SRT - CH06

by Shaggy

So we're still working on transferring UBER FRIENDSHIP BLOG over to word press.

...and by "working on" I mean "David is still out of the country and I fear trying wordpress by myself".

So, here's something to keep you busy for half an hour.


Play:

(right click to download) - Shaggy Reads Twilight Chapter 06 (28m52s, 26.5mb, warning: contains strong language)

New Place, More Space, KFC in yo' FACE!

by Shaggy

Why did I do it...

Seemed like such a good idea at the time...

Ok, so I moved recently, and JUST down the street from me now is a KFC/Taco Bell. I haven't been in one of those in years. So of course I run in to see what's up. Oh, I'll TELL YOU what's up.

Thursday's special is 10 pieces of chicken plus a medium fry for 12 bucks. Seeing this, I'm thinking "hell yeah". Three pieces in however, I'm thinking "WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!?!"

Ghuoooooo, my stomach was just bleeeck in that hurt so good way, because I was happy that I reached a goal I set for myself (getting KFC) but at what cost?


Though an amusing thought occurred to me while lying on the couch.

Buying KFC should actually result in you losing more weight instead of gaining, because you're giving so much of your dignity away at the counter.

...

... oh sweet, I have leftovers in the fridge.

A lot has been going on... a lot of NOTHING!

by Shaggy

Dear internets,

I would have written sooner, but I've been busy.

Actually, i realized something yesterday on the topic of being busy as I was walking through the subway turnstiles (note: I realize that I make most of my realizations while walking through those things, kinda like they are the physical manifestation of the transitions of thoughts).

Yes, we are busy people, yes we want to do SO MUCH in life, and yes we complain about never having enough time to do it all in a day; but what I realized is that when I complain about never having enough time, I feel as if I've accomplished something. As though, in my addressing the dilemma, I have chipped away at it, and have been productive.

This is not so.

This is a false feeling.

This is a problem.

I've had this conversation of projects vs. time & motivation with so many people, in person and via email. But talking about it (though it feels good to know that others share the experience) SOLVES NOTHING!!!

In my youth, I coined a mantra I wanted to live by: "Don't think about starting; start, and think about finishing."

This basically means, get the ball rolling on projects. If you spend so much time thinking about the projects you want to do, but never initiating them, then face it, they will never be done.

Because of this I have started numerous projects, some with numerous people but mostly solo affairs. Youtube shows, podcasts, comics, animations, tv shows, video games.

To this day, a few of these projects are in post production, some of them are still in the pre-production phase, and most are barely even on paper.

I still do believe in my mantra of just starting projects to get things going. Hell, I want to believe in it more than ever.

But then the problems of time return to haunt me. Realistically, there's just not enough time to do everything, ESPECIALLY if you have to collaborate with other people's time.

SO what are the options?

To quit ones job and give the additional 8-12 hours to your passions and risk poverty?

To become a complete recluse and don't spend any additional time with family or friends, just on your projects?

To put all but one of the projects aside, until said one project is complete?

If I had to choose, the 3rd option seems most plausible.

... just... which one project to choose...

...

... well, either way, this is the last time I'll ever talk about projects vs. time. The next time you hear it from me, is when something gets done.

Oh, the modern me.

by Shaggy

SO I finally caved.

twitter.com/shaggyshan

I find that I'm usually not an early adapter to social networking outlets.

I didn't touch MSN for a good while when it first came out.

I didn't use facebook until a friend of mine sat me down and made the account.

And now, Twitter.

I avoided it initially for I believed my life not to be interesting enough to warrant constant micro updates for all to see. I still believe this, which is also why I don't often add people who I don't know too well as facebook friends; it's not for the security reasons, it's more of "really, not much is going on with me, so I'll be letting you down if you want entertainment."

All that being said, I understand the appeal of Twitter, beyond it's initial practical application of up to the second updates for event coordination.

When I'm bored at work, or just waiting for some video/animation to load or render, I constantly check my facebook app for news feed updates. Even if it's not something posted on my wall or having anything to do with me, I find that I need to know that something is going on outside this work world I'm trapped in / rely on for moneys.

And since a wall post is roughly under 140 characters long, Twitter is just another extension of that, just open to a wider audience.

So, the question is, will it be worth your time to follow me on my Twitter?

Looking at my past, I would be tempted to say no.

...but looking at the future? I think there's a lot of surprises on the way.

Big Bang Theory Theory

by Shaggy

I haven't had the greatest relationships with TV sitcoms. Sure, the more modern ones WITHOUT laugh-tracks, I can get into; I consider Arrested Development to be the funniest damn show of the decade.

