It all comes down to this...

There it is folks. The best review that has ever been done on the Star Wars movie. Obi Kenobi would be proud.

/bow to the little girl

GTA Critique

Much of the entertainment I get out of the GTA series is from the scathing, and often balanced yet over exaggerated, social commentary. It looks as though IV will shine again in this category.

Music as it moves me

Adding some different links to the sidebar, if I can remember how. One is a personal friend's project, "Dynamite Gun," a collection of artistically clever art pieces in the style of absurdist abstraction. Also, Ruby Skye, premier club of S.F. Not entirely because I am always there, or have been recently. But I do have good memories and they have an excellent music player on their flash site that can be a good avenue to new dance tracks that are being spun on dance floors on the more upscale clubs world wide. Itunes generally has the tracks they play, if they have been released by then, and I learned an excellent trick from my wife; if you can't place the name or artist in the song, listen to some words then type those words in quotes followed by lyrics, works all the time. :)

Around the Corner

It's finally almost here: My b-day is tomorrow and I am quite excited about getting my friends together for some good times. On the docket: Rock Band (maybe), Guitar Hero (not that redundant), Carcassonne, WOW CCG, "For Sale," perhaps WOW the board game, might throw down some Risk, and any other games that might come up, it will most definitely be a gaming weekend. Maybe zombies? Maybe.

Just want to give another, I think, shout out to my fav jungle-d&b site

Bass Drive

good vibes

:)

Sanctity and So on...

It appeared to me to be a good Sunday topic, talking about the meaning of "sanctity." Of course the meaning is implicit for most people, to be holy or in a state of holiness. I suppose where it has become an enigma to me is in its implementation. How does one witness sanctity in the modern world? How does it manifest itself to the experiencer? Too often it seems we relegate the term to a feeling. This cathedral or that graveyard feels sacred, holy, sanctified. But those are mostly, if not entirely, feelings derived from the aesthetics. The gothic arches give one a sense of granduer or the solemn rows of the intered reflect a sense of mortality. But what, if anything, makes those places sacred? I think I may have hinted at it with the sense of mortality. They are places that are imbued, albeit artificially, with elements that reflect abstract concepts. I do not use the word artificially in a derogatory sense, I simply mean that pains were taken with the expressed intent to instill such emotional responses; cathedrals have vaulted ceilings which express as sense of the majestic and cemetaries have the still quality of carefully manicured nature, relgious symbols, and rows of names of those dearly departed.

I suppose the nature of my inquiry lies with the concept of the treatment of these locales, if that is indeed what makes them sacred. I know in the modern age the sense that any given area or space is sacred only because it is decreed so and that an inate respect for a space for that which it is, in itself, is held as an archaic belief. Too many churches or housed for the sick and dying leveled and turned into parking lots and convenience stores I suppose. But therein lies the problem. Even if spaces are holy or sacred only as they are made to be, how much more should we cherish and respect that place as it is in the moment. I do think the transiency of places takes a great deal from the matter though. Cathedrals are easy to recognize as special places partly because they have been there for so long, although you can see the difference in those who have been close to the throughout much of that time. Many of the European cathedrals I visited had quite the gift shop appeal to them in parts, but still, there was great respect to be had.

It is hard for us, I must suppose, to think of our concrete tilt-up buildings, stucco and sheet-rock, with replaceable carpet that comes and goes every ten years or so, as holy and precious places of worship. I am mulling this all over for myself simply as a way of dealing with current humanity's disregard for places they themselves commonly worship in. People seem free to clip nails, fix hair, play with babies, text friends, check messages, and generally hang out in a space we are meant to meet with a great and mighty God weekly. I understand that the modern church is a place for the community, for the people to inhabit and carry out their lives in fellowship and joy, but something in me still thinks some respect is missing, some bit of recognition of just what it is we are there to do that is not currently a part of people's church routine. Primarily the issue for me resides in the time in which the word of our Lord and Savior is being preached; a time like that seems hard to misunderstand and I think there is something at stake when we fail to place proper worth and respect to that which is so vitally important to us.

