tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50139793772654620282024-02-19T10:06:01.194-05:00Text-Based AdventMy life and times as they take place in my mind.textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-50281878540732270972010-04-05T18:50:00.005-04:002010-04-05T21:00:22.650-04:00Cliché-Gate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn2KFqSeRMI1o_-SXPsoEWD_EbSGIs-PRnzMEmby3TI_x6BacXjQE8pnkrmbELiJkzAhUPQNl11SP-EPqcYlgaSUhXqef7PbJ0JCOVRcyT1U3hUpSp9qE5y6pOKF7A4_RLl6O6PyDDY8T/s1600/Comic+5+(2).png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn2KFqSeRMI1o_-SXPsoEWD_EbSGIs-PRnzMEmby3TI_x6BacXjQE8pnkrmbELiJkzAhUPQNl11SP-EPqcYlgaSUhXqef7PbJ0JCOVRcyT1U3hUpSp9qE5y6pOKF7A4_RLl6O6PyDDY8T/s400/Comic+5+(2).png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456810528108216546" /></a><br /><br /><br />Click, Read, Love.<br /><br />For some reason this comic came out of GMod really dark, so I messed with the brightness and contrast a bit. It still doesn't look as good as I had hoped but at least you can see it. I'm sure anyone who is worth their salt in Photoshop is cringing at the results of my handiwork.<br /><br />If you haven't heard about the RNC's hot spending action you can read up about its latest chapter <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/05/ken-mckay-resigns-rnc-chi_n_526104.html">here</a>. I hesitate to link to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/">HuffPo</a> because the site's layout looks as terrible as the <a href="http://drudgereport.com/">Drudge Report's</a>, except it's louder and more tech savvy. I don't know if this is to HuffPo's credit. Yes, it's colorful and I can connect straight from a story to Twitter or Facebook, but HuffPo's particular use of these features generally makes me want to scour my eyes with a pumice stone.<br /><br />I must also register a complaint with this scandal being named "Bondage-Gate." I think we can do better that. For example, the RNC launched the very probe that exposed this hilarious spending spree on planes, limos, hotels, and of course the lesbian/bondage themed strip club. So why not call this "Trenchcoat-Gate," since RNC members were likely exposing themselves on both ends of this scandal. Or given Republicans' pension for claiming that they're the party of fiscal responsibility, strict morals, and denying civil rights to homosexuals we could call this "Irony-Gate." Then again, at this point right-wing hypocrisy is so common place that "Cliché-Gate" might actually be more fitting. Of course there's always just "Gimp-Gate." What would you lot call this scandal?<br /><br />We could also call my post "Stereotypical-Leftist-Blog-Rant-...Gate."<br /><br />I think I need to take a break from the political rage-ohol.textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-80676280784336170612010-04-01T13:00:00.006-04:002010-04-01T15:31:19.856-04:00Tea Party Movement Turns Out To Be An Elaborate PrankWASHINGTON(AP)-- Thousands of aging, bitter Caucasians might have one less thing to live for. Former House of Representatives Majority Leader and Tea Party architect Richard "Dick" Armey revealed today that the Tea Party Movement was just an elaborate April Fool's joke.<br /><br />"I can't believe so many people fell for it," Armey laughs. "It's been really hard to keep a straight face for this long."<br /><br />The Tea Party movement seemingly began around February 2009 with calls from conservative commentators for fiscal responsibility from the Obama administration. As the story goes, this in turn organically surged into a populist uprising of hard working, real Americans who were tired of being oppressed by a tyrannical-socialist system. In reality, it was an orchestrated effort years in the making by groups such as Americans For Prosperity, FreedomWorks, Fox News, and the Palin Family Jamboree to get filthier rich by riling up "poor, dumb people." <br /><br />"Populist uprising? Are you kidding me?," quips a humorously incredulous Sarah Palin. "I require at least $100,000 per speaking engagement, and that's not even my A-list material. For that kind of money I'm likely to just get on stage and fart."<br /><br />The plan was born from the realization that one day George W. Bush would no longer be President, and though that prank had been both long running and very profitable, the backlash was likely going to put Democrats in power. By forming a number of PACs, the architects of the Tea Party movement were able to amass the wealth necessary to fund an artificial grassroots movement while remaining obscure enough that only the most tenacious Wikipedia browser might find them. Their only problem was that they did not yet have a sure fire way to "spook the cattle" into stampeding for their amusement and gain. Then, inspiration struck in the form of Barack <span style="font-style:italic;">Hussein</span> Obama.<br /><br />"Obama's appearance as a Democratic front runner was like mana from heaven for us on the inside of this prank," says David H. Koch founder of Americans For Prosperity and New York's 2nd richest inhabitant. "An intelligent, handsome Black man running for President is just about the scariest thing you can think of for most Conservative Americans." After chuckling, Koch added, "We knew this thing was going to be a fucking gold mine."<br /><br />Indeed it seems the Tea Party movement has been an economic boon in a slumped economy for many who have fueled its flame. One example comes from the PAC Our Country Deserves Better (OCDB) who are behind The Tea Party Express. OCBD gave $857,122 of roughly $1.33 million in contributor funding to Russo, Marsh, and Associates, the conservative consulting firm who created OCDB.<br /><br />"What do racism and conservative PACs have in common?," OCDB chairman Howard Kaloogian jokes, a barely concealed grin dawning on his face. "Just thinly veil both and you'll make a mint!"<br /><br />No single business entity has made more money from the fomented masses than Fox News. On a list of the top 30 most watched news shows, Fox's The O'Reilly Factor, Glenn Beck, and Hannity each draw 3.644, 2.781, and 2.635 million viewers respectively. These record ratings translate into a very nice sum of money, even despite many sponsors pulling out of shows such as Beck's.<br /><br />"I was never really worried about it," Beck reflects while lightly stroking his second chin. "As soon as I called Barack Obama a racist on national TV, I knew I was set for life." <br /><br />When asked if he was worried about the potential retribution from the thousands of Tea Party protesters when they discover that their hard work was nothing more than a cruel joke designed to distract them while he and others got rich Beck responded, "C'mon, these are hard working, real Americans we're talking about. They should be used to frivolously toiling to make the wealthy wealthier by now." <br /><br />He added, "Besides, Dick Armey only admitted that the Tea Party movement was a prank in print. If we here at Fox News don't report that he said anything, how will any of those illiterate saps know the difference? We've created a monster... all the way to the bank."textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-13898800263941626382010-03-28T22:06:00.009-04:002010-03-29T00:46:29.257-04:00Just out there, like the Goblin King's Bulge.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCzEw7ecx7Bo2Dpis6muh7xkI4bJxO0qmZiNKd4sbkON7uV1NZt7_nL01WE86OmnUgdtnXd72Y4b2FysP3drX7e7olpF2obnKhyDee7XuvCmVFET1f1J4LSW4Ane226CC8IsyydDefZb0/s1600/Comic+4.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCzEw7ecx7Bo2Dpis6muh7xkI4bJxO0qmZiNKd4sbkON7uV1NZt7_nL01WE86OmnUgdtnXd72Y4b2FysP3drX7e7olpF2obnKhyDee7XuvCmVFET1f1J4LSW4Ane226CC8IsyydDefZb0/s400/Comic+4.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453876635920622594" /></a><br /><br />Click it to read it folks!<br /><br />Again with the Gaga jokes? Geez, what's my deal with her anyway? Well, she kinda brings it on herself. I mean, when you go out in public looking like this: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCMDNSVBCBBlz2Py3n9eRNDsJQ9G-RdqlsvXqIBb_qkMzkU3hlNm-uL1lrXJUeI06VFzj60nM9LR7yrd_QtcV9fioWMLdIyYyZ5PS58LFGx8lSMiJzTK3fVQyJOePDpHY3qhJcvcmVwoq/s1600/Lady-Gaga-at-the-Grammys.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCMDNSVBCBBlz2Py3n9eRNDsJQ9G-RdqlsvXqIBb_qkMzkU3hlNm-uL1lrXJUeI06VFzj60nM9LR7yrd_QtcV9fioWMLdIyYyZ5PS58LFGx8lSMiJzTK3fVQyJOePDpHY3qhJcvcmVwoq/s400/Lady-Gaga-at-the-Grammys.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453876765944918866" /></a><br /><br />How do you honestly not expect me to compare you to Marilyn Manson? I harbor neither artist ill will, just thousands of eye rolls.<br /><br />Hey here are some classy GMod outakes:<br /><br />A fishy, fishy, fishy, Oooh?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjwvtGHWzLW2FzZz3zQF9UzyNc7SqQTH0f6zpUsLYXzdWbPpy_l2CxMUun9p7BJhiQSWdsuWyawUkQPCdU0tvYVblmUlqCrJYtnGZeiokdoVZNrt6RVdMNw1IvFUOrNztkCVYWlivZ_6a/s1600/ctf_2fort0032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjwvtGHWzLW2FzZz3zQF9UzyNc7SqQTH0f6zpUsLYXzdWbPpy_l2CxMUun9p7BJhiQSWdsuWyawUkQPCdU0tvYVblmUlqCrJYtnGZeiokdoVZNrt6RVdMNw1IvFUOrNztkCVYWlivZ_6a/s400/ctf_2fort0032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453877838150523122" /></a><br /><br />An unexpected and disturbing cameo:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCHxrQ-wic597dnfyw09lI2hDXiJc3YXuY1R0OnG11iqN2lHG66XzCwt4JFQUnr2zs0pAhKpGgs4kgpSw5HbLi8czCSX3U2K816SN4TOdJFqwKTEPPNVvGZAZLbNEQhNb-v76NnL0Ja0c/s1600/ctf_2fort0031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCHxrQ-wic597dnfyw09lI2hDXiJc3YXuY1R0OnG11iqN2lHG66XzCwt4JFQUnr2zs0pAhKpGgs4kgpSw5HbLi8czCSX3U2K816SN4TOdJFqwKTEPPNVvGZAZLbNEQhNb-v76NnL0Ja0c/s400/ctf_2fort0031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453878438945268050" /></a><br /><br />I needed new rag dolls to pose and GMod decided to spawn them this way:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwwLFTdKjDp3RvvNkmPGinFXYj1qEwAIXGfP4E5irDswDNmGPz1Mdt0WuJ6kocoydB-1M6wA2SYNz-6Q-vvzCBM_VkVpuYzpMxgCNqPryyLPTpAZncJsR31TF1vZmzFkBwYTCtMeAOVqk/s1600/ctf_2fort0028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwwLFTdKjDp3RvvNkmPGinFXYj1qEwAIXGfP4E5irDswDNmGPz1Mdt0WuJ6kocoydB-1M6wA2SYNz-6Q-vvzCBM_VkVpuYzpMxgCNqPryyLPTpAZncJsR31TF1vZmzFkBwYTCtMeAOVqk/s400/ctf_2fort0028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453878956758929890" /></a><br /><br />Either GMod is a handy Rule 34 generator, or it's not so subtly hinting at where it wants this story to go.textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-77876682109878709422010-03-28T14:03:00.003-04:002010-03-28T20:35:41.238-04:00Unqualified Opinions: Torchlight ReviewDuring the merry month of December when I was still sitting on top of a relatively nice pile of money thanks to a full time and mind numbingly boring job I fell deep in to the clutches of Steam's Holiday Sale. This <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/">digital succubus</a> drew me in with its sleek low prices and voluptuous savings. It took games I had been eyeing for months, waved a delicate claw, and breathily whispered,"Now these are 75% off." With a coquettish wink and a come hither smile it beckoned me into its bosom and I was powerless to resist. By the time I had regained consciousness, I had purchased 22 games (only 9 of which were gifts) for a total price of $88.48. Though the math savvy might note $4.02 per purchase for games that usually range around the $20 to $50 mark is a hell of a deal, the wise person would certainly point out that even a small stream can eventually destroy a mountain. Regardless, my soul (and time) are no longer my own. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.torchlightgame.com/">Torchlight</a> is one of the myriad titles I picked up in my buying fugue and like many of those games I had yet to touch it. Then I noticed that the <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/">digital succubus</a> was offering it up for a delectable $5. So in an attempt at redemption I will give my unqualified opinion and review the game.