But network shows with laugh tracks, I never trust them. They try to tell you what's funny, and if you didn't laugh, you probably 'didn't get it'.

So I fianlly checked out The Big Bang Theory since I've heard some things about it, along the lines of 'finally, a sit-com geared for OUR generation'. And that I can say is true.

Not a minute goes by in the first episode that a social networking media isn't name dropped (facebook, myspace, blog, etc). In fact, it's done in such a way, I feel that the show is more intended for an older audience who vaguely knows of these medias by name, in that kinda of "oh I burned a CD today... shouldn't have stood so close to the camp fire with my walkman" kinda way.

I have to say I was disappointed in the first episode. Laughs were dropped in at the end of math and advanced physics jokes that I don't think any studio audience would collectively get... let alone understand it was a joke at all.

But even though I only verbally laughed-out-loud (see LOL) ONCE in the entire episode, I noticed the characters were starting to grow on me. Yes, they're eccentric and over the top, but that tends to be the point of all sitcom characters, or we wouldn't have a comical situation.

And by the second episode, IT HIT ME.

MY THEORY!

Sitcoms, don't actually have to be funny for you to watch and enjoy them. All a sitcom needs is likeable characters that, plain and simple, SAY STUFF.

As much as your friends come over and may say something witty or humorous that you laugh at even if it isn't terribly funny, when you watch a sit-com, you're amongst your 'friends', listening to their problems and screwy solutions.

It's that simple. Granted, you're more of a fly on the wall in this case, but you know these people and their daily dilemmas, and you wanna be there when they get through it.

And if you happen to laugh once in a while, all the better.

And THAT'S what's called a full circle.

by Shaggy

Holy crap, it's 1994 again.

Well, if you're a gamer that is.

This year's E3 has been the most nostalgia driven of any I can remember. The 2D side scroller has truly made a 'big name' comeback with returning titles such as Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Epic Yarn, and Sonic the Hedge Hog 4 (and this is AFTER New Super Mario Bros Wii took over the world).

Fighting games have the classic 2D stylings of Mortal Kombat. Car combat has a new Twisted Metal on it's way. Shooters will be getting a remade Goldeneye (which I thought someone already did with the Source engine).

And to top it all off, the Nintendo 3DS is ready to port over BUNDLES of classic N64 games, such as Star Fox 64 and Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

If a gamer my age has ever told you young'uns "man, games just aren't like they we're in the '90s...

...THIS IS THE 90's!!! Now where's my remake of Blast Corps?!

Toys that talk SUCK.

by Shaggy

This is something that's botherd me for a while now. It really started way back when my younger sister was a MUCH younger sister, and she was all into Cardcaptor Sakura.

When a kid is into something, you get them the toys so they can play that something themselves, right?


A cool toy was the Cardcaptor Wand staff and clow cards deck. Pretty much picture perfect from the show. You got the cards, you got the wand. YOU ARE SAKURA.


...wait, no, you're not. For you see, if you wanted to USE the magic of the wand (have it light up and make sounds) THIS happened:



THE DAMN THING TALKED FOR YOU! Wouldn't the kids want to say the magic words them selves, and then cast the wand spell?

The interesting thing is, the wand sounds could also be activated by motion, so when you swung it at a clowcard, it would trigger the lights and sound, but if you as the kid said "RELEASE THE POWER" then trigger the wand, it also says (in a horribly compressed voice) "RELEASE THE POWER", taking you out of the moment.

Simular to toys with pre-recorded sounds is toys with a very specific emotion or expression. Maybe if the intent is to leave them on your shelf for display, sure, some well posed and emoting figurene works just dandy, but when they're meant for kids to play with, I would think too much expression would be limiting.

Some action figures have such extrem emotions, they leave little room to expand on a character. For instand, an angry looking guy will always be an angry looking guy, no matter what the story is. In contrast to this, the somewhat vacant expressions of Barbies can lend them to being more of a blank slate, cappable of a lot more emotions through acting of a kid.

That being said though, I'm not sure kids actually care much about this 4th wall of toy design I'm running up against. They can take any inanimate object and make it talk and emote if they want to, regardless what it looks or sounds like.

I could end this article with a thought provoking "altho as far as I'm concerned" punch-line, but I don't got one. Just stating my observations.

[BLANK] Anime

by Shaggy

Since I can't keep my online posting to myself, here's my response to a post on the following Kotaku thread, the brought up how a lot of anime plots are the same: http://ca.kotaku.com/5559926/resident-evil-creator-jrpgs-were-never-popular-in-the-west

@jay13x: Just a quick response to your anime comment; what I like about anime is that there is a show that address EVERY subject matter (fantasy, sci-fi, cooking, sports, playing board games, high school, the work world, etc, basically, something for everyone).  

