There was a girl with hair like a sheep.
She pondered. She thought very deep.
She closed her eyes
And with a "thinking" disguise
She promptly fell fast asleep.
*Written in reference to Verushka being very tired today when I saw her.
(I know you'll complain, and I'm so sorry but "sheep" went with the rhyme and it's funny too. Plus, that's the original line, so we have to keep it for the sake of remembering it.)
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Indiana Jones and the Car Guard (Visually Expressed)
So this situation happened earlier today in text:
Yuvi:
Guard at Gateway staff parking boom gate:
"Back?" [opens boom without stopping me]
Me:
"Sorry?"
Guard:
"Weren't you here just now?"
Me:
"... ... ... Yes." [Drives inside]
Sean:
Guard is racist. Trying to imply all indiana look alike.
(Yes, I know it was just a dumb typo and Sean meant to say "all Indians look alike" but I laughed so hard at this that I decided to make a picture and a blog post. IT'S MAH BLOG! I'LL DO WHAT I WAUNT!)
Yuvi:
Guard at Gateway staff parking boom gate:
"Back?" [opens boom without stopping me]
Me:
"Sorry?"
Guard:
"Weren't you here just now?"
Me:
"... ... ... Yes." [Drives inside]
Sean:
Guard is racist. Trying to imply all indiana look alike.
(Yes, I know it was just a dumb typo and Sean meant to say "all Indians look alike" but I laughed so hard at this that I decided to make a picture and a blog post. IT'S MAH BLOG! I'LL DO WHAT I WAUNT!)
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Monday, 18 November 2013
Invasive Adver[CLICK HERE TO WIN AN iPAD]tising
No, you can't really click in the title to win an iPad. Sorry.
But yeah, if you've been religiously following my blog (or if you check it now and then, between your browsing of other websites... or while you're scrolling on Twitter and notice my blog tweets... or while you have nothing better to do while you're crapping or something), you'll know that recently I've posted a fair bit about Android games.
I don't think I'm the only person that has noticed this, but I do play games on my phone quite often recently so maybe it's been much more of a nuisance to me than others.
What am I talking about?
...
... the hell? Did you not read the title?
Anyway, I'm talking about adverts in-game.
I do believe almost every free game on my Android device has become ridiculously overpopulated with adverts.
Now I don't mind the occasional advert. I don't even mind the ones that show up after every single level or whatever.
The problem comes in when it pops up in a place where you're almost guaranteed to accidentally click on it.
I find this really annoying.
A few of the games I still play most often are Jetpack Joyride, Temple Run 2, Subway Surfers, Fruit Ninja (and until recently) Angry Birds. (Don't judge me! There are new challenges etc every day or week and I have to check them, okay!)
Now, before I get back to Jetpack Joyride, lemme complain about the others.
I played all these games since I got my Samsung and even before that (on other people's devices).
All of them were fun, addictive and had excellent replay value.
Recently, however, when I was playing Angry Birds, an advert popped up to annoy me. I accidentally clicked on it, closed the website it opened and continued playing. Then a video advert popped up restricting my game for 20 seconds or so. I eventually got annoyed and stopped playing it because downloading a video every time you finish a level is quite a waste of mobile data. (At least in South Africa it is.)
I mentioned before that I don't mind adverts but when it takes up literally 95% of the screen without warning or wastes your money, it's quite ridiculous. I don't mind when I'm at home and connected to my wi-fi, but I also usually play a game while waiting for a client at their office, when there's no electricity for some reason, and many other situations where I'm not able to save my data.
I've actually taken to playing certain games with my phone in Flight Mode now to avoid this.
I know I actually end up not reaching my data cap anyway, but that's not the point. I'm bitching about something and you should listen.
Yes, mobile game designers. This means you!
The one game I've always been happy with, even when adverts came into play is Jetpack Joyride.
Why?
There's an advert every second time I do a run but NEVER does an advert appear without warning.
It calmly shows up in a block labelled "ADVERTISEMENT" and after it loads, it gives you the option to click "NEXT" just as the rest of the screens in the game work.
Some of the other games show an entire screen-size advert with about an almost-hidden "x" button somewhere on the screen. Does this appear between screens like Jetpack Joyride's adverts?
Of course not. It suddenly appears just as you're about to click a button on the game's menu and you end up clicking the advert instead. Then, half the time, not only does it get in the way here, but when you cancel/exit it and start a new level or a new run, the web page opens up 10 seconds into your game, just as you're about to avoid an obstacle. So naturally, you exit the web page and you die (in the game, I mean. Calm down. the adverts aren't THAT bad...).
So after reading all the above, I bet half the readers (if not more) are thinking "Screw you, man. You got a free game. The adverts pay the developers for the cost and you're spoilt and you suck and RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!"
But then you clearly did not take in what I said about Jetpack Joyride.
Hey, game developers.
Take a leaf out of Jetpack Joyride's book (I can't say Halfbrick's book because even Fruit Ninja annoys me with adverts a second before your level even ends) and make the adverts as invasive as you want, but not enough to interrupt game progress or to ruin the fun of your game. Put them between screen transitions, not after the main menu's buttons are visible on the screen. Make the user aware that it is an advert.
It's not some dodgy website that has 50 download buttons, of which 49 are disguised adverts.
It's a game. It's a professional application that thousands (or even millions) of people downloaded.
If your adverts stop people from wanting to play the game, trust me, it's not making you money.
I love all the games I listed here and a lot more that I didn't mention. I'm not bitching about your game. I'm bitching about you not thinking about something being really inconvenient. So please just edit your take on adverts SLIGHTLY to make it more user-friendly.
Thank you. <3
But yeah, if you've been religiously following my blog (or if you check it now and then, between your browsing of other websites... or while you're scrolling on Twitter and notice my blog tweets... or while you have nothing better to do while you're crapping or something), you'll know that recently I've posted a fair bit about Android games.
I don't think I'm the only person that has noticed this, but I do play games on my phone quite often recently so maybe it's been much more of a nuisance to me than others.
What am I talking about?
...
... the hell? Did you not read the title?
Anyway, I'm talking about adverts in-game.
I do believe almost every free game on my Android device has become ridiculously overpopulated with adverts.
Now I don't mind the occasional advert. I don't even mind the ones that show up after every single level or whatever.
The problem comes in when it pops up in a place where you're almost guaranteed to accidentally click on it.
I find this really annoying.
A few of the games I still play most often are Jetpack Joyride, Temple Run 2, Subway Surfers, Fruit Ninja (and until recently) Angry Birds. (Don't judge me! There are new challenges etc every day or week and I have to check them, okay!)
Now, before I get back to Jetpack Joyride, lemme complain about the others.
I played all these games since I got my Samsung and even before that (on other people's devices).
All of them were fun, addictive and had excellent replay value.
Recently, however, when I was playing Angry Birds, an advert popped up to annoy me. I accidentally clicked on it, closed the website it opened and continued playing. Then a video advert popped up restricting my game for 20 seconds or so. I eventually got annoyed and stopped playing it because downloading a video every time you finish a level is quite a waste of mobile data. (At least in South Africa it is.)
I mentioned before that I don't mind adverts but when it takes up literally 95% of the screen without warning or wastes your money, it's quite ridiculous. I don't mind when I'm at home and connected to my wi-fi, but I also usually play a game while waiting for a client at their office, when there's no electricity for some reason, and many other situations where I'm not able to save my data.
I've actually taken to playing certain games with my phone in Flight Mode now to avoid this.
I know I actually end up not reaching my data cap anyway, but that's not the point. I'm bitching about something and you should listen.
Yes, mobile game designers. This means you!
The one game I've always been happy with, even when adverts came into play is Jetpack Joyride.
Why?
There's an advert every second time I do a run but NEVER does an advert appear without warning.
It calmly shows up in a block labelled "ADVERTISEMENT" and after it loads, it gives you the option to click "NEXT" just as the rest of the screens in the game work.
Some of the other games show an entire screen-size advert with about an almost-hidden "x" button somewhere on the screen. Does this appear between screens like Jetpack Joyride's adverts?
Of course not. It suddenly appears just as you're about to click a button on the game's menu and you end up clicking the advert instead. Then, half the time, not only does it get in the way here, but when you cancel/exit it and start a new level or a new run, the web page opens up 10 seconds into your game, just as you're about to avoid an obstacle. So naturally, you exit the web page and you die (in the game, I mean. Calm down. the adverts aren't THAT bad...).
 |
| The Subway Surfers main menu |
 |
| The advert that suddenly pops up OVER the main menu as you're about to click on something |
 |
| An alternative advert that pops up on Subway Surfers that even literally covers the entire screen. |
So after reading all the above, I bet half the readers (if not more) are thinking "Screw you, man. You got a free game. The adverts pay the developers for the cost and you're spoilt and you suck and RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!"
But then you clearly did not take in what I said about Jetpack Joyride.
 |
| Jetpack Joyride's first "end of run" screen |
 |
| Jetpack Joyride's next "end of run" screen |
 |
| How an advert SHOULD pop up (as just another "end of run" screen). It works with the layout so it doesn't cause an accidental click. It comes up as if it is just another part of the game. It's an advert. I take notice of it. But it is not invasive enough for me to hate it. (For those that studied the pictures, I know it's a different run... forgive me. I messed up the original screenshots, but shh... it serves the same purpose) |
Hey, game developers.
Take a leaf out of Jetpack Joyride's book (I can't say Halfbrick's book because even Fruit Ninja annoys me with adverts a second before your level even ends) and make the adverts as invasive as you want, but not enough to interrupt game progress or to ruin the fun of your game. Put them between screen transitions, not after the main menu's buttons are visible on the screen. Make the user aware that it is an advert.
It's not some dodgy website that has 50 download buttons, of which 49 are disguised adverts.
It's a game. It's a professional application that thousands (or even millions) of people downloaded.
If your adverts stop people from wanting to play the game, trust me, it's not making you money.
I love all the games I listed here and a lot more that I didn't mention. I'm not bitching about your game. I'm bitching about you not thinking about something being really inconvenient. So please just edit your take on adverts SLIGHTLY to make it more user-friendly.
Thank you. <3
---
BONUS SECTION
 |
| I laughed at the detailed status of this install screen in Despicable Me: Minion Rush |
 |
| I had to laugh at the third related app for this PMS Monitor app. (Yes, it's actually a thing. Unsurprisingly, it didn't help me avoid getting crapped on during PMS rage.) |
Thursday, 31 October 2013
A New Challenger Approaches!
