Cheat codes, anticipation, decisions, and used processors.

You know what's odd? The kind of random, pointless and utterly USELESS information tends to hold onto. And yet, some days I can't remember my bank number or how to perform operation x on the company website. For example, my first ever first-person shooter was Star Wars Dark Forces, which was released in 1995. This may quite have possibly been the next significant game in my history right after Commander Keen. BUT, what amazes me today is that I remember cheat codes for that game. For invincibility type in 'laimlame', free weapons and ammo was 'lapostal', and if you wanted to automatically scale any given ledge or cliff to get to the above platform there was good ol' 'lapogo'. That got me through many a tough mission.

Now surely there's no possible use for any of this. I seriously doubt I could even play Dark Forces on any computer today. But if I could... I'd be able to get around the first level blind-folded and be able to find the easter egg on the second (with the help of lapogo) where your ship is about a foot long.

I really don't know what to say regarding the last week. I spent a day out with Eric bumming around town checking out computer shops, and nary an AMD 939 was found. Also, used LCD's are surprisingly expensive - I'd be better off keeping an eye out at NCIX for a good deal.

From Wednesday through Friday, though, I spent 90% of my free time on an art contest. I even stayed up til 1AM on a work night, no less. Basically the contest came out of nowhere, and me and Frank put our heads together to bang up a decent entry. As with Cocuyo, he did the fantastic lines while I added in the colour. So rather than winding up for and celebrating Halloween, I spent my time colouring zombies and survivors in a wonderfully dark post-apocalyptic scene. Below is probably the best element we produced, although I think the whole piece was pretty solid.



Our entry will have been judged this weekend, but we'll find out how we did tomorrow. I have my fingers crossed - I think we put a lot of effort into it and came out with something well done. But at the same time, I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Hah, I can't believe I'm getting worked up over something so trivial as an internet contest. Sigh.

As for finding other things out this week too, we'll see what America's made of come Tuesday. Getting most of my information from the interwebs such as the wonderfully unbiased and fair Digg (HAH!), I have a sneaking suspicion that my idea of how things will go down is fairly biased. I can't say with certainty that candidate X is better than candidate Y, because all the pro-X stuff is wildly supported while the criticisms are wildly suppressed. One thing's for sure, though, all the racial/prejudice stories that have turned up scare me. I'm not calling out all Americans and saying that they're supremacist rednecks - I'm pretty sure we have our fair share up here in Canuckland. It's so depressing to see the lack of tolerance and feelings of equal rights. Part of me wants Obama to win just so I can see all the anti-muslim and anti-black people eat their words.

The Left 4 Dead demo drops this week, on the sixth I think. I dunno how much farther I'll get in FarCry by then, but I can't be totally certain I'll pick it back up once the full L4D release arrives. That, and I'm eagerly anticipating Need for Speed Undercover. I think I'd much rather have the Grid expansion, but NFS has always delivered some good mindless fun.

And now for the customary syncing up of the iPod for the upcoming work week. A few podcasts, some lesser-played songs from my library so I can decide to delete them, and the odd straggler tracks I have collecting in my download folder.

So, America, good luck with your democracy-ing this week. I may have made an important decision by weeks end, if all goes well. Stay tuned...
-Cril

Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
And drink a bottle full of rye
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
And bake 'em all in a pie

Rod Stewart - Handbags and Gladrags