But yes, when you break it down, too many of the key plots are exactly the same. See how many series you can fill in the blanks with these:  

- main character wants to be the best at [blank] and goes on a journey challenging various people at [blank] and learning about friendship.  

- lone traveler sets out on a journey to [blank], picks up a band of characters / friends along the way, we gradually find out the character's true intentions, they all stick together and follow through in saving the [blank]  

- main character gains the abilities of [blank] and with the help of their new mentor/friend, must defeat many [blanks] that are popping up all over the city.  

and finally,   

- [blank] happens, then there's a tournament.

Journalist Flip-flop-flip E3

by Shaggy

DAMN YOU gaming media!

For the past half decade, all gaming news sites, ESPECIALLY IGN, have been teaching us to hate E3, the Electronics Entertainment Expo; the most exciting press event for a kid who subscribed to Nintendo Power in the pre-internet era.

HUNDREDS of new games would be revealed, drool worth screen shots of sequels and new titles, new systems, hardware and peripherals we're addressed; in short, E3, was the mecha for a gaming youth in the 90's. We all wanted to go.

Enter the 2000's, where something gradually began to change.

Gaming journalists became little bitches!

E3 stopped sounding like something fun and full of wonder; instead, in their articles and podcasts, game media moguls would whine about over-crowding, complain about how loud the music was on the show floor, and how there's too many things to write about- waaaaaaaaaaah!

It got to the point that all the big publishers would have their own separate press events the days before E3, where everything was neatly packaged in a nice bundle for these journalists, and they gobbled it up, praising these separate events over the main show itself.

And you know what? They could have been right. 

My childhood dream of going to E3 is what led me to cross the continent and attend PAX, the penny-arcade expo that's meant for the gaming public. And I loved the hell out of it, but I could see how it can be a little cumbersome to get all the stories and coverage you need with all the noise and action going on.  I even made some video reports on the event.

... then again, I did it as a hobby, they go as their job (so scratch my previous defense for journalists, SUCK IT UP!).

Now, we're in the 2010's, and things would have seemed to return to form, "E3 is back" according to the journalists, speculating about who's gonna show what, will 3D be as awesome as everyone says, motion control on all systems, who's gonna win?

...THEY WANT US TO GET EXCITED ABOUT E3 AGAIN!

Make up your damn minds, journalists.

Make your LIFE more like a VIDEO GAME: Tip #1

by Shaggy

Sure, lot's of people wish their lives could be more like the stories and styles of the mediums they enjoy; in this case: video games. Heck, that's one of the reasons MMORPGs are so big. 

Well, each week I'll be giving you all a tip on how you can make your life more like a video game, in subtle ways that won't alienate you from the rest of the world (i.e. I'm not gonna tell you to jump on turtles or extract the souls of your enemies to level up your fighting abilities).


Make your LIFE more like a VIDEO GAME

TIP#1: 

Instead of running errands, call them "missions"

Benefit: 

When people ask you what you're up to, you can honestly tell them, "I'm on a mission."

Bonus action: when you've completed a "mission" have a ring tone ready on your cell phone or other mobile audio device. Posing while your stats tally-up is optional.

Gotta catch / collect / find / shoot / appease / complete / max out them all...

by Shaggy

I realized my problem with video games this year.

Ok, it's not so much a 'problem', for as how I play games would probably make the developers of said games pretty happy.

Basically, I have the mentality to not start a new single player game until I've beaten the previous one. And the reason I rarely beat a single player game is because I have that drive to reach 100% before finishing it.

I had to collect ALL 120 stars in Mario 64 before even thinking of going up against Bowser, even though you could have confronted him sooner.

I had to find ALL 101 hidden Dalmatians in Kingdom Hearts and reach level 100 status before using the final save spot, and fighting Bad Guy Boat Man at the end of the game.

I had to find every hidden item and piece of armor/weaponry in Shadow Complex before the grand rocket finally.

All challenges in Diddy Kong Racing, all Masks and deeds in Majora's Mask, side quests, secrets, collectables, you name it.

The reason for this, has to do with being a completion-ist, as well as someone who appreciates narrative.

Basically, yes, I like to feel I did everything I could have in a game, but at the same time, I also feel the flow of the story is kinda thrown off when after beating the game and ending the story... you gotta go back into the world to dick around for collectables or something stupid.

I like to end the tale entirely. Game over, as it were. When you're done the game, YOU ARE DONE, CREDITS ROLL! (side note: this is also why games like Ocarina of Time and most RPGs piss me off that your last save is BEFORE the final boss and not after; it's like the game never remembers you beat it, your constantly in the state of BEFORE THE FINAL BATTLE, and your only option is to erase the save).