Good day, all!
How do you do? No, I don't really care. I'm just being polite.
... Hmm... Guess I defeated the purpose of that.
Anyway, I finally used StumbleUpon after ages and came across an awesome website for random comic strips.
You guys already know I like Cyanide and Happiness, The Oatmeal as well as many others, but this (as the title of this post implies) is a new challenger to my comic strip favourites.
It's called The Perry Bible Fellowship and anyone who has my sense of humour will love it. Comics range from dry jokes to horrible dark humour.
I started from comic number ONE and clicked the little "Newer" button each time to scroll through ALL the comics.
Hence, I shall also link you all to comic number one.
CLICK HERE TO READ THAT COMIC I MENTIONED JUST NOW!
Enjoy!
How do you do? No, I don't really care. I'm just being polite.
... Hmm... Guess I defeated the purpose of that.
Anyway, I finally used StumbleUpon after ages and came across an awesome website for random comic strips.
You guys already know I like Cyanide and Happiness, The Oatmeal as well as many others, but this (as the title of this post implies) is a new challenger to my comic strip favourites.
It's called The Perry Bible Fellowship and anyone who has my sense of humour will love it. Comics range from dry jokes to horrible dark humour.
I started from comic number ONE and clicked the little "Newer" button each time to scroll through ALL the comics.
Hence, I shall also link you all to comic number one.
CLICK HERE TO READ THAT COMIC I MENTIONED JUST NOW!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
The Problem with Payments (Visually Expressed)
This is a reference to a couple things I actually paid for recently and didn't mind, yet I've still never bought an app from any app store.
Yeah, I'm aware that my comics aren't that well-drawn. I'm an amateur, okay :(
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
2013-10-23 Entertainment Update
-----
"Current and recent" section:
Games:
So, all my free-time gaming has become mobile since I got my new phone. Android games are awesome!
Never had this stuff on phone before, okay. Let me be.
I shall list some of the best games in their respective categories.
Note 1:
IF YOU'RE READING THIS POST FROM AN ANDROID DEVICE, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD/BUY EACH OF THE GAMES I RECOMMEND (FROM GOOGLE PLAY) BY CLICKING ON THE LINK FOR IT. YAY!
Note 2:
IF YOU DO NOT OWN AN ANDROID DEVICE OR ARE NOT INTERESTED IN ANDROID GAMES, SKIP THIS SECTION, OR I GUESS YOU COULD TRY TO FIND MOST OF THEM FOR YOUR RESPECTIVE DEVICE (IF IT'S A TOUCH SCREEN, HAS A GYROSCOPE AND HAS AN ACCELEROMETER).
Note 3:
SOME APPS ARE NOT FREE BUT I'M NOT GONNA POST FREE LINKS TO THE FULL APP BECAUSE... JUST ... MANY REASONS, OKAY? IF YOU'RE EAGER TO USE YOUR INTERNET SKILLS TO FIND A WAY AROUND THE PAYMENTS, I WON'T TELL YOUR PARENTS. IF YOU GET A VIRUS OR YOU GET ARRESTED OR KILLED, IT'S NOT MY FAULT.
Final Note:
IF YOU FIND/HAVE A BETTER VERSION OF ANY APP/GAME I POSTED HERE, FEEL FREE TO USE THAT ONE. MOST OF THESE APPS ARE THE VERSION THAT I HAVE SO I'M JUST USED TO THEM. YOU MIGHT PREFER A DIFFERENT ONE. IF YOU THINK YOUR ONE IS BETTER, FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW. I'LL APPRECIATE GETTING A BETTER ONE. :)
[Key: *= Top Rated By Yuvi, ^= Appeared in the list already, $= Paid-for app]
=The 3D Endless Runners (ALL of these are for achievement whores and unlockers):
- Temple Run 1, Temple Run 2, and *Temple Run: Oz ($) If you don't know Temple Run by now, you have not used an Android or iPhone properly. Run as far as you can. Collect coins. Unlock stuff. (Temple Run: Oz is the masterpiece of this series - in my opinion. If you watched the movie, you'll probably love it.)
- *Subway Surfers Subway Surfers is another game you should know by now. Constantly changing challenges give this game a high replay value.
- *Despicable Me: Minion Rush Pretty much a combination of Subway Surfers' controls with the brilliant little add-ons and environment changes from Temple Run: Oz. Plus, it's got minions from Despicable Me! You've gotta love them.
- Danger Dash It's pretty much Temple Run, but in 2.5D instead of 3D. Also, you can morph into a tiger.
- Crazy Chase The Japanese school girl version of Temple Run, except you're on the street, trying to catch a bus. (Cue Verushka's fighting face.)
=The 2D Endless Runners
- *Jetpack Joyride The very best in 2D side-view action. I also love the puns and jokes in the item descriptions. Another game for achievement whores and unlockers.
- Gravity Guy ($/Free version available) To be honest, I don't know if this is directly related to Jetpack Joyride, but either way, it's fun too.
=The Single-Player Level-Beaters
- *Plants Vs Zombies ($) If you don't know this one, you've been living in a hole, free from small-scale gaming. You've also not been reading my blog nicely. The very strange name pretty much sums up this strategy game. (You're the plants.) Achievement whores and unlockers will rejoice.
- *World of Goo ($) Basically Bridge-Builder but with Goo and with a surreal storyline
- *Angry Birds ($/Free version available) Seriously now. You can't NOT know this one. Pigs steal eggs. Birds get angry. That's pretty much the storyline. Otherwise, it's just a physics-based "Destroy the towers" game.
- *Candy Crush Saga Basically, it's Bejeweled where you match three or more of the same blocks in a row to score/progress. (You need to link to Facebook to enjoy this one fully)
- Labyrinth ($/Free version available), Labyrinth 2 ($/Free version available) This game makes great use of your gyroscope. Two words: Tilt maze.
- Star Chef A memory/quick reaction game where you need to serve customers quickly. The overall feel of the game reminds me of Candy Crush.
- Slice HD You guys know that I have to put in some horrible bloody mess here somewhere. Okay, so it's not nearly that bad. The point of this game is simply to push the red button(s). The catch is that there are blades that you have to carefully avoid/move in order to press the button. If you get sliced, you fail.
=The Arcade Games That Never Really Get Old
- *Fruit Ninja ($/Free version available) This is another one you should already know. Literally just swipe the screen to slash fruit. Don't hit the bombs! Different game modes, stuff to unlock. The Arcade makes for an excellent quick game if you've literally got a minute to spare. Unlockers will smile, achievement whores will wonder why you can't check your achievement list :/
- *Hungry Shark Evolution You are a shark. You eat everything. There is gore. There is death. And there are achievements and unlockables. It's awesome.
- Real Racing 3 What list of games would be complete without an EA Games release? Awesome graphics and FREE! Just be aware that after you're downloading the setup, not the game. The setup still downloads close to 800mb when you run it.
- Top Gear: Stunt School SSR ($/Free version available) A really random game where each level has some odd objective. Top Gear fans will close their eyes and enjoy the familiar music when they get to the main menu.
- Re-VOLT Classic ($/Free version available) A fun little racing game where you control a remote controlled car.
=The Multiplayer (On One Device) Games
- 3D Bowling (For those who are confused, drag the ball left and right to aim, swipe/flick above the ball, not on it, to bowl the ball. The speed and direction of the flick obviously affects the bowling speed and direction. Curving the ball works too.)
- *Wrestle Jump In my opinion, the most fun multiplayer game on my phone... and yet, it's not on Google Play? Download the apk file and install it on your Android device.
- ^Gravity Guy ($/Free version available)
- *Glow Hockey 2 In this case, the sequel is the only one that supports Multiplayer. It's boring alone, so just get this one.
- *2-Player Reactor A very simple version of "fastest finger first" but a lot of fun.
- *Buzzer Arena A slightly more graphic-friendly version of 2-Player Reactor
- Pocket Soccer Some laugh at the name, but it's a pretty fun game involving taking turns to flick your team's tokens to score a goal. (You forfeit your turn if you wait too long!)
- Tic Tac Toe The simple time-wasting game that everyone knows (Noughts and Crosses? X's and O's? Same one.)
- Chess Free If you don't know what chess is, you don't deserve to read this blog.
- Slingshot Racing ($) Tap your corner to turn, let go to drive straight. That's all there is to it.
Okay, kids. That's all the Android games for now. I'll add more next time if I get anything epic.
Music:
I haven't updated this in a while, so I'll just mention some songs that I enjoyed in the last few months:
Micasa - Jika
PHFAT - The Machine
Duck Sauce - It's You
DJ Naaldekoker ft Richard Brokensha - Lost in Here
F.eU ft Nyanda - Cool & Deadly
Martin Garrix - Animals
Series:
Dragons: Riders of Berk
I finally watched How To Train Your Dragon at the beginning of the year...? Maybe last year? ... And I enjoyed it thoroughly. So when I heard there was a series for the franchise, I checked it out and I'm watching every episode with Verushka (who loves Toothless a bit too much...). Such an awesome concept for people who like pets but are also cool enough to think dragons are awesome.
 |
| Toothless from the How To Train Your Dragon franchise |
Avatar: The Legend of Korra
Started watching Book One of this series a little while ago, but Book Two has recently come out too.
I loved the first series (Avatar: The Last Airbender) so this, being a direct sequel, caught my attention straight away. Plus, every 5 minutes, there's a phrase about bending that sounds very funny if you have a dirty mind.
 |
| Korra posing within view of a statue of Aang (from the opening credits of the series) |
Movies:
Now You See Me
I thought this movie was awesome. It held my attention the whole way and the concept was marvelous. Basically Oceans Eleven with magicians. Plus, the cast was great. I know what Verushka is thinking, but I shall say no more.
This Is The End
If you thought the previous movie had an incredible cast, then hold onto your panties, because this is my pick of the [insert period of time here].
Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogan, Jonah Hill and James Franco are SOME of the main celebrities in this movie and it's basically a parody of what might actually happen if judgement day pitched up right now in their lives.
Don't think I need to say more. WATCH IT.
Miscellaneous:
Can't reeeeally think of much for this section right now, except for this:
4K! It's pretty much the new HD. I heard about this stuff a while ago from Cavie and other awesome people, but I never saw a 4K TV until last week.
