Cranky. Old. Man?

Hey other teens of the 90s

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:41:26 GMT

The new Garbage album is steaming on Spin's website.

Edit: Also the 25th Anniversary Cast Reunion for Star Trek: The Next Generation is up on Youtube.

Man, the internet is just a GREAT today for someone my age.

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Some politics?

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:53:21 GMT

I know I don't talk politics too often, but I had something of a revelation.

So I was watching this. Which, is pretty fantastic and Rachel Maddow is AMAZE.

But a while after I had a revelation: I'm not liberal because I'm a queermosexual or female. While that helps, I've mostly more liberal because I am actually out in the world.

It's incredibly easy to espouse conservative beliefs if you are in a bubble. And this isn't necessarily a privilege bubble or anything like that; it's a bubble where you cannot actually see the hardship of anyone who is not you. If you've ever been in any sort of rural community, they typically aren't liberal in any way, because they are isolated. And they can be some of the people that the system has shit on the most. But it's about not being able to see beyond your own hell.

And the longer I am out in the world, meeting teachers from defunded schools, choosing friends that didn't go to the same high school as me in the same rural part of a state, the more liberal my thoughts become.

I don't even necessarily want to completely tear the system down and replace it with something else. I'm not even near experienced or compassionate or wise enough to be able to make those kinds of calls.

But I would rather face that there are things that are broken and things that are wrong than pretend they don't exist because I'm benefiting just fine from what is going on.

Because conservatism is really the idea that no matter what, things are just fine, so be quiet and do as you're told.

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Things coming together

Mon, 07 May 2012 05:10:33 GMT

So things are coming together in a good way!

My eeePC came in this weekend, and I am playing with it now. It's so tiny! And yet doesn't behave any different than any other laptop I've used. Plus webcam! Which is an odd thing to have finally.

I also got some lovely (and adult and practical) presents for my bday this year. Having a good stir fry pan is extremely welcome. As are the other things. My family knows me too well.

I've added another leg to my Epic Traveling, so I will be visiting Ladyfriend for this coming weekend, followed by flying out to Cali, and then finally ending up in Washington. The break I've wanted, so soon!

Though, ha ha, trying to figure out how to get to the right Amtrak stop in order to get out of Cali was fun and involved many checks through the google maps transit directions (which involved the right address, unlike this past weekend in Chicago...). But I found a route that involves basically zero walking and direct transit to transit business. Which is good!

And before you city people roll your eyes, keep in mind that I live somewhere where I can realistically bike from one side of town to the other in the same day. I occasionally forget just how many cows long distances in big cities can be. XD

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Avengers

Sat, 05 May 2012 07:25:24 GMT

I went and saw this! Like a little over an hour ago!

( in which I spew some thoughts spoilers all over )

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I'm so not nervous anymore

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:24:53 GMT

I think grad school is going to be awesome now.

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Just a reminder

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:09:10 GMT

Sign-Ups close on Saturday, if this is your bag, please come play! :D

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Being a "hardcore" gamer has nothing to do with what you play

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:47:16 GMT

But how you play it.

There are two people that I interact with regularly IRL that I consider to be hardcore gamers. My mom and one of my interns. Intern and I got into a bit of a discussion concerning his (typical) teenage boy dislike of casual games (and how he automatically gendered it as "something 15 year old girls play" and how problematic that automatic assumption was).

My mom is hardcore because she doesn't just play a game, she plays it to completion and all the extras and would do it twice over if it let her. She doesn't just watch TV, she has a game in hand while watching it. She plays her Wii when she's waiting on laundry/slow roast/whatever. She used to unlock levels for my sister and me when we were kids playing computer games.

But my mom's tastes in games are the "cute" ones. She doesn't like gore, she doesn't like morbidity, she doesn't like "women wearing floss on their buttcracks". For her a game is pure happy escapism. Kingdom Hearts would be too dark for her. She's like this with movies too. As she puts it "there are too many things I've seen in real life to want to have it in my entertainment".

And that's fine.

I buy her Mario and LEGO games and gave her Angry Birds on her ipod touch and she's very happy with that. She was skeptical of Plants vs. Zombies until I showed her it was really meant to be quirky cute and she ate that right up. She doesn't use walkthroughs and will power her way through levels like a fucking boss.

Intern's favorite genre is actually rhythm games, like DDR. He doesn't like a lot of narrative and likes just pure gameplay that will take up hours of his time. He doesn't even watch movies, and gets impatient with anything that isn't interactive. And despite my lack of "hardcore" status, he'll actually check out games I'm playing (he said he actually really liked Monster Tale, which I'm still getting through because I am not as good at platformers as I would like to be, but I just really like the narrative so I'll deal with it). He plays anything he gets his hands on, except for MMOs.