However, the game that has pushed me to give up this strive for 100%; to instead just enjoy the story and the experience without having to get EVERYTHING, is Grand Theft Auto IV.

There is WAY to many damn things to 'complete' in the game. The very fact that in the pause menu there is a 100% complete check list is testament to that. Here's the short list of SOME of the things you could strive for:

- percentages of how much your friend characters like you
- did you date every eligible female character in the game
- percentages of how much the women liked you
- have you found and completed all hidden side missions throughout the city
- how many games IN THE game have you won (pool, darts, bowling, etc)
- did you do a stunt at all 50 stunt locations
- did you shoot all 200 pigeons
- did you steal all the vehicles Brucie wanted
- did you steal all the vehicles Steve wanted
- did you do all the drop jobs for Jacob
- did you deal with all wanted criminal on every island as a vigilante
- have you watched every stand up show Rickey Gervais shows up
- have you seen every commercial/show on tv
- have you bought every article of clothing in the stores

There's more, trust me, but all this ONTOP of XBOX Achievements, like being on full wanted for 5 minutes without dying, and so on...

Man, the thing about GTA4 is that there is so much attention to detail and variety, that in it's attempt to paralel real life, I had to come with terms with one of lifes realities:

YOU ARE NEVER GONNA DO EVERYTHING

You are always gonna miss out on something, be it the more obvious case of deciding between going to the movies with one friend or a bar with another as your Saturday night plans, or on the larger scale of how every minute of the day there's something going on you're missing: a comic convention, a street festival, a race, all you can eat icecream, grand opening of something, people getting together, a guy on the street is using a hula hoop etc.

So, there you have it. GTA4, you overwhelmed me. I'm done trying to see and do everything you have to offer. Just let me finish the damn story so I can move onto to Red Dead Redemption.

Look at me, I'm an HTML

by Shaggy

After posting the embedded youtube clip yesterday, and realizing that no mater what size it was it would still get cut off by the size panels, I realized the 'Posting' section of this blog has been too thin.

So, with some handy dandy coding fixes in blogger's HTML mode, it's been widened by 50 pixels.

Enjoy the extra space, kids. You've earned it.

Spawn on your Bro Coop Style

by Shaggy

As we JUST started our run on Lost Planet 2, figure, this is appropriate.

SPEED SWIMMERS: The Unreadable

by Shaggy

Fact one: Speed swimmers sometimes shave their eyebrows off to avoid any sort of speed resistance their body may have against the water.

Fact two: Facial expressions involve eyebrows.

Question: Can anyone tell what a speed swimmer is thinking when they're not saying anything?

And the award goes to...

by Shaggy

So EVERY field of work and entertainment has an award show of some sort, be it televised or hosted privately at a hotel ballroom or eatery.

That being said...

... are there award shows for achievements in award shows?

I feel the answer is gonna disappoint me either way.

Video games: Straight by default

by Shaggy

*the following I originally posted in response to the Kotaku thread A Short History Of Gay in Video Games

Reading this thread, it seems the demand is for a 'normal' gay character to appear, as opposed to a stereotype, but consider this: what defines a video game character as a heterosexual in the first place?

Historically, the only indication of a male video game character being hetero is that his end goal is to save a female character (and if there's a kiss at the end, that usually solidifies they weren't just 'friends', or it wasn't him just following his assignment)

But where there's a video game character that never mentions his/her gender preference, and they just go about the game, who's to say WHAT their sexual preference is.

The problem game writers (and writers in general) seem to have is, like in life, characters are labeled 'straight' by default, and have to activily prove they're gay to be considered other wise, and as such they rely on the stereotypes.

In the Harry Potter universe, the author J.K. Rowling publicly stated that Dumbledore was gay, because as far as the readers read, he never did anything in the book to indicate he wasn't hetero. And honestly, the same could be said about any of the characters who don't openly indicate they're sexual interest.

So right now, think of a video game character (who doesn't romantically interact with the opposite sex) and ask yourself why you believe they're straight or gay.

Unless they did or said something very obvious to indicate it, it's really difficult to know for sure.

(NOTE: this does not make up for the lack of openly gay characters in games, but my point is, not a lot of characters are openly straight either, it's often just assumed).

1st: The series

by Shaggy

If I were a smarter man with more time on my hands, I'd make an internet show where I'd interview everyone who was first to post "first" as their comment on articles and videos, and ask them how they feel about their accomplishment.

De Club

by Shaggy

Why am I not the clubbing type?