What is it? Well, I also didn't know for sure until I read this (which Verushka sent me. See. I didn't take credit for finding it.)
So to finish off today's post, here you go. Hope you guys find it interesting.
http://www.techradar.com/news/home-cinema/high-definition/ultra-hd-everything-you-need-to-know-about-4k-tv-1048954
Sunday, 29 September 2013
Car Personalities (Visually Expressed)
For those of you who don't know, I've named my car Ifrit, after the Guardian Force from Final Fantasy VIII.
Yes, he appears in most of the Final Fantasy games, but that's where I liked him best.
Also, Ifrit is an Arabic fire demon.
Grrrr!
Sunday, 1 September 2013
Mobile Wars '13
So, as I stated right at the end of my previous post, I recently got my Samsung Galaxy S4.
Of course, I have to quickly say that, even though I wasn't so keen on getting a touch-screen device, it's an incredible phone and I'm really happy that I got it.
I love Android already (4.3 Jellybean is the Operating System that I have) and I think that, although it's very user-friendly, it fulfils my techno-fiddling and retro-gaming needs.
Most impressive hardware features in my opinion? The gyroscope and accelerometer combination that I expected... but an unexpected IR blaster. What could be better than being able to control half the devices you use at work... from your phone? (Yes, I know there's probably many things that are better. Keep your comments to yourself. Or write them under this post. I don't mind.)
uselessRant.start()
So, anyway, the reason I started writing this isn't because I got a new phone (otherwise I'd have written this last week), but rather because I realised the silliness of a recent situation.
Everyone has been raving about Android recently, for good reason, yes, but it's also a lot of "I don't really understand, but I think it's way better than your 1930's phone!"
And, of course, iPhone users have been raving about Apple for ages - as if they are actually related to the late Steve Jobs.
Now, I've had a BlackBerry for a couple years and I've endured quite a few silly insults. I always laughed them off because I was happy with my phone.
Until this month, when I decided to point out something.
It's been the talk of the town: BBM is coming to Android and iOS.
Radio adverts, endless online discussions, scandals, leaks, the works.
"OH, THAT'S FINE. I'll just curl up in the corner and cry." - MXit
I might joke about MXit, but it was my most valuable application for probably most of my cellphone-using life.
Anyway, so I'm actually awaiting the BBM release myself.
What makes me laugh, though, is that everyone eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get BBM on their precious Samsung or iPhone had, just a month ago, been under the impression that I had a "stupid BlackBerry".
So why is everyone running after BBM now?
I fail to understand why everyone that ridiculed BlackBerry is signing up to be notified immediately upon an official release.
I know that I'm waiting to get it because I'll be able to chat to more of my friends from one device if I have BBM, WhatsApp AND Hangouts on it.
But is everyone just suddenly jumping on the bandwagon because there is one?
Pretty disappointing, guys.
But, hey. Maybe I'll be a douche as well, now that I've got an Android phone.
uselessRant.end()
sideRant.start()
Also, WHY THE HELL HASN'T POPCAP RELEASED PLANTS VS ZOMBIES 2 FOR PC AND ANDROID YET??
sideRant.end()
---------------
Update:
I've been told by some Android and iPhone users that they don't care about the BBM app at all and that only people that previously had a BlackBerry (or own one as a second phone) would care.
Sigh... This further emphasises the "useless" part in the name of my rant.
What say you, blog post readers?
Also, I hope that people realise that I'm not talking about EVERY iPhone user or EVERY Android user.
I'm just generalising a bit. It was a rant. It happens.
Of course, I have to quickly say that, even though I wasn't so keen on getting a touch-screen device, it's an incredible phone and I'm really happy that I got it.
I love Android already (4.3 Jellybean is the Operating System that I have) and I think that, although it's very user-friendly, it fulfils my techno-fiddling and retro-gaming needs.
Most impressive hardware features in my opinion? The gyroscope and accelerometer combination that I expected... but an unexpected IR blaster. What could be better than being able to control half the devices you use at work... from your phone? (Yes, I know there's probably many things that are better. Keep your comments to yourself. Or write them under this post. I don't mind.)
uselessRant.start()
So, anyway, the reason I started writing this isn't because I got a new phone (otherwise I'd have written this last week), but rather because I realised the silliness of a recent situation.
Everyone has been raving about Android recently, for good reason, yes, but it's also a lot of "I don't really understand, but I think it's way better than your 1930's phone!"
And, of course, iPhone users have been raving about Apple for ages - as if they are actually related to the late Steve Jobs.
Now, I've had a BlackBerry for a couple years and I've endured quite a few silly insults. I always laughed them off because I was happy with my phone.
Until this month, when I decided to point out something.
It's been the talk of the town: BBM is coming to Android and iOS.
Radio adverts, endless online discussions, scandals, leaks, the works.
"OH, THAT'S FINE. I'll just curl up in the corner and cry." - MXit
I might joke about MXit, but it was my most valuable application for probably most of my cellphone-using life.
Anyway, so I'm actually awaiting the BBM release myself.
What makes me laugh, though, is that everyone eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get BBM on their precious Samsung or iPhone had, just a month ago, been under the impression that I had a "stupid BlackBerry".
So why is everyone running after BBM now?
I fail to understand why everyone that ridiculed BlackBerry is signing up to be notified immediately upon an official release.
I know that I'm waiting to get it because I'll be able to chat to more of my friends from one device if I have BBM, WhatsApp AND Hangouts on it.
But is everyone just suddenly jumping on the bandwagon because there is one?
Pretty disappointing, guys.
But, hey. Maybe I'll be a douche as well, now that I've got an Android phone.
uselessRant.end()
sideRant.start()
Also, WHY THE HELL HASN'T POPCAP RELEASED PLANTS VS ZOMBIES 2 FOR PC AND ANDROID YET??
sideRant.end()
---------------
Update:
I've been told by some Android and iPhone users that they don't care about the BBM app at all and that only people that previously had a BlackBerry (or own one as a second phone) would care.
Sigh... This further emphasises the "useless" part in the name of my rant.
What say you, blog post readers?
Also, I hope that people realise that I'm not talking about EVERY iPhone user or EVERY Android user.
I'm just generalising a bit. It was a rant. It happens.
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
2013-08-21 Entertainment Update
I have a bit of free time right now and I'd like to actually do something else but at work, I kinda shouldn't have anything that looks like fun on my screen. Incredibly, writing a blog post fits because it looks like I'm doing work and I'm also able to talk crap, have fun and waste time.
Well, here's a random update. I said I'd probably do these every so often. I'll use the title as it appears above. That's pretty much what it is, I'd say.
-----
"Current and recent" section:
Games:
So only now, upon starting this post, I realise that I haven't played Plants vs Zombies in a long time.
My poor plants haven't been watered in ages! THEY'RE PROBABLY BONE-DRY. SHRIVELLING UP AND GASPING. USING THE LAST WATER IN THEIR SYSTEM TO SHED A TEAR!
Anyway, so, I have become, once again, addicted to "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Eternal Duelist Soul" which I play on my Gameboy Advance Emulator. (Yes, that's why I posted that "comic" a little while back.)
As with most card games, a quick game (or "duel" in this case) can be played in a minute or two whenever you have free time, so it's pretty convenient. Plus, I've always loved the Yu-Gi-Oh card game as well as the anime.
Music:
Much to Verushka's dismay, the song that I currently can't get out of my head nowadays is J.Cole and Miguel's "Power Trip"
My taste in music varies quite a bit, okay. JUST... OKAY? (Cavie and Verushka will know why "varies" is in italics)
Series:
Finally got around to continuing with How I Met Your Mother. I didn't get to watch Season 8 till this month.
I'm quite glad I got back to it. Verushka and I will probably finish it within the couple weeks.
Movies:
Finally got to watch Oz: The Great and Powerful and I thought it was awesome. I am quite fond of James Franco. Still not sure whether I liked the idea of the black and white intro but it definitely made you notice the colour and beauty of the Land of Oz.
Favourite quote: "Look what you've done to me!" - Evanora
[Grins at Verushka]
Miscellaneous:
I may sorta be receiving my Samsung Galaxy S4 within the next couple hours...
I should have got it ages ago, but thanks to some egging on by someone, I finally filled in all the forms, sorted out my bank account and talked to the relevant people.
I've had a BlackBerry Bold 9780 till now and I'm still gonna keep and use it but Yay, I'll be glad to have a new phone to mess around with, jailbreak and probably brick it.
(I shouldn't make this joke because I joked about this with Cavie shortly before my PSP was bricked.)
Aaaanyway... I think that's about it for today.
KAY, BYE.
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Ib Paints a Wonderful Picture
Hello, readers.
To those of you who don't already know what this post is about from the title, see my post, What? Posts are Evolving!, for a tiny mention of this game.
If you do want to check out a description etc, here's a less spoiler-filled page (there's a download link there. v1.05 is the newest version), but if you really wanna ruin it and find out everything, here's the Wiki page.
So, yeah. I decided to chat a bit about yet another Indie game.
This time, it's a horror game called Ib, created by "kouri".
It's amazing how this game has the graphics of a SNES RPG but it made me jump way more than Slender ever did.
You play as Ib (pronounced "Eeb"), a 9-year old girl who goes on a fun trip with her parents to the art gallery. Naturally, as with any Japanese game, this does not stay as a simple trip to the art gallery (No, it's not porn). After Ib does some exploring and fiddling (not in a pornographic way), everything goes very, very wrong and Ib ends up trapped in the gallery. All you have to do is get out. Sounds simple, right? Well, it would be except that the artist who created everything in the gallery seems to be a deranged psychopath who wanted everyone to die. Maybe I'm judging him unfairly and it's just his creations that like to scare people to death.
Either way, if you're a fan of games, the Japanese, art and crapping yourself, I'd highly recommend this game.
And if you're still thinking about this being porn... Come on, she's NINE. No, Adolf. I'm not summoning you.
I initially, though briefly, mentioned this game a while ago, but I never got around to finishing it... because it was dark... and I was alone at home... and stuff... AND I TOTALLY HAD OTHER STUFF TO DO... AND STUFF.
Anyway, I thought this was an awesome game and it deserved its own post. Play it. Lemme know what you think in the comments, if you want.