However, he wouldn't assign "hardcore" status to my mom because half the games she plays (obsessively in a completist way) are "for kids" or "casual games". Or that she can't devote 5+ hours a day to playing because she has adult things to do in her life.

I very badly want this stupid attitude to just stop. I'd love to have conversations with other gamers where it doesn't turn into some "cred" pissing contest. We are all people that love something that is interactive and interesting and something that is still in its teenage years as far as media goes.

Can we just admit that once we get to a certain level of obsessiveness we are all in the same boat?

And while we're at it, can we stop with the whole idea of 15 year old girls being the worst beings on the planet in these discussions? And POC and whoever else resides outside the "normal" spectrum being completely invisible?

tl;dr: your gamer peen, I do not fucking care about, so let's just play.

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Meme about books!

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:38:55 GMT

I pulled this off of tumblr because I do not get memes where they have questions with numbers and people are supposed to put numbers in your askbox. I'd rather just answer all these.

( books! )

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Life Archive

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 02:58:43 GMT

I'm kind of a nostalgic person.

It's not a bad thing, and I'm not nostalgic to the point where I'm wishing I was back at another point in my life and "oh the good old days" and bullshit. I just have a healthy sense of time in all directions and since I over-analyze myself way too much it's always a good checkpoint.

Since my parents are moving they're giving me stuff I've been storing at their place due to just not having had time to think about it. Considering I'm starting grad school in the Fall it's as good a time as any to go through some things. Like sort out my memory box. I currently have two; one for childhood stuff that I don't have the room or proper way to display, and one for stuff since adulthood. The adulthood one is much smaller but packs a bigger punch I'd say.

I feel really good about my life, even if work has been driving me nuts as of late. Because I've always got forward momentum; I can only think of one very small part of my life that I felt like I had no forward momentum at all. And that wasn't the entire Lost Year, it was just a month in that year. Even then I felt like I was at least moving forward, even if just through time.

Moving forward is important to me. I don't drift well, I don't stand still. I like comfort and safety, but if its at the expense of my moving forward it becomes anything but comfortable and safe.

I'm just really glad I've always had this somewhat obsessiveness need to document, or at least have evidence of my life. I think that was my mom's doing, and I don't keep EVERYTHING that I used to, just the stuff that I know will make me think about something important, or happy, or meaningful.

I've had a lot of important and meaningful things to think on, and know that there will be more. So thanks everyone.

Onward!

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Fuck it

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:36:06 GMT

Quitting this job in August, I'll just get a loan to handle the parts of grad school my stipend doesn't pay, I am not putting up with this bullshit anymore.

Seriously.

It's just.

People need to die.

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Korra!

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:25:16 GMT

Thank you for putting that up online for those of us that don't have cable, Nickelodeon. However I'm probably going to have to pirate/buy piecemeal the rest of the series.

I mostly wanted to say that Lin Bei Fong is exactly what I want to be when I grow up, pretty much.

There's really no other point to this, and I watched it like the day it came out, but I've just now had a moment to breathe and reflect on this.

Pretty much everything is awesome.

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Netbook

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:37:21 GMT

As congratulations for getting into grad school and also to help me with said grad school, my parents are going to get me a netbook. As I've mostly been doing calculations lately making sure that I will have enough to eat the next two years, I actually have utterly no idea what kind of netbook I'd want to get. This would actually be really helpful, as my current laptop is essentially used as a desktop (it's far too large and bulky to be moving around much, the advantage of it being a laptop is that I seem to move once every couple of years and desktops are harder to move).

Anyway, so anyone that has a netbook or other extremely lightweight laptop, what are your suggestions? I mainly need something that will take good notes, allow me to do a bit on the web, and write papers and things. Looking for good battery life, Windows, light weight, and a minimum of fuckery. If it's on the cheaper side (without being shit), that's also nice, as I don't want them to spend a lot (they're sort of moving to Maryland, and thus their cost of living is going to go up).

So yeah, lemme know!

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Pimping

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:42:10 GMT

FINAL FANTASY CRACK BATTLE FF7+FF8

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Just catching back up

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:48:06 GMT

Hey I'm going to need to declare backruptcy on replying to anything that has happened in the past week, unless you seriously want me to read/reply to something. There was just too much shit that went down and today and this week I'm finally back on track with a lot of things (thank to a wonderful weekend the fuck out of town) and just can't go back.

Thanks! I hope everyone is doing well, or well enough.

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Appeared in my email this morning

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:52:26 GMT

Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to the [school here]’s School of Informatics and Computing for Fall 2012.

Looks like I'm getting a Masters in Human-Computer Interaction Design!

