Darcness' Journal

08072009:1442 << Decode: Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 2:42 PM >>

: Mrf?
Did LJ do something weird? I can only see 3 entries on my friends list.

08042009:1545 << Decode: Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 3:45 PM >>

: I have succumbed.
I R on da twitter.

@Captcovert

26022009:1750 << Decode: Thursday, February 26th, 2009 5:50 PM >>

: Wow. Just... wow.
Rarely do I have this very normal parental dilemma: Do I punish, or do I laugh?

Today, I failed, I think, because I picked the latter. This assignment forwarded me by one of my older son's teachers could explain why (in its original formatting. I have no idea what WEB is, so there's no special context here):

1. Why do you want to be a WEB leader? I want to be WEB leader because I like kittens
2. What does it mean to be a positive role model? A positive role model is someone who holds up a giant plus
3. Have you have you ever been disciplined at school, and if you have what did you learn from it? I have been disciplined and I learned that I shouldn’t call people f#@k heads because the don’t like world of warcraft
4. Tell me why you would be a great WEB leader and good mentor for the 7th graders? Because I have a LVL 80 gnome Deathknight will all epic gear, and I completely pwn clumsy n00bs in the BGs


Now... I probably should make sure that the lack of punctuation was intentional (in keeping with the txt speech (1337 $p33<?) motif), and if not, remind him to work on it, but other than that, I'm just too busy laughing to even attempt to help him take this assignment seriously. That boy of mine is awesome.

20022009:1215 << Decode: Friday, February 20th, 2009 12:15 PM >>

: If Misery Loves Company...
... then www.fmylife.com is its Mardi Gras. People post horrifying moments in their lives, usually involving some ironic twist, and users can vote whether the atrocity was deserved or truly a stroke of bad luck. Some gems include:

Today, my mom found a condom in my pocket while doing my laundry. Instead of having the subsequent discussion about the birds and the bees my mother simply asked "Who would have sex with you?"

Today, my girlfriend broke up with me after a year of living together. She told me that she met someone else and wanted to move out. She moved out... but moved her things into my roommate's bedroom.

Today, my father came back from a business trip in Canada. He handed me an "I Love Canada" pen. He brought back an xbox 360 for my younger brother.

Today, I was secretly listening to a voicemail from my mom in maths class when I accidentally hit the speaker phone button. My whole math class now knows I have a gyno appointment at 9:45 on March 11.

Today, I got talking to a really hot guy at a party. He told me that he was only here because he heard the host would sleep with anyone, and he and his buddies had a bet going. It was my party.


So... when you're feeling down, or just want to laugh at the misfortune of others, swing on by www.fmylife.com. It's certainly made my morning.

26012009:1550 << Decode: Monday, January 26th, 2009 3:50 PM >>

: WINTEREENMAS!!
And once again, my fellow Initiates, do we stumble upon this most holy of Holy Days. Or Weeks. Or... yeah.

Wintereenmas is here! 7 days of uninterrupted (dammit, stupid contract work and lack of vacation days) gaming, so as to bask in the glow of the High Score.

Goals: Complete Fallout 3. Reach Level 80 in WoW. Complete the Ultimate Marathon in Rock Band 2 (By my estimate, this is, literally, 5+ hours straight of Rock Band.... this one might not make the cut this year).

Schedule:
Sunday (1/25): WoW! And Lots of it! Oh, and finish Fallout 3. Ending sucked harder than... well, harder than something really really hard. The storyline inside the game was much cooler than the ending.
Monday (1/26): WoW! Technically reaching 80 will take longer than the RB Marathon, so that's on the menu first.
Tuesday (1/27): WoW! I probably should hit up one of the instances I haven't yet some time today.
Wednesday (1/28): WoW! If I bust hard, I could probably get to 80 by today. If not, hit up a new instance. Eyes on the Prize, baybee! And none of that old-world crap to distract me.
Thursday (1/29): Everything else night! Since the RPG and MMO gods will be properly appeased, I need to get some RTS, FPS, and perhaps puzzle gaming done during this night, so as to appeal to all.
Friday (1/30): It's a Friday! That means... more WoW!! Unless I can hit up the card gaming gods with some Magic, or party game gods with the usual crew. Maybe Descent for the Board Games... hmm. This could be a very busy day indeed.
Saturday (1/31): A day of rest? Hell no! Bring on the Rock Band! I hope the wife doesn't intend to watch TV at all....