To those of you who don't already know what this post is about from the title, see my post, What? Posts are Evolving!, for a tiny mention of this game.
If you do want to check out a description etc, here's a less spoiler-filled page (there's a download link there. v1.05 is the newest version), but if you really wanna ruin it and find out everything, here's the Wiki page.
So, yeah. I decided to chat a bit about yet another Indie game.
This time, it's a horror game called Ib, created by "kouri".
It's amazing how this game has the graphics of a SNES RPG but it made me jump way more than Slender ever did.
Either way, if you're a fan of games, the Japanese, art and crapping yourself, I'd highly recommend this game.
And if you're still thinking about this being porn... Come on, she's NINE. No, Adolf. I'm not summoning you.
I initially, though briefly, mentioned this game a while ago, but I never got around to finishing it... because it was dark... and I was alone at home... and stuff... AND I TOTALLY HAD OTHER STUFF TO DO... AND STUFF.
Anyway, I thought this was an awesome game and it deserved its own post. Play it. Lemme know what you think in the comments, if you want.
The Posting of the Post about The Binding of Isaac
So this post is about another Indie game called "The Binding of Isaac".
I don't know to what extent a game remains in the "Indie" category, but this one became so successful that you can now find it (and its expansion, "The Wrath of the Lamb") on Steam!
So I mentioned this game recently in my post What? Posts are Evolving! but I thought it was really interesting and awesome (apart from being a horrible concept).
The game sorta jumped out at me because it plays a lot like a dark, gory and emotionally-scarring version of The Legend of Zelda. It was desiged by Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl.
The Binding of Isaac is based on the biblical story of the same name. So the basic storyline of the game (you'll find out the same thing in the intro) is that Isaac is a cute, loving little kid that lives with his mum... "Mom".
His mum seems to be a nice lady. You find out she's also pretty religious. Maybe a little too religious.
She sorta proves this when God speaks to her and tells her that her son, Isaac, is a sinner, is being influenced by the world around him and should be sacrificed in order to prove Mom's love for him (where "him" = God).
Mom... as any loving mother would do... obliges. She locks Isaac away, takes away all his toys and even his clothes and prepares to sacrifice him. Naturally, Isaac manages to escape into the basement (or we wouldn't have a game to play, would we?). But has he really escaped? Maybe going down wasn't the best place to go.
In my opinion, this game is basically an incredibly harsh way of saying that you shouldn't blindly follow your religion. It might be a bit difficult to see that behind all the horrible gameplay. If you have a very open mind and actually play the game, it's pretty addictive and if you're an achievement whore, you'll love this game (especially the "Wrath of the Lamb" expansion).
I thought that this game deserved its own post even though I mentioned it before - Purely because I spent quite a while playing it.
Checked it out? Horrified? It's okay.
You'll feel much more comfortable when you play the game in my next post. :)
I don't know to what extent a game remains in the "Indie" category, but this one became so successful that you can now find it (and its expansion, "The Wrath of the Lamb") on Steam!
So I mentioned this game recently in my post What? Posts are Evolving! but I thought it was really interesting and awesome (apart from being a horrible concept).
The game sorta jumped out at me because it plays a lot like a dark, gory and emotionally-scarring version of The Legend of Zelda. It was desiged by Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl.
 |
| Yes, that's the main image of the game. Pretty much sums up the game as well. |
His mum seems to be a nice lady. You find out she's also pretty religious. Maybe a little too religious.
She sorta proves this when God speaks to her and tells her that her son, Isaac, is a sinner, is being influenced by the world around him and should be sacrificed in order to prove Mom's love for him (where "him" = God).
Mom... as any loving mother would do... obliges. She locks Isaac away, takes away all his toys and even his clothes and prepares to sacrifice him. Naturally, Isaac manages to escape into the basement (or we wouldn't have a game to play, would we?). But has he really escaped? Maybe going down wasn't the best place to go.
In my opinion, this game is basically an incredibly harsh way of saying that you shouldn't blindly follow your religion. It might be a bit difficult to see that behind all the horrible gameplay. If you have a very open mind and actually play the game, it's pretty addictive and if you're an achievement whore, you'll love this game (especially the "Wrath of the Lamb" expansion).
I thought that this game deserved its own post even though I mentioned it before - Purely because I spent quite a while playing it.
Checked it out? Horrified? It's okay.
You'll feel much more comfortable when you play the game in my next post. :)
Yu-Gi-Oh on VisualBoyAdvance (Visually Expressed)
And so, I've decided to occasionally post comics as well as posts. (Yes, the term "Comics" might be slightly vague but it's what I'll keep the category as.)
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
What? Posts are evolving!
Congratulations!
Posts evolved into PostsWithUpdates!
So I've written a fair few posts already, but I realise that a few of the things I've always changed have not been mentioned.
WARNING: EXCESSIVE BLABBING ALERT
Starting from now, I'm gonna include current and recent stuff that I was interested in. (see bottom of post)
I figure that'll be at the bottom of my posts from now on?
This might not feature on ALL my posts, but I'll see what happens.
Seems like a plan.
Otherwise, work has been pretty busy recently. (Not today, obviously, or I wouldn't be writing this post.)
Verushka's been really busy recently, hope she's alright. (She's in Richard's Bay at the moment.)
Her dogs have warmed up to me quite nicely recently and I've become quite fond of them.
Verushka and I managed to see Cavie, Sean and Adrian recently. I was happy about that.
My PSP broke a couple weeks ago because I dropped it during a software update :(
Unfortunately, it's bricked so I can't do much with it, but when possible, I'll need a friend's PSP to help me fix mine. I actually initially wanted to update the software because I had a PSP version of Cave Story (see Games section below)
I recently started using an internet browser called Torch. It's a modified version of Chrome, but peaked my interest with some helpful features like ripping media from webpages, a torrent manager, a built-in Internet Accelerator and more.
I know Cavie is sighing in disapproval here, but I haven't thrown away Firefox. In fact, I've felt uncomfortable with little things that I'm used to. Mostly the fact that it renames images to "download" when saving them. That's been bugging me quite a bit since I love saving pictures from Memebase. #FirstWorldProblems #IDontHaveOCD
Games:
I'm currently addicted to Plants vs Zombies again and I already finished the Adventure mode. I'm incredibly glad I have a USB mouse to plug in or I'd never be comfortable playing it.
I've played a lot of Indie games recently. Most of them were creepy and/or dark and/or disgusting (forgive me). I'm not gonna warn or explain anything since some of them are very arty or abstract concepts until you realise what's going on. Play them and check for yourself. Some of them can be finished within a minute but will make you think a bit. Some of them will not be fun for you if you're easily offended or squeamish. Then again, half this blog might offend you too. So deal with it.
A few Indie titles I enjoyed recently were:
- Cave Story
- Ib
- The Binding of Isaac
- An Untitled Story (Check out the whole page. There's some cool little games there.)
- Eversion
- Knytt Stories
- Chalk
- Kaipuu
- Jumpman
- The "Karoshi" series
- Tower of Heaven
- Inquisitive Dave
- Prior
- Depict1
Honorable mention:
- Corrypt
- Lightmare
- Coma
- Loved
- Silver Stitch's "Colour My ..." series *
- Meat Boy *
- Terraria
* (Hope I put the correct links there. The network at the office restricted access to Newgrounds)
I'll probably add to this list since I enjoy retro games as well as thought-provoking ones.
Incidentally... I've also been working on my own game for a while. It's called Blue (title may be subject to change). I'll release a Beta demo in a post when I'm satisfied with it.
Watch this space. → [ ]
... Okay, you may stop watching that space now.
Music:
I've been happy listening to two new albums recently:
- Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
To be honest, I much preferred Daft Punk's music before this album. But I liked it anyway.
- Shortstraw - Good Morning, Sunshine
Shortstraw is a South African band that I recently came across when I heard their title song "Good Morning, Sunshine"
I quite like them. Somehow most of their guitar work sounds very local. I'm not sure how to explain it.
Series:
Game of Thrones
Okay, so I FINALLY got around to watching this... after being egged on so much that it felt like I was being pushed out of a window.
I know I joined the party a little late, but at least I'm not as late as Ned Stark.
Incidentally, I'm now finished with Seasons 1, 2 and 3.
"Hodor" - Hodor
Movies:
Man of Steel (Yes, that Superman movie)
DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW MY OPINION AND POSSIBLY SPOIL THE MOVIE
I personally thought the acting and character design were carried out well. I thought the cast was decent. I thought that the special effects were pretty damn fine... And THEN I felt like the director, producers, etc took all that and stuffed it in a box without any planning and put it on the big screen. Really, guys? Honestly, I think that if they went down this road, they should have made a Superman Origins, and then this movie. But it felt very segmented and didn't flow and that ruined it for me.
Miscellaneous:
Virtual DJ
I started using this again after ages. I haven't really messed around enough to enjoy it properly but I will do so soon
Game Maker
In the middle of making my RPG, I noticed a few games made with this software so I checked it out and I think it looks awesome. When I have time, I might make a couple simple games with this as well.
So um... yeah. Will chat more soon.
KAY, BYE.
Posts evolved into PostsWithUpdates!
So I've written a fair few posts already, but I realise that a few of the things I've always changed have not been mentioned.
WARNING: EXCESSIVE BLABBING ALERT
Starting from now, I'm gonna include current and recent stuff that I was interested in. (see bottom of post)
I figure that'll be at the bottom of my posts from now on?
This might not feature on ALL my posts, but I'll see what happens.
Seems like a plan.
Otherwise, work has been pretty busy recently. (Not today, obviously, or I wouldn't be writing this post.)
Verushka's been really busy recently, hope she's alright. (She's in Richard's Bay at the moment.)
Her dogs have warmed up to me quite nicely recently and I've become quite fond of them.
Verushka and I managed to see Cavie, Sean and Adrian recently. I was happy about that.
My PSP broke a couple weeks ago because I dropped it during a software update :(
Unfortunately, it's bricked so I can't do much with it, but when possible, I'll need a friend's PSP to help me fix mine. I actually initially wanted to update the software because I had a PSP version of Cave Story (see Games section below)
I recently started using an internet browser called Torch. It's a modified version of Chrome, but peaked my interest with some helpful features like ripping media from webpages, a torrent manager, a built-in Internet Accelerator and more.