Going back - post recovery

I am still trying to think of what I was thinking about on the Dec 28th post. It probably had something to do with Christmas stuff and perhaps some up and coming New Years plans, Christmas was wonderful and New Years was enjoyable, but hmm what could it have been?

We did get a new TV, that's one big bit of news that probably factored in there. Shopped around and got a very good deal on a Panasonic 42" plasma, which was significantly bigger than we had even intended, however, with the deal CostCo had going on, their extension of an extra year on top of the 1yr mnft warranty, added to the fact that other smaller TVs were not significantly cheaper, it was an easier choice to go with the Panasonic. It was also the highest rated and preferred by by Consumer Reports, so it had that going for it.

Beat Mass Effect, which was quite amazing and thoroughly fulfilling, they certainly delivered on that promise even if a good portion of the game was exaggerated about in the hype. Took about 25hr for those who were wondering and since I had "grinded" out any of the middle missions I could possibly find the end was essentially a cake walk, which speaks to the ends strengths because it made it no less enjoyable.

DS Classic - or - PC Game finds new home

Now are you sitting down, because this is really serious. Just when I was dusting off the old DS to be getting some good gameplay back in, looking to find some new games to replenish the lot, this comes to me. From the art to the music to the game mechanics this classic has a new home and perhaps might even find some new fans, as long as they approach it knowing something of what it was in its day.



We can all rest easy now.

A new beginning

Just a happy new year post. I just hope there are no techies that have to sit in store houses and monitor the systems this post will travel through. I hope that only the systems already in place will take care of this post and those involved with the running of this system get to enjoy fun with their friends and family.

I know that's what I am doing.

A nod out to Logical Gambit's cocktail party. Hope that went off really well.

Latest

Nothing new to report. Everything is fine and normal.

There was one big event today; more later, too much to tell.

Seasonal

Ah, let the blog slip a little, again. I could use the same tired excuse of the holiday's interference with my normal schedule, but that would be just trite and untrue. I have been in Oregon for the past several days. Left on the 12th and arrived home on the 17th. Our initial flight out of Portland was canceled and we took a later flight back to Sacramento, but it gave us time to have a nice dinner in the airport. We ate at a place called Gustav's and I had one of the best Reuben sandwiches I have ever had. It was exquisite. I owe it all to a mechanical failure in San Jose.

Made it back to situate ourselves right into the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping season. Meeting people at work has been a treat lately; most of the people have been a delight to serve and have really made the business fun to deal with.

Always a Good Method

Just a nice vid, quality's okay, but a good song from Crystal Method. A bit more trancey than I think most of their stuff, perhaps that's why I like it. Nothing like a good day at work, looking forward to spending a nice evening with your wife, and finding some good dance music to boot.



I'll keep wishing they come back close to home, catching another live show would be a blast.

I can has youtube legend

Been a fan of this series for nigh on one year maybe.

LOLCats are quite the item and I think this little short from G4 does their legend justice.

Back in the Game

 

Come and get it. Aquaninedex will be getting right into the mix in the next little bit. We shall be a mighty force and I think the fun should be upped a notch because the more the merrier and this time there will be more. Some of the previous Bontecleave group will be attending along with some new additions from work and beyond. More later, the blog should make a pretty good showcase for our efforts.

Good tims ahoy.

Back to the World

...of Warcraft.

Old joke, but these new spots do get me thinking of fond memories in the World... of, ah, never mind.





Yeah, gotta bring back my Night Elf Mo-Hawk.

And the comic book just came our yesterday, got issue one, good stuff. ;)

Just ~ Everything

Check this out sometime:

Listen to how often people say the word 'just'. I have decided to work on a theory about what people are communicating when they say that; it might be a range of things, but my suspicion is that this range is very specific and centralized in some definable way. That is to say, there are common threads of meaning being communicated each and every time someone uses is along with some subsidiary meaning. This subsidiary meaning most often seems to communicate some extraneous detail about the topic being spoken about; nonetheless I think this detail will also be telling when analyzed and brought to bear on what they are communicating with their "just" in the subtext, something between the lines you know.