<br /><br />Torchlight is a fantasy, action-RPG, dungeon crawler by Runic Games, ie some of the guys who worked on Diablo 1 and 2. Some of you might remember Diablo as "the thing you did instead of going outside for at least 2 years of your youth." The Diablo series and Torchlight are so similar that comparing the two is unavoidable. You have your OCD inspiring lootwhoring, your addictive level gaining, and your entertaining bashing of hordes of evil looking things because somebody in town promised you some exp and a new pair of shoes if you bring back a monster's knee cap. All the most ensnaring aspects of Diablo, which would later be infused into Warcraft to create the soul stealing WoW, are present within the dimly lit subterranean world of Torchlight. This even includes the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gummiberry_Juice">Gummiberry juice</a> health potions and tedious identification of items (a subtle nod to D&D the way that punching someone in the mouth is a subtle hint that you don't like them). <br /><br />One aspect of Torchlight that differentiates it from these other games is its streamlined mitigation of these tropes. Comparing the new giant hammer that fell out of the loin-cloth-wearing man-sized-rat's pocket to your old dusty hammer is made simple by an automatic pop up screen that explicitly tells you which does more damage per second. You no longer need to play lootris by rotating items so as to not waste any inventory space. If you should run out of space, you can give items to your faithful pack dog/cat who can <a href="http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/11/4/">run off to town and sell your unwanted trinkets</a>. Sure, you could just pop open a scroll of town portal, sell your stuff to the paralyzed shop keeps, and pop straight back but its nice to have a few options. A sentiment the developers carried on to the leveling up system, which only has a few options. That last sentence might have had the connotation of a critique but speaking as a compulsive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Min-maxing">min-maxer</a> I assure you it was sincere praise. After a couple of levels I realized that I was spending more time determining how to spend my skill points than it took to attain them. This practice is subtly shunned by Torchlight as you're able to plow through gangs of monsters pretty much regardless of how you build your character. <br /><br />Combat follows this same pattern of simplicity: either click to smash a skeleton (back) to death or push a hotkeyed spell to magic said creature till it drops. At times this makes the game feel easy. That is until all the chaos from the 20 baddies rushing you, the special effects from your magic, and the constant numerical feedback of how much damage your doing distracts you from your rapidly depleting health. At times the game feels less like an RPG than a tutorial on spinning plates. You lose focus at a crucial moment and everything comes tumbling down. Then, if you're like me, you'll have to explain to yet another sales associate that you think their housewares aisle is haunted and that they should bring a broom and check it out. Wait, was I doing? Right, Torchlight. <br /><br />Torchlight's art style and tone seem to be aiming for a more broad base, family friendly appeal. If Fisher Price were to make a line of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00064Z1D6/ref=dp_otherviews_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&img=1">Generic Fantasy Heroes</a> toys, the Fighter, Rogue, and Mage figures would look exactly like your class choices in this game. Whereas most dungeons I've crawled through are drab, dark, and involve a 6'2" leather clad Norse woman named Olga, Torchlight's subterranean locals are surprisingly attractive (like Olga) and have a rich palette. This is especially good since you'll be traipsing through the same 3 or 4 locals for the entire game.<br /><br />Speaking of these locals I'd like to make a brief aside to address some of my niggling anthropological issues with Torchlight and indeed the dungeon crawling genre as a whole. As I traverse deeper into the world below, cutting broad swaths through hundreds of creatures, I can't help but feel as if I'm encroaching on an underground society. I mean, these anthropomorphic rat people are clearly wearing clothes, mining using tools of their own invention, and seem to have a social hierarchy based on how difficult they are for me to murder. There's something very <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_Destiny">Manifest Destiny</a> to the whole exercise. I imagine 100 years hence someone will make a movie called, "Dances with Bats" that will include the line,"I never knew who I was, until I heard them squeak my Ratlin name." <br /><br />The combination of simplified game play and "cartoony" graphics might lead many to believe that Torchlight is a kids game, and I suppose that's true in the same way that Pixar's Up was a meditation on fleeting mortality... for kids. Torchlight strives above all else to be compellingly accessible. Between the familiar game play with some nice twists, simplified interface, and pleasing animation it has something for everyone. That is of course with the exception of those who need a good (or any) storyline and decent voice acting, but time has shown that you can make plenty of money without catering to those people. I'm looking at you Avatar.<br /><br />There's a lot to <a href="http://www.penny-arcade.com/2009/11/4/">like</a> about Torchlight. For me, my trusty, incredibly useful pet features high on that list. The pacing feels more like a brisk dungeon jog than a crawl. Being able to share items across your characters' games is a great feature. Talking to the horse is funny, odd they didn't try to employ more humor throughout the game. Maybe the one person with a sense of humor was stuck on horse duty? Perhaps my favorite, though utterly peripheral, thing in this game is the little steam punk robotic bard NPC. I hope it's a playable class in the inevitable MMO sequel.<br /><br />For all my praise I do have to point out some <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1385-Torchlight">glaring flaws</a>. If you happen to play the mage, do not invest anything in minion summoning. The game is enough of a cluster fuck without having to keep track of little demons and constructs running off to get themselves mauled. It's even better when they decide to take a cigarette break while you're getting your skull smashed open by cave troll. At the risk of repeating myself I must again note that the story is nothing more than another cookie from an old, worn out cutter and that the voice acting extols the virtues of the mute button.<br /><br />Here's the $20 question: Is Torchlight worth the normal price of $20 dollars? This is what I call the Katamari Damacy threshold, named for a game which broke the $50 price tag mold back in the day, both to its credit and great success. My verdict is yes, Torchlight lights up enough of my brain's happy places to justify a $20 cost. You may ask,"But didn't you say that Torchlight is only $5 this weekend?" To which I would reply,"Exactly. Also, thanks for reading, or at least skimming, this far." Until Monday you can<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/27/torchlight-only-5-on-steam-you-should-buy-it/"> pick this game up</a> from either the <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/">digital succubus</a> or <a href="http://www.torchlightgame.com/">Torchlight's official site</a> for $15 off. I would implore you to take advantage of this deal quickly, then again I have a reputation for being a weak minded, soulless thrall of the <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/">digital succubus</a>. Always take that into consideration.<br /><br />On a closing note I should talk about some of the current and future steps of the budding Torchlight franchise. Giving the community access to mod tools through <a href="http://www.filefront.com/14905927/Torchlight-Preditor-Mod-Tools/">TorchED</a> is a savvy, awesome move, +20 cool points and a gold star. <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/10/runic-games-putting-serious-effort-into-console-torchlight/">Developing Torchlight for consoles</a> is an admirable goal, but unless and until Rock Band comes out with a piano attachment (for the hotkeys) I don't see it working too well. Finally, making a free to play Torchlight MMO as a sequel makes a good bit of sense, especially when coupled with the data they'll pull down from the Torchlight Mods (see how releasing mod tools are savvy?), but the question still remains whether or not such a venture is profitable <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/torchlight-dev-speaks-about-blizzard-competition-mmo-plans/">or indeed necessary</a>.textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-44046876645381514492010-03-17T15:59:00.003-04:002010-03-17T16:14:28.096-04:00Priorities<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrceASZNKeSF_sZhF_OSPlf9DSmctEMPfgCnGvTbVLQ3qrDPXvBkcRxcyaveL-EpuBxNjYl6j9NEasO-E_1WEydr83wJgItDdelRAQkpsyouuRRxwxroiUVpB1HZZhutkruiUPX0hLEyv8/s1600-h/Comic+3.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrceASZNKeSF_sZhF_OSPlf9DSmctEMPfgCnGvTbVLQ3qrDPXvBkcRxcyaveL-EpuBxNjYl6j9NEasO-E_1WEydr83wJgItDdelRAQkpsyouuRRxwxroiUVpB1HZZhutkruiUPX0hLEyv8/s400/Comic+3.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449695808659074946" /></a><br /><br />You know the drill, click it to read it.<br /><br />What's this? Character development? Plot devices? It's almost like I'm going somewhere with this. Also, there are 3 deftly hidden inconsistencies (i.e. mistakes) in this comic. Can you spot all 3? If you can then you'll get an extra special prize from the Text-Based Advent store! How much do you think it costs to mail nothing?<br /><br />Tune in tomorrow for either another 2 weeks of me not posting anything or a preview of the hottest new choose your own adventure novel: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rip Bicepson: Journey to Swolle Mountain</span> by my favorite Fitness Personality, Chet McSteadfast. I'm guessing the former.textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-25091702106104349592010-02-26T01:02:00.002-05:002010-02-26T01:08:40.632-05:00A real conversation I had tonightThis is a real conversation I had tonight. I am textbasedadvent and T-Steady is kirijini. (Edited for hilarity... to me... shut up, this is free.)<br /><br />[GHTS] kirijini: yo. I am up for games. and gaming. and gamaraderie.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: gamaraderie... wow, I really like that word<br />[GHTS] kirijini: vodka = inspiration<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: Ernest Hemmingway's most well known quote<br />[GHTS] kirijini: really? I coulda swore it had something to do with sharks.<br />[GHTS] kirijini: or wait - maybe it was "don't electrocute me"<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: well the whole quote goes, "vodka = inspiration... but don't try to fuck a shark"<br />[GHTS] kirijini: that makes me want to start a distillery with a line of vodka called... shark vodka.<br />[GHTS] kirijini: or, fucking sharks.<br />[GHTS] kirijini: Fucking Sharks Vodka.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: I think one might lead to the other<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: but both ways<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: like the shark might go if you're lucky<br />[GHTS] kirijini: have you ever looked at a shark and thought "not enough ass"?<br />[GHTS] kirijini: hemingway did. because he's a real man. and a drunk.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: Yes, but as a real man, Hemmingway went for it anyway.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: Then he wrote Old Man and The Sea.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: The secret to understanding that novella is knowing the fish was a metaphor for his dick.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: And the sharks eating the fish was a metaphor for his sexual realtionship with sharks.<br /><br />Here's another part of that conversation:<br /><br />[GHTS] kirijini: birds don't have tails, so why is it (the backside of a quarter) called tails?<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: Actually, I know this.<br />[GHTS] kirijini: uh-oh<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: Back when the quarter was first invented, Ben Franklin suggested that the National Cat, the Tanzanian Puma, be put on the back of the fledgling coin.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: But this, like most of Franklin's suggestions, was ignored. Firstly because there is no such animal.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: Secondly, because Franklin did enough snuff to make Keith Richards go blind.<br />[GHTS] kirijini: my bullshitometer is going berserk<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: You doubt that Franklin did more drugs than Keith Richards?<br />[GHTS] kirijini: yes.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: Surely Richards had access to greater variety, but in pure amounts Franklin reigns supreme.<br />[GHTS] kirijini: ben franklin invented bifocals. keith richards was in the rolling stones.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: Do you know how much pussy inventers got back then?<br />[GHTS] kirijini: did you know that ben franklin wore a suit made out of beavers when he was ambassador to france?<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: It was to show just how much beaver he was inside of during his time over there.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: He added a new pelt with each time he had a new lady.<br />[GHTS] kirijini: i got the terrible mental image of him "scalping" his ladies' nether parts.<br />[GHTS] textbasedadvent: Got to the point the man couldn't walk down the street without tripping.textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-88111982153590086652010-02-06T03:44:00.007-05:002010-02-06T04:24:24.349-05:00I only watch the Super Bowl for the sermons<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVk9rYK8OZj2lpxknOiCmCBDKFxeTvA7keVQAKC9bJ7G6TGn59dOq0DJYt1qRjh4Ah0auYGk573numodCjkYDujNvpY9Onw0aNpO1XxsDRPqgJhMzBM6KL4d7NpESBK2fYb73GlU4an5u/s1600-h/Comic+2.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVk9rYK8OZj2lpxknOiCmCBDKFxeTvA7keVQAKC9bJ7G6TGn59dOq0DJYt1qRjh4Ah0auYGk573numodCjkYDujNvpY9Onw0aNpO1XxsDRPqgJhMzBM6KL4d7NpESBK2fYb73GlU4an5u/s400/Comic+2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435049625534563826" /></a><br /><br />Click to be able to read! Also, read the higher text balloon first (ie the Engineer's text, ie the guy with the yellow helmet for the uninitiated).