I know Cavie is sighing in disapproval here, but I haven't thrown away Firefox. In fact, I've felt uncomfortable with little things that I'm used to. Mostly the fact that it renames images to "download" when saving them. That's been bugging me quite a bit since I love saving pictures from Memebase. #FirstWorldProblems #IDontHaveOCD
-----
"Current and recent" section:
Games:
I'm currently addicted to Plants vs Zombies again and I already finished the Adventure mode. I'm incredibly glad I have a USB mouse to plug in or I'd never be comfortable playing it.
I've played a lot of Indie games recently. Most of them were creepy and/or dark and/or disgusting (forgive me). I'm not gonna warn or explain anything since some of them are very arty or abstract concepts until you realise what's going on. Play them and check for yourself. Some of them can be finished within a minute but will make you think a bit. Some of them will not be fun for you if you're easily offended or squeamish. Then again, half this blog might offend you too. So deal with it.
A few Indie titles I enjoyed recently were:
- Cave Story
- Ib
- The Binding of Isaac
- An Untitled Story (Check out the whole page. There's some cool little games there.)
- Eversion
- Knytt Stories
- Chalk
- Kaipuu
- Jumpman
- The "Karoshi" series
- Tower of Heaven
- Inquisitive Dave
- Prior
- Depict1
Honorable mention:
- Corrypt
- Lightmare
- Coma
- Loved
- Silver Stitch's "Colour My ..." series *
- Meat Boy *
- Terraria
* (Hope I put the correct links there. The network at the office restricted access to Newgrounds)
I'll probably add to this list since I enjoy retro games as well as thought-provoking ones.
Incidentally... I've also been working on my own game for a while. It's called Blue (title may be subject to change). I'll release a Beta demo in a post when I'm satisfied with it.
Watch this space. → [ ]
... Okay, you may stop watching that space now.
Music:
I've been happy listening to two new albums recently:
- Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
To be honest, I much preferred Daft Punk's music before this album. But I liked it anyway.
- Shortstraw - Good Morning, Sunshine
Shortstraw is a South African band that I recently came across when I heard their title song "Good Morning, Sunshine"
I quite like them. Somehow most of their guitar work sounds very local. I'm not sure how to explain it.
Series:
Game of Thrones
Okay, so I FINALLY got around to watching this... after being egged on so much that it felt like I was being pushed out of a window.
I know I joined the party a little late, but at least I'm not as late as Ned Stark.
Incidentally, I'm now finished with Seasons 1, 2 and 3.
"Hodor" - Hodor
Movies:
Man of Steel (Yes, that Superman movie)
DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW MY OPINION AND POSSIBLY SPOIL THE MOVIE
I personally thought the acting and character design were carried out well. I thought the cast was decent. I thought that the special effects were pretty damn fine... And THEN I felt like the director, producers, etc took all that and stuffed it in a box without any planning and put it on the big screen. Really, guys? Honestly, I think that if they went down this road, they should have made a Superman Origins, and then this movie. But it felt very segmented and didn't flow and that ruined it for me.
Miscellaneous:
Virtual DJ
I started using this again after ages. I haven't really messed around enough to enjoy it properly but I will do so soon
Game Maker
In the middle of making my RPG, I noticed a few games made with this software so I checked it out and I think it looks awesome. When I have time, I might make a couple simple games with this as well.
So um... yeah. Will chat more soon.
KAY, BYE.
Monday, 10 June 2013
It's been a busy period
For those of you who instantly thought of a hard-working menstrual cycle after reading the title, shame on you.
But I high five you for your punny and filthy thoughts.
But really, these last couple months have been pretty damn busy.
I did lots of work and got a lot more responsibility in my job.
I didn't get to say a few things here.
Had an awesome birthday. Verushka spoilt me. :)
Met the guys at The Pavilion ON THE BUSIEST DAY OF THE YEAR or something. Took forever to find a parking. We had some lunch and stuff. It was good. I miss those guys on a daily basis.
I had some interesting training in Johannesburg.
All about Audio/Visual equipment and the science behind it. WENT INTO OHM'S LAW AND EVERYTHING.
WUT.
I started The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time again. In my opinion, still one of the best games ever made.
I'm a fan of the Legend of Zelda franchise and I played most of the games... unfortunately I haven't gotten to play the Gamecube, Wii and 3DS games...
Anyway, Ocarina of Time. Yeah, I've been trying to 100% it (That's right. It's a verb now.) but there's so many sidequests that take patience, many attempts or just searching so hard for things that it becomes quite a mission.
My favourite boss from the game is Bongo Bongo. (Thought I'd mention that.)
I've also finally watched some of Game of Thrones after being harrassed for years (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE). I do like it. I think it's a cool concept and that the slight supernatural mix with the relatively realistic take on that time period seems pretty awesome. However, I do admit that it lost its novelty very quickly with me. I've been hooked on series before. Scrubs and Friends are two long-running series that I've watched completely from start to finish in a month (or less) each. I've even more-or-less done this with Heroes and one or two other series (so yeah, not just comedy). But I don't think I could do this with Game of Thrones for some reason.
[Winces apologetically as Cavie falls to his knees, letting out a resounding "NOOOOOO!"]
^ Wouldn't be the first time I've brought Cavie to his knees though.
I'm sorry, Bloggy. I didn't forget about you. I've just been really busy and stuff.
Blog:
It's okay, babe <3 I love you
What??
Blog:
... Nothing. BYE. [click]
... Okay... Anyway.
Well, yeah. So, I'm still alive. Verushka's been really busy recently so it's been a little difficult. But she's been awesome and she's tried to make sure I'm not neglected etc.
Right now she's in Swaziland (since last Monday. She'll be back next Friday) and I miss her. Thankfully she's had some communication privileges. So I've been able to chat and occasionally phone.
She'll be back soon and I'll be happy to see her. Naturally, she ran into some trouble, but here's hoping it gets sorted out. [Raises coffee mug and promptly drinks from it]. The coffee was ice cold. GODDAMMIT.
Anyway, hope everyone's doing well. Good luck with exams to those who are writing. Good luck with results to those who are waiting for results.
See you in issue 48! Until next time, warriors!
But I high five you for your punny and filthy thoughts.
But really, these last couple months have been pretty damn busy.
I did lots of work and got a lot more responsibility in my job.
I didn't get to say a few things here.
Had an awesome birthday. Verushka spoilt me. :)
Met the guys at The Pavilion ON THE BUSIEST DAY OF THE YEAR or something. Took forever to find a parking. We had some lunch and stuff. It was good. I miss those guys on a daily basis.
I had some interesting training in Johannesburg.
All about Audio/Visual equipment and the science behind it. WENT INTO OHM'S LAW AND EVERYTHING.
WUT.
I started The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time again. In my opinion, still one of the best games ever made.
I'm a fan of the Legend of Zelda franchise and I played most of the games... unfortunately I haven't gotten to play the Gamecube, Wii and 3DS games...
Anyway, Ocarina of Time. Yeah, I've been trying to 100% it (That's right. It's a verb now.) but there's so many sidequests that take patience, many attempts or just searching so hard for things that it becomes quite a mission.
My favourite boss from the game is Bongo Bongo. (Thought I'd mention that.)
I've also finally watched some of Game of Thrones after being harrassed for years (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE). I do like it. I think it's a cool concept and that the slight supernatural mix with the relatively realistic take on that time period seems pretty awesome. However, I do admit that it lost its novelty very quickly with me. I've been hooked on series before. Scrubs and Friends are two long-running series that I've watched completely from start to finish in a month (or less) each. I've even more-or-less done this with Heroes and one or two other series (so yeah, not just comedy). But I don't think I could do this with Game of Thrones for some reason.
[Winces apologetically as Cavie falls to his knees, letting out a resounding "NOOOOOO!"]
^ Wouldn't be the first time I've brought Cavie to his knees though.
I'm sorry, Bloggy. I didn't forget about you. I've just been really busy and stuff.
Blog:
It's okay, babe <3 I love you
What??
Blog:
... Nothing. BYE. [click]
... Okay... Anyway.
Well, yeah. So, I'm still alive. Verushka's been really busy recently so it's been a little difficult. But she's been awesome and she's tried to make sure I'm not neglected etc.
Right now she's in Swaziland (since last Monday. She'll be back next Friday) and I miss her. Thankfully she's had some communication privileges. So I've been able to chat and occasionally phone.
She'll be back soon and I'll be happy to see her. Naturally, she ran into some trouble, but here's hoping it gets sorted out. [Raises coffee mug and promptly drinks from it]. The coffee was ice cold. GODDAMMIT.
Anyway, hope everyone's doing well. Good luck with exams to those who are writing. Good luck with results to those who are waiting for results.
See you in issue 48! Until next time, warriors!
Thursday, 11 April 2013
Completely OFF Topic
It's been a while since I wanted to write about this game, so I figured: better late than never.
OFF is an Indie RPG with lots of surreal characters, enemies and environments.
The game was initially created in French by Mortis Ghost and Unproductive Fun Time and was translated after being well-received by the French gaming community.
You as the player are acknowledged as a puppeteer controlling the main character, "The Batter" and the characters often break the fourth wall by talking to you or referring to other aspects of the game itself.
 |
| The Batter |
 |
| A random path in one of the Zones |
Basically, your job is to help The Batter with carrying out his self-proclaimed task. What is his task? Purifying the world.
 |
| The Judge |
"The Judge" (an intelligent and interesting cat) gives you advice and introduces you to a few new concepts.
 |
| A battle with a spectre |
Throughout the game, you battle spectres and traverse through different zones, seeing the "Elsens" that live there and learning about the guardians of each zone.
It's difficult to talk about the game without spoiling it, so I won't say much about the storyline. I definitely recommend this game to any RPG lover and anyone that likes a good game that leaves you mind-blown.
My favourite character? Without a doubt:
Creepy? Yes.
Amusing? A little.
He introduces himself as the random sales merchant that often occurs in practically every RPG.
The music by "Alias Conrad Coldwood" also made the game for me. The battle theme is actually my current ringtone.
Did I turn into a screaming little fangirl after playing this game? Of course I did.
I thought it was awesome. I already played it twice properly.
I actually hope that if I ever manage to finish any of my RPG ideas, they will be as good as this game or at least near the benchmark.
Anyway, just a random dedicated blog post from a fan of the game.
