Signing off

See you.

Things I Hate: Good Karma

I have a few pet peeves, just like anyone. Sometimes they fall into the realm of word usage, but nothing really drives me into a rage or anything like that. I know that I am frequently guilty of insults to the English language, sometimes intentional, others not.

Still, there are a handful of things that really get my goat. And karma is one of them. I don't claim to be any sort of Buddhist or Hindu scholar. I took some classes in college, sure. I took a lot of Eastern religion and philosophy courses, which, if you know me isn't very surprising. Here is what gets me though. English, like any language, adopts foreign words, appropriates them and molds them into a part of the language. Several words we use regularly are of foreign origin. I'm sure you realize this. In fact, I really hope you do. Karma is probably no exception and I'm sure you'll call me a hypocrite. So, what is bugging me?

Good karma. Bad karma.

Bullshit. Let me explain.

Karma, if I remember correctly, is an act, or action that results in some consequence, and that consequence tends to be another action, another bit of karma, this creating a chain (samsara) of actions whose ultimate termination is Nirvana, the ending of the chain. Karma doesn't build up. It is a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

Western people, especially young to middle-aged liberal Americans with some kind of higher education (but not really) and maybe a couple of Intro to World Religion courses under their belt bandy about this notion of good and bad karma. 'Don't do that, it's bad karma.' 'Oh I put a dollar in the Salvation Army pot, it's good karma.'

LOL I don't want to be an ant in my next life.

First of all, do you morons actually believe in karma? I'm pretty sure 99% of the time you are just saying it. Maybe you'll toss some references from your textbook overview in to justify it. Whatever makes you look smart to that hot artsy-chick right?

Secondly the actual meaning of karma and what it entails is straight up not what you are thinking. At least not from an educated point of view. I'm not Buddhist. I'm not Hindu. I'm a Roman Catholic who no longer practices and identifies himself as an Agnostic. I mean, lets just toss up the Random House definition of karma.

1.	Hinduism, Buddhism. action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation: in Hinduism one of the means of reaching Brahman. Compare bhakti (def. 1), jnana.

2.	Theosophy. the cosmic principle according to which each person is rewarded or punished in one incarnation according to that person's deeds in the previous incarnation.

3.	fate; destiny.

4.	the good or bad emanations felt to be generated by someone or something.

Ignore three and four for now. Definition one is spot on. Definition two is essentially a broader version of the first, a westernized variety of samsara.

Now this is where I become a pretentious ass.

Definition three: rubbish. Karma by definition is an action someone takes and its corresponding consequence. Fate by definition is out of the target's control. Guys, look. You have a completely contradictory set of definitions. Is anyone even checking this stuff?

As for definition four, this is the misinformed view which started this whole unstructured tirade.

I guess the moral here is this. Be informed. Justify your comments. And just because you read Siddhartha doesn't make you a damn expert.

Pull Yourself Through: Holidays Alone

Today I'm leaving to go to New York for Thanksgiving. Not the city, but western New York. Right at the very tip, pressed up against lake Erie, in a tiny town called Mayville. I haven't been back there in six years or so, and while its not like I don't want to go, I am not as enthusiastic about it as I could be. I was really hoping the be accompanied to Thanksgiving with someone other than my family members. The holidays are a happy time in general, but when the person you'd like to spend them with isn't there, they become a bit hollow I think. For me at least.

Lately work has been, well, the same as ever. Boring but not bad, a means to an end really. I haven't been gaming as much, I tend to just wander around after work, or watch some DVDs. Maybe read a bit. The fact of the matter is Salem is not a terribly exciting place, and the majority of people I encounter there aren't really my crowd.

Right now I'm in Danbury writing this. We just had a conference call, and between getting some minor work done on my current project, I'm also updating my various games, loading some Steam-related things onto my laptop, and updating this blog before my departure. I'm actually looking forward to traveling today, just not dealing with the Boston airport parking situation. I'm hoping that despite one day being unseasonably warm according to the forecast, that we at least see a bit of proper snow during Thanksgiving. Actually, its snowing right now in Danbury. Its coming down heavy and fast, and this year, despite the hot Autumn, the snow seems to actually be on time. It will most likely melt this afternoon, but for the moment I can enjoy it.


There is something about snow that completely revises the landscape. It makes it cleaner, but not colder. The way it sits on branches and pine needles is something that always strikes a chord with me. And of course, the audible silence that comes with a snowstorm. Perhaps you are familiar with it, the silence that blankets everything so completely that it in effect becomes its own noise. Occasionally a distant piece of machinery, maybe a truck on a highway a few miles away will break it before the silence covers it up again.