<br /><br />Let me just say right now that I support Pam Tebow’s brave choice to give birth to Tim Tebow despite the incredible risks posed by placental abruption if for no other reason than it was <span style="font-weight:bold;">HER</span> choice. That’s the all too ignored other side of the coin of being Pro Choice, that it’s about women having the final say in what happens to their bodies during pregnancy (and in general really) even if it means facing peril. Can we all please be honest for a second? It isn’t a matter of being Pro Abortion; no one is Pro Abortion... except for maybe those who are creepily concerned with overpopulation. What I don’t support is <a href="http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/proposition-8-forces-focus-family-mas">Focus on the Family</a> exploiting a rare success story in order to persuade women into potentially <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2243218/">endangering their lives</a>. It would be despicable to parade a woman in front of a camera who made the decision to save her own life at the cost of her child’s just as it would be in poor taste to capitalize on a story of a woman who chose to keep a baby despite the risk and both her and the child died. Instead all we hear is the victorious story of the survivors, causing people’s vulnerability to selection bias to be laid bare. That just doesn’t sit right with me.<br /><br />It also doesn’t sit right that my comic is somewhat extolling the virtues of Bud Light. Let me assure one and all, I wouldn’t use Bud Light to fill my aquarium for fear that even the fish would find it too watered down (and I don't even own an aquarium). I like to think that the Demoman is drinking Sierra Nevada Bigfoot in this comic (as was I whilst making it).<br /><br />In comic related news, my good buddy T-Steady sent me this twist ending to my last comic. The real question is, “How did he predict that’s where I was going to take this story?” Three months of planning gone! Oh well, back to the drawing board. Here is his 4th panel to my last comic:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MlnGN_MRskPlkiyHEV5YwaYhcSONwhC04HwxGUNtw4hpSuCl9LBJ5X2uB-cLhRJL4fPiRL8bmWpBY2ZU6bqoRr_5h4hie5beWSzG7-4qHyWynrONKDsbr8ax_JrMLbhyA-HDuwOJTcN8/s1600-h/Fourth+Panel+from+Terry.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MlnGN_MRskPlkiyHEV5YwaYhcSONwhC04HwxGUNtw4hpSuCl9LBJ5X2uB-cLhRJL4fPiRL8bmWpBY2ZU6bqoRr_5h4hie5beWSzG7-4qHyWynrONKDsbr8ax_JrMLbhyA-HDuwOJTcN8/s400/Fourth+Panel+from+Terry.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435053124447989698" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Also, here are some outtakes from the making of this comic. I think I speak for everyone who drinks recreationally that these pictures represent a feeling we’ve all experienced. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj350t8J3HsM7ZCA7L9DTMmc5eTsmx6VhGAMgskUdayj6tS47n9_uYRfFQnS4S_21YiuwJYRI4NJjngvqxcTZhwlaBbZPjk-kg40tpBK3rD2k3BPF1ur8uXCfNuZKmoOfsLtsbkRrjSSP7t/s1600-h/ctf_2fort0019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj350t8J3HsM7ZCA7L9DTMmc5eTsmx6VhGAMgskUdayj6tS47n9_uYRfFQnS4S_21YiuwJYRI4NJjngvqxcTZhwlaBbZPjk-kg40tpBK3rD2k3BPF1ur8uXCfNuZKmoOfsLtsbkRrjSSP7t/s400/ctf_2fort0019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435053768659260178" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGveboaqIyYIbIpA7QhS2bmnlgfhRnT7JKQZz9MIXe0ZfR890Kudh_tarXpKOh0PMQ_N4g0V1l3mUS3DQ4iayR6eRf-wZs87vJR5_JUoHLbicyK2yCOw3AaGZXrDAklEzMgPexcGb9cc1/s1600-h/ctf_2fort0018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGveboaqIyYIbIpA7QhS2bmnlgfhRnT7JKQZz9MIXe0ZfR890Kudh_tarXpKOh0PMQ_N4g0V1l3mUS3DQ4iayR6eRf-wZs87vJR5_JUoHLbicyK2yCOw3AaGZXrDAklEzMgPexcGb9cc1/s400/ctf_2fort0018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435054140173096322" /></a>textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-7411599830835909422010-01-29T22:09:00.006-05:002010-01-29T23:04:49.755-05:00Bad Bromance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNEXVxG5Wat0b2gt7EplwsnX10yCE0UQAEytSOqaVbsDZ4S0k6ZhI-cXPe2dpY4DNTA4_gmw41gfKBAruDcPM2E_IMiYsVTXy8_b3_gbgN3Ja4QzbF58oYrGig0IUhPMB-P9GgIZ_JY3B/s1600-h/Comic+1.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 102px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNEXVxG5Wat0b2gt7EplwsnX10yCE0UQAEytSOqaVbsDZ4S0k6ZhI-cXPe2dpY4DNTA4_gmw41gfKBAruDcPM2E_IMiYsVTXy8_b3_gbgN3Ja4QzbF58oYrGig0IUhPMB-P9GgIZ_JY3B/s400/Comic+1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432364979846585026" /></a><br /><br />Click the comic to be able to read it!<br /><br />Tonight I'm adding comics to my repertoire. This one stars the Scout and the Pyro from Team Fortress 2 and was made using Gary's Mod. Depending on how people react (specifically Valve's legal representation) there will likely be more of these comics on the horizon. Some people might think it would be simpler just to draw a comic than to haphazardly position rag dolls in odd positions. These people would also be mistaking me for someone with talent.<br /><br />Speaking of someone who is commonly mistaken for being talented, how about that Lady Gaga? As I've reported earlier, I've heard Lady Gaga's new album "Original Pastiche" and her new hit single "Eyeroller" are getting great reviews. I'll be interested to watch her career arc, especially since there's never been a blonde pop star who sings songs about love and relationships before. I'm sorry, but when I look at Lady Gaga all I can think is that she is the result of a night of drunken revelry between GG Allin and the Disney Channel.textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-22830745122215310592010-01-20T13:51:00.005-05:002010-01-20T18:30:42.574-05:00He’s the kind of guy whose truck you could have a beer withDid you guys know that if you have a blog you can give lots of people your unsolicited opinions about politics? It’s true! Well, I guess if it’s my blog it’s only a handful of people but maybe if someone searches for a way to play <a href="http://thcnet.net/error/index.php">Zork</a> online they’ll end up here by mistake.<br /><br />A lot of people are talking about Scott Brown’s senate race victory. Leftists are melodramatically bemoaning the death of health care reform while gnashing their teeth, beating their chests, and probably not getting that biblical reference because they’re all godless heathens. Republicans on the other hand are breaking out the cocaine rimmed martini glasses and wondering if a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v68fXpK4DpY&feature=fvw">celebratory blow job</a> from their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Foley_scandal">favorite male page</a> isn’t in order. Most people are probably just snuffing out a few brain cells watching Jersey Shore. Regardless, the level of shock from both the left and the right over these results is flabbergasting. This shock seems to be coming in two flavors: blind presumption and cynical agenda strengthening. Let’s try and be honest; even though Massachusetts is Bluer than Smurf soup and the seat up for grabs was Ted Kennedy’s, by election night the walls were absolutely covered in script.<br /><br />Martha Coakley is a moderate Democrat whose performance as MA Attorney General was passable at best. She is also the moron who most famously couldn't tell the difference between a bomb and a <a href="http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/01/mooninite.jpg">Mooninite Lite Brite</a>. She has the charisma of the worst player on a high school chess team, and her awkwardness came off as disdain. The Democratic party did almost nothing to back her until the very last second, displaying an arrogance and lack of touch that they've worked tirelessly to make the hallmarks of their public image, second only to the efforts of Fox News.<br /><br />Brown is a "moderate" Republican whose performance as a MA state senator didn't make too many old people angry. He is gushing with down home, folksy charisma that is oh so chic thanks to Palin et al. Let's not forget he's also "silver fox/once nude in Cosmo sexy," and he owns a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnZw6sm_yAY">truck</a>! The Republican party rallied behind him, he got his very own Tea Party from the cranky white people who like Glenn Beck so much, his wife is a local news anchor, and one of his daughters is a terrible enough singer to make it to the semis on American Idol... dude had EXPOSURE. And not even the exposure he should have had for being a <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=14053&can_id=18919">homophobic</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28u3vPExxp4&feature=player_embedded">sexist</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Md7kpnaxxU&feature=player_embedded">tool</a>. And he owns a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnZw6sm_yAY">truck</a>! <br /><br />When you strip back the candidates themselves you get into the sullied business of party loyalties and "deeper" meanings. Republicans are unswerving and lock step when it comes to voting, whether it's in a booth or Congress. They are as good at sticking together as they are at hypocritically playing the victim card and making bad decisions for the nation just to score points. Democrats on the other hand are more likely to do what they think is best and are gullible enough to continue believing in bipartisanship despite the current political climate. So when <a href="http://www.americanresearchgroup.com/">22% of Democrats voted for Brown versus 1% of Republicans who voted for Coakley</a> I can barely find the energy to sarcastically feign shock. <br /><br />Beyond that, this election was framed by the media as another referendum on Obama and his policies. I swear, no man has ever had to run in so many elections in so little a time. Coakley basically became a symbol for "So what do you think about national health care?," which MA citizens could care fuck all less about from a benefits point of view but care a whole lot about it when it comes to taxes. Whereas Brown became a symbol for "Are you unsatisfied with what Obama has done to our economy/society?," an ironic framing considering that Brown stands for the same economic conservatism that killed the economy in the first place and the social conservatism that makes America a hostile place for anyone outside the country club set. It will truly be a glorious day when people's brains evolve enough to contain memories of failed policy. Also, did you see his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnZw6sm_yAY">truck</a>?<br /><br />In the end the result is so obvious, it is down right silly that this election is being portrayed as an upset. Republicans always vote down party lines, Democrats don't, and Independents are generally so simple minded and impressionable that they simply imprint on the first candidate they see when they open their eyes. From one angle this is a good thing. This is a high alert bulletin for Democrats, especially progressive Democrats. It's time for you to stop pandering to the lowest common denominator, clearly differentiate yourself from your opponents, take a firm stand, and ovary and sack the FUCK up. Otherwise, the change you can believe in will be of the same type seen in this election, but instead of Massachusetts it'll be the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ULkGeh6hjA">White House</a>.<br /><br />Don't be surprised when everyone begins muttering about Brown/Palin 2012.<br /><br />Oh, and to the citizens of Massachusetts, you have all been swayed into voting for someone because he owns a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnZw6sm_yAY">truck</a>. Congratulations, you're as dumb as the rest of us now. Pray it goes no further than this.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />na na na na na na, MA Senator is a Centerfold</span>textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-33251623525068510982009-12-20T22:29:00.017-05:002009-12-21T17:06:40.165-05:00Live blog of my impressions from Avatar in IMAX 3D... posted 16 or so hours later. SPOILER CODE RED!This is my live blog of the movie Avatar. I'm here to see it in IMAX 3D in order to fully give this movie a chance (a home court advantage if you will) and I'm live blogging to address the mythos this movie has created around itself as "revolutionary." Also to annoy the people around me.<br /><br />10:30 pm: 5 minutes before start of Avatar and I've already heard my first racial slur. This movie is going to be awesome! ;D<br /><br />(Next day note: The person who uttered it sat behind us and was commenting on how upscale the snack bar was as he said, "They even have fresh baked kikes!" This was followed by some awkward stuttering then finally, "I mean they have fresh baked cakes and pies." The slip was accidental, yet hilariously Freudian. Sean's and my muffled laughter displayed how we are at the height of maturity.)<br /><br />10:38: Disappointed by Alice and Wonderland trailer. Only 2 3d gags? Tim Burton, you owe us more than that.<br /><br />10:40: IMAX has convinced me to think big<br /><br />10:43: protagonist's name is sunshine<br /><br />(Next Day Note: His name is actually Jake Sully, but fuck that, his name is Sunshine.)<br /><br />10:46: Movie claims that the economy is still bad, Obama to blame?<br /><br />10:50: see first naked blue cat person, not aroused. James Cameron has failed me.<br />Sunshine is doing science<br /><br />10:52: holy shit! The 3d subtitles seem so real!