If anyone is interested in downloading it, make sure you find v2.0 (or newer, in case it's been updated since this post)
I think this is the link I used: http://www.2shared.com/file/q5LfIihi/Off_translation_V_20.html
If that doesn't work, I'm sure download links are easy to find as it's a free game.
Anyway, thanks for listening to my rambling. Hope this little post makes the game even more popular.
Enjoy!
Thanks to all the people who worked on the game. I'm really glad I found it.
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
A Hundred and Ten Percent
There exists a girl who smiled at me;
A girl who caught my eye;
A girl who gave me butterflies
The instant she said "Hi."
There exists a girl who met me;
A girl who made me see;
A girl who taught me lessons
On how to be happy.
There exists a girl who charmed me;
A girl who's from my dreams;
A girl who looks so magical,
That Hedwig's is her theme.
There exists a girl who knows me;
A girl who calls my name;
A girl who doesn't wait around
On money, gifts and fame.
There exists a girl who relates to me;
A girl who turns my cogs;
A girl who plays my video games,
Eats steak with me, loves dogs.
There exists a girl who cares for me;
A girl who makes me smile;
A girl who understands me.
She goes the extra mile.
There exists a girl who trapped me;
A girl who has such power;
A girl who knows she turns me
Into a humble little flower.
There exists a girl who loves me;
A girl who's heaven-sent;
A girl who I can guarantee
Gives a hundred and ten percent.
A girl who caught my eye;
A girl who gave me butterflies
The instant she said "Hi."
There exists a girl who met me;
A girl who made me see;
A girl who taught me lessons
On how to be happy.
There exists a girl who charmed me;
A girl who's from my dreams;
A girl who looks so magical,
That Hedwig's is her theme.
There exists a girl who knows me;
A girl who calls my name;
A girl who doesn't wait around
On money, gifts and fame.
There exists a girl who relates to me;
A girl who turns my cogs;
A girl who plays my video games,
Eats steak with me, loves dogs.
There exists a girl who cares for me;
A girl who makes me smile;
A girl who understands me.
She goes the extra mile.
There exists a girl who trapped me;
A girl who has such power;
A girl who knows she turns me
Into a humble little flower.
There exists a girl who loves me;
A girl who's heaven-sent;
A girl who I can guarantee
Gives a hundred and ten percent.
Monday, 25 March 2013
Two Years and a Bit
Well, hello again!
Yes, I'm aware that it has been a while since I wrote something here.
It has been a busy period of time. Lots of work. Lots of OVERTIME work, lots of Verushka visits. Lots of tiring days and evenings where I just wanted to come home and sleep.
Verushka and I have been enjoying a Harry Potter Marathon recently.
Not one movie after the other, but one movie each time we meet :)
It's been good fun, with an awesome girl.
Speaking of an awesome girl, it's been two years.
Two years with her, that is (as of March 15th 2013).
I would like to formally thank her for the best two years I've ever had, the most important lessons and the most love that I've ever received and the opportunities I've had to better myself, help her, and help US to be as awesome as we are now.
I know I'm happy and I do my best to transfer that feeling to her too.
I'm comfy with her. I'm Poop-Happy. (If you don't know, don't ask.)
I appreciate everything she does for me :)
She knows all this. I've told her recently :)
I love you, babe <3
Just thought that since I haven't blabbed here in a while, I'd add this short post to mention someone special.
And now the informal section:
AAAH! MY EYE! (o_-)
"Uh huh? And then what?" - Dog Tease voice
[Zoidbergs Verushka]
WANTS CUGGLES.
mmmiksbujhdfgsyhdfsidyfbv
You should stay with me... forEVER.
Yes, I'm aware that it has been a while since I wrote something here.
It has been a busy period of time. Lots of work. Lots of OVERTIME work, lots of Verushka visits. Lots of tiring days and evenings where I just wanted to come home and sleep.
Verushka and I have been enjoying a Harry Potter Marathon recently.
Not one movie after the other, but one movie each time we meet :)
It's been good fun, with an awesome girl.
Speaking of an awesome girl, it's been two years.
Two years with her, that is (as of March 15th 2013).
I would like to formally thank her for the best two years I've ever had, the most important lessons and the most love that I've ever received and the opportunities I've had to better myself, help her, and help US to be as awesome as we are now.
I know I'm happy and I do my best to transfer that feeling to her too.
I'm comfy with her. I'm Poop-Happy. (If you don't know, don't ask.)
I appreciate everything she does for me :)
She knows all this. I've told her recently :)
I love you, babe <3
Just thought that since I haven't blabbed here in a while, I'd add this short post to mention someone special.
And now the informal section:
AAAH! MY EYE! (o_-)
"Uh huh? And then what?" - Dog Tease voice
[Zoidbergs Verushka]
WANTS CUGGLES.
mmmiksbujhdfgsyhdfsidyfbv
You should stay with me... forEVER.
Saturday, 9 February 2013
LOL what God??
So the average atheist has been scientifically proven to be smarter than the average religious fanatic (in terms of measuring IQ).
Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the post that will probably spark anger or frustration from ignorant people.
Do I believe in God?
I choose not to really question it. Maybe there is a higher power up there. Maybe it's just a simple scientific equation that makes "miracles" and stuff. Whatevz. Either way, chances are, me believing in it or not will not change it.
Why do I say this? I believe in science and in facts.
Don't get me wrong.
I think it's amazing and very interesting that different religions constructed beliefs and frameworks to explain life and to ensure a better way of living, etc.
However, religion is something that improves your life, adds something to your beliefs and values and makes you a better person. That's what I look at when I think of religion.
So, I'm a Hindu in this case. I follow the Tamil denomination.
Do I think it is a fantastic religion? Yes.
Do I think it teaches many different values and lessons that humans should understand? Yes.
Do I believe everything that is written in the scriptures and religious stories? Of course not.
Why? Because they are NOT MEANT to be perceived as fact. They are meant to be exactly what they appear to be. Stories that explain a concept to humans in a simple way that we can relate to.
The thing is, I agree wholeheartedly that the beliefs and way of life are great ways to improve human beings.
In fact, this applies to pretty much all religions.
Christianity is the religion seen most often in the English-speaking world, so I'll use that as an example for this next segment.
Even here, I think the Bible is awesome. I think some of the lessons and guidelines are brilliantly thought-out.
I believe that Christians should be happy to follow that way of life.
However, this all falls apart when people insist that their religion is correct, yours is wrong and that everything in their scriptures is fact.
This is where the problem lies.
Not many religious people say "I believe in this."
They'd rather say "This is how the world is."
(Note that, I say this quite generally and I don't point at Christians for this. It was just an opening example. People in every religion do this.)
I have friends who think "I believe in these values and I live my life knowing how to be a better person."
And then I have friends who think "YOU DON'T GO TO CHURCH/TEMPLE/[other religious house of prayer]?? YOU'RE A HORRIBLE PERSON. Now excuse me while I talk about God and then go get drunk, get pregnant, take drugs and indulge in other ironic activities."
Why force others to believe in what you think if you can't even be consistent with your beliefs?
What might be an even worse question is: Why force yourself to attend religious events, pray for half your day, talk about your religion with everyone, and miss out on living?
Yes, I am an imperfect person. I've made mistakes and I still will. Is this going to change if I go to temple as I'm apparently supposed to?
According to the Bible, a woman was being stoned to death by a crowd after sinning (no weed jokes, please) until Jesus arrived and said something along the lines of "May he who is without sin cast the first stone."
In the story, this obviously caused them to re-think their actions and eventually everyone stopped and let her go.
Yet, it's pretty obvious that half the world would happily condone violence, and even join in, if someone dares to do wrong to them or to insult their beliefs.
I guess, at the end of the day, it's not about which religion you follow or how often you praise it, but rather: what's the point of following it if it makes you ignorant and frustrated about everything else?
^ This point was proven recently when I was told that I was going to hell for swearing. I was then asked why I don't go to church. (Yes, he knew I was not a Christian.) The person in question? Not very well liked by most because of his habit of borrowing money (and not returning it) and the even more frustrating habit of thinking everyone and everything was less important than himself.
Can you call this person a good Christian? I would think not. I know plenty of people that benefit from going to church and are actually amazing people, but the people that become ignorant and annoying are the ones that ruin it for everyone.
Just so we're clear, I'm not saying anything is wrong with religion.
Here are the problems:
-Convincing others that your religion is fact (all religions are based on fiction. Sorry to break it to you.)
-Convincing others that your religion is correct and theirs is incorrect
-Being ignorant. LEARN about other religions before you say something.
If you're happy with the religion you follow, then that's awesome. Follow it, let it help you become a better person. But the bottom line is don't be a dick about it.
Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the post that will probably spark anger or frustration from ignorant people.
Do I believe in God?
I choose not to really question it. Maybe there is a higher power up there. Maybe it's just a simple scientific equation that makes "miracles" and stuff. Whatevz. Either way, chances are, me believing in it or not will not change it.
Why do I say this? I believe in science and in facts.
Don't get me wrong.
I think it's amazing and very interesting that different religions constructed beliefs and frameworks to explain life and to ensure a better way of living, etc.
However, religion is something that improves your life, adds something to your beliefs and values and makes you a better person. That's what I look at when I think of religion.
So, I'm a Hindu in this case. I follow the Tamil denomination.
Do I think it is a fantastic religion? Yes.
Do I think it teaches many different values and lessons that humans should understand? Yes.
Do I believe everything that is written in the scriptures and religious stories? Of course not.
Why? Because they are NOT MEANT to be perceived as fact. They are meant to be exactly what they appear to be. Stories that explain a concept to humans in a simple way that we can relate to.
The thing is, I agree wholeheartedly that the beliefs and way of life are great ways to improve human beings.
In fact, this applies to pretty much all religions.
Christianity is the religion seen most often in the English-speaking world, so I'll use that as an example for this next segment.
Even here, I think the Bible is awesome. I think some of the lessons and guidelines are brilliantly thought-out.
I believe that Christians should be happy to follow that way of life.
However, this all falls apart when people insist that their religion is correct, yours is wrong and that everything in their scriptures is fact.
This is where the problem lies.
Not many religious people say "I believe in this."
They'd rather say "This is how the world is."
(Note that, I say this quite generally and I don't point at Christians for this. It was just an opening example. People in every religion do this.)
I have friends who think "I believe in these values and I live my life knowing how to be a better person."
