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August 31, 2005
Downtime
Hosting Matters, WebHostGods that they are, had some problems with a DOS attack. Things are mostly back up, though I'm still having a few problems that may or may not be related to the wireless network, rather than the server.
On a side note, if I do go down, I'll see if I can create a blogspot blog and give the URL to one of my linkers.
In terms of New Orleans, the hurricane and the relief blogging...I'm not sure I can participate, as much as I'd like to. I just get too emotional right now, and running on as little sleep as I've had the last two nights, I'm really not capable of handling intense emotion.
I've had Greenday on repeat the whole day. Yay for headphones.
Posted by Kat at 04:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
hi
it's 4 am.
i just got home.
i have work tomorrow.
this is...not good.
gnight.
Posted by Kat at 04:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 30, 2005
=P
bleh
allergies
stupid dust
we have no claritin
i have to stop at store
this sucks
stupid work
stupid allergies
stupid no-sleep
bleh
Posted by Kat at 02:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 29, 2005
Death row process streamlined
More than 600 inmates are waiting on death row in California.
Even though...
Since 1973, 121 people have been released from death row in the United States after being exonerated.
Does this make any sense? How about that California inmates wait for 20 years on appeals, while the national average is 10? Both are ridiculous. I'm all for making sure that people are not put to death due to overzealous prosecution, mismanagement of justice, or bad defense lawyers. However, there comes a point at which we reach a reductio ad absurdum fallacy in our arguments. Oh, we do this, so we may as well do this, and if we do that, then we should go further and do this...It ends up that people get off death row due to technicalities rather than true innocence.
This bill would still allow death row inmates their federal appeals, but only based on newly-discovered evidence, like DNA, that shows actual innocence.
Oh, look at that.
Good.
Posted by Kat at 03:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
I'm gonna cry...
Gould Hill is the place I went for everything as a kid. I went for bird watching, to pick apples, to buy maple syrup, apple cider, we went there on field trips to learn about farming...
The Leadbeaters have been part of my world view since I was a toddler. They were always there. Helping the high school kids get jobs and learn the benefit of hard work. Giving the retired people a job giving tours of the farm. Letting teachers bring their students up there to look for hawks or see the mountains.
Even memorial services were held up there. My fifth grade teacher was memorialized up there. She died when I was a sophmore in HS. I got permission to get off school (I was in a private school by then) to attend the service.
The entire public school system got off so they could attend.
Gould Hill was the only place to hold it. So that's where they held it. Crisp autumn day in October, the leaves changing, the smell of wood smoke in the air, the sun shining bright, and groups of us scattered around, mourning the woman who taught us to love science and who got us all up at four in the morning to go hawk-watching up in the Orchard.
I really hope they're able to keep it a working orchard. It would be a great loss to not only the town, but the state if it were to be changed into housing.
Posted by Kat at 03:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Cue cheering...
A secondary school is to allow pupils to swear at teachers - as long as they don't do so more than five times in a lesson. A running tally of how many times the f-word has been used will be kept on the board. If a class goes over the limit, they will be 'spoken' to at the end of the lesson.
You can use the f-word in class (but only five times)
Posted by Kat at 02:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Ooooooo
Everyone oooo and ahhhhh over me making more than one post in an hour.
Yes yes. All is good.
Now, on with the serious topic.
Jeff misses the point, being blinded by his anti-drug views. Sorry, Jeff, you know I love you, you know you're a good friend, you know I'm not a fan of pot (though other drugs don't bother me as much), but you're way off on this one.
Which is what Feisty Republican Whore discusses in response to him. She goes on my links. After all, how can I not link someone who calls herself feisty, a whore, AND Republican? Not to mention, she links to a porn star's blog. All in all, a good link, and possibly daily read.
Posted by Kat at 01:32 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Confirmation of past beliefs
Sissy yet again clarifies what I try to say.
She gives, among other things, a history of the hijab, the head covering that Muslim women wear. Disturbing in the least to find out that it is truly a modern invention.
Alex, having responded to my previous post a while back, falls into the same trap that most anti-war people do - That we advocate the "taking out" (to quote Pat Robertson) of the extremists and fundamentalists.
How do these two things tie together? Pretty easily. You have Sissy illuminating the ridiculousness of modern Sharia law, while Alex views that law as an establishment that has no alternative other than complete destruction.
Destruction is part of it, sure. But destruction using the bloggers, the elected officials, the students, the moderates, the children, the historians, the true scientists, and the ones willing to stand up and be counted.