<br /><br />10:54: we're here for "unobtainium"<br /><br />(Next day note: Idea for DVD extended edition: After uttering the word "unobtainium," the whole room bursts into uncontrollable laughter. Wiping tears from their eyes, someone says, "What? We already harvest all the "space oil"?)<br /><br />11:00. Inspirational avatar scene about running reminds me to work out tomorrow<br /><br />11:01: hey it's the sassy lady from resident evil<br />colonial scar turtle is sufficiently stereotypical<br /><br />11:05 I recognize helicopter things from Terminator. Same continuity?<br /><br />11:08 plants are pretty<br /><br />11:12: action sequence is so blurry I think I need glasses for my 3d glasses<br />how did sunshine know that was flammable?<br /><br />11:17: blue cat lady kills space hyenas, now I'm aroused.<br /><br />11:22: glowing jelly fish seeds eat sunshine, movie continues anyway<br />haha sunshine fell, hilarious!<br />Only took 45 minutes for Native American style whoops, movie shows admirable restraint<br /><br />11:28: training time! Cue montage and eye of the tiger<br /><br />11:30. Notice all the racist words wormy business guy is using? That's how you know he's an evil capitalist.<br /><br />(Next day note: Seriously, this guy all but pulls out a "Free Trade, Malevolence, & You" phrase book and just goes wild. He stops just short of mentioning Manifest Destiny, but the viewer gets the idea. He would be hate worthy if he weren't such an obvious strawman).<br /><br />11:36: lulz super altruistic scientists and flux vortex<br />hey movie, final fantasy wants its mountains back<br /><br />11:43: prediction: sunshine will no longer see this as tree hugger crap, will use failed leaf falling technique to save hot blue lady<br /><br />11:54: sunshine tames kite dragon, level up<br /><br />11:56: oh no! Feral hot rod kite dragon!<br /><br />11:58: prediction: sunshine will ride hot rod kite dragon, Sean predicts the planet will hit an iceburg<br /><br />12:00 am: colonial scar turtle keeps empty promise for dastardly double agent deeds, threatens world tree, seems really disappointed that he can't shoot it from here<br /><br />12:05: predictable, obligatory love scene leaves me super aroused<br /><br />Breakfast metaphorically linked to man's expansionist evil?<br /><br />12:09: Scene where video is scaled up, enhanced at 1.5 hr in, movie shows incredible restraint!<br /><br />12:12: damn you evil col. scar turtle<br /><br />12:14: if only the Native Americans had religious beliefs that were scientifically verifiable as opposed to simply "paganistic savagery", wait still doesn't matter to wormy business guy<br /><br />12:18: tying knots around traitors wrists is a big deal to the navi<br /><br />12:22: Cynacism doesn't save me from hating the military during falling action<br /><br />12:29: the end... Wait no<br /><br />(Next Day Note: In the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364725/trivia">Rawson Marshall Thurber</a> Director's cut version, the movie ends with all the fiery death and destruction, Sully's name is still, well, sullied, and Colonial Scar Turtle is victorious.)<br /><br />12:30: security taking a nap, mutiny goes unpunished sometimes?<br /><br />(Next Day Note: Why is the person who deliberately left the field claiming, "Screw it, I didn't sign up for this" not only allowed to walk around apparently repercussion free but given a chance to get near the prisoners who are her friends and whose point of view she obviously agrees with?)<br /><br />Scar turtle a terrible shot... Wait<br /><br />Segourny Weaver is incredibly understanding of alien life forms considering her past experiences.<br /><br />12:35: sunshine is going to, unironically, take it to the next level! attacks hot rod kite dragon, called it<br /><br />12:38: huge displays of ultra man hood always make everything ok<br /><br />(Next Day Note: especially duplicity that leads to one's father's death and the forced exodus of an entire people)<br /><br />12:43: sad nature matrix fail... Or is it?<br /><br />12:44: but they cannot take our freeedooom!<br /><br />12:51: scar turtle death march<br /><br />1:02: Aiewa HAS heard you, and has responded at the dramatically appropriate time!<br /><br />(Next Day Note: You know, after enough of your friends have died.)<br /><br />1:06: over the top awesome is happening detail later<br /><br />(Next Day Note: Running along giant bombers chucking grenades into their engine intakes, hammer head rhinos, kite dragons, and giant peacock panthers killing many people and robots, and Col. Scar Turtle jumping from an exploding sky turtle/dreadnought in a robot suit. Destruction porn at it's finest! Eat your heart out Michael Bay. Also, Sunshine does use the leaf falling technique to save himself from falling to his death, so I only half called that one).<br /><br />1:08: why does the giant robot need a knife?<br /><br />And that's where my log ends. Spoiler alert: good guys win, <a href="http://io9.com/5422666/when-will-white-people-stop-making-movies-like-avatar?skyline=true&s=x">white guilt fantasy</a> fully realized, <a href="http://dantom.altervista.org/spider_ing_script.html">James Cameron</a> is shown to be revolutionary when it comes to hyping a movie. Now I'm not saying the movie is bad or good at least not yet. A fuller review must be left for a soon to come update.textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-62911106124791563462009-12-11T14:37:00.002-05:002009-12-11T16:59:22.501-05:00I'm all over this like White on a Tea Party protest!<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div>I received an (faux) urgent call from my friend <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/i/1084/original/VectorWeegee.png">Jeff</a> at 10am today. He wanted my opinion as to whether something he had said was racist. It's my belief that phone calls of this nature only occur between Novo Collegians and Alumni. Anyway, <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/i/30339/original/martin_luther_weegee.jpg?1260563529">Jeff</a> told me the story as follows. He was with his lab advisor when she asked him to go do science to something that desperately needed science done to it. He firmly stated that he was "on it like white on rice." She then (in my mind) gasped and told <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/i/10113/original/Weegeesimmo.jpg?1250743161">Jeff</a> that this phrase is racist. <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/i/10109/original/Weegee_go_back_to_bed..gif?1250742992">Jeff</a> was caught off guard. He disagreed since he had never heard this before but his advisor stuck to her claim. He went on about his business but was still <a href="http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=639">confused</a> by the seemingly non-sequitur social critique of his idiom. </div><div><br /></div><div>You see, no one wants to be even remotely considered racist, least of all White people. In fact, I think that in the generally clear field of effective racial slurs against Caucasians the only real stand out epithet is "racist." Call a white person a honky, they'll just laugh and think of geese and the foi grois they'll have for dinner later. Call them a racist on the other hand and be prepared for a spit parade of indignation and the names of all their minority friends. Sweeping generalizations are fun aren't they?</div><div><br /></div><div>Back to the story, this is where <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/i/1085/original/Weegeemj.jpg">Jeff </a>decides it's a good idea to call me, Captain Aryan, to see if I possessed knowledge of this phrase's possible racist connotation. I told him I had no recollection of the phrase "being on, or sticking to something like white on rice" being racially charged in any way. We discussed possible ways the phrase could be utilized to serve a dark and inflammatory purpose but we both came up blank. We thought that the key might lie in the phrase's origin. Maybe "being/ sticking on something like white on rice" was originally used by plantation owners who referred to particularly attractive female house slaves in code as "rice" so as to make secret bawdy jokes in public? I don't know, White people are always up to <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120746516">crazy, secretive, backwards shit</a>. We both had to get back to work, but I told him I'd look into it when I got the chance. I conferred with the internet for about an hour on the history of the phrase in question and really didn't find that much.</div><div><br /></div><div>It seems no one knows where it's from<i>. </i>I figure that if its origin were steeped in racial controversy or if there was a closer racial connotation it would be easier to find more information on the phrase. For example, the phrase "to call a spade a spade" is thought by many to be a racial slur since spade can be used as a derogatory term for a Black person and I was able to find a bunch of info on its etymology. Other interpretations of the phrase interpret the spade in question as the playing card suit, a shovel, or even a eunuch (a spayed person). Truth be told, the phrase actually came from a Greek play by Menander, which contains the line, "I call a fig a fig, and a spade a spade" where "spade" means something along the lines of bowl or trough or boat. None of those things are Black people. Again, I'm pretty sure that the reason the phrase "to call a spade a spade" has more info on its origin than "stick to something like white on rice" is that the former phrase has a much clearer racial connotation in the current vernacular. Granted, it could be that history is mostly written by upper class, educated White people and therefore the real secret and dastardly meaning has been covered up, but I feel that conspiracy theory is so contrived and banal that we would need <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2009/12/03/professor-robert-lan.html">Robert Langdon</a> to investigate it. </div><div><br /></div><div>To play Devil's Advocate: As with meaning in general, a phrase's racial connotations can change over time. As in the case with "to call a spade a spade," it's origin becomes somewhat irrelevant as society as a whole begins to view the phrase in light of "spade's" 20th century racist connotation. If for some reason the ancient Greek word for bowl or trough or boat happened to be "nigger" then clearly we wouldn't use the phrase "to call a nigger a nigger" since the term is now part of a particularly vile heritage and imbued with about as much disgusting hate as 6 letters can contain. Zeitgeist is a bitch huh?</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the thing though, the phrase " being on/ sticking to something like white on rice" is not associated popularly with any sort of racial connotation. The only thing it's got going for it in this vein is that "white" is a term for Caucasians, but it's clear that the phrase purely refers to the color since it doesn't say, "<i>a</i> white on rice" and that the popular societal conception for the color of rice is that it is white. Yes, there are other colors of rice and perhaps there is underlying racism in that society views all rice as white and can't see the veritable rainbow of browns and blacks that rice can come in. But, seriously? Anyone trying to glean negative racial connotations from this phrase using that rationale is is just silly and trying too hard. Saying that "sticking to something like white on rice" is racist due to it's lack of rice-color-spectrum-<wbr>inclusiveness or any other reason I can think of is like saying the phrase is racist because it includes the word "rice," which invokes an Asian racial stereotype. It seems that in order to interpret the phrase as racist, you would have to twist the connotation of the words within the phrase outside of their meanings or purpose within the phrase. The only way for this phrase to become a racist phrase is for people to continue needlessly attaching such negative meaning to it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Besides, it seems that the phrase was popularized by Ike Turner in the Ike & Tina song <i>Baby Get It On. </i>Personally I'd say that since Ike Turner said the phrase, it's much more sexist the racist anyway.</div><div><br /></div><div>On a final note, <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/weegee">Jeff </a>has decided to say "being on something like <i>a </i>white on rice" from now on and I fully endorse this course of action. If the phrase is going to be interpreted as racist, best to turn it on a group that has the least slurs against them. It's like Affirmative Action for racism. Besides, I'm white and I personally love rice of all colors.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sources:</div><div><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/like_white_on_rice" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/<wbr>like_white_on_rice</a></div><div><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/like_white_on_rice" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "></a><a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/27/messages/299.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://www.phrases.org.uk/<wbr>bulletin_board/27/messages/<wbr>299.html</a></div><div><a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/27/messages/299.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "></a><a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/27/messages/297.