And then I have friends who think "YOU DON'T GO TO CHURCH/TEMPLE/[other religious house of prayer]?? YOU'RE A HORRIBLE PERSON. Now excuse me while I talk about God and then go get drunk, get pregnant, take drugs and indulge in other ironic activities."
Why force others to believe in what you think if you can't even be consistent with your beliefs?
What might be an even worse question is: Why force yourself to attend religious events, pray for half your day, talk about your religion with everyone, and miss out on living?
Yes, I am an imperfect person. I've made mistakes and I still will. Is this going to change if I go to temple as I'm apparently supposed to?
According to the Bible, a woman was being stoned to death by a crowd after sinning (no weed jokes, please) until Jesus arrived and said something along the lines of "May he who is without sin cast the first stone."
In the story, this obviously caused them to re-think their actions and eventually everyone stopped and let her go.
Yet, it's pretty obvious that half the world would happily condone violence, and even join in, if someone dares to do wrong to them or to insult their beliefs.
I guess, at the end of the day, it's not about which religion you follow or how often you praise it, but rather: what's the point of following it if it makes you ignorant and frustrated about everything else?
^ This point was proven recently when I was told that I was going to hell for swearing. I was then asked why I don't go to church. (Yes, he knew I was not a Christian.) The person in question? Not very well liked by most because of his habit of borrowing money (and not returning it) and the even more frustrating habit of thinking everyone and everything was less important than himself.
Can you call this person a good Christian? I would think not. I know plenty of people that benefit from going to church and are actually amazing people, but the people that become ignorant and annoying are the ones that ruin it for everyone.
Just so we're clear, I'm not saying anything is wrong with religion.
Here are the problems:
-Convincing others that your religion is fact (all religions are based on fiction. Sorry to break it to you.)
-Convincing others that your religion is correct and theirs is incorrect
-Being ignorant. LEARN about other religions before you say something.
If you're happy with the religion you follow, then that's awesome. Follow it, let it help you become a better person. But the bottom line is don't be a dick about it.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Thought for the Day?
Good afternoon!
I actually felt awkward using that title for this post since it's so overused, so I decided to add a question mark.
I've been relatively busy this year so far and the thought that I haven't blogged in a while dragged me back here to complete a post. My dear Verushka has been in Johannesburg these past couple weeks, I've also been a bit sick and finally I re-played a lot of Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past this past weekend.
I've been reading lots of Cavie's posts today and I commented on one of his posts with a story that I came across. Just a random one I read recently, but it made me nod and think a little. Figured I'd copy and post it here (Heh. Copy and post... get it?? It's like a play on words and stuff.). It's not exactly as it was when I read it. I just wrote it on his last post from understanding and memory.
Anyway, here:
"I saw quite an interesting story recently (on the internet, obviously) where a man met God after his inevitable death.
God told him that the world was a non-linear version of the man himself.
Every time he died, he was sent back as a new being (male or female) but each of these forms could exist simultaneously and yet he was sent back each for each life at a completely random time.
He could be a child that is born today or a Pharoah from way back when.
The fact that was important was obvious.
Everyone was, is and will be him.
Every time he harmed someone, he harmed himself.
Every time he loved someone, he loved himself.
Everything he did, he did for himself.
And then he was sent back with no memory whatsoever of his previous life and death.
Not forcing anything religious or philosophical here. Just thought it was an interesting take on life."
And yeah... That's like a thought for the day or something.
Cool.
I actually felt awkward using that title for this post since it's so overused, so I decided to add a question mark.
I've been relatively busy this year so far and the thought that I haven't blogged in a while dragged me back here to complete a post. My dear Verushka has been in Johannesburg these past couple weeks, I've also been a bit sick and finally I re-played a lot of Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past this past weekend.
I've been reading lots of Cavie's posts today and I commented on one of his posts with a story that I came across. Just a random one I read recently, but it made me nod and think a little. Figured I'd copy and post it here (Heh. Copy and post... get it?? It's like a play on words and stuff.). It's not exactly as it was when I read it. I just wrote it on his last post from understanding and memory.
Anyway, here:
"I saw quite an interesting story recently (on the internet, obviously) where a man met God after his inevitable death.
God told him that the world was a non-linear version of the man himself.
Every time he died, he was sent back as a new being (male or female) but each of these forms could exist simultaneously and yet he was sent back each for each life at a completely random time.
He could be a child that is born today or a Pharoah from way back when.
The fact that was important was obvious.
Everyone was, is and will be him.
Every time he harmed someone, he harmed himself.
Every time he loved someone, he loved himself.
Everything he did, he did for himself.
And then he was sent back with no memory whatsoever of his previous life and death.
Not forcing anything religious or philosophical here. Just thought it was an interesting take on life."
And yeah... That's like a thought for the day or something.
Cool.
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
All words exist.
So, while I was on StumbleUpon (my usual opening phrase of a sentence nowadays), I came across the wonderful page http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/33Bm2f/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_misconceptions/.
Read through it, if you're interested in learning random stuff and seeing what little lies you've been fed over the years.
One of the sections that interested me the most was this one:
"Non-standard, slang or colloquial terms used by English speakers are sometimes alleged to not be real words. For instance, despite appearing as a word in numerous dictionaries,[102] "irregardless" is dismissed as "not a word" in some style guides.[103] All words in English originated by becoming commonly used during a certain time period, thus there are many informal words currently regarded as "incorrect" in formal speech or writing. But the idea that they are somehow not words is a misconception.[104][105][106] Examples of words that are sometimes alleged to be "not a word" include "conversate", "funnest", "mentee", "impactful", and "thusly".[107][108][109] All of these appear in numerous dictionaries as English words.[110]"
Just a random one.
(I know Verushka, Cavie, Byron, Adrian, Jes and a few others will love reading through this page.)
Read through it, if you're interested in learning random stuff and seeing what little lies you've been fed over the years.
One of the sections that interested me the most was this one:
"Non-standard, slang or colloquial terms used by English speakers are sometimes alleged to not be real words. For instance, despite appearing as a word in numerous dictionaries,[102] "irregardless" is dismissed as "not a word" in some style guides.[103] All words in English originated by becoming commonly used during a certain time period, thus there are many informal words currently regarded as "incorrect" in formal speech or writing. But the idea that they are somehow not words is a misconception.[104][105][106] Examples of words that are sometimes alleged to be "not a word" include "conversate", "funnest", "mentee", "impactful", and "thusly".[107][108][109] All of these appear in numerous dictionaries as English words.[110]"
Just a random one.
(I know Verushka, Cavie, Byron, Adrian, Jes and a few others will love reading through this page.)
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
Pokemon X and Y
So, Generation 6* is soon to be released!
Why the over-excitement?
This will be the first 3D Pokemon game released in the main series!
(Not only is it a 3D platform, but it's also literally in 3D thanks to the Nintendo 3DS. I meant the platform, though.)
You'll now actually be seeing the Pokemon world from a different point of view.
http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/pokemon-x-y-announced-for-3ds-worldwide-release-this-october/
I may not have a 3DS but I'll definitely want to check this out. Can't wait.
I may not have given much input here, but as a fan, I'm just saying I'm excited about seeing this release and finding out how much is going to be different. The battle scenes and gameplay look amazing (compared to the norm in Pokemon RPGs)
I've been out of touch with the Pokemon games recently due to my lack of Nintendo products, but I'm definitely interested.
Let's see what comes of this.
*Generation 6 is the 6th group of main RPGs in the Pokemon series. The 6th generation MOSTLY refers to the 6th set of official Pokemon introduced.
The main games of each generation are as follows:
Gen 1: Red/Blue(/Green), Yellow
Gen 2: Gold/Silver, Crystal
Gen 3: Ruby/Sapphire, Emerald
Gen 4: Diamond/Pearl, Platinum
Gen 5: Black/White, Black2/White2
Gen 6: X/Y
Why the over-excitement?
This will be the first 3D Pokemon game released in the main series!
(Not only is it a 3D platform, but it's also literally in 3D thanks to the Nintendo 3DS. I meant the platform, though.)
You'll now actually be seeing the Pokemon world from a different point of view.
http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/pokemon-x-y-announced-for-3ds-worldwide-release-this-october/
I may not have a 3DS but I'll definitely want to check this out. Can't wait.
| 3 Starters of Gen. 6 |
 |
| Gameplay |
 |
| Legendary X - "Xerneas" |
 |
| Legendary Y - "Yveltal" |
I've been out of touch with the Pokemon games recently due to my lack of Nintendo products, but I'm definitely interested.
Let's see what comes of this.
*Generation 6 is the 6th group of main RPGs in the Pokemon series. The 6th generation MOSTLY refers to the 6th set of official Pokemon introduced.
The main games of each generation are as follows:
Gen 1: Red/Blue(/Green), Yellow
Gen 2: Gold/Silver, Crystal
Gen 3: Ruby/Sapphire, Emerald
Gen 4: Diamond/Pearl, Platinum
Gen 5: Black/White, Black2/White2
Gen 6: X/Y
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Shmo
Today, I have decided to treat you to the magical skills of the amazing Shmodini!
No, that's not really her name. (No offence if your name actually is Shmodini.)
Simone van der Merwe (Shmo) has been a friend of mine since the good ol' days in primary school when I somehow enjoyed running into her fist.
She's now currently into animation and has produced some incredible works, whether picture or video.
Now that I think about it, she's always been interested in animation and even though she crazily thought that my Crash Bandicoot drawings were good, she has excellent taste and vision.
Here is just a sample of her superpower:
WATCH IT.
Monday, 7 January 2013
Oatmeal for breakfast, lunch and supper
I've seen a few intelligent, amusing and interesting comics before, but this website really struck gold in my mind.
The Oatmeal is an awesome blog or something similar that I saw a few times in the past but I never visited it properly until I used StumbleUpon and it shot me straight into the website where I was left to drown.
I of course floated to safety, happiness and other stuff via the posts and comics there.
I've seen a few of these comics on the web before (as random pictures etc) but I'm glad I checked out the website.
TOTALLY BECAME A FANBOY.
I related to a lot of stuff on this website and was impressed by all the stuff I always had at the back of my mind that he was able to express with insane ease (eg. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/religion )
Also, believe it or not, between the ranting and humour, I love the proper use of grammar and the perfect explanations of how to grasp the English language. (eg. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon ).