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Pulling myself out of hibernation

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:53:54 GMT

No matter what the weather chooses to do, it's Spring for me. March is a month where shit suddenly becomes possible for me, which is really great because February is the exact opposite (aside from going to Distant Worlds I literally just came home and hibernated every day. It was bad. Fuck February.)

I checked and have to wait until about the 15th to hear back from Backup School, and I should probably start pestering Alternate Life Plan School fairly soon so that if I am moving at the beginning of next year then I will be able to start classes right away and not wait much more (or potentially start an online class this fall... it could happen!). So that's moving. Kind of.

Have been doing massive amounts of cleaning and sorting of things, so that if I do move it won't be a complete hassle (and considering how many times I've moved it's usually not that bad anyway). So some people may be getting packages of things I think they would like which I no longer have a use for.

I have also been going through my backloggery and picking back up my unfinished in progress games.

I've also discovered the neatly stacked unfinished sewing projects (I apparently set aside the fabric and patterns for them) so I think I'm going to tackle a few of these projects. Some of them should only take a couple hours to sew, I just need to you know, stop being lazy. Some will take more time. But I figure I'll start with a couple of the quicker ones. GIFTY ones.

I'm so glad it's Spring now.

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I can't deal with my work right now so have a meme

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:46:12 GMT

Comment to this post, and I will list seven things I want you to talk about. They might make sense or they might be totally random.

Then post that list, with your commentary, to your journal. Other people can get lists from you, and the meme merrily perpetuates itself.

Questions from katmillia

1) what is your favorite project you've worked on and why?

I have a lot of favorite projects. XD But I'll go with my favorite project I did at work, because I need something positive. It was working on a game to tech computer science concepts, but due to budget restrictions we couldn't make a video game prototype. So we ended up making board game versions, and I worked with the interns closely on the original concepts for this (before it became board games) and also tested it with them. Some of them came out really good!

2) explain your favorite con memory to the crowd

SO MANY GOOD MEMORIES. To be honest, the one that sticks with me the most was how many little kids told me I was their favorite character when I was wearing my Princess Yui from Avatar: The Last Airbender costume last Otakon. I almost missed this one little girl, because I was thinking of food and climbing some stairs but Ladyfriend pointed her out and I smiled and waved at her and it was like her face lit up and I was really proud to be dressed up then. Kind of makes me wish I could volunteer to dress up for like, I dunno, the Boys & Girls Club or something. I just really like making kids happy ok.

Ha ha, I was supposed to put a drunk memory, wasn't I. Close second is getting a bar full of people we didn't know to sing the "Ceiling Cake" song. XD

3) tell us your thoughts about penguins

It's cute how they think they're birds but can't fly.

4) if you could be doing ANYTHING in 10 years, what would you be doing and where would you be?

Well, I'd be a professor for intro engineering classes by then. Most engineering professors could give two shits about freshmen, but I think that's the best college group to teach because you can still reach them and maybe talk the weirdos out of quitting the program. Engineering needs more weirdos and less boring white guys ok. I'd probably be in Ohio too, because I'd be living with my ladyfriend by then, and also because I am kind of done with Indiana. Professionally. This is a really boring and practical answer but then I am pretty boring and practical at heart.

5) if the zombie apocalypse started tomorrow, what would your weapon of choice be?

A javelin. I don't have the muscles to handle a bludgeoning weapon and I used to be pretty good with a javelin when I was in Track & Field.

6) if you were stuck on a boat for A WHOLE YEAR with 3 other people and one of them HAD to be rick santorum, who would the other 2 be and describe your first month at sea.

Latrice Royale and Pandora Boxx. Because the best defense against Rick Santorum is DRAG QUEENS. Our first day would be Latrice stowing Rick in box somewhere. Then the rest of the month Pandora would entertain us with song and jokes and I would learn the ways of being fabulous from Latrice and we would all become youtube stars.

7) come up with an explanation for where all the anvils went that isn't "they got melted down after disuse"

They ended up in all those self-storage boxes, until the original Anvil Person who saved them all died and the storage box went up for auction and the dudes from Storage Wars were disappoint. Then they got sold to interior designers, who then worked them into the Blacksmith Chic look, which will be big this fall.

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Whirlwind Visits

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 22:46:28 GMT

Super quick visit up to Former College Town to get the pants that were ordered for me for the wedding in May, found out that I do in fact fit into men's pants. Yeah, fuck you lady pants I'm not wearing your for dress pants anymore. Mens pants are so much more awesome.

Had a great time during the day with the couple who is getting married, helped set up some bachelor party stuff (kareoke is happening) and the usual catching up. Lives are busy, but they are always great to hang out with even if I'm only up for a day.