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://www.phrases.org.uk/<wbr>bulletin_board/27/messages/<wbr>297.html</a></div><div><a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/27/messages/297.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "></a><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19970115" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://www.randomhouse.com/<wbr>wotd/index.pperl?date=19970115</a></div><div><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19970115" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "></a><a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/8/messages/1361.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://www.phrases.org.uk/<wbr>bulletin_board/8/messages/<wbr>1361.html</a></div><div><a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/8/messages/1361.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); "></a><a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/22/messages/199.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://www.phrases.org.uk/<wbr>bulletin_board/22/messages/<wbr>199.html</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>PS: I promise to start blogging again! We all pretty much know this is a lie! </div></span>textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-77991756393012466342009-10-07T15:59:00.004-04:002009-10-07T16:32:52.193-04:00A chance meeting thanks to comics and booze.First, I promise I haven’t forgotten my poor, overgrown, rust ridden blog. I’ve neglected it because lately I’ve been working on my stand-up. Since I’ve recently been neglecting that, I have a new blog post. Surprise, surprise. I need to find a way to multi-task so that I can work on both becoming a great writer and hilarious stand-up comic at the same time. I’ve got it! I’ll become an alcoholic. Done and done.<br /><br />While perusing comics, and then later beers, I ran into a very cool indie comic auteur named Chandra Free. She told me about her work and regaled me with an amusing anecdote where she hijacked Zachary Quinto's comic panel at a convention. After she piqued my interest I later went to her website, the one I have linked <a href="http://spookychan.com/">here</a>, and have to say I am impressed.<br /><br />Along with a fairly stunning gallery of her works (specific nerd props for the Venture Bros section and the chibi, whiskey swilling Iron-Man), she has posted an 8-page preview of her soon (hopefully) to be published opus The God Machine on her website. The story revolves around a boy named Guy Salvatore, whose name conjures images of trench coats and "good cities gone bad." He is not however a film noir style detective (at least not yet), instead he is a teen who is depressed over the loss of his girlfriend Sith, which I assume is her name and not an indication of which side of the Force she chose. Coinciding with his loss and depression he's been witnessing an increasing number of reality-challenging oddities. Either this means his depression is presenting with psychotic features or something else is going down. Whether it's psychosis or an ethereal realm reaching out to make a connection, Guy is along for the ride whether he likes it or not. I could tell you more about the plot, but you should really just check it out for <a href="http://spookychan.com/thegodmachine/sample-pages/">yourselves</a>.<br /><br />From what I can tell, TGM is fairly reminiscent in style and tone of seminal goth comics author (though he would likely balk at that description) Jhonen Vasquez, what with its lithe, angular main character and sardonic surrealist trappings. These trappings include a maniacal goth-children's show puppet urging the audience to commit suicide and tiny stream of consciousness 4th wall breaking asides like a dropped tooth brush exclaiming, "I'm free! =)"<br /><br />That being said I can tell, mostly because Chandra told me, that there is a lot more story going on in TGM than this initial offering displays. Much like if you were to take a sumptuous banquet with myriad foreign delights, hide it behind a curtain, and then tempt a potential dinner guest with a tiny shrimp cocktail. Certainly the joys of consuming shrimp are familiar, if perhaps infrequent, so partaking is a reassurance. Appetite whet, one might begin to wonder what that delicious aroma coming from behind the curtain might be. Apologies to my friends who keep Vedge. Depending on how TGM turns out, which I hope will be well, it its possible that one day we might be referring to Jhonen Vasquez as a proto-Chandra Free.<br /><br />I highly encourage taking some time and visiting Chandra’s site and <a href="http://spookychan.com/thegodmachine/shop/">preordering</a> The God Machine preview. Even if the goth-style thing isn’t your bag, what’s the worst that could happen? You could support a talented and very nice person? You might discover the super sexy world of indie comics? You could possibly enjoy something in your life? Heaven forbid you should ever do that! We all know that enjoying anything is a sin and you should be ashamed for even entertaining the notion. Sinner.<br /><br />In other news, I am working on a new short story for the ole’ Textbasedadvent here. It’s a comedic/political satire/horror story set in a not to distant future. I’m pretty excited about it so I’ll give everyone a quick preview:<br /><br />“The...”<br /><br />Riveting, no?textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-42264806825942323942009-09-04T14:16:00.003-04:002009-09-04T14:37:46.933-04:00My response to an article concerning a book I haven't read, but might have to now.<div>Here's an interesting article from Newsweek's website on Lise Eliot's new book: <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(54, 54, 54); font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; font-family:georgia;font-size:13px;">Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps—And What We Can Do About It</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 21px;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(54, 54, 54); line-height: 21px; font-family:georgia;font-size:13px;">Link here:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/214834?from=rss">http://www.newsweek.com/id/214834?from=rss</a></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>As usual my mind fell down the rabbit hole on this one and in an attempt to organize my thoughts I accidentally wrote a new post. I warn you, I make references to articles I don't cite and haven't read in years which I suppose is better than most of wikipedia and cable news. I also use the word "which" a lot. I think my idiosyncrasies are showing. Serves me right for dressing like a <i>hussy</i>. Anyway, on to the tangled mess of my thoughts.</div><div><br /></div><div>I remember reading an article that found the anterior commissure is somewhat larger in women than men, but that this same difference is also seen in homosexual men when compared to heterosexual men. This article discussed a number of similarities between homosexual men’s and heterosexual women's brains when compared to heterosexual men’s brains. If parents' subconscious gender stereotypes effect how they treat their kids and subsequently effect how their children's brains develop then why would there be cross gender similarities when homosexual men are brought in to the mix? One could make the argument that parents shift how they treat their children in regard to stereotypes if parents suspect their kids might be or know their kids are homosexual. I feel Martha McClintock shoots that theory down with the results of her study concerning how most people begin forming true sexual gender preferences during adrenarche, which doesn’t really occur till around the ages of 7 to 10 and is far past the infancy stage which Eliot seems to argue is the time parents are effecting these changes in their offspring via stereotyped upbringing (for lack of a better term). Also, when similar comparisons of brain structures were made including homosexual women it was found that homosexual women’s brain structures were not similar to heterosexual men, but in fact even more developed in a prototypically heterosexual female fashion. I'm not sure to what degree this information (which is neither properly cited or adequately described, I know, bad poser academic, bad!) deflates Eliot's argument, which isn’t my intention necessarily, but it’s food for thought. </div><div><br /></div><div>I think an interesting aspect of this kind of research debate is the "give and take" effect it has on how people view gender and sexuality. On one hand, we have the argument that a slew of gender differences are caused by how both parents and society treat and view children from a very young age based off of gender stereotypes, which I think is likely true to a large degree. A part of this argument is that the effects of a stereotyped upbringing include neurological effects, again not hard to believe. However, this argument seems to indirectly detract from other research that finds neurological similarities (some argued to be caused through a stereotyped upbringing) between homosexual men and heterosexual women which use these findings to argue that there is a biological basis for homosexuality (ie it isn’t just some fucking choice... no pun intended, or that society makes someone gay). It seems the results of both studies can be turned over and against the other vice versa, ad infintum. As discussed above, it seems hard to reconcile these findings. We seem to have a situation where research attempting to dispel gender difference myths is butting heads (however accidentally and silently) with research trying to dispel sexuality preference myths. How much do we take from column A versus column B? So Sophie, which kid do we chose? </div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps the solution is at once simpler and more complicated: we still don’t know the extents to which nature and nurture effect us all and more research is, as always, required. One possible likelihood is that the myraid of ways nature and nurture combine to twist us into who we all are or will become might be different for each and everyone of us, that there is no exact formula that illustrates how much one effects us versus another, and that the attempts to generalize assumptions and results from studies and to form studies of this nature will always be haunted by specters of the gray area (which is located next to the Phantom Zone). Not that I feel Eliot is trying to assert that stereotyped upbringing is responsible for everything. In fact I think what she’s doing is calling us to reexamine the literature and our own assumptions on gender, and subsequently (at least for me), sexuality preference stereotypes and studies. The assertion that gender differences in behavior and neurological makeup might be more related to parents' unconsciously reinforcing gender stereotypes is certainly compelling, though I still think the true extent of the effect is still unknown. </div><div><br /></div><div>If anyone knows which articles I’m referring to in the up there in the first paragraph would you be so kind as to pass them my way again. I hate not being able to cite articles I bring up.</div>textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-43170642180892990402009-09-03T12:37:00.009-04:002009-09-03T13:23:05.037-04:00Mental Detritus: On Human-Centipedes<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;">This year's UK based <a href="http://www.frightfest.co.uk/index.html">Film4 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Frightfest</span></a> is showing a film called <i><a href="http://www.frightfest.co.uk/09films/film17.html">The Human</a> <a href="http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/32390/human-centipede-stills-slither-out">Centipede</a>: <a href="http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2009/09/human_centipede_a_movie_about.php">First Sequence</a>, </i>which is about a deranged surgeon with a dream for the future of mankind that entails removing knee caps and connecting people ass to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">mouth</span> to form a centipede like abomination.<i> </i>I think speak for everyone when I ask, "What...the... fuck?" </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;">Great, now my idea to make to make a horror movie reinterpretation of Hands Across America where people's palms are stitched together (tentatively tittled: Chained Across <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">DOOMerica</span>) just seems derivative. Although, if you mixed the two premises you'd have one hell of a nightmare scenario... I should tell <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Robit</span>-bot to get Tom Six on the line. