The Blogtastic Blogfest That Is Getmeoutofthis.net!

At the moment of writing this, I am sitting in the hallway of Grauel, waiting for my research class to start.

I’ve tried to explain why this class has frustrated me so much several times before, and I’m going to try again, because, you know, why not, right? Maybe this time I’ll get it.

Remember back in grade school where you had to write a report? This report was simply a statement of facts, and you added nothing to it. It was mostly busy work. Sure, it might have helped you to learn how to construct things, but you were really creating. You were just copying.
Eventually, as you moved into high school and beyond, you moved away from such reports. The focus was on critical thinking, on finding the evidence and the proof, but then using your noggin to work with them, and work it into something worthwhile, different, and more interesting. You put those facts and figures towards a point, and that point is yours. You own the point. It’s yours and you have created it. The end result is something that you can claim.

I’ve gotten used to being able to claim my work. I’ve gotten used to being able to use that personal connection to what I did in order to motivate me to complete things on time, and to work harder on them than maybe I should.

This class doesn’t have that. In fact, it is actively keeping me from having that.

The class’s main assignment is completely devoid of my touch. It is clinical. It is boring. I’m not used to doing that anymore. I don’t want to do that anymore. It seems, in some way, lesser in nature. It frustrates me a lot.

This is why I hate this class.
Time to go work on this class.

Brickroad is doing another great FFI LP (how many times can the man play the same game and have me be entertained by it? I don’t know, but I want to find out.) and in thinking about it, it made me want to try things out. See, I never imagined, before reading all these things, doing all these challenge runs, and people make them seem pretty easy, especially in Dawn of Souls, the version I have. So I was thinking “Hey, let’s just do something different from the norm, and do a no-magic run. Fighter, Fighter, Bl. Belt, Thief.” I went so out of my way wanting to do this. I dug out my cart and my GBA SP, which has been unused for years. I was all ready to go.

Then I turned on the GBA SP.

I remember being amazed at how good that screen looked when I picked it up, but holy shit, it was a thing of the specific time period it was in. I could barely see the screen. I also remember how much of a godsend the lighting was, but not so much today. That front light is ridiculous and useless, and I was sitting in bed, trying to play, and was having trouble reading the text. It just looked hideous, and the screen looked dropped behind the front of the Gameboy by like an inch. My mind was kind of blown.

It is kind of amazing how much better my DSi’s screen is than that one. We have come a long, long way since the GBA days, even if some games on the DS don’t particularly look it. I’m not a graphics snob or anything, but we are talking the physical construction of the device. It’s amazing to me that I played so many games on this machine. Completely amazing.

Will I get over it and keep playing Dawn of Souls? Maybe. I only beat Garland before bed, though that involved several stupid, stupid mistakes getting my Fighters killed several times. We’ll see if I can go back to it, and that awful screen, again.

It occurs to me that I committed to starting this Let’s Play in May, and it’s starting to be almost May.

Seriously, I’m kind of insane for choosing to start this again. Like I’m not busy enough, right? So. Much. Shit. To. Do. At the same time, just thinking about it gets my brain rolling. I’m so excited about my plans, you can’t even imagine. It is going to be so much fun to write, and I hope everyone on Talking Time takes to it and plays along. I’m going to update with big updates every Saturday, and hopefully knock the whole game out in a month or three. It’s not a very long game, so hopefully my writing won’t spiral TOO out of control. Though that’s fun if it does, too.

It’s these kind of awesome plans that get one in trouble, though. Biting off more than they can chew, and so on. But eh, I’m throwing caution out there into a place known as “the wind.” I am going to embrace this shit, and write the ever-loving crap out of it. I hope the few of you who read this blog who don’t check it out over there will take a bit of a read on it as well and enjoying.

Seriously, so excited. I’ve been thinking of tag lines and horrible quotes all morning.

This summer, the action jumps above 98.6 degrees…

Take two of these, and if morning comes, call me.

In the balmy streets of Atlanta, four friends are about to discover their skills may be the only chance humanity has left.

Four Doctors.
Four Viruses.
One Solution.
Pandemic. Coming Summer, 2010.

Going to be so, so much fun. And it starts in May. I’m preparing. You should too.

Well, I mostly did two things.

One was that I was bad and bought Wario DIY and started playing that. It’s really neat. I’ll write it up later.

The other main thing I did was start blazing through this Killer 7 Let’s Play.

Let’s plays are the perfect sick-time companion, don’t you know. And they’re doing a pretty good job. I’ve heard funnier, but they’re entertaining, and it’s good to watch. If you’re looking for a Let’s Play, mayhaps you could give them a try?

My lappy was a real trooper while I was sick, too. It completely paid for itself in my eyes. Worked damn good. What a good lappy! And now I have a bag for it too, so that’s neat.

Anyway, back to the being insanely busy and stuff. Whee.

Tuesday fucking sucked.

It’s been a long time since I felt so out of control in my life. Everything started crashing down. I was sick in bed, assignments were due, I had been too sick to get them done… it was pretty awful. I was driving myself crazy with panic.

Maybe I’ve bitten too much off if 3 or so days of sickness can completely ruin me. Maybe I have too much going.

Maybe.