This weekend Justin visited. We played some games, drank this year's Beaujolais Nouveau, and took a journey to feast on sushi. We spent some time in Middle Earth, and some time rocking out with plastic guitars. It was generally a good time, and it was pleasant for me to properly hang out for a weekend, without having to travel very far.

I've resumed my practicing the harp with much more vigor as well. I've restrung the broken string and I've got a pair of books now, one with simple traditional music, and another with well known Christmas carols. Learning music that you are already familiar with on a new instrument is always easier, and usually more complex songs can be learned earlier that way, at least for me. I've been meaning to get my trumpet out so i can record a few arrangements of carols for a brass band. Of course it will just be me because I don't really know any other brass players in the area. As for the harp, Coventry Carol is in my repertoire now, and I'm working on a few other carols. In the traditional area, I've really taken to a Manx song, Little Red Lark. Something about it is wonderful. I'm starting to get a lot more comfortable with the instrument overall, which bodes well for the band. I just wish I could bring it to New York with me.

This is a lot more personal than I've been in a long time. I hope no one minds. I know I've forgotten a few things that I wanted to mention. If I don't get to write anything here (beyond a few highly likely Moblog posts from my cellphone) before Thanksgiving, have a good time everyone.


Cheers.
Kampai.
Á votre santé.
Sláinte.
Zum wohl.
Skál.

Its only 9:30 in the morning and it feels like I've been sitting here awake for weeks.

Prologue (and more)

Its not very good. It lacks proofreading. Also it is my 400th post in almost always. Enjoy it if you can.

Prologue: A Rainy day in London

The rain fell in sheets, whipped into a fury by the wind, and a lone figure walked down the former road, now a cobblestone riverbed. At the end of the street (a cul-de-sac) stood an old house, worn down by the passing of years. Light pours from the windows, standing there as beacons in the oppressive grayness of the storm. The figure stops there, with no place left to turn, and with a look over the shoulder and a few more steps forward it raises its hand to rap on the door three times. A light shines suddenly above the doorway, suddenly defining the figure in front of the house.

A long black coat hangs from its shoulders. Under the arm a brown paper package, wrapped in plastic. Tied onto its back is a cloth wrapped tube, or something like it, running from the left shoulder down to the right side of the lower back. On the head, sits a black cap, pulled down tightly. As the door begins to open, a hand reaches up to pull off the cap, communicating not menace, but a sense of relief as the unkempt, lightly colored hair spills outwards, revealing a scared, desperate face which melts into one of deep relief as he takes a step into the house. A smaller figure leans out of the door, looking into the street cautiously before closing the door and turning off the light.

Further down the street a pair of binoculars are lowered and stowed in the pockets of a young woman, soaked in the storm. With a sigh she turns to begin walking back to her car, safely parked on a nearby hill. Turning around, she shoves her hands into her pockets and starts to walk away, turning the corner just as a black sedan speeds down the street and throws itself into a violent turn, heading down the cul-de-sac. Water is kicked up, blinding her momentarily as the car speeds by, and a sudden sense of dread settles on her. She turns around, and binoculars back in hand runs down the street as fast as she can, towards the run down house.

I: Good morning

July. Air so thick you can swim in it. Trees and grass a glowing green, heavy with moisture and generous in their shade. The sun rises early and with it the neighborhood children. Dogs bark and birds sing. In a building by the park, in a room in a building, in a bed in that room, lies a young man, clearly dreaming. His face is a roulette of emotions, smiles and frowns, happiness and fear. He says something in his sleep, something so quiet as to be unintelligible, and rolls over in his bed, sheets falling away to the floor, his light hair tangled, shielding his closed eyes from the sunlight now streaming in through the window.

A second person walks into the room, a smile on her face filled with love and friendship, framed by mischief. Her red hair shines in the early morning light and a lopsided grin is lit by shining green eyes. In her hand is a glass filled with water, a few bits of ice floating in it. Holding the glass out over the sleeper, she speaks with a laugh in her voice.

“Allan, my poor, exhausted roommate. Your long nights are catching up to you, and you need to be at work in twenty minutes.”

A quiet mumbling escapes his lips, still buried deep in his own dreams.