War is only part of it. The other part has to come from the ordinary people.
That actually brings me to Israel/Palestine. I'm still not sure if I think the withdrawl is a good thing. I don't like that Hamas thinks it a victory, and wonder how that could have been dealt with. At the same time, this does make it easier for Israel to protect it's citizens.
But then why not leave those who wish to stay, with no support, no reimbursement, and being treated the same as the Palestinians who stay? Why drag them, kicking and screaming?
Anyway, back on topic. Alex, I think you should read more of Sissy's posts. Oftentimes I find myself thinking that I should just simply link to one of hers, rather than writing one of my own.
Posted by Kat at 12:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 24, 2005
Google Talk
New thing. Interesting.
I prefer my Trillian, when it works. As of now, Google Talk has me confused.
Posted by Kat at 01:53 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Tylenol PM
Took some last night, so I could get rest, and feel really good today, so I can get some decent work done.
Instead of feeling refreshed, I feel foggy and dazed.
Knock the OTC sleeping pills off my list...
Any suggestions for good sleep? I've tried everything, but nothing seems to work more than once, and if it does, it leaves me groggy.
UPDATE: Not even the caffeine works. Sigh.
Posted by Kat at 12:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Perfect Wisdom
NEWS FLASH:
To those searching that and getting this post...there's no such thing.
Sorry. That's why this blog is called The Wisdom of CHANGE. Only in change can we come to find wisdom. Only through bettering ourselves and continuing in the constant conversation known as life can we attain any sort of knowledge. Without understanding that life is a constant trip, one cannot gain wisdom.
So yeah. Sorry. Keep searching, maybe someday one of us will find the answer to a question.
In the meantime, keep asking.
Posted by Kat at 01:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 22, 2005
Tarot
The Hierophant often represents learning with experts or knowledgeable teachers. This card also stands for institutions and their values. The Hierophant is a symbol of the need to conform to rules or fixed situations. His appearance in a reading can show that you are struggling with a force that is not innovative, free-spirited or individual. Groups can be enriching or stifling, depending on circumstances. Sometimes we need to follow a program or embrace tradition, other times, we need to trust ourselves. For a full description of your card and other goodies, please visit LearnTarot.com |
What tarot card are you? Enter your birthdate. |
I am The HierophantI prefer runes. Used to read them. Should get back into it.
Posted by Kat at 08:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Subway searches, constitutionality, the MTA and the NYC government
Dan, a Couple things in response to your post.
I am mostly against the searches, and would refuse to be searched if asked (unless I'm drunk and with a group of people, as happened a few weeks ago at US). However, since it is the police conducting the searches and not the MTA, your bit about corporations is invalid. It is the city itself doing the searches, not MTA officials. Although I understand your bit about the MTA being the ones requiring the searches, it is the government doing the actual searches. This brings it under the scope of the constitution. The fact that it is the MTA requiring them instead of the state doing so just means that it is an attempt to get around it. The MTA board has direct links to the Governor's office and the Mayor's office. It was also put out as the NYC government being the ones asking for the searches. Every news piece I have watched has declared it an NYC policy rather than an MTA one.
My issue with the searches comes down to their statement that if they find anything illegal on you (gun, drugs, slave children) you will be arrested and charged with the relevant crime. If they were to remove that bit of the policy, I'd be ok with it. I still wouldn't submit to it, but the process means just as much as the policy.
Ok, there is no direct "right to privacy" within the constitution. But I think these searches are pushing the boundries of the constitution in it's current interpretation.
Yup, you read that right. Current interpretation. I think that the constitution was meant to be interpreted, not taken at face value. Yes, it was written in English, but it also created the judicial system, meant to interpret the constitution as times change. That also applies to my views on Roe v. Wade, but that's another post.
Posted by Kat at 12:04 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Yeah, I know.
I should post more.
But I'm tired and on vacation. So I'll be back strong in a week or so.
Posted by Kat at 01:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 21, 2005
Mr. DJ, will you fix my dolly?
Cute little film, reminds me why I love DJ's.
Posted by Kat at 12:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 19, 2005
Newt Gingrich
I'm watching C-SPAN right now. Newt Gingrich is speaking at the Press Club. Currently, the topic is the Iraq war, and he's being very clear and very good.
This does surprise me. I remember him being a conservative with a stick stuck up his ass.
He isn't anymore and I think I'll be very supportive of him in the future. His stance is that the war is a subset of the overall war on terror, which is being fought in Holland, Britain, and even here (his earlier topic was immigration). He said "if we pull out of Iraq, do you think Zarqawi is going to retire?"