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;">Also, this is yet another reason why Senator <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Brownback's</span> <a href="http://senatorsambrownback.blogspot.com/2009/07/brownback-landrieu-introduce-human.html">Anti-Centaur Act</a> is simply a waste of time. If you won't let people make human-animal hybrids through genetics then apparently someone will think of a way to do it through needlework. The future is now <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Brownback</span> and it is much more horrifying than you can imagine. </span></div>textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-86331570309927873272009-08-31T22:33:00.016-04:002009-09-01T13:43:04.748-04:00The Most Finalest Destination<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Somewhere out in the aether, there is an island. It exists in the dark places, but you can sometimes catch glimpses of it; down the barrel of a gun, on the lips of an Oncologist, hell, even in the fall of a coconut. It lies in the cracks of the sidewalk, a ravenous maw behind pursed lips. This island does not seem very big; it was designed to be no larger than a thought. On it stands an office, grey building, white accents, no windows, not that oblivion is exactly scenic. There is a nice oak tree out front whose roots dangle into the nothingness like a ponderous child’s toes in a vast boundless sea.<br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Beyond the unassuming entrance, a vast network of cubicles sprawls for what seems like an impossible length almost comparable to Madonna’s career. That is the benefit of thought-based architecture: small outside, enormous inside, very efficient. The designers should be awarded, thought upper management at the time. When viewed from above though, the cubicles’ placement spells out an infinite number of obscenities, a feature picked up via security cameras a little too late. That’s the problem with thought-based architecture; everyone thinks they’re a comedian. The designers should be flogged, thought upper management.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>About 666 kilometers from the door, which is roughly 414 miles for those of us who aren’t communists, is a block of cubicles called “Satan’s Taint,” since that is what they spell when seen from above. In one particular cubicle a being in a large black hooded robe works furiously bent over an elaborate blue print that depicts a stick figure being eviscerated by an out of control merry-go-round. Another being approaches the cubicle’s entrance holding a scythe in one hand and a mug in the other that reads, “Mondays are killer.” This mug contains the darkest of all brews, beans grown on the infernal hellscape of the lower pits, harvested by the damned wretched souls of rapists, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=vTUouErmu0YC&lpg=PA115&ots=5MVmTdKFkj&dq=glenn%20beck%20"new%20college"&pg=PA115#v=onepage&q=&f=false">pundits</a>, child molesters, and people who talk in the theatre, and worst of all, it isn’t fair trade. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>This being is similarly dressed except that his robes are a posh onyx with ebony pinstripes as opposed to a mere worker’s black. “Hey Steve, we need to have a little chat.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Steve looks up from his most recent murderous machination. “Hey Mr. Reaper! What’s the haps?” he remarks casually.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Steve…” Mr. Reaper begins grimly, “We need to talk about your recent work.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Yeah, it’s pretty wicked huh? I’ve been getting a lot of compliments from the guys over in Accidental Overdoses,” Steve states smugly, leaning back in what he believes is a devil-may-care manner. He notices the faint buzzing of a fly near the dozen pencils he’s already chucked into the ceiling. Steve takes the pencil he’s been twirling in his bony phalanges and deftly nails the fly, making the number of wooden stalactites above him a foreboding baker’s dozen. Steve looks at Mr. Reaper and points at his accomplishment with enthusiasm. “Pretty good, right?”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Mr. Reaper sighs, “Yes, you’re a regular Bullseye.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Jesus Fuckin’ Christ Steve! You think I don’t have enough fuckin’ paper work with all the other fuckin’ bug deaths I gotta handle?!” A hooded head pops over the cubicle wall like a goth gopher.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Steve shrugs, “Sorry Harold, just can’t help myself.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>“Hello Harold,” Mr. Reaper raises his mug in greeting.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>“Oh, h-hi sir Mr. Reaper s-sir!” Harold’s head disappears as if he had triggered a trap door.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Back to the matter at hand Steve, the Higher Ups have noticed a rather inefficient pattern in your work” Mr. Reaper pauses to take a sip. A soul-ripping shriek tears through his mind, accompanied by visions of a fanged man eating his own feet. He looks down at the mug, and briefly thinks that a 3 to 1 ratio might be a bit much for this particular blend. Shaking it off he carries on, “Do you by any chance recall a boy by the name ‘Alex Browning’?”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Steve makes a faux effort to search his warzone of a desk. “Alex Browning, Alex Browning…”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Allow me to refresh your memory: March 2000, Flight 180, was supposed to die in the crash of said flight...” Mr. Reaper trails off. Steve picks up a new pencil and begins to chew on it thoughtfully, the yellow shaft poking through the void at the edge of his hood. “He eventually died of massive cranial trauma because of a falling brick,” Mr. Reaper finishes bluntly.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Ooohhh yeeeaaahhh! Of course, I remember him. Brown hair, looked like Devon Sawa. He’s the psychic kid who caused me all that trouble back in the day. I was backed up for months trying to catch up,” Steve recalls innocently.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Mmmhmmm, and do you by chance remember a Ms. Kimberly Corman?”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Uhh, geez, you’re gonna have to refresh my memory,” Steve sheepishly replies, rubbing the back of his hood.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“A year after Flight 180, scheduled to die in a car accident on Route 23,” Mr. Reaper looks to Steve for a sign of recognition, but Steve just gives an exaggerated, palms-up shrug. “She perished with a Mr. Thomas Burke when they were both sliced to bits in a wood chipper” Mr. Reaper answers with a sharp edge to his voice.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Hey, two birds with one, um, wood chipper. That’s pretty efficient right?” Steve offers hopefully.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Undeterred, Mr. Reaper continues, “And what about a Ms. Wendy Christensen? Ring any bells?”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Um…”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Six years after Flight 180, she was killed in a train crash,” Mr. Reaper cuts Steve off, building a head of steam, “but she was supposed to die in a roller coaster accident!” The coffee capitulates over the rim of his mug briefly into a terror stricken face and releases a tiny, terrifying wail at the sound of Mr. Reaper’s ire.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Steve and Mr. Reaper share a moment looking at the mug.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Probably shouldn’t be using a 3 to 1 ratio with that blend,” Steve offers.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Oh I know, but the flavor!” Mr. Reaper takes another sip. Scenes of the civil war in Sierra Leone crash through his mind, and even Mr. Reaper gives a little shiver at the horror.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Remembering himself, Steve puts his hands up in mock defense, “Anyway boss, you can’t really blame me for having the rotten luck of getting assigned so many psychics?”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Indeed,” the response as hollow as the sockets that Mr. Reaper dearly wished at that moment might contain eyes so that he could roll them. “Finally, Steve, have you seen this?” Mr. Reaper removes his hand from his scythe and it rapidly molders to ash and smoke. He reaches into his robe, and retrieves a file thicker than a <a href="http://www.thepervertsguide.com/">Zizek </a>analysis. “Given your recent answers, assume the question is rhetorical,” he sneers.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“That’s the file concerning my work on maintaining list adherence,” Steve announces glowing with pride.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Taken aback, Mr. Reaper places the hand holding the file on his chest. The bulging file floats in mid-air like a bloated corpse in a river. “I’m shocked. You actually know the contents of this folder then?”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Steve cock-surely points at the file, “Within that folder is every gory detail of my greatest work here. Despite each set back, despite each snot-nosed psychic, I engineered bold new ways to catch anyone displaced from their proper order on the list,” he beams resuming his hubristic recline this time putting his feet on his desk and his hands behind his hood for additional effect.<br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </span>…<br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Steve knows the truth though, and behind his proud façade he recalls that day he got Flight 180 thrown in his lap. That he partied like a Bret Easton Ellis nightmare the evening before. That he had vicious-hang-overedly groused in an email to Harold about how boring plane crashes are but detailed how he was gonna try to zazz it up anyway. That he had accidently taken a keyboard nap before hitting send. But most of all he vividly remembers his abject horror when he noticed he had put one of the kids names, Alex Browning in the BCC line.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>At that moment he had slowly gazed up at the big warning poster placed in every cubicle that reads, </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> Accidents create Prophets! </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Prophets cut Profits!</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-Joan of Arc </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-Jesus H. Christ</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2009/aug/10/religion-george-bush">George</a> W. <a href="http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/642352">Bush</a></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Make sure your missives don’t</div><div> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>make it to the mortals otherwise </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> you might miss your mark!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Looking back at his monitor Steve noticed he had already received an email notification that people on his list were still alive. “Maybe they all have super powers no one knew about?” he bargained with himself, “Or maybe they all made deals with the devil to spare them? We’ve had bureaucratic snafus with him before.” He quickly opened the email and who else should be at the top of the list but “Alex ‘Chance’ Browning.” Seriously? This fucker’s middle name is Chance?! How fucking contrived is that?! In that moment Steve hatched a desperate plan to keep his job. He was saving money to fulfill his life long dream and get into a graduate engineering program… that and for his truly prodigious cocaine addiction. Anyway, he was going to bury the whole Flight 180 incident like his head in a fresh snow pile. How was he going to do it? Well, a bump of the ol’ talent powder gave him an idea: he would kill all his marked mortals in such complicated, fantastic ways that the paper work necessary to report the details of his work would in turn cover his tracks. It was an effective plan, and as time passed it seemed that no punishment was forthcoming. In fact, coworkers began remarking on how much they enjoyed reading the file on his work. Problem was that before too long Steve realized the dream so many offfice drones have, he began to really enjoy his job. The sense of control, the challenge, and the power over these, oddly enough, almost always good-looking fools’ lives became another addiction for Steve. So much so that he decided to do it again and again and again.<br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>…<br /><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>This and all the killer work of the past 9 years flash through Steve’s mind. Many of his co-workers lavished him with praise for his work, granted many more denounced it as murder porn but what did they know? They were the kind of beings that had to justify liking Grindhouse to themselves through irony, and yet even they got in on the betting over how and in what order Steve’s most recent assignments were gonna die this time. He smiles like the Cheshire Cat who catches the Cheshire Rat. Life, well, existing is good.<br /><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Did you hear me?” Mr. Reaper’s insistence snaps Steve back from his reverie.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Huh, I’m sorry. I was thinking about Ewoks.”<br /><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“I said, “Then you understand why I’m going to have to let you go?” Steve,” Mr. Reaper drops the words like an atomic bomb. The resulting shockwave blows Steve over the back of his chair and both clatter to the floor.<br /><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Hopping to his feet faster than you can say, ”Our bad Hiroshima,” Steve responds with the best thing he can think of, “W-what?”