Wednesday, November 29, 2006

More questions than answers.

Bear with me, I'm typing this out again because Firefox crashed when I was just finishing up the post. I think I have to reinstall it.

What's the big deal about being a teen? More specifically, what the big deal about no longer being one? I have 2.5hrs left until I find out. People have been going on about it and I don't understand. What's so important? It's just another number. Two differant digits. I'll be the same person tomorrow morning that I am now. Right? Not with the way people are acting about it. What am I missing out on that makes the teenage years so great? What do I have to do in the next few hours to find out what I've been missing out on? Fail a test? Crash a car? Kiss a girl? Get hammered? Are any of those things so incredible? What did I miss?

Or maybe it's not that I'm no longer a teenager, but something new, something fresh. What changes? Is there going to be a significant, life-altering event that I need to be older than 19 for? Is it that I'll advance to being an adult? Is that it? I don't get it. I really don't. It's just another day. Nothing's gunna change. The norm has probably been established. Should I be expecting anything to be drastically differant?

No, tonight will be just another night. I'll finish this, browse the internet some more, play some games, maybe do some art or read.

Anyways. Need for Speed Carbon sucks. NOT worth $50. It's a resource hog. There are too many unlocks in too many parts. The autosculpt feature is kinda weak. The new options to work with graphics really needs optimization. It takes forever to move or resize vinyls. The interface is clunky and awkward. The police are way too unbalanced and obviously cheat. The story is flat and short. Some parts are okay... The muscle cars are a nice touch. Some of the new cars are neat.

Heroes keeps on getting better. I'm really enjoying it. I'm still looking forward to BSG this weekend, though. Oh, and Scrubs starts tomorrow. I hope this season turns out to be okay, as it's Braff's last. That, and the writing has been quite weak these past few seasons.

I need to figure out Christmas presents for people. I have no ideas so far.

I'm really busy at work. I feel like I'm falling behind, even though I've been working hard. I might have to put in some OT this weekend. That's okay, though, 'cuz I can use some of it to compensate for the time I'm taking off for the holidays.

Feeling... Fried.
-Cril

Hey that's the story of my life
I had a good plan but it didn't go right
Oh no, I'm overdrawn
I check my account and my money's all gone
Why me? I don't know what to think
I finally get aboard and the whole boat sinks
Seems to be the story of my life

Smash Mouth - Story of My Life

Monday, November 20, 2006

Simply frusterated and amazed.



That one was on a bit of a whim, without any reference or anything. I'm really impressed at how the pose and proportions turned, it looks half-believeable. Not mentioning the hands of course. Well, I got the upper hand on my first one. That was cool. I like it, overall. Nice and simplistic. It could stand to use some more contrast. Ah well.

I've been messin' up at work quite a bit recently. It annoys me because I've noticed it and I'm trying to do better, but... I'm not getting anywhere. It's annoying me to no end. I know how to do the job. I've done the job well before. And now, I just... Can't.

In other news, I really really want a Wii. For the slick controls, but moreso for Zelda. That game looks friggin' slick. I miss Ocarina of Time, and this looks like its successor. So, so sexy. That, and Red Steel, Mario Galaxy, Smash, and... Quite a few of the other in-house titles. They all look so good. Maybe for Christmas + birthday. We'll see.
-Cril

I want to wrap all my moments around her
I want to watch as she glitters the night
Floats her dreams in the air
People watch, children stare
At these tears of captured light

While she awaits ever patient
She awaits rarely seen
Still her moments are taken
For in the dead of the night
Gathering light
Christmas dreams

And a tear falls upon her snow-white hair
And it runs to the end where it lingers there
Then it falls through the air of a winter's sky
Till it captures a dream and it's crystalized

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Dreams

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Mountains and mountains

Why is it that as you go about your day you have thing after thing you want to write in the blog, but when you actually get infront of a keyboard... Blah. Let's see what I can remember.

I want to go on record as saying I hate phones. Talking to people I don't actually know over the phone is worse. I suppose the same goes for VOIP. I like in person, in email, in instant messaging, in writing. But I get unusually nervous phioning people I don't know well. I don't mind talking to my family and close friends, but beyond that... Gah.

Anyhoo, I week ago today I drove back home for a surprise visit. I had a blast, it was great to get the jump on my family and hang out with them for the Rememberance Day long weekend. The drive was pretty brutal. I have better things I could do with ~11hrs of my time, but I gotta say... The drive between Calgary and the BC Fraser Valley is *gorgeous*. The mountains are so fantastic, and you go through such an assortment of environments. Plains, to mountains, to desert, to rainforest. Absolutely stunning each way. It looks just as good during the winter as spring. I loved it. The drive itself were pretty hairy in spots - There was some pretty nasty snow. On one stetch of road, there were about a dozen cars in the ditch. But as per request by Frank... Happy fun photos! These were only taken on the start of going west. It got dark fast, and we made the return trip during the night. And the fact that I took the pics from inside a moving van doesn't make it better. Meh.