“That’s what I thought,” she says, grinning with a sort of childish glee as she upends the glass on him and with a startled yelp he wakes up, rolling instinctively to avoid the water, even though its already far too late. His momentum rolls him out of bed and onto the floor at her feet.

“Good morning sunshine!”

“Lydie, why the cold water? What did I do this time? How have I offended your loveliness when I’ve just been sleeping in my bed?”

“Oh, you haven’t done anything to me,” she laughs, relishing the moment. “But your coworkers might be less than thrilled if you are late today.”

“Shit… what time-“

“8:10.”

“Damnit!”

With a surprising wakefulness he launches himself off the floor, and runs into the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later with his hair mostly tamed, and his face washed and shaved. He pulls on a pair of jeans and a clean shirt, and grabs his bag while dashing to the door. On his way out Lydie holds out her hand, and Allan turns to look at her for a moment. He sees the bagel in her hand wrapped in a paper towel, and with a smile grabs it.

“Thanks mom.”

She smiles and nods, giving him a hug.

“Don’t fuck up too bad today. No pressure or anything.”

“Right, of course. None at all. I’ll be back for dinner by the way.”

“Alright. Knock ‘em dead Allan.”

“Naturally, sis,” and with a smile he rushed out the door, bagel in one hand, bag in the other, to another day of work at the library. Today was unlike the usual work day though. He was slated to give a tour in just a little while to the newest and probably biggest benefactor of the college where he worked. Mr. Tallin had recently come forward with not only a great deal of money, but a large amount of rare books which he generously donated to the library. This was not his first visit to the library or the college, but it would be the first time for him to see the special collections. He was being given the rare privilege of browsing the rare books in person, owing to his substantial contribution to it.

The politics of the tour were never really something that Allan thought about. He was glad to be given the chance to show Mr. Tallin around, and while it was true that he spent most of his time in the library, the enthusiasm for showcasing the books was secondary to not making a fool of himself or of the institution itself. Images of the embarrassment of being late ran through his head as he absently chewed on the bagel from Lydie, and he picked up his pace.

Four Months of Darkness

Everything is a blur through half-closed eyes. Blacks and blues of the early morning twist into each other. Through the window comes the cold. Left open ever so slightly, the wind blows a few stray flakes of white powder through, dancing through the twisting dark, coming to rest briefly on the exposed toes at the end of the bed, before melting into nothing.

With a shudder, warm air fills the room, vying with the open window, making the snow melt mid-flight. The blankets are pushed back, red and gold, as that first hint of morning sun comes in through the window, setting the wood frame on fire. He sits there, on his bed, slips his glasses on. Reaches for the half-empty glass of water, sitting warm on the nightstand. He empties it, pulls a shirt over his head, and walks slowly, deliberately, from the room. The staircase leading downwards is framed by hundreds of tiny lights, giving the room a fiery glow, but without the warmth. He descends the stairs ever so slowly, reaching up to scratch the back of his head and blink a few times, the diffuse glow of the rising sun mixing with the lights.

He stops there, at the bottom of the stairs, and peers out the window. There is the world, laid out before him. Naked trees surrounded by pine, cutting the sky on top of the mountains underneath a white blanket. The wind blows hard from the west, whipping the snow around in furious circles, the cold biting through the walls. He turns, looking into the living room. The lights from the stairs spread out haphazardly, giving the wood floors a warm glow. In the corner there is the tree, it's own lights wreathed around it carefully, sparkling off of the ornaments. Gifts are collected underneath, waiting for the world to awake. Nearby on a chair sits a quilt. Dark blue, patches of white and flower. He picks it up and wraps it around his shoulders like he has so many times in the past year.

He walks to the kitchen, one hand holding the quilt around him, the other pulling down a small saucepan from the rack above the stove. He sets it there and walks into the pantry. He looks out the window for a moment, and sees the fields sprawled out before him, the moonlight receding while the sun begins to poke its head past the sharp peaks of the mountains. Inside the cupboard is a red tin, which he pulls out carefully, not wanting to upset the delicate balance of the various cans, boxes of tea, and random ingredients all leaning upon each other. He sets the tin on the counter lightly, but not so light that you can't hear that unmistakable noise of a metal tin on a stone surface. Reaching into the refrigerator he pulls out the milk, and taking both objects returns the the kitchen, setting them down on the counter while his mind wanders.