<br /><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Surely you realize the magnitude of your transgressions?” Mr. Reaper now wishing his eyeless sockets at least had one eyebrow to lift.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“What transgressions? I was merely doing my job and adhering to the list!”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“No, what you were doing is getting months behind schedule concocting cockamamie schemes to kill attractive mortals for your amusement.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Whoa, hey, that’s unfair,” Steve bristling at the implication.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“You deny your ludicrous inefficiency these past 9 years?” Mr. Reaper scoffs again really wishing for that eyebrow.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“No, I deny that my schemes were cockamamie,” Steve rebukes, “but yeah I haven’t been all that inefficient either!”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Mr. Reaper flicks his hand over the sickly bobbing folder and it flops open. “Let’s let the evidence you’re so puffed up over speak for itself,” Mr. Reaper runs a scraggy finger down a page. “Ahh, it says here you dispatched of a Ms. Valerie Lewton by causing a cracked mug containing vodka to both create a trail to her stove and drip into her monitor causing it to violently blow up simultaneously lodging screen shrapnel in her neck and lighting the trail of vodka on fire which caused the stove to ignite in a huge fireball. Then when Ms. Lewton reached up for a dishtowel while lying on her back, she caused a knife holder to topple resulting in her being impaled by a 6-inch butcher’s knife. Finally, her house <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo0AbeZDzl0">exploded</a>. If you don’t mind me asking Steve, were you afraid this woman might be Superman in disguise?”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Look, it doesn’t hurt to be thorough,” Steve defends himself.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>A few papers in the folder shift and undulate revealing another page. “Here a Mr. Rory Peters is mentioned. You lead him in the mortal coil shuffle by way of yet another flaming trail. This time a cigarette lit a furrow in the ground full of gasoline, which led back to a van causing it to explode. The explosion somehow launches a crude wire fence an inordinate distance in a perfectly straight line, there by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsxRTZLNReg">trisecting</a> Mr. Peters. Tell me Steve, is the reason you were rejected from engineering school because you have no idea how physics work?”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Taken aback Steve’s rage builds impotently, “Know hold on just a…”<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The pages sluggishly wriggle and rearrange once more and Mr. Reaper cuts in, “Oh, here’s a good one. You culled misses Ashley Freund and Ashlyn Halperin by making their tanning beds increasingly warm, there by causing the room’s temperature to similarly increase, which turned on the AC automatically. The force of the air coming from the vent pushed over a coat stand meaning either this coat stand was terribly built or this AC system has more blow in it than you do. Yes, of course I know. There’s only so many times the “powdered donuts” story can work. Anyway, the stand knocks over a palm tree, which in turn topples a single shelf. The shelf slides from the top of Ms. Freund’s tanning bed, wedging itself in such a way as to span the distance between the two beds and nonsensically lock the ladies into their respective beds. The beds continued to heat, cooking misses Freund and Halperin for an excruciatingly long time before finally bursting into <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UujXaE2DJ5E">flames</a>. Seriously Steve, if you really wanted to drag their demises out you could have just waited till they got cancer.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“They could have just as easily <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414982/trivia">electrocuted</a> to death,” Steve pouts arms crossed.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Steve, I’ll level with you. I’ve been following your work for the last 9 years like the rest of the office. Sometimes your Rube Goldberg-esque solutions for getting the job done have been entertaining, if albeit sophomoric, labored, and laughably devoid of any understanding of physical law. I’ve protected you from the Higher Ups wrath for the last 3 times you’ve had to deal with a ‘psychic.’ Every time I defend you to them they say,” Mr. Reaper puts on a mock husky voice that sounds like a deep, sarcastic death rattle, “Why doesn’t he just give them all heart attacks or brain aneurisms when he screws up?" And every time I tell them it’s to teach those meddling, ‘psychics’ a lesson, when you and I both know that you were contacting these mortals directly.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“How did you figure it out?” Steve hangs the question like a white rag on a waving stick.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Please Steve, I’m not a cretin,” pause for effect, “Also, Harold told me.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Harold you sonuvabutch!” Steve rushes to his cubicle’s wall.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Goin’ to get office supplies!” Harold ducks out of his cubicle like a gunshot.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Regardless, I could help keep up the charade for you as long as your output was at least over mediocre quality and kept office moral up. But your most recent work,” the pages in the file slide sluggishly over to reveal a document with a black skull stamp on it, “is just simply unacceptable. Any hint of creativity, originality, or ingenuity that might have been hidden, deeply hidden, in your previous work is absolutely devoid from this one. You don’t even go to the effort to build any tension over whether your victims will live or die! It’s like you’ve given up the ghost Steve,” Mr. Reaper shakes his head disappointedly, “like you don’t even care enough to really play with the mortals' hopes any more.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“That’s the last straw!” Steve bellows. “I can take a lot: being called a slacker, not being taken seriously, I can even handle having my work called stupid and pornographic, but I will not stand by and be insulted like this. I don’t care about playing with mortals’ hopes? It’s not like you can do any better! You think I didn’t hear about you and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7th_Seal">Antonius Block</a>?” Steve begins derisively mincing about in a circle, “Oooh look at me, I’m big scary Death and I’m going to let this Swede challenge me to a chess match!” Steve mocks, “Fucking riveting idea, guy! And let’s not forget that you only reason you probably beat Block was because he told you his strategy when you were disguised as a priest in confessional.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Mr. Reaper stabs his finger into Steve’s chest, “That game of chess was a stark yet brilliant metaphor for man’s hubris in the face of death's ubiquity while simultaneously coming to grips with the specter of an unfulfilled life and you know it!”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Steve snorts derisively “Whatever, did it have explosions? Did anyone get hit by a bus?”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Look Steve, I don’t have time for this right now. I’ve been swamped as of late what with the Ted Kennedy, Les Paul, and Michael Jackson accounts. You think it’s easy moving mortals this influential to the Great Beyond? No, but I did my work and still had time to close the Reading Rainbow account,” Mr. Reaper states matter-of-factly.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“See, that’s the problem around here. Everyone’s forgotten how to make death fun, and when you all watch me do it you get jealous. Mortals are always smiling at you, and all Death can do is smile back. In other words, you can’t fire me because I quit!” Steve grabs his few things and his scythe and storms out past Mr. Reaper and marches out of the office.<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Harold peaks out from behind a cubicle, “Um, sir, about what you said before. Does that mean Lavar Burton is dead?”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Shut up, Harrold”<br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>…<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Exiting the office, Steve doesn’t feel angry or sad or betrayed. Actually, he feels better than ever! For the first time in a long time Steve knows that he is truly the master of his own destiny. Maybe he’ll go into business for himself, make death fun again, steal some business from this corrupt monopoly, and maybe even hire some of those hot succubi as interns. As the door of the office closes behind him, Steve is so deeply absorbed in his musings that he doesn't notice the oddity of a crew of trimmers at work on the tree in front of the office. He does vaguely register that the radio in the trimmer's truck is playing Alanis Morrissette's "Ironic" though. As Steve curiously turns in the dirrection of the music he is totally oblivious when a pencil falls out of his pocket. This pencil then rolls into the path of one of the trimmers who happens to be holding a ladder on his shoulder. The trimmer's foot slips on the pencil and while trying to regain balance he accidentally smacks Steve hard in the face with the ladder. The unforeseen blow floors Steve and, somehow, launches his scythe skyward turning end over end in a high arc. Steve watches the culling blade hit its lethal zenith and scrambles to dash out of its kill zone just as one of the other trimmers (who is unaware of Steve’s predicament) finishes cutting through a branch, which comes crashing down pinning Steve to the spot. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Morrissette's dulcet voice wafts tauntingly, "Isn't it ironic?" </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Steve's last thought is, "No, not really."</div><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The blade comes down with a vengeance, driving its point home in Steve’s skull. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>...<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Back inside the office, Mr. Reaper finishes watching the grisly business and remarks, “You know, that is actually kind of fun.”</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>His coffee capitulates into a brown ghoulish face over the edge of his mug once more and comments, “I’d still rather watch Ponyo.”<br /><br /> </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Quiet you!” and with that Mr. Reaper drinks the last of his dark brew.</div>textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-10955474564856350082009-08-26T21:11:00.002-04:002009-08-26T21:35:13.177-04:00100% more filling!In honor of the beginning of the New College 09-10 year (and the fact that I write slower than a sloth fucks), here is a piece I wrote February 3rd, 2005. My basic arithmetic tells me that this was written little over 4.5 years ago, which also tells me that I need to drag my basic arithmetic out back and beat it with a sack full of doorknobs for reminding me of this depressing fact. I wrote this piece during my stay in Pei 2nd court in the room upstairs and across from the ice machine and laundry room. I don't remember the room number at the moment, but that's likely because I blocked out of my mind thanks to my showering experiences. Confused? Intrigued? Aroused? Now are you disgusted? Well, read on my friends. Before I copy and paste on, I should mention that a friend of mine printed this short story out and keeps a copy in her purse at all times to cheer her up in case she gets in a bad mood. I hope to write a story that will replace it some day.<br /><br /><p>Thursday, February 03, 2005 </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="30"><img src="http://x.myspace.com/images/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" height="1" width="30" /></td> <td> <p> What does "quixotic" mean?(I hate my shower) <br />Current mood: <img src="http://x.myspace.com/images/blog/moods/iBrads/quixotic.gif" align="absmiddle" /> quixotic </p> <p>I wasn't listening to music before I saw the Currently: Playing (Music) but then it occurred to me to start listening to iTunes.<br /><br />I go to New College. My school is a small liberal arts college which is to say a hippy school. Going here is a constant test of how far I can be pushed. Take my shower for instance. To say the average temperature of the shower is 85 degrees is no exaggeration, but it is a bit misleading. The two temperatures the shower switches between are roughly 30 degrees and lava. Also the shower has no pressure. I'm not very educated on the inner workings of plumbing, but I would conclude from my experiences in my shower that the system currently in place consists of a giant tub of water above my shower head. I turn the knob which removes an obstruction in the pipe so that water can flow weakly through the shower head. I only need to turn the knob far enough to move the obstruction in the pipe. It came to my attention some time ago that the knob doesn't actually control the rate or temperature of the water. Those functions are controlled by God who uses the water as a conduit to inform me of how much he/she hates me on a daily basis. "You masturbated to Asian school girls again Ian. Take that! LET THERE BE THIRD DEGREE BURNS!!!"