's sake, we were in the area's newspaper and the article blatantly said that my high school was the lowest ~~of the lows~~ when it came to state testing quotas.
I can only imagine what university interviewers would think if they shelved that bit of knowledge in their heads as I and my peers try to make some sort of success out of lives.

Speaking of which, people just don't seem to try any more. The sense that 'someone else will pick off from where I left off' was a major notion: Now it's been warped to 'someone else will do my job' and alas, the majority of the younger generations will undoubtedly follow in such a stead left by their parents. I absolutely would love refusing the thought that students left and right assume that the government will continue having welfare; but as the days and months go by, and I see people slacking and ignoring common sense, I fear that I will have to accept this apathy (as imperial_artist puts it in a nicer-sounding manner) that has befallen my high school's student population.

My solace now is that the other high schools will make up for the shortage of adults with a GED/high school diploma. And hopefully, college graduates will be born as well; and that these individuals will give this city something to be more proud of instead of just owning the largest Toyota dealership in the States.

"I came expecting something better: I left disappointed."
-George Aguilar, '07
I love this man. 'Nuff said.

I think is what he said. Either way, my dear friend puts it rather simply: if our overall API reaches an abrupt halt or worse, decreases, then my high school will be governed by the state and that means a lot of change will come in. Change that the bulk of the student populace will detest passionately, but ironically enough, the change will have been wrought upon themselves by them more or less.
The "you guys" would be referring to myself and a handful of other juniors. Beyond us.........I can think of only a handful of younger students who have the potential and are building upon that for something better; and beyond them...the rest have yet to wow me with any maturity to say the least.

I am quite certain that I would be sorely disheartened if I saw my high school fall under. But mayhaps the sadly-not-going-to-be-my-English-4-AP-bloody-Scottish-brilliant-man-of-a-teacher is right, and that there is still hope lying under this veil of doubt and pessimism. And that the city, or at least, this high school, will not succumb, and manage to pull its way out of the dumps and into something less distressing.
And so if a mind such as his can retain some minute sense of hope, then bugger, I'll try to keep my optimistic viewpoint for a tad longer (not like it's particularly difficult for me to do anyway since I'm usually quirky).

"Our football team had only a little bit of people last year."
"And that's why we lost."
"But this year our football team has a lot of people."
"And that's why we lost."
Take for example, homecoming games from neighboring high schools: Many picked our football team as the visitors because, you guessed it, the game would be an easy victory for the former folks. Quite true for most games since I heard that there was a 44-0 score.

Now of course I am a junior. Has my level of optimism changed much? Nope.

George and some of the higher intellects will be graduating come June. Our school will be losing minds that greatly contributed to the reason why it hasn't completely made my soul cry out in pain.
I'm doing enough to maintain a grade point average of 4.0 and I am striving to surpass this by the time the semester ends. I'd like to see myself enter the top 5 in my overall class ranking by the time I leave my senior year (currently in top 10, either 6th or 7th).

But I would also like to see blossoms burst from their buds by that time, to give my high school, their high school, a brighter outcome.

~~Oh, no, I don't think I'm finished yet. I'll wager a part deux shall be up some time tomorrow.~~

Have the piano track from Devil May Cry 3.

Pain, no game.

2006-12-18T01:30:11Z

So, yes, I'm thoroughly disappointed that the basketball game between my high school's staff and the LA Breakers was postponed until further notice.

12 Days of Christmas

2006-12-17T04:42:21Z

My LiveJournal 12 Days
My True Love gave to me...
12 yaoikittens a-laying.
11 mitsuiselphies a-swallowing.
10 nikihiiragizawas a-ranting.
9 orotlednevetss a-spitting.
8 imperial_artists a-massaging.
7 crazy_chick01s a-rubbing.
6 pink_endlicheris a-stomping.
5 light blue whitecometxs.
4 laughing wickedrandoms.
3 Russian babysyusukes.
2 duck usakonobakas.
And a youkomitsutama in a papaya tree.
Get gifts! Username:
Another fun meme brought to you by rfreebern.

usakonobaka, I do apologize for my penmanship from earlier :P.
~~Now I wonder which one is the most enticing...?~~

Est-ce ma faute si je suis une femme heureuse?

2006-12-14T06:08:56Z

For those who were the slightest bit curious, I was unwell and boggled down with a schedule that I somehow managed to control. Plus, my OS decided to act up at the worst possible moment so I was left without a properly functioning computer for a handful of days.

A heartfelt thank you for the flowers.

I never knew I could smile and feel the way I did when I saw the notification and my profile.

I think everyone can look forward to a random giant update some time this week.... Chances are, I will be mindlessly ranting about midgets/dwarfs (House, A Doll's House, and this Friday's game where my school's staff is pitched against a midgetesque, professional basketball team) and something. Something.

Déchiré
Je suis un homme dédoublé
Déchiré
Entre deux femmes que j'aime
Entre deux femmes qui m'aiment
Est-ce ma faute si je suis un homme heureux ?
L'une pour le jour
Et l'autre pour la nuit
L'une pour l'amour
Et l'autre pour la vie
L'une pour toujours
Jusqu'à la fin des temps
Et l'autre pour un temps
Un peu plus court
Déchiré
-"Déchiré"

I'll be honest: I don't think my feet are nearly as nice as Naoji's. [giggle]

I need a PROPER camera one of these days

2006-11-26T04:07:40Z


structure thing	part of structure thing

elephant by structure thing	elephant by elephant by structure thing

other part of structure thing	Hollywood Sign the [in]famous Hollywood Sign

just a random shot of Downtown Los Angeles	carvings on some building

Grauman's Theatre If memory serves right, this adorns the top of the entrance to the theatre	a sparrow Thrown in for the heck of it. Quite the cute and little, common bloke, eh?

herzog_ludwig @ 2006-11-20T21:33:00

2006-11-21T05:33:13Z

Meditation: How to get Started. "How to relax the Buddhist way."

Oming in on Pain.

Christmas meme

2006-11-21T04:46:13Z

Stole from fujitsubo 'cos I was curious and she's a very charming individual.

- Make a post (public, friendslocked, filtered...whatever you're comfortable with) to your LJ. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fun ("I'd love a Hermione icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.

- If you wish for real possible things, make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you.

- Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ so that the holiday joy will spread.

- Surf around your friendslist (or friendsfriends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part:

- If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it.

You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call.

There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

1. I would really enjoy a copy of Two great plays: The dog beneath the skin, and The ascent of F6 by W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood.
2. I would appreciate a piano medley of any sort.
3. I'd like my lovely imperial_artist to update Downfall soon~
4. I definitely wouldn't mind... Cards! Greeting cards, Christmas cards, etc - I enjoy collecting and sending as much as I do receiving.
5. I've a craving for truffles. The chocolate variety of course.
6. I think I need a new processor.
7. I would love flowers.
8. I would like roguerouge to fulfill a request for a vocal cover.
9. I could go for a stuffed animal. X3
10. A hand written letter.

Contact info: Ask. :P

...bwhee!

For you Jennifer...hehehe

2006-11-15T03:39:09Z

...

_{crazy_chick01, I am going to hurt you. Or have Juanita come after your ever abundant bosom.}