No joke, I live next door to, like, 3 clubs. 3 individual venues where one can dance up the storm or see up and coming bands. And I attend none of them (though I can hear the base beats through most of the night).

But it just occurred to me tonight why.

I enjoy talking more than moving.

I literally get NOTHING out of (attempting) to dance. I don't feel the music or the rhythm. Its not even a matter of being self conscious, there's just nothing in dance for me.

Karaoke, on the other hand...sign me UP!

Today, a seagull stole my lunch.

by Shaggy

The title explains it all.

Yes, my lunch. Taken, from before my very fork. To be fair, I should have seen it coming.

The seagull was first on the fence behind me. Staring at me.

Then, he hopped over to the table next to me. Staring at me.

Then, he hopped onto my table. Staring at me.

And, while I was busy taking pictures of his journey, the thinkable happened.

Slowly to quickly, he crept up to my plate and snatched the remains of my lunch, flying just a few feet away, making a big noisy racket over his victory (to which other seagulls and pigeons were quick to join him).

This led me to wonder if there's some eternal score board out there, keeping track of bird vs. human p0wnage.

For every food or dump they take at our expense, they get a point.
For every daily genocide we commit against them, we get a point.
I just figure, someone's keeping track.

So THAT's coffee.

by Shaggy

Prior to yesterday morning, I've only had a cup of coffee once in my life.

Don't get me wrong, I've had plenty of lattes from Second Cup, frappuccinos from Starbucks, milk coffee cans from Asia, and french vanillas from Tim Horton's, but for all of my life, I've only had ONE straight up, traditionally defined cup of coffee.

I must have been...10 or 12, I donno, but it was at a relative's house at breakfast when they didn't have tea. And I had to put a LOT of milk and sugar in that mug to make it even tolerable.

Since that day, I swore off coffee.

From one experience of "GAWD, this tastes awful" I was never tempted to go back. Even through all of University, I never fell to coffee to keep awake through those long essay nights and early lecture mornings, placing my trust in Red Bull, Monster, and Bawls instead.

I gradually added more reasons why I didn't want to get into coffee. I hated the idea of being coffee dependent, lining up first thing in the morning, be it on foot or in car, waiting to get my fix from a coffee shop employee who by this point knows my name, how I want my coffee, and that I won't be needing a cup as I've long since been using the store branded thermos.

This brings us to yesterday.

So, there I was, ready to eat my share of FREE BAGEL BREAKFAST DAY at the studio, and amongst the variety of bagels, there were boxes of free coffee (y'know, like the box of wine deal) all lined up at the end of the table.

I looked at them, remembering my proud, if not stubborn steadfast abstain of the drink.

...then figured, 'what the hell, know thy enemy.'

After having my first straight up cup of coffee in over a decade (with lots of milk and sugar of course), I am reminded of one of the great changes we all go though in life.

Our tolerance for taste.

As kids, we are VERY sensitive to flavour. So much that we risk any punishment for not finishing a meal if it doesn't suit our pallet. I had my bouts with asparagus, brussel sprouts, onions, Uncle Ben's rice; many foods which are deemed healthy and 'good for you'.

And as I've grown up, I realize a lot of my current distain of these foods is mostly out of memory. I remember not liking green peppers as a kid, but after so many years, finally trying one voluntarily wasn't all that bad. It doesn't taste much like anything really, mostly water with a bit of zing.

This tolerance for taste is also something I apply to beer.

I avoided beers through most of University because of my first experience with the taste in high school (I believe it was a Moosehead). I hated it so much, I actually capped the bottle and hid it under the couch I was sitting on. Any further pursuit of alcoholic beverages would be strictly in flavoured spirits and ciders.

Eventually I got more comfortable with a beer every now and then. I admit, there are very few beers I can claim to enjoy the taste off (the strawberry flavoured Fruli and tequila flavoured Desperados are at the top of my list), but, as I as a person have matured in actions (i.e., NOT hiding unfinished beers anymore) and my taste buds have devolved in sensitivity, I can charge through a pint of something willingly, without as much opposition as child would.

And why is this?

Because I know beer will eventually lead me to getting that much more drunk.

I now understand why people drink coffee in the morning. Because like beer is thought to heighten the enjoyment of a social setting, coffee is to heighten the focus of mornings.

It's a warm, brewed bean beverage that tastes like ass; but it's an ass taste that we can get accustomed to, and form a ritualistic habit around, because yes, it does perk us up in the morning or whenever, so we stop noticing the flavour.

All this being said, I'll still be sticking to my lattes and french vanillas, because even as I know that healthy foods are good for you, alcohol gets you intoxicated, and caffeine wakes you up, I'm still immature enough to know that I want some flavour along with the function.