What are your plans? How do you choose to worship and gain enlightenment during this holy time?

26012009:1044 << Decode: Monday, January 26th, 2009 10:44 AM >>

: Quote of the Day
"I used to be an idealist, but I got mugged by reality."

15012009:1658 << Decode: Thursday, January 15th, 2009 4:58 PM >>

: I would say something witty...
... but I'm laughing too god damned hard.

http://vimeo.com/2809991?pg=embed&sec=2809991

13012009:1019 << Decode: Tuesday, January 13th, 2009 10:19 AM >>

: Not very Popular
If I were worried about what people thought, this would be distressing...

( Who comments the most on this journal? )

08012009:1024 << Decode: Thursday, January 8th, 2009 10:24 AM >>

: I am the very model...
of a modern Major General. Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Pirates of Penzance' meets 'The Cult of the Apple'.

I am the very model of an iPod fashion follower,
My waist is getting thinner but my head is getting hollower,
I know the name of every Mac, in Apple stores a wallower,
And at the MacWorld every year I tell Steve I'm a swallower.
(Yes at the MacWorld every year he tells Steve he's a swallower)

26122008:1314 << Decode: Friday, December 26th, 2008 1:14 PM >>

: Aw man...
... did Musicovery just RickRoll me?!

26122008:1218 << Decode: Friday, December 26th, 2008 12:18 PM >>

: Update
So, interesting things that have happened in the past couple of months.

Fri 10/24: Transmission on my Caravan bucks the kicket.

Sat 10/25: AM - Van is taken to a mechanic, who quotes between $1500-$2500 to replace the transmission. PM - A letter for a pre-approved car loan shows up in the mail. Well, guess sometimes you just have to grin and bear it.

Mon 10/27: We go to the dealer, buy a new car. Well, newish. 2006 Dodge Durango, fully loaded, including rear DVD-player with r/w/y AV inputs in case we get bored and try to play the Wii in the car or some such. Monthly payments are in the $600 range (damn I need to clean up my credit), but a bit of belt-tightening should do the trick.

Wed 10/29: I get official notification of my termination due to cutbacks. Fucking awesome.

Fri 11/7: My last day of work.

Mon 11/17: Wife's entire company is placed on 2-week unpaid furlough due to 'cash flow problems' (clients are shuffling feet on paying their bills).

Wed 12/3: Wife's last day of work. Things are looking a bit worrisome.

Thu 12/4: I finally rock the house on an interview, and get hired on at Microsoft (it's contract (temp) work, but it's work).

Mon 12/15: My first day of work. Wewt.

Thu 12/25: Xmas! Wewt. I got books!



So, yeah, that's basically all there is to tell. Any Questions? :P

11092008:0253 << Decode: Thursday, September 11th, 2008 2:53 AM >>

: WTF Archon?!
So, due to some unusual twist of fate, it looks like I will somehow be attending Archon in Collinsville, IL this year. That is... if I can find some crashspace. Paying for a share of the room is definitely not a problem, and a bed is not a specific requirement (it'd certainly be nice though). Anyway, drop a line here if you can help out in some way, or email me, or call me, or basically get in contact with me somehow. I know it's short notice (hence the dire straights or I'd have said 'fuck it' and just grabbed a room myself), but any help is appreciated.

See the STL crew soon (with luck, anyway).

-C

[Update: Looks like I'll be rooming with neph, so this problem has been solved! I'll be in STL from Oct 2-6, so I'll see you all there!]

05092008:1256 << Decode: Friday, September 5th, 2008 12:56 PM >>

: Quote of the Day
"Good things may come to those who wait, but those good things could just be whatever was left behind by the guy that got there first." - Steven Tyler

26082008:1545 << Decode: Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 3:45 PM >>

: The Wetbar - Caramel Apple
Ingredients:
2 Sour Apple Pucker
2 Buttershots
1 Apple Cider
2 Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum

Instructions:
Add Sour Apple, Buttershots, and Rum to a pot, heat -SLOWLY-. warm to the touch, but not hot enough to even simmer. Stir thoroughly while heating.
Remove from heat, but while still cooling, add Cider, stirring thoroughly throughout.
Once the drink has chilled to room temperature, mixture is complete. You may chill or warm to meet your own taste (I prefer it slightly warmed), but do not vary the temperature too much, or contents will separate.