Some early conjecture:

'Just' seems to be used as a tool of oversimplification, but and oversimplification that is intended to produce a favorable standpoint for the speaker; to tip their statement in their favor when it should actually cast doubt or to off set the potential benefit their statement might give someone else, present or being referred to. For example, "I just asked him what's wrong." This speaker probably knows they had a tone or that the question was quite inappropriate in its context or timing, the just is inserted to play towards a balance of neutrality. This is a basic example and one that most people, I should guess, know the use of already. I hope to tap into more uses of 'just' and why I hear it in such common occurrence in modern speech patterns.

Additional phrases of note:

I was just wondering (or) I just had a question
Couldn't you just (some action)
I just think (or) I was just thinking (each seems used in very different situations)

I will have to think, and listen, for more because it struck me as being used not just in place of the word simply. I do believe something is being communicated and that there is an intention, perhaps in the public subconscious, by the use of this word and that that intention is derivative of the general inability to think abstractly, justify one's intentions by using specific words instead of tonally or contextually, and a signifier that, perhaps, many people are aware of this, even subconsciously, and are therefore mistrustful of others' ability to understand their meaning correctly. That, or perhaps a desire to control meaning and intent at will during the course of dialog. "Just" could be seen as a very easy word to backpedal from.

Mormon & Christian Debate - Contrasting Footage

I was talking with a co-worker today about various religions. The topic has been coming up more recently lately and I have really enjoyed our discussions. He mentioned this viral video and I decided to check it out. I am sorry to say that almost no where, in the comments I briefly looked at, was much of value discussed in this piece and much of it seriously questions the individual poster's ability to observer, comprehend and subsequently to present cogent arguments on a piece of media.

The two other, two parter really, video I found linked in and a classic example of terrific faith in action. Well learned persons, speaking intelligently and out of love, give a response that is more thorough than the first. I offer it in lieu of the other failed commentary. I am from a classic AG (Assemblies of God) background and I love their image, they are the powerhouses of faith, and I think it's a mistake to bag on their style, I like it. Got my brown suit and tie waiting already for when I feel adequate to wear it. Okay, that was a bit of kidding, but no, I really do have the suit.

Missing Action

 

Depicted are a few jolly gentlemen, dancing for the pleasure of Phylah and I in the Stormwind bank. Part of me misses the good ol' World of Warcraft. I think only Mass Effect will be able to ease the pain now. Even then, I'm not so sure.

:) Good times.

Good Uplifting

Just some good uplifting vids for the weekend. Kind of a tiring week, but there may be bright prospects ahead. Next week I am going to a hiring seminar for Los Rios and that should get me all the info I need for getting into that system.



I love this song: it really helped me through the end phase of my thesis and is always there to pick me up spiritually when I am feeling weak. "Give of my self to the essence of your being"... so good.

Sleep

Still trying to get enough sleep. I haven't researched it yet, but I wonder how much my naps are making up for how early I get up. Still getting to bed at around 9, which gives me about six hours of sleep. Most days I still need to catch a few Zzz's after I get home but I have been getting better about getting stuff I need done before I do.

Adjusting, I think, best I can. There is a conference this Friday about getting into the Los Rios Dist. I am definitely going to attend; best thing is that is starts at 5 giving me plenty of time to get there from work, prob won't be able to work in a nap, however.

All Buisness

 

It was a no nonsense weekend of gaming this weekend and I couldn't have had a better time. Saturday night was L's soccer game where LG, Budiak, and I all got to witness her penalty kick for a goal. GOAL!! After that I was introduced to some real card game keepers. We played 'For Sale', 'No Thanks', and for kickers we also checked out the XBOX Live's versions of Carcassone and Settlers of Cattan. I really had a great time and was very thankful for LG, who made the trip from wine country and braved Davis traffic just to be here - also was the purveyor of the games already mentioned.

And so now I look forward to the week ahead having enjoyed life to it's fullest these past couple of days.