I think that's one of the best quotes I've heard. He clarified the war in a way that not even the best bloggers have been able to.
This is a war in which one side must win. Because there is a disagreement on culture. The radical Muslim forces we're fighting against will not compromise on many of their stances. If they win, we will not be able to vote, drive, or hold a job. Women will be thrown back to the dark ages. There is no middle ground. Neither side will compromise and we cannot lose.
This is not a war of ideologies. It is not a religious war. It is truly us or them and if we lose, every advance we've made over the last century will be thrown away.
I'm not quite sure why people don't realize that those fighting us aren't fighting for equal rights or to be free or because we're invading them. They started this fight, they brought it to us, and they're doing this to destroy western culture. Yup. You heard me right. They want to destroy everyone who doesn't believe what they do. They do this in the name of Allah and because the Koran has Surahs that tell them to destroy all non-believers.
Newt gets it.
And has a sense of humor in the process.
I'll be keeping a closer eye on him.
Posted by Kat at 08:56 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Drudge
I think if I took screenshots of Drudge everyday, I wouldn't have to post anything.
It's either stupid, wrong, or just plain funny.
Posted by Kat at 05:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 16, 2005
Sorry, readers
So, my trip back up to NH hit a snag.
Namely, weather.
Did anyone in the NorthEast notice the sheets of rain coming down on Sunday? Hmm?
I was driving in that. The highway was a lake, the visibility nil, and the other drivers stupid.
All in all, an 8 hour trip. Should have been 5.
Posted by Kat at 11:09 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 15, 2005
My only words on Cindy Sheehan...
are not words.
Posted by Kat at 01:26 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 14, 2005
Barry has the right idea
He's going to spend today in the movies. I'm going to spend it driving. With a dog.
And yesterday, which, according to Michele, there hasn't been, and I quote, "a day this hot and oppressive since August 1977".
And I was on Randall's Island, with 20,000 other people, bouncing up and down to punk music.
Oh, photos? Need to dig those out. Though they're mostly of dust clouds. It was kind of a problem.
So yeah. Air-conditioned car today.
Though knowing me, I'll hit traffic and overheat the damned thing.
Posted by Kat at 12:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 13, 2005
Holy fuckin shit...
*boing*
*thud*
That was the sound of me bouncing with excitement, only to remember that I FUCKING HURT LIKE ALL FUCKING HELL AND OH MY GOD I had a great time.
Sara, she of the one entry and the MySpace obsession, came with me. I may ask her to log in and give you her impressions of the event.
Let me just say this though...There are several photos of me that, if people know what's good for them, will never find their way to the internet, and will be deleted off camera and card.
I was fuzzy. And frilly.
And totally punked out. Spikes, Doc Martins, and the visor. Zippers and chains everywhere.
Just...accessorized.
*yawn*
I think I may go to bed now. Sooooo tired.
This was Warped Tour:
*arrive by bus*
*marvel at dust clouds*
*remember that there hasn't been a rainstorm in days*
*hope we brought enough sunscreen*
*marvel at how hot it is*
*show tickets at security*
*show tickets at second security, they check our bags*
*have tickets taken*
*walk*
*look at booths*
*check schedule*
*walk*
*look at more booths*
*bitch about how hot it is*
*drink water*
*walk*
*stand in shade*
*listen to music*
*walk*
*look at booths*
*check out the NYRA booth, and laugh at the poor schmucks manning it*
*walk*
*see STORY OF THE YEAR! YEAH!*
*walk*
*get water*
*listen to reggae/punk band*
*take photos*
*marvel at dust clouds*
*wish for rain*
*pray for rain*
*pour water over head, pretending it's rain*
*wipe dust off face*
*reapply sunscreen*
*hope we brought enough sunscreen with us*
*buy stuff*
*go to NYRA booth again, laugh at schmucks again*
*try to wipe more dirt off face, succeed in smudging it and making face raw*
*pour water over head*
*pray for rain*
*realize it's kinda blatting rain*
*enjoy rain and wind*
*listen to music*
*wonder when rain ended*
*buy more stuff*
*get stickers*
*listen to My Chemical Romance*
*get disturbed by the overwhelming number of little princess girls in perfect hair and pancake makeup*
*get disturbed by little brats showing off their pseudo-punk outfits*
*get REALLY disturbed by the pop princesses hitting on the brats*
*get bored with My Chemical Romance - not enough music, too much talking*
*see a guy come out with a smashed ankle (seriously, his foot was backwards) and yell at the crowd to MAKE A FUCKING PATH FOR THE FUCKING MEDICS*
*see The Offspring*
*realize we're tired, hungry, dirty, and hot*
*decide to cut out early*
*get on bus*
*get stuck on bus behind car helping to jump-start another car*
*honk*
*honk*
*HOOOOOONNNNNNNNNK*
*honk honkhonkhonk honkhonk honkhonkhonkhonkhonkhonkhonk*
*honk*
*car moves, we pull into Lex/125th*
*drag selves home*
*shower*
*marvel at the amount of dirt coming off*
*turn water to frigidicecold*
*gasp and stop breathing for a second*
*enjoy*
*get out, get dressed, walk dog, collapse*
*yawn*
*write blog entry*
And there you have it.