The last one may not seem too exciting, but keep in mind that was taken some ~4000 feet above sea level. We were driving the Coquihalla, which is basically... A highway riding the top of a mountain range. Trees as far as the eye can see, but you're *really* elevated. Drove my ears crazy, what with the popping.

In other news, I got demoted at work for something I didn't do (Although I DID have it coming), played commander for the first time in BF2142 and got 120 points, I have a few ideas for things I want to draw, I enjoyed skating tonight (it's a lot more fun when you get to throw your weight into your movement), and I ordered a $15 iPod battery that came to $37 after tax and shipping. The kicker is that I think it may be a HD or memory issue. The battery dies when I go to something not pre-stored in the memory. I ran some diagnostics which turned out green, so there shouldn't be something to worry about. But if the battery doesn't fix it, 30GB video here I come... For Christmas, that is.

And Smallville sucks. Lana? Having Lex's CHILD? How horribly, stereotypically, bad drama is that anyways? I watched all of the current season with Rob, and we tore it apart the whole time. That show's only good for making fun of at this point. Oh, and I LOVED Heroes. It's like Lost, except not... Sucky. And Battlestar is good. As always.
-Cril

When all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through

All American Rejects - Move Along

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Oh, the rain and snow.

MAN, I am such a sucker for good, story-driven video games. KotoR 2 RAWKED. I couldn't put it down. Yeah, it's kinda old and buggy, but... Gah, I miss storyline stuff like that. I want more. Will there be a KotoR 3? There are rumours, but I may just have to buy it if it arrives. Gah, the whole thing makes me miss Star Wars. Y'know, everything the expanded universe did right before Georgy-boy butchered it. C'mon, Fett a clone? Jeez, that was so lame.

...

So sue me, I used to be a *hardcore* Star Wars fan.

With KotoR out of the way, that leaves me with BF2142 to play. I'm eagerly waiting on the new patch, hoping it'll smoothen things out a bit. I'm still a bit sick of it from playing ~20hrs of it within three days a while back. I think I can go back for more.

It doesn't stop me from wanting to get NFS Carbon, though. All those cars look so sexy, and I want to get my hands on that autoscult feature thing. FINALLY, a little bit more versitality in the customization department. Even just being able to rotate vinyls will be nice. I just replayed Underground 2 and Most Wanted (I've been on a racing/driving binge recently), and I really liked the customization and drifting from Underground and the cops and slow-mo from Wanted. Carbon looks to be a decent hybrid between the two. The car selection looks fantastic - the muscle cars especially. Now the real question is... What version do I get? I understand both the Collectors and downloaded version have special cars. Does either of them have all the vehicles? Jeez, why is stuff like this so hard to find out?

I hear back home there's been a lot of rain, and a bit of flooding in nearby areas. Scary stuff, although... Not surprising. It *is* the lower mainland. Here it's been off and on snow and rain and sun. I hate Calgary weather. It went from -20c to +15c over last weekend. Crazy.

Anydangway, what is with some people and their car? Okay, I get how much in can mean to some people, but... What's so jaw-dropping scary about a plastic containter siiting on a hood? Will it scratch it? Will it melt or leave marks in the -5c morning? It's not like it's brand new or you don't know an autobody specialist or anything. Maybe it's something about it being a 14-year old beater that you're about to retire within the next few months. Whatever. I'd be protective of my car if I still had it. *Sigh*

Y'know what ticks me off? People who are always so hard to impress and act so... Bitter or condescending. They make you feel so horrible, whatever you try to do to get on their good side. Why is it that you try and talk to them in chipper and mutual tone, when all they do is reply and talk down to you? I don't get it. I don't know how someone can be like that.

My iPod battery may be on the fritz. It might be a good $40 to get it replaced... Sucky deal. I'm so annoyed at how much more expensive things are here than in the 'States. Yes, INCLUDING the exchange rate. It ticks me off. A new iPod is $20 cheaper down south than here. Don't even get me started on the BSG DVDs. I can't wait for the Canadian dollar to come out on top. It'll be bad for the business I work at, but... MAN, I'm sick of these lame prices.

This seems to have been a rather ranty-esque post. Now I gotta go upstairs, get a drink, and look at the orange-purple sky as snow falls under the light of street lamps. Mmm...
-Cril

I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles its a very very
Mad world
Mad world
Enlarging your world
Mad world

Gary Jules - Mad World