The milk goes into the saucepan, the burner gets turned on, and he grabs a pair of mugs from the cupboard, setting them there beside the stove. While the milk heats he walks back into the living room, lit up by the tree, where he sits in a chair for a few minutes. Back in the kitchen, the milk reaches the right temperature. He wanders back in, mind elsewhere, and measures out some chocolate from the tin, stirring absentmindedly. He turns the burner down. He fills one mug carefully and sets it down, taking the second in his hands. With a sigh he fills the second, and taking them both walks back to the tree.

The lights dance around the surface of the mug in his right hand as he brings it to his lips for a cautious sip. The corners of his mouth twitch a bit, attempting a smile, and he goes to sit down on the couch. He sets the two mugs down, and reaches over to pick up two coasters. One, two, the mugs are set on them with a gentleness that still can't prevent a few drops of chocolate running down the side of the second mug. He sits back, letting out a sigh that seems to both drive the sunlight away yet also bask in the warmth of the lights reflected in the woodwork. His eyes pass over the presents, wrapped so perfectly under the tree. All except for a handful in the corner, wrapped unevenly, imperfections covered by ribbons and name tags. Huge metallic bows shining with the light from the tree.

Steam rises from the untouched hot chocolate, though it gets thinner and thinner, as if the energy is being drained from it by the rising sun. He'd trade everything under that tree and more right now if he could. He'd throw all of it away just so long as someone would walk down those stairs, hair disheveled, wrapped in his comforter. If that person would smile at him, walk over to the couch. Sit there with him, look out the window at the snow-covered world. Pick up that second mug of chocolate and drink it. And even though it might be a little thin, give him a smile. Let him know it's the best chocolate they've ever had. Then he'd give her those presents under the tree that he wrapped. The ones with uneven wrapping, covered up in bows and ribbons, filled with good intentions and happiness. They could spend that time there together before the rest of the house wakes, curled up on the sofa, with their chocolate and their smiles to keep them warm.

Three for One: Hellgate, Witcher, and LOTR Online Housing Impressions

So I was going to moan and groan about some things, but instead here are my impressions of three PC games I've been playing a bunch of lately.

Note on screenshot quality: These days I'm mostly on the road, so I do most of my gaming on my serviceable but not very intense laptop. So The quality of these screens is going to be in the medium range in terms of in game settings.

Hellgate: London



So, Hellgate. A lot has been made of this game since it was announced. I'm not really going to discuss the story (Earth is attacked by demons. You are the resistance), and I'm not going to really get into the mechanics in depth. The game is imperfect. Memory leaks caused a lot of problems for me playing on an older system over the past weekend and really hampered my enjoyment of it. The actual gameplay itself is sometimes strange and buggy, and every once in a while I'll get a big frame-rate drop just walking into an area that I cruised through smoothly on my last visit. Occasionally I will rubber band in multiplayer, getting flung back to the beginning of a map, and losing sync with my fellow adventurers. Sometimes zoning into new areas would break our sync so badly that one of us wouldn't appear for the other. One time I died and elected to return as a ghost, except my ghost spawned at the complete other ass end of the zone.



Another frustrating element is the fact that you can't by any means reclaim spent skill points, which would really help in the learning your class area. I have 3 skills points that I can't ever get back on my character, and so I've actually started a new character of the same class to replace my original. Also, unless you are able to at least run the game with textures and shaders set to the highest available settings, don't expect it to blow you away visually. Not that it hampers the gameplay at all. While I love it when I'm able to play and have it be pretty, I still have a blast on my middling laptop.



Those are the beefs in brief. Ha. Sop why have I played so much of this game in the past few days? Just like Diablo and Diablo 2 before it, its so addictive. You are caught up in the loop of exp gains and equipment improvements almost immediately, and it doesn't really let go. Besides that, the actual action is very fast, visceral, and satisfying. Pair that with some occasionally phenomenal set pieces and it can really be a great time. The key here though is that the game really is great for a group of friends, especially people who might be turned off with the games-as-a-job direction a lot of MMOs can take, especially in the late game. This game is really easy to just pick up and play with friends, and when you encounter some of the more intense encounters in the game, its even more awesome to have a buddy there with you.



Favorite moments: retaking a Templar encampment in the dried up riverbed of the Thames, below the Millennium Bridge. Battling the demoniacally possessed psyche of a dimwitted smith. An extremely nail biting and intense trek between the Act II and Act III encampments.

There are less epic events as well, but on the whole if you enjoy the Diablo style of play, don't mind the spotty nature of the post launch servers (its really not terrible, just frustrating at times), and want to get your skull-bashing on, I recommend this game highly. Its far from perfect, but the fun factor is up there. Just make sure to bring a friend.