26082008:1533 << Decode: Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 3:33 PM >>

: The Wetbar - Introduction
A new hobby of mine has become the mixing of hard liquors to generate themed drinks. Part of this stems from my own drinking tastes, and how few drinks actually meet them:
1) I have a delicate palette. That means the drink should taste like something you would drink whether it were alcoholic or not, or at the very least, not 'burn' the way most liquors do.
2) I have a pretty solid tolerance. That means that mixers are a no-go. A drink that is 1 Midori + 1 Mountain Dew, for example, is a bad thing, as half of it isn't alcohol. This one is a bit hazy if at all possible.

I'll be posting recipes to drinks as I create them. Reviews, comments, ideas, challenges, and reviews (did I say reviews yet?) are all eagerly anticipated.

[Edit: Recipes will be posted in 'parts', so that you can size it up for however much you're trying to mix.]

08022008:1100 << Decode: Friday, February 8th, 2008 11:00 AM >>

: World's not so small
Found this on a random website. Proof that the world isn't quite as small as we'd like to think:

When my family visited Belfast last year, my son asked the local bartender for his favorite drink. The words “Irish car bomb” were out of his mouth before he realized where he was.

The bartender didn't miss a beat, he said “You'd have to go to West Belfast to get one of those”. Then he let my son know that in his neighborhood, a Guinness with a shot of Baileys and Jamison is known as a depth charge.

29012008:1627 << Decode: Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 4:27 PM >>

: Quote of the Day
"A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory."
-Unknown

24012008:1934 << Decode: Thursday, January 24th, 2008 7:34 PM >>

: Wintereenmas
If you don't know what it is... you betta ask somebody!

WINTEREENMAS

Schedule:
Friday 5pm: Gruul's Lair Raid w/ STF&KS - Shadow Council, Then early Karazhan attempt, got a few guildies Karazhan attuned as well.
Saturday 11am: Karazhan w/ STF - Shadow Council
Sunday 12pm: Battletech - Jay's House (Tentative continuance of Karazhan) -- Ended up doing Karazhan, then running up the priest. OMFG 67.
Monday: More WoW!! Priest hit 68.
Tuesday: More WoW!! Priest is nearly 69, had fun doing ramparts with a Warlock, 3 mages, and a Resto Druid. Apparently Damage IS a form of Crowd Control.
Wednesday: Vampire: Dark Ages - My House (Cancelled) - Go go 69!! I was stuck at work until 10pm, so no WoD, but at least progress was made. I will hit 70 before the close of this most holy of holidays. This is my sacred vow.
Thursday: Priest is 70! Wewt! Merry Wintereenmas to all, and to all a Good Score!




EDIT: More updates for Tuesday.

15102007:0832 << Decode: Monday, October 15th, 2007 8:32 AM >>

: Random Quote
It's not the bullet with your name on it that gets you, it's the shrapnel marked 'to whom it may concern.'

19092007:1042 << Decode: Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 10:42 AM >>

: Random Quote of the Day
In order to be walked on, you have to be lying down. -Brian Weir

10092007:1608 << Decode: Monday, September 10th, 2007 4:08 PM >>

: Random Fact for the Day
In 2004, four of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council were also the world's top four weapons exporters when measured by arms value; China was seventh.

05092007:0851 << Decode: Wednesday, September 5th, 2007 8:51 AM >>

: Random Fact for the Day.
The ISO 639-2 Code (a list of languages that computer, translation, and linguistics types use to keep track of languages) for Klingon is 'tlh'.

Go Go Geeks!

31082007:0746 << Decode: Friday, August 31st, 2007 7:46 AM >>

: Random Fact for the Day
The word 'Musk' is derived from Sanskrit via Persian(Farsi) to mean 'testicle', and originally meant: a substance that has a penetrating persistent odor, that is obtained from a sac situated under the skin of the abdomen of the male musk deer, that when fresh in the pods is brown and unctuous and when dried is a grainy powder, that varies in quality according to the season and age of the animal, and that is used chiefly in the form of a tincture as a fixative in perfumes.

So remember kids... the next time a cologne has a 'musky' sent... that means it smells like deer balls.

10072007:1317 << Decode: Tuesday, July 10th, 2007 1:17 PM >>

: Independence Day
Yeah, I know it's a week later... but here's one of the fireworks we forgot, and will not forget next year:

http://www.videosift.com/video/4th-of-July-fun

02082006:2207 << Decode: Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006 10:07 PM >>

: Clerks II
I just went to see Clerks II.

I only have one thing to say:

I'm sorry, Jesus.