<br /><br />The worst part is that the shower actually sets me up for the burn. First it will decrease the pressure so I need to huddle closer to the wall and try to bring as much of my body underneath my decreasing water supply. Then the shower will decrease the temperature slowly until I physically revert to my second trimester choice between boy or girl. So the stage is set: I'm huddled and shivering like fresh meat in prison, soap covering my entire body and in my eyes, I lean up slowly to wash the soap off my face, and I think, just for a second, about how I voted for John Kerry. BAM! Pure fucking steam hits me in the face, burning off 3 layers of flesh.<br /><br />The morals of this story:<br />I hate my shower.<br />Masturbating to Asian school girls is as much of a sin in God's eyes as voting for Kerry.<br />Steam is really hot.<br /><br />I'm out.</p><p><br /></p><p>PS:I originally wrote this as a myspace post, which I think means Tom and Rupert Murdoch own a tiny little piece of my soul. Good luck to whom ever has to deal with this demon shower now. Happy new year NCF, the first since 2003 that I will be with out you.</p><p>An original post will be up sometime soon. It is about Final Destination and how whichever version of Death is at work in that universe needs to be fired.<br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table>textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013979377265462028.post-80890750219948309912009-08-12T11:01:00.006-04:002009-08-12T15:16:58.853-04:00Portent, Party, and Pyre.<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><div class="im"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Last night I dreamt of a raven perched on my headboard, glaring down at me, considering the apparent succulence of my eyes. It spoke of tea leaves burnt in the shape of a goat's head with 6 horns. The bird spread its wings and was immolated. Instead of dying, the flame wreathed harbinger took flight, and soon, eclipsed the moon. As the sky turned crimson, a fell voice issued from the lunar orb and thus spake, “Michael Bay will make a 3rd Transformers movie.”<br /><br /></div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I awoke with a start, drenched in sweat, clutching my Spider-Man comforter, and was overwhelmed by one thought, “Today I will start a blog.”<div class="im"><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>In the morning I phone my publicist. “Christy, I’m starting a blog. What do you think?”<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“I think that’s a great idea honey. You’re such a fantastic writer,” she replies sweetly.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Thanks Mom, so do you think we could book a promotional party boat and invite the internet?”<br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div class="im"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“What?”<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Never mind, I’ll build a robot to do it for me.”<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">...</div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“I christen thee: Robit-bot!” I exclaim in a very <a href="http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=71685">Schaffer the Darklord pose</a>.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>My creation, freshly given life, fully boots up and has about 2,500 existential crises at once. “Please, do not use the word ‘christen’ as it implies a Judeo-Christian spiritual tradition” RBB manages to utter while struggling to reconcile the concept of “family values” with popular opposition to gay marriage.<br /><br /></div><div class="im"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Oh? What would you prefer?” I ask, my hypothetical sails a little less full.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>While simultaneously archiving the collected works of Fanon and every Calvin and Hobbes comic, Robit-bot states, ”Naturally, all Robots are Pastafarians and worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster (this being the most logical of all theological standpoints). So, if you would be so kind, pastafarine me as Robit-bot please?” So I did.<br /><br /></div><div class="im"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Robit-bot, you might be wondering why I created you from parts and technology I’ve stolen from Disney’s Imagineering Labs, so I’ll cut to the chase. I’m starting a blog, so I want to invite the entire internet to come to a Booze Cruise in my blog’s honor. I want this party to be a huge, monumentous, bacchanal. A real barn burner.”<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Don’t you mean boat burner?” RBB offers.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Yeah, yeah,” I’m building a head a steam here and I don’t want to lose momentum, “I want to set the internet on fire with accounts of my blog’s birth. Do you think you can make it happen?”<br /><br /></div><div class="im"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Robit-bot processes for a moment, “Book a Booze Cruise for your blog that sets the internet on fire? Got it, can do.”<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">...</div><br /></div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>By that night, Robit-bot and I stand on the cement shores of Lake Eola looking at the massive Beer Barge being airlifted into the lake. It is truly an awesome sight to behold, only the swans look on with disapproval, but those birds are impossible to impress. Robit-bot had spent the rest of the day, post birth, organizing the event and found a way to invite the entire internet to take part. I’m not sure how RBB did it but I did hear mention of “free drinks” and “<a href="http://feliciaday.com/">Felicia Day</a>.” Granted, I might know more about the process if I had helped but let’s face it, The Goon isn’t going to read itself.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Right as the guests are scheduled to arrive, RBB and I notice a descending hot air balloon with <a href="http://craphound.com/">Cory Doctrow</a> at the helm, the ever punctual <a href="http://xkcd.com/239/">Randal Munroe</a> and ride share arranging <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Newmark">Craig Newmark</a> in tow. After another 15 minutes or so a low rumbling courses through the ground as a fleet of Aston Martins comes into view. A giant jewel-encrusted, golden yoke attaches the motorized steeds to an, if possible, even more golden and jewel-encrusted chariot. This procession heralds the coming of <a href="http://www.google.com/">Eric Schmidt</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Mark Zuckerberg</a> whom seem to be pre-party tipsy and commiserating over their “<a href="http://www.thebigmoney.com/blogs/feeling-lucky/2009/08/03/eric-schmidt-and-apple-split">mutual</a> <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2008/10/facebook-co-fou.html">break up</a>” stories. Next a <a href="http://www.futog.info/cms/images/fbfiles/images/yugo_limousine_500.jpg">Yugo limo</a> shows up reeking of shame and whiskey, and as it stops its rear door opens expelling a beer can tsunami, washing <a href="http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Moot">Moot</a>, <a href="http://www.somethingawful.com/">Lowtax</a>, and <a href="http://maddox.xmission.com/">Maddox</a> on to the pavement. The trio is nearly crushed as the foot of a giant Fruit Fucker bearing <a href="http://www.penny-arcade.com/">Tycho Holkins, Gabe Krahulik</a>, <a href="http://www.pvponline.com/">Scott Kurtz</a>, and <a href="http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/">Wil Wheaton</a> makes a thunderous, if not unsettlingly phallic, entrance. Seeing Jerry walk down the long, thick juicing ramp I immediately panic, hide behind a nearby swan, and avert my eyes. Whether my actions are out of reverence, fear, or just the blinding glare from his head I cannot say.<br /><div class="im"><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Eventually the Drinkin’ Dreadnaught is packed with the Tubes and their denizens and is ready to set sail. As I jauntily stroll up the gang plank, eyes closed, humming the song <a href="http://www.myspace.com/therivercityrebels">Icons and Rosaries</a>, a meaty hand shoots out deters my progress. I gaze up into the dull eyes of a rather large bouncer whose stature and demeanor seem to be the products of a steady stream of “supplements” and persistent feelings of inadequacy. I give him my name and he claims I’m not on the list. I assert the unlikelihood of this being the case and he counters more adamantly that my name isn’t on the list. I declare, “Fuck you and your bullshit, lemme see that fucking list” and he, equal parts livid with rage and giddy with power, claims he will get “Brock Lessner” on my ass if I don’t leave now. The threat of a sweaty, latently homosexual, MMA style beat down not withstanding, I realize I have no recourse and begrudgingly trod back down the ramp.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Helpless, I can do little but watch the Rager Raft from dry land. Crestfallen and hankering for a <a href="http://www.unibroue.com/graphs_our_beers/maudite.html">Maudite</a> that I just know is on that Alcohol Ark, I turn to Robit-bot and ask a nagging question, ”Hey Robit-bot, why in the hell am I not on the list?”<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“You wanted to be on the list?,” RBB asks incredulously. “I thought you asked me to invite the internet. You’re not part of the internet.”<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“I know, that is why...”<br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div class="im"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“A Google search of your name turns up a Wikipedia entry on the guy who wrote Coyote v. Acme,” RBB interrupts.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Ok, I get the point.”<br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div class="im"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“In fact, you don’t turn up once in the 70 pages the Google search produces,” RBB states matter of factly.<br /><br /></div><div class="im"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Alright, alright...” I mopingly mumble.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Suddenly a breeze blows past carrying a warm, ethereal scent. It smells like roast unicorn shank with ambrosia sauce, or winning the entire Olympics by yourself, or...or punching Glenn Beck in the mouth! It is nothing less than the olfactory manifestation of Victory. A stout, barrel chested woman steps out of woods that have apparently materialized simply so she can walk out of them. She wears her Valkyrie-style armor like a Tiger wears its stripes: bold, alluring, and lethal. With a stoic visage that would have inspired Wagner to feverishly pen a sequel to the Ring cycle, she raises a mighty bow with a flaming arrow already nocked. She draws the string taut, aims for the stars, and soundlessly lets the arrow sail through the night’s sky. Her aim true, this anachronistic force of nature hits her mark and the internet Liquor Launch becomes a pyre. Satisfied with a job well done, she strides over to Robit-bot, who slips her a $20. Then as quickly as she came this fairy-tale mercenary disappears, forest and all.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Breaking myself from one “what the fuck” spectacle to another, I watch dumbfounded as the passengers of the Tankered Tanker flee the ship by either diving off haphazardly and swimming for the color-changing fountain nearby or peddling for dear life in swan shaped paddle boats. Synapses grasping at straws I turn to RBB and ask, “Why did you hire a Norse myth to come set fire to a boat full of drunk internet celebrities as a means of promoting my blog?”<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Promoting? When you said you were starting a blog I assumed you wanted this event to be an epic, viking-style funeral for your dignity” Robit-bot replies with surprise.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Then why would I want to invite hundreds of the internet elite and supply them with an open bar?”</div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Eliminate the competition and bait the trap with something that makes your quarry extra flamable? I don’t know," RBB notices my sidelong death glare,"Whoa, hey, you're the sick bastard here. The idea to ‘set the internet on fire' was yours, not mine."<br /><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I face palm harder than a sane person when Sarah Palin opens her mouth. Then, with horror, it dawns on me. “Robit-bot, how did we pay for this?”<br /> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“I hacked into Rupert Murdoch’s bank accounts,” RBB replies.<br /> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>“Oh, well, good work then. We should leave.”<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>*No one from the internet was hurt for reals. Oh, except for that bouncer, he died… that jerk.</span></div>textbasedadventhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882816187967291934noreply@blogger.com2