The Witcher



As far as the Witcher goes, I'm not really very far into it, so my critical impressions are of even less use here. Nevertheless, I will endeavor to explain briefly why I'm willing to gush about the game while being only a tiny way in.

The basic premise of the game as it stands now is that you are one of the few remaining witchers, mutated humans who don't garner a lot of respect from the general populace. As to the role of the Witchers? They take on contracts to slay monsters from any party willing to pay, acting as a sort of security service for hire in this dark fantasy world.

Besides the ubiquitous RPG explorations of settlements and talking with the townspeople, gameplay consists of two other major bits. Alchemy, the art perfected by witchers in order to aid them in their most difficult struggles is at lower difficulties a helpful tool, and apparently at the highest and essential part of survival. Potions can do various things, from increasing your strength, to restoring your vitality and more. Combat, as one might expect, is a major factor in The Witcher. Here though, the system is simple, rather fast, and in real time. Your weapons can perform combos, which are achieved by clicking out what amounts to the correct rhythm, depending on your current fighting style. Occasionally frustrating, especially if you suffer an ill-timed frame rate dip in more intense battles, overall it is an enjoyable system, and fits the rather gritty and intense setting.



Speaking of which, the world of The Witcher is probably its greatest strength. Believable shades of grey infiltrate all aspects of the game's morality, towns are active and filled with NPCs who don't talk crazy at each other (see Oblivion), instead holding realistic conversations, and the world really feels lived in. Not to mention the beautiful landscapes you'll encounter in the game. While it isn't nearly as free form as something like Oblivion, something has to be said for a powerful, structured narrative.

As far as character customization goes, I give you this screen shot. Know that levels are frequent, and that each stat/skill on the left hand side has a comparable page in the character sheet.



In brief, if you want an immersive story, with believable characters, a real sense of consequences that directly correlate to your actions, a very dark setting, and some great action, you would do well to give this game a go. As a bonus it scales pretty well with hardware, so mid-range users can still enjoy it.



Also, its worth experiencing the intro just to see the dynamic camera work. It adds a lot to the presentation.

Lord of the Rings Online - Housing and Me
This is really just an excuse to show you my recently purchased, and under-furnished house. If you ever want to drop by, we're on the Vilya server, and my house is 2 High Road, Corgrove, Bree-land Homesteads. Included at the bottom are two shots of the two kinship houses we are considering.

Seasonal Treats: Castlevania PSP Impressions

Okay, this post is unabashedly a video-game related affair. In the spirit of the season (ha ha), I've been looking forward to some games with less in the aliens/soldiers area and more in the demons and undead sort of realm. As some of you know, while I love horror, horror loves to scare the shit out of me and consequently I tend to play less Resident Evil and Silent Hill (though i could wax poetic about it for hours), and more games with atmospheric decor but enemies that I can straight up break in the face. That being said, at the moment I've got a pair of Halloween-worthy games worth touching upon before Halloween rolls around. While I'd love to have an opinion of The Witcher at this point, I don't, and so you won't hear about it until after the holiday. Other than that, there is Hellgate, which you should expect some brief impressions from me early next week in anticipation for the retail release. But for now...

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
I've only spent a little while with this game so far, but I think its long enough that I can offer some fairly accurate opinions on the product as a whole. Also, the screenshots are stolen from Gametap's review.

I had been toying with the idea of getting this since recently purchasing a second PSP, replacing the first one which I sacrificed a year and a half ago int he name of obtaining an Xbox 360. I'm a huge Castlevania fan, and can remember many fond weekends spent with a rental copy of Castlevania 1, and occasionally 3, in my youth. And by fond weekends I mean the intense frustration that led to NES controllers being flung across the room in an elementary school rage and never progressing beyond the first few levels. I didn't really understand the setting at the time. I knew Dracula was a vampire. I knew he sucked blood and had fangs. I knew that it was pronounced Drac-you-la, and not Drac-ya-ler as everyone in Rhode Island said.

Many years passed and Castlevania was far from my mind as I moved, Nintendo Fanboy flag held high, through the years of the SNES, filled with the joys of RPGs and the discovery of the Final Fantasy series, into an era of $70 cartridges, low res textures, and constant self-reassurance that the Nintendo 64 was awesome. Time marched on. Then on the recommendation of a friend while working a fantastically boring summer job, I picked up Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance for the GBA. After that it was a quest to fill out what I missed in those intervening years. Symphony of the Night, the previous GBA title, Castlevania IV. Rondo of Blood I learned about, but never seriously pursued. My funds were few, and i could still recall the pain of the early Castlevanias. Aria of Sorrow came out later that summer. And then that fall, if I remember correctly, right around Halloween, Lament of Innocence shipped. Of course later on a second PS2 game shipped, Curse of Darkness, as well as the sublime DS games.