Explore it and stuff, guys.
See also:
- Cyanide and Happiness (visited it every day for years. Loved it for a long time. Actually have a collection of a couple hundred saved comics in a folder for a random laugh now and then.)
(Sorry guys, don't mean to have competing sites in one post, but I do like you both and as such, I shall mention you both.)
The Oatmeal is an awesome blog or something similar that I saw a few times in the past but I never visited it properly until I used StumbleUpon and it shot me straight into the website where I was left to drown.
I of course floated to safety, happiness and other stuff via the posts and comics there.
I've seen a few of these comics on the web before (as random pictures etc) but I'm glad I checked out the website.
TOTALLY BECAME A FANBOY.
I related to a lot of stuff on this website and was impressed by all the stuff I always had at the back of my mind that he was able to express with insane ease (eg. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/religion )
Also, believe it or not, between the ranting and humour, I love the proper use of grammar and the perfect explanations of how to grasp the English language. (eg. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon ).
Explore it and stuff, guys.
See also:
- Cyanide and Happiness (visited it every day for years. Loved it for a long time. Actually have a collection of a couple hundred saved comics in a folder for a random laugh now and then.)
(Sorry guys, don't mean to have competing sites in one post, but I do like you both and as such, I shall mention you both.)
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Hello, 2013
</2012>
<2013>
WELL, HELLO!
So, everyone's doing end of year posts and/or start of year posts. I figured I'd do one too.
I just read a long, personal and intricate post from a dear bro and understood a lot more about his year.
I'm not going to be as detailed in my recollections or as personal, but I will blab about 2012 a little.
Okay, so from this side of the looking glass, 2012 might have seemed quite a crappy year, a tiring adventure and overall, the end of my favourite era in life, but I think if I look at the positives, 2012 was great in some ways.
I'll try to be at least MOSTLY chronological so that things make sense here.
Anyway, so the year started off with me at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, finishing off my BCom ISTN degree.
As much as I was tired of studying and writing exams, campus life has been my favourite part of life.
There was enough freedom for me to enjoy everything and to feel liberated but not so much freedom that I had too much responsibility placed on my shoulders.
I admit that I'm able to do so much more now, but I think I will always miss that point of my life.
Well, I had a great time being with my friends and relaxing for most of the day, every day. I miss them so much and it's quite disappointing not to be able to see them often as I did before. I think that's why I miss this area of life so much.
Things were much more fun when I could wake up in the morning, get to campus and trot off to find Cavie and the gang.
I do so miss sitting next to them in the LAN or at a bench near the pond.
(Sigh... okay, yes, I did initially write that about Cavie and then I realised that it sounded mean to leave out the others. Guys, I loved hanging out with all of you. You all gave me company when I needed it and you all helped me have an awesome semester for 2012. Sean, Amy, Prashna, Cohen, Smee, Brad, Hen, Adrian, Byron, Sanchia, Jes and Yashaar. I'm just mentioning the people that I hung out with most often. Hope I didn't forget anyone. I know Tant wasn't physically with us, but she was always there to chat and stuff. WAIT. WE MET HER! I can totally say that now.)
Anyway, so I passed my final set of exams in June after much studying, sweating and staying up late (to play games between studying, of course).
I officially have a degree :)
Unfortunately for most of this time, my beloved Verushka had been working (since January) so I was unable to freely see her. That was the one real pain between January and July.
Although, since she was a lot more mobile than me most of the time, she popped in to visit a few times :)
-and thankfully, we were able to meet on weekends, etc.
I was so happy each and every time I saw her.
I thank her for the many times she went out of her way to see me or help me out.
<3
I realise now that I didn't enjoy my July holiday as much as I wanted to.
I wish I did. I SHOULD HAVE SLEPT MORE.
Otherwise, the next big thing was that I got a car and a job.
ERMERGERD.
Ifrit has been an incredible help. I've become quite used to driving on my own now.
I even enjoy it. Muse has become my driving music (Muse-ic?) recently and I'm quite happy about that.
I currently have all 6 of their main albums in the car.
Work has been boring and tiring, then hectic, then interesting and now boring again due to the lack of anything during the holiday season. I'm hoping to get back to more interesting work such as configurations and setting up other device software.
My parents and granny have been out for the holiday period so I've had to take care of more stuff at home.
Parents went to Egypt and my granny was in Johannesburg.
What I am really happy about is that I got to spend a lot of time with Verushka recently.
I even got to see her around Christmas and New Year.
Her and her family have been very sweet with insisting on having us over for supper, tea and anything else that they were doing at the time.
I also got to spend a lot of time with Previn and Daelin since they were down. In fact, they were awesome in inviting Verushka to their house as well.
Daelin was quite entertaining this holiday. Ironically, Johnnie Walker stopped him from walking.
He's fine now guys. Don't worry.
I watched some awesome movies (Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit, Life of Pi)
Found an awesome website (StumbleUpon)
Finally had a good drink on New Years Eve (driving set me back there. Thankfully I didn't have to drive on NYE.)
Played, laughed, loved, lived.
All in all, 2012 wasn't so bad. A lot of new experiences. A few things came to an end. I learnt a lot and experienced a lot of new things.
I know I mentioned it at the beginning, but I chose not to mention much of the negative stuff about the past year because there's no point starting this year with troublesome thoughts.
Coming this year:
-Graduation
-Metallica
-more work stuff
-more blog posts
And... um... yeah. Think that's about it for now. Gonna have some lunch and stuff.
Cheers.
<2013>
WELL, HELLO!
So, everyone's doing end of year posts and/or start of year posts. I figured I'd do one too.
I just read a long, personal and intricate post from a dear bro and understood a lot more about his year.
I'm not going to be as detailed in my recollections or as personal, but I will blab about 2012 a little.
Okay, so from this side of the looking glass, 2012 might have seemed quite a crappy year, a tiring adventure and overall, the end of my favourite era in life, but I think if I look at the positives, 2012 was great in some ways.
I'll try to be at least MOSTLY chronological so that things make sense here.
Anyway, so the year started off with me at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, finishing off my BCom ISTN degree.
As much as I was tired of studying and writing exams, campus life has been my favourite part of life.
There was enough freedom for me to enjoy everything and to feel liberated but not so much freedom that I had too much responsibility placed on my shoulders.
I admit that I'm able to do so much more now, but I think I will always miss that point of my life.
Well, I had a great time being with my friends and relaxing for most of the day, every day. I miss them so much and it's quite disappointing not to be able to see them often as I did before. I think that's why I miss this area of life so much.
Things were much more fun when I could wake up in the morning, get to campus and trot off to find Cavie and the gang.
I do so miss sitting next to them in the LAN or at a bench near the pond.
(Sigh... okay, yes, I did initially write that about Cavie and then I realised that it sounded mean to leave out the others. Guys, I loved hanging out with all of you. You all gave me company when I needed it and you all helped me have an awesome semester for 2012. Sean, Amy, Prashna, Cohen, Smee, Brad, Hen, Adrian, Byron, Sanchia, Jes and Yashaar. I'm just mentioning the people that I hung out with most often. Hope I didn't forget anyone. I know Tant wasn't physically with us, but she was always there to chat and stuff. WAIT. WE MET HER! I can totally say that now.)
Anyway, so I passed my final set of exams in June after much studying, sweating and staying up late (to play games between studying, of course).
I officially have a degree :)
Unfortunately for most of this time, my beloved Verushka had been working (since January) so I was unable to freely see her. That was the one real pain between January and July.
Although, since she was a lot more mobile than me most of the time, she popped in to visit a few times :)
-and thankfully, we were able to meet on weekends, etc.
I was so happy each and every time I saw her.
I thank her for the many times she went out of her way to see me or help me out.
<3
I realise now that I didn't enjoy my July holiday as much as I wanted to.
I wish I did. I SHOULD HAVE SLEPT MORE.
Otherwise, the next big thing was that I got a car and a job.
ERMERGERD.
Ifrit has been an incredible help. I've become quite used to driving on my own now.
I even enjoy it. Muse has become my driving music (Muse-ic?) recently and I'm quite happy about that.
I currently have all 6 of their main albums in the car.
Work has been boring and tiring, then hectic, then interesting and now boring again due to the lack of anything during the holiday season. I'm hoping to get back to more interesting work such as configurations and setting up other device software.
My parents and granny have been out for the holiday period so I've had to take care of more stuff at home.
Parents went to Egypt and my granny was in Johannesburg.
What I am really happy about is that I got to spend a lot of time with Verushka recently.
I even got to see her around Christmas and New Year.
Her and her family have been very sweet with insisting on having us over for supper, tea and anything else that they were doing at the time.
I also got to spend a lot of time with Previn and Daelin since they were down. In fact, they were awesome in inviting Verushka to their house as well.
Daelin was quite entertaining this holiday. Ironically, Johnnie Walker stopped him from walking.
He's fine now guys. Don't worry.
I watched some awesome movies (Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit, Life of Pi)
Found an awesome website (StumbleUpon)
Finally had a good drink on New Years Eve (driving set me back there. Thankfully I didn't have to drive on NYE.)
Played, laughed, loved, lived.
All in all, 2012 wasn't so bad. A lot of new experiences. A few things came to an end. I learnt a lot and experienced a lot of new things.
I know I mentioned it at the beginning, but I chose not to mention much of the negative stuff about the past year because there's no point starting this year with troublesome thoughts.
Coming this year:
-Graduation
-Metallica
-more work stuff
-more blog posts
And... um... yeah. Think that's about it for now. Gonna have some lunch and stuff.
Cheers.
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
I love you more than sleeping in my bed.
I have a million thoughts of you in my head.
You're my favourite song, my favourite look,
My favourite smell, my favourite book.
I'm so happy just seeing your face.
A feeling that no-one can replace.
I love your smile, it's so unique.
When you're exposed, I take a peek.
I hate it when you have to go.
When you're not with me, time goes slow.
I like the look that's in your eye.
I never want to say goodbye.
I have a million thoughts of you in my head.
You're my favourite song, my favourite look,
My favourite smell, my favourite book.
I'm so happy just seeing your face.
A feeling that no-one can replace.
I love your smile, it's so unique.
When you're exposed, I take a peek.
I hate it when you have to go.
When you're not with me, time goes slow.
I like the look that's in your eye.
I never want to say goodbye.
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