Then I went and hung with a couple kids I RP with, and they were adorable. Kind of makes me miss being a college freshman a little. XD

After that I hung with my sister, watched movies, went to Goodwill and bought some cute clothes. Only thing that could have made this a better weekend would have been ladyfriend and if the place on the drive home that has fried pickles had been open. Damn you Sunday in Indiana and everything being closed.

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Grad School

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:12:42 GMT

Still rejecting me! Waiting to hear from backup school.

Looks like I'm going to have to do this shit piecemeal. Which is annoying as hell.

Anyone who doesn't think the system is stacked has clearly never been the "wrong" type of candidate.

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I have returned!

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:46:35 GMT

So, Distant Worlds was amazing. Not the least because live orchestra is amazing, but because I went with a group of friends (new and old) and my ladyfriend. When the show started with the first couple of notes of "Opening Bombing Mission" and the first bits of FFVII were on the screen, I started crying. Because at least for me that was the beginning of FF for me, and the beginning of a lot of things as the result of getting into that fandom and the subsequent ones after that.

And I don't care how dorkily cliche it is, there is nothing like hearing "Eyes on Me" live and having your ladyfriend cuddle you during it ok.

The rest of the trip was lovely too. Since I took a train in and had a layover in Chicago for a while, I pulled a bit of a Ferris Bueller and wandered around the downtown, catching the L and accidentally stumbling onto a free art gallery. And while it was snowing, it didn't feel frigid, so it was really nice.

Then the track from Chicago to Pittsburgh was amazing, as sleeper cars are REALLY FREAKING AWESOME. The food was pretty good too and due to communal seating I ended up talking to some nice people and as usual getting into debates about education and tech. When I was woken up for my P-burgh stop the city looked really beautiful, with some light snow and hardly anyone around (since it was 4 am when I got there) and the lights.

I just really like trains ok. And planes. And airports.

I regret not being able to take more time off and spend it with everyone, but what time I did spend was awesome. And full of LMFAO and homebrew mead and fondue and fearing for my life in the car as P-burgh also has the most terrifying traffic I have ever seen (and roads seriously I know that you just had to make them where they fit but gaaaaaaah).

Would do this again. XD

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Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:19:32 GMT

This is apparently today! Due to my whole fleeing the area for Distant Worlds this weekend I won't be able to have my weekly meeting with my interns (sadness) but I figured I'd make a post in lieu of talking with high school girls about engineering (which is a crap substitute I know).

I know a lot of things will talk about robots and computers when it comes to engineering, but I guess I wanted to talk about the human aspect a bit. Because that's the part that matters, even though you may think otherwise. And this is by no means a comprehensive list, it's mostly based on my experiences and those of people I know. If you want something broader, check out this lovely comic.

What Engineering has been to me:

( a handy list )

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Oh all the things

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:52:29 GMT

I am so excite because this weekend I'm going to a DISTANT WORLDS CONCERT!!!!

But there is also a lot of things going on, which is why you may not have been seeing me at all.

Like Best Man duties for the wedding in May. There is pants drama. Damn you gender noncomformity!!!

Also work but I don't want to talk about work.

So yeah!

Hopefully I'll have more to say later.

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Perils in Educational Gaming

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:27:33 GMT

So, I thought I was done with just a couple paragraphs of this on tumblr, but I am apparently not. Clearly this won't leave my thoughts.

This all started when I saw on BoingBoing this Kickstarter advert for a game called Code Hero. While I like the idea of games that teach you computer programming, I... am less than thrilled with the approach they are taking.

( in which I talk at length about gameplay and learning )

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Selling Stuff

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:34:51 GMT

Alright, so I'm letting my etsy account slowly expire because I'm just really bad at keeping track of things like that. And if I'm going to be moving (potentially, admittedly this whole waiting around for word from grad schools is really making me anxious), I think perhaps I need to lighten up some of the load of things I've got hanging around.

While I will totally just give away clothes and other things, I feel like if it's something I made it should either be a gift directly for someone or it should be bought. And I have a tendency to make things and you know... have them sit around for a while. Which the etsy helped with slightly (I am kind of done with all the fees and shit).

Also, I have a friend that is in tight finances due to health issues, so the proceeds of a couple of the items will go to her. They'll have CHOCOBO written next to them. XD And anything that is currently on etsy will not be bought through there, and you can even ignore the price on there, just linking cause it's so handily laid out on there. XD

I'm willing to negotiate or trade (provided the trade isn't going to make my clutter worse XD). All costs include shipping (to the US and Canada, if you are further I'll check to make sure it's not unreasonable).

This will probably be followed by another freecycle post sometime later, so if you really have no money I may have stuff for you! XD

I accept paypal or mailed cash or check. I'll mail after payment.

( please buy my things )

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IT HAS BEGUN.

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:36:57 GMT

FINAL FANTASY KISS BATTLE 2012

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