I fell in love with the music, the visuals, and the simple, yet convoluted storyline tying all the games together. Occasionally I'd go back to the old NES Castlevanias, determined to make a serious go at them, and every time I did I'd end up frustrated, and resigned to the fact that it just wasn't going to happen unless I grew a bit more patient.

Anyway, the fears I had about playing Rondo of Blood, even in its freshly remade form, were basically that the difficulty of the old style Castlevania games would seriously dampen or altogether eliminate any enjoyment of the original title. While I can appreciate a challenging game (in fact my favorite type of classic gameplay are shmups of the bullet hell variety), Castlevania over the years had become to me defined by the ambiance of the surroundings and the more laid back, RPG style progression. One reason why I really enjoyed the imperfect, but fun PS2 games.

Still, I decided it would be worth having in the collection, effectively filling in a glaring hole in my Castlevania experience, so I picked it up, as well as placing some preorders at my local GameStop, which generally I avoid. But that is a topic for another day.

When I finally popped the disc into my PSP, I sat and watched the opening movie. I was startled by the narration being in German, and then equally caught off guard by the surprisingly intense and rather riveting retelling of the latest resurrection of Dracula.


Then the game started.

Immediately I was impressed to a great degree by the visual presentation. It was like a mini-Lament of Innocence. The visual polish helped me through the first couple of stages, and the music was lush and enjoyable as always. The dialog, though sparse, is well done, and I have to admit it's fairly interesting playing through the pre-Symphony of the Night events.


Really though, about the gameplay: It is difficult. Not so difficult that I find myself pulling my hair out, but still difficult enough that after a few frustrating deaths I hit the sleep switch and tuck my PSP away before I get violent. The short boss introduction movies are pretty cool, adding a little dramatic flavor to the game, and a little more gravity to the end of each stage. My favorite encounter so far, and where I'm currently stopped after breaking to play some harp/Warcraft/Neverwinter Nights/Hellgate Demo last night, is the battle versus Death. Always an epic, yet familiar battle, he starts out with his classic mini-scythes. At around 50% health, he flies away and fires skulls at you, eventually making a transformation and summoning up his proper scythe before retuning to engage you face to face. Despite the simplicity, I have to say it is really an excellent encounter, and I'm really looking forward to what comes next.

The Society of Adventurers

Just so you know, this is a post about World of Warcraft. If you don't want to hear about video games, WoW, etc, move along.

I'm going to write about something here that I look back on as probably one of my favorite moments in online gaming. Sure, there have been many other ones, but I thought I might tell the tale of how I got started in the World of Warcraft. The abbreviated tale of the first three months or so, if you will, and the founding of the first virtual Society of Adventurers, a banner that we had carried already, and that we managed to parade into our online lives as well.

I. Entering Azeroth
During the Fall semester of my senior year, I was having a pretty good time. I had just gotten back from Japan, and I missed it terribly, but here I was, my senior year. Somehow all of my groups of friends had banded together into one megagroup I guess you could say. We played music, ate wondrous foods, celebrated Diwali, and pretty much enjoyed life.

Eventually, Thanksgiving break rolled in, and we all went home. When I got home, my younger brother showed me World of Warcraft. He had been in the beta, and the game released to retail that week. Of course it was selling out all over, as anyone who was playing at the time recalls. I had, up until that point, been strongly opposed to WoW, not because of any dislike of the lore or of the game itself. My opposition sprang from the fact that for the past few months most of my game leisure time has been taken up but Final Fantasy XI (which, as a side note, I still played pretty seriously off and on until a few months ago).

