Class continues. I have to have a Java program done by noon on Thursday. I'll probably start it sometime tomorrow after I buy the book. It's supposed to be reference only, but when the prof. starts assigning homework out of it, it gets to be required reading real quick. I should also pick up the genetics book for bioinformatics.
Since my refund check came in, I've been spending a ton of cash that I don't actually have. Rent, back rent, books, a little claritin, personal hygiene products, and new boxers add up. Saw a really nice sweater for $12, but then I came to my senses and realized that I don't wear sweaters for a reason. They aren't warm enough when you are outdoors, and they are too warm when you are. Sweatshirts you can strip off and stuff under your seat in class, but I wouldn't want to treat a soft wool sweater that way, it'd be rag material in a year.
Work goes, I'm playing with some new ideas, and have lots of fun. Hopefully I should be seeing some results sometime soon.
I haven't worked out in about a week and a half or two weeks, and I feel like crap. Not physically, but I feel like I'm being lazy. I'm almost tempted to offer someone else the cooking job, so that I could take out garbage and clean bathrooms or something. I wouldn't enjoy it as much, but it would take a lot less time.
Also, for some reason, I haven't talked to Lindsey in a while. She must be really busy with the whole direct-to-doctorate thing, but I miss talking to her.
On the subject of Vengeance, more specifically Tribes: Vengeance...
It rocks. I played Tribes 1 for years, like an addict, I'm certain my grades suffered. When Tribes 2 was announced, I reserved a copy early, and watched the release date pushed further and further back. And then once I got it, bugs made it unplayable, as well as having hardware demands for reasonable gameplay that were far in excess of what I had. It slowed the game down, made intense teamwork a requirement for success even on public servers, and relegated jetpack cowboys to the dustheap. Individual skill was still important, but a great player didn't shine in the same way.
Tribes 2 nearly killed the Tribes franchise with its amazing bugginess. Tribes players were among the most loyal in the world, fanatical to their game of choice, and they still are. There was, and still is nothing else like it. Online only play? Tribes was there first. Massive 16v16 or 32v32 teams? Tribes. True outdoor environments that stretched for hundreds of square kilometers. You know who.
Many of these things have been copied by other games, but the feel of tribes is still unique. Every player has a jetpack. It's the single defining feature of Tribes games. Movement and combat in three dimensions for a first person shooter was and completely unique. Incredible speeds could (and can) be attained by skilled players, in excess of 250 kilometers per hour. Yet with a few exceptions, all projectiles from weapons could be tracked by the naked eye. This combination of fast and slow meant that you rarely shot at your opponent, you shot at where you thought he was going to be by the time your projectile got there. With the speed and jetpacks, it became a game of outthinking your opponent. It would make the most sense for him to go this way, so that he has the most speed, but he has to know that I know that... etc.
Happy days are here again. The Tribes: Vengeance open beta is open for all. Back are the days of blinding fast offense, quick flag captures, and 1 vs 5 hotdogging. Speed is fast. Offense is crushing. Defense is unlikely. They've simplified the game from it's earlier incarnations, and I can't say it's a bad thing. It's different, and it's more like the classic Tribes I used to play during my freshman year.
And now, for a slightly different topic. Punishing children, or perhaps, disciplining them would be a better term. A few days ago when I was at Wal-Mart, I saw some behavior that I found very strange. A child, about 12 years old and 200 lbs was clutching a box of cereal. I forget what brand, and while I would love to just name some oversugared cereal used to sell action figures or something, I'd rather not insert facts. The boy's mother and father were with him. And as I walked down the aisle, I clearly heard the mother say to the child to, "Come on, we have more shopping to do."
The child then responded, "Shut the fuck up, Mom."
I was floored. I glanced at the father. He didn't twitch. The mother just looked resigned. And the kid stood there with his box of cereal.
Not wanting to stop, I continued to walk. Mostly I didn't want to be charged with assault on the entire family. First, a pointed finger at mom, for allowing her kid to treat her like that. Second, explain to the kid exactly what he did wrong. If he talks back, bitchslap him. I don't think that there are many situations in which I could say that someone was justified in making a statement like that to their mother. Certainly none of them involve a dispute over the purchase of breakfast cereal. Third, slap the father a good one too. And if he doesn't have a good explanation, such as "I'm the new boyfriend, I haven't fixed the kid yet." or something, slap him again. If he makes a statement that is as bad or worse than his son's, (i.e. "I talk to the bitch that way,") then deck him. Or slap him again. Really hard.
The Kung Fu guy I sometimes work out with calls it phoenix palm or dragon slap or something, but I don't think I learned the name when I was taught it. Basically, it's a slap. If you do it properly on someone's forearm, the flesh underneath the hand turns white and swells up immediately, leaving behind a white handprint. The area around the handprint is red, and the face blanches white in an instant as blood pressure drops from the shock that the system has sustained. I've never seen what such a strike might do to someone's face, frankly, I think it would be interesting.
And that's it for this post. Sorry if I didn't touch on your pet peeves, but this is my journal, so suck it up or get your own.
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