I’m going to catch up over the weekend. I’ll be okay. I’m the kind of person who is okay, and who will get things done correctly. Of that I have no doubt. But man, the panic I felt was… crazy… it was awful.

I really don’t want to feel that again.

Maybe I should think about rescheduling my stuff next semester to stop this… so it’s not like I’m working 3 jobs or whatever.

I’m sick!
Yay!

My guess is that I got Strep from my brother. I’m going to the doctor soon after this, and we’ll see. But man, I am ill. I have pushed myself too hard, and now I am ill, right when I don’t need to be.

Yay.

I really care about getting shit done. There’s lots of shits to get done! But I’m driving myself crazy and stressed by doing it. And then this happens.

It’s totally sweet.

So, yeah, I’m going to be in bed if you need me. Not like I have time to be, but I’m doing it anyway. Yay.

Just a warning that we’re getting into the really busy part of the semester. Like, all projects are due forever. So not that people read this site, and then read it for the top of cool always excellent always content, but you may have more shitty posts in the future. Until the end of the semester, anyway.

Shitty posts like this one!

Do you listen to the Idled Thumbs? Well, you should. If you’ve listened to their recent podcast, you could have heard them mentioning some techno remixes? They’re kind of sweet. Here’s the one they were talking about in the episode, and here’s the one FROM that episode. If you enjoy the podcast at all, you’ll get a kick out of them.

This is some really sweet concept art from Fantastic Mr. Fox. I mean, I think Fantastic Mr. Fox in its current form looks amazing, but man. I’d watch a movie animated in that style All. Day. Long.

Anyway, so that’s that. A warning, and me being lame and posting links. Maybe I’ll say something interesting tomorrow. You never can tell. You’ll just have to check. HA! You have no choice now! You have to!

Okay, you have a choice. Do whatever. Have fun.

Every blog has to have one of these, right? Sure.

I played Flight Control for a few minutes, and typed some words.

First off, Flight Control was one of those games that I should have played before, but never had, and honestly, I can’t understand how it could work on a tiny device. It was pretty cool, though. I might have to pick it up for my iPod.

I could see myself learning to two-finger type pretty fast on the iPad, as well, The big keyboard worked well.

The device felt cool. It had a near-perfect weight for what it was. I kind of want one.

That’s it. I mean, I’ve listened to countless hours of podcasts about the iPad at this point, but that’s really all I have to say about it. I guess I was glad the Apple store was smart enough to set up enough demo units? Yeah.

So that’s exciting, I suppose.

I’ve been reading scholarly essays on The Dude all day today.
They constantly put him forth in many roles: slacker hero, seeker of the holy grail, noir detective, but in all of them, he is so completely, and unmistakably The Dude. These interpretations don’t change the character: they can’t. The Dude is the The Dude. He cannot be changed.

Meanwhile, I am walking in circles, reading a silly book, and generally being scared as fuck at all the stuff I have to get done in the next month.

I have a term paper to write, some conferences with High School Students, a bunch more research to get done, and a book review to write (of said book of Lebowski essays) and a marketing plan to dream up. Add onto this all of my transition-related pressing issues: I need to be scheduling hair removal treatments, something by busyness has put off for several weeks, as well as finding a lawyer to start the process of changing my name, talking more to my parents, friends, and family to get them prepared, finding a time where my parents can talk to my psychologist, and so much stuff. Then, of course, there’s the multitude of work-related duties I have to work in there too.

Short version: I am fucking busy.

And as I am fucking busy, reading this book, I am told, over and over, about The Dude’s “bravery,” and how he stands there, against the world, shucking everything that doesn’t appeal to him, including his name, and just being The Dude.

It’s inspiring.

I mean, you don’t necessarily get that from watching the movie. It’s just a fucking hilarious, entertaining film. But there really is something about The Dude that makes you like him, and I really do think these essays are hitting on that. Escape is always there in my head. I could escape, not give a shit, hide, and then I can relax. Hell, I used to do that. That’s why it took me so long to get my bachelor’s. I’d get stressed, so I’d hide, play my video games, and relax. Now, I can’t do that. I have things to do and goals to accomplish. I have to keep working. Everyone does. The Dude has things he needs to do, too. He needs to make rent. He needs to live life and be functional. But he says, “fuck that, man.” He does things his own way, and things fall apart, and he doesn’t care. “Strikes and gutters, ups and downs,” he just goes. He just is. He, shockingly enough, abides.

And it’s almost pornographic how appealing that is.

The last class period before Easter, I wrote on the board, on the schedule for Easter break, “Eat a Cadbury Egg. Write a response.”

Of course, I’m the kind of person who would do that, but my class found it a little less funny.

In any case, it’s egg-finding day, or magical rabbit with a basket like for the bread day. It’s a good day, not for religious significance, necessarily, but for all the good stuff it brings. Whether it’s finally having that Dr. Pepper after abstaining for a month, and savoring every drop, or it’s just having an excuse to get the grandparents down and eat a meal, good stuff happens on Easter.

Make some good stuff happen today. You don’t even need to have died a few days before this, promise. Enjoy a candy, enjoy your family being there, or just enjoy a day off.

Just enjoy. And then write a response.