My resolve crumbled, and I drove down to the EB near my mother's house and snagged what was apparently their last copy. We returned, I installed it on my mother's computer, and then I got my feet wet. I had long before decided that I didn't want to be brained constantly on a PvP server (and a year later when a group of us started on a new server my dislike towards the constant fear of death was realized). So I decided to choose an RP server for my home. The server was Earthen Ring. My first character was a Warlock actually. I don't even remember her name. She lasted only a couple of hours, and the stress mounted while my brother sat behind me, directing me all over. Do this, do that. Some of it was helpful, but most of it was obnoxious. From then I decided to give rogue a try. I always enjoyed the sneaky, subterfuge-inspired classes in these kinds of games. Anyway, because I didn't foresee this character becoming my main right away, I had given her a throwaway name. Not to say that the name didn't hold some meaning for me. I generally dislike giving my characters Japanese names in games unless it fits the motif. There are too many Wapanese around, and I try to stay away from doing things which annoy the crap out of me, lest I become a huge hypocrite. Anyway, I named her Natsuko. And then off we went, slaying kobolds and wolves by the dozen.

I didn't bother with roleplaying too deeply right off the bat. I was learning my character. At the time it didn't occur to me that there wasn't much to learn early on. I mean, rogue. 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3! amirite? Wait wait maybe... Stealth, Backstab, 2, 2, 2, 3! All the rogues are out there thinking 'fucking noob', 'what an ass', etc etc. But only because you know deep down that's what it is at the beginning of the game. And if you say differently you are crazier than me. But I digress.

So I cut my way through Northshire. Eventually I headed southwest, all my quests complete, Goldshire waiting for its new champion. My brother (thankfully this time) directed me to the home of the skinning and leather working trainer, and embracing my OCD close to my chest I skinning and crafted until the level of my armor was on par with my character level. I finally stopped later that evening, after hitting level 10 and having joined a new guild through being solicited for guild character signatures. Despite that, the guild turned out to be pretty cool. To be hones,t I can't really remember the name, but I befriended another rogue, named Terralia (if you are reading this, how goes it?), and all was well. I ended up becoming an officer in the guild at some point, and my job mostly dealt with guild bank things. I wasn't the bank account, I just kept track of what was on it. Which in retrospect sounds kind of retarded.

II. The Gentleman Adventurers
So the vacation ended, and we all returned to school. I slowly got more and more people to join WoW, touting my enjoyable experience with my new found guildmates, and the smiles that a little light roleplaying brought on. Despite this, my WoW time decreased due to exams approaching and various of the year festivities keeping me busy. A group of us also started to go on midnight(ish) hikes through the arboretum, and around that time a friend of our, Patrick, gave us the name the Society of Gentleman Adventurers. A little something to tack under the photos he took during our excursions.

We had a lot of fun. We played music, told stories, cooked meals together on occasion. We drank together, gamed together. We held the first annual Mustache Party. And then the semester ended, but with plans to all meet up at my house in New Hampshire for the New Year. I personally arrived up there on Christmas that year. I set up my new PC, installed WoW, and got used to it again. Somewhere in the past few weeks the guild had disbanded, and I had known, and in fact moved to one of the splinter guilds without giving it much thought. I had been too busy to do much anyway.

III. The Society of Adventurers
Around this time I was in contact with a number of friends from school who I had persuaded to obtain the game. The most important two at this stage though would be Adam (Balronan, dwarf paladin) and Robert (Xingming, night elf druid). We all started to think that it would be pretty damn cool if we had our own guild. Somewhere along the line I was declared guild leader. Then we set upon the task of making 10 gold for the tabard design, which some of you might recall was a bit of a pain early on, but we wanted to have it ready for us as soon as we filled out the charter. Especially when the highest of you is in your mid 20s. I ended up fronting most of the cash, due to a surplus of Moss Agate, and before too long we were throwing about names and poking around the tabard design options. We settled on the Society of Adventurers, and I don't know if we made the decision then, but our tabard was blue with gold trim. The symbol was a golden laurel crown. Eventually we called it a night. Tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and Robert would be arriving, as well as Adam if I recall correctly. Everyone else would be coming New Year's day. We decided that tomorrow we'd put everything into motion.

The day started. They arrived. There were plates of fudges, several bottles of wine (which at the time was something that was almost constantly being imbibed by me), and the number of computers in the basement of the house increased. After eating and starting in on an obscenely large bottle of merlot (which I don't really drink anymore. Imagine that), we sat down at our computers with one goal in mind. To complete the charter and inaugurate our guild, the Society of Adventurers. The merlot and fudge started to disappear at an alarming pace while we paraded ourselves around Goldshire and Stormwind, looking for signatures. Eventually we got the ten we needed, and the guild was formed. I expressed my joy to everyone in the guild, and explained that we'd be a pretty casual, social guild. We were here to explore and have fun. Some people left, some more joined. We all got on pretty well. We all wanted to roleplay, but we all knew when to take a step back. Maybe its the rose colored glasses (goggles?), but it really was enjoyable. Then, before we knew it the guild started to grow slowly. People who liked our style and thought we were fun to group with. People who thought we had a cool guild name. Friends of friends. That sort of thing.

A week or so passed while we settled in. And then for the next two or three weeks we basically just played Warcraft. Some new recruits who joined us were positively fantastic. In fact I learned just a couple of months ago that an acquaintance of mine who plays on Earthen Ring as a paladin was actually in our guild. Adam had invited him apparently, role playing around Loch Modan. The thing you have to understand about Adam is that he is a truly fantastic roleplayer. He lays it on in just the right doses, creating believable characters with enough moderation so it doesn't turn you away if you are just a casual roleplayer. We would have a great time adventuring as a pair, and that was how we recruited many of our best members. Anyhow, Adam invited this fellow into the guild after talking with him for a while, and when he told me this we remarked that our guild was one of his favorites because we always were having a good time. We didn't have drama really, and everyone was ready to laugh at themselves as much as at someone else. It really was a special group of people, and I think alot of it had to do with the fact that the core of the group had been friends for a long while before WoW. And once we added more people we never excluded them and tried to make them as much a part of our life as we could during that vacation. Everyone felt welcome and knew that they were with a family so to speak.

There are some great memories associated with that month of play. More than a few painful attempts to raid horde strongholds. Forays into various dungeons. The friendly rivalry between my rogue and a friend's hunter, played out in numerous duels, all in good fun. Delving into the non-instance areas of Uldaman, daggers at my side, and my dwarf paladin friend swinging his hammer wildly from monster to monster. Fishing off the docks of Menethil, just catching up on things. Seeing Dalaran for the first time. The list goes on and on.

So that was how the whole thing started. There is more to tell of course, but that can be saved for another time. I just wanted to give a bit of a shout out to a few people, if by anyway slight chance they manage to read this thing.

To Zdena/Lars, my hunter rival, I hope all is well. Omori, my fellow rogue, I still remember the first time we raided Bree, scouting the area before getting smooshed by the guards. Mishana, the little gnome rogue who was happy pretty much all of the time, I hope you are still winning the hearts of your guildmates, whatever world that may be in. To anyone else I might have forgotten, I apologize. I hope you can forgive me, and won't remain a stranger.

These days I'm on Eonar-A, playing on Yukie, my paladin (who I love to hate). Drop by sometime. I'm with the SelfDefending Networkers, and we'd be happy to have any of you.

-Some of our In Character stories, if that sort of thing floats your boat.

So, You're a Philosopher? Yes.

The unseasonably warm weather continues. It was almost freezing when I left my house this morning, and by the end of the day it might hit eighty degrees (or about 25 degrees for everyone else).

I've been delving into electronica lately for my musical fix, especially down tempo and chill out stuff. I picked up a compilation while at Borders on Friday night entitled Hush Hush vol. 1. Its a little hit or miss, but all in all there are some quality selections, especially in the latter half of disc one. I also purchase Calm Before Dawn by iëlo. Good background music, all of it. It doesn't quite get me pumped up or anything, but its nice to have there to relax to.

I also grabbed The Shepard's Dog by Iron and Wine, and not having heard anything of his beyond the version of "Such Great Heights" that appeared on the Postal Service EP for that song and in the Garden State Soundtrack (I believe), I was pleasantly surprised. A few tracks are standouts, and others I could take or leave, but all in all I think I picked up some quality music this weekend, and a lot of it is rather different from my usual fare.

I've been having a hard time lately getting used to work. Not that the work itself is difficult to get used to. The lifestyle change has been a little rough, especially lacking people around me with whom I can unwind. I've withdrawn a bit, and I've also been really irritable. I'm probably driving Shayna insane. The rest of you can consider yourselves lucky I guess.

I'm having a hard time getting myself working out in earnest again. Something inevitably happens that leaves me sitting in my hotel room, rolling things over in my mind endlessly, to no worthwhile results. My diet is improving though. That's something that's pretty easy to change, though there have been some hurdles with the whole no refrigerator in my hotel room thing. Ah well. The diet at least has me feeling a little better. I know the workouts would too, just need to get myself doing them.

This has been more personal of a post than I'm used to writing. I don't know that it felt good, but perhaps its more fair to the people who I'm not really in touch with anymore. Gives them a better idea of whats going on with me.

Much love.