*yawn*
Ok, there you have it.
*yawn*
Ok, stop it now. No one's reading anymore, and no one cares.
Night.
Posted by Kat at 10:10 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Traveling
I'm going to Warped Tour today.
Have to go get ready.
Yes, I'm bringing my camera.
Email me if you're going and maybe we can meet up.
Have to go get ready now.
Byebye.
Posted by Kat at 09:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 12, 2005
Almost right, when it comes to the drug war
Jeff, you know I love you. But you're missing a few points on the drug war and drugs themselves.
Yes. Pot, coke, meth, crack, heroin are bad. Evil. Should be fought to the utmost of our abilities.
Ok, maybe not pot. Pot...I go back and forth on. I know people who are fully functional and smoke pot once in a while. I know people who are addicted, and yet are able to hold down a job, make some decent money, and generally enjoy their life. I also know people who's lives have been ruined by smoking too much pot.
Then again, I know people who's lives have been ruined by drinking too much alcohol.
I guess that's what it comes down to. Does the drug itself cause the addiction, or is it possible to have drugs that don't?
I believe the latter is true. There are drugs which are not in and of themselves addictive. One of these is alcohol. Another is LSD. Another is MDMA.
Psylocibin, which I've written about before, is an interesting drug in that it makes you *not* want to take it again within a short period of having taken some.
Heh. "Mushrooms - My Anti-Drug"
Sorry, that just popped into my head, and I felt the need to share it.
Moving on.
If you are going to ban drugs, then alcohol and nicotine, as well as caffeine, should be on that list. I've seen people jonesing so hard for a cigarette that they're tapping out a nonsensical rhythm on the walls of an elevator. I've seen people who are so in need of an espresso shot that they practically push everyone else out of line at the Starbucks.
You wanna call that "ok" just because it's legal? If it was illegal, we'd have the same problems, only much more widespread. Look at prohibition, as an example. The rise of gangsters and the mob. How can you see that and not compare it to the dealers of today? The only difference is that illegal drugs have been, well, illegal for so long that we're used to it and it's been pushed even further underground than the "tea houses" of the 1920's. Addicts are ostracized in our society, told they are worthless because they're hooked on a drug we've deemed "wrong", while we laugh about our caffeine and cigarette addictions.
Where's the reason in that?
Posted by Kat at 08:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 11, 2005
Cats
If anyone in the NYC area has kittens who will be ready for adoption in September, let me know. I'll be ready for them then.
- Must be a pair
- Preferably one male, one female
- Preferably siblings
- No older than 10-12 weeks at time of adoption
- No calicos
- Must be shorthaired
- Must be playful and friendly
- Must be up-to-date on all their shots
That's all I can think of right now...I'll add more as I think of it.
Oh, and if anyone knows a good vet in the city (not too expensive) I'd be much obliged.
Posted by Kat at 11:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Running around
I'm headed off to NYC today, driving down. Just me and doggie. I'll be going to Warped Tour on Saturday with a few people, including Jason from Eye Dream Awake. Not sure whether he or I will be taking photos...he's better at it and has a better camera at the moment.
Either way, I still need to post photos from the game, and I will once I get off my lazy ass.
The things need to be resized, and I hate doing that.
Posted by Kat at 11:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 09, 2005
Gameday
Oh happy day...
I had perfect seats for the Sox game yesterday.
And I have pictures.
I have a picture of Papi whinging one so hard it probably broke the hand of the guy in the stands who caught it.
Though I missed Graffanino whailing it over the Monster.
Photos to come.
Posted by Kat at 12:29 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 08, 2005
Phew
I'm back. That was amazing, and I thank you all for following along with me.
I'm headed off in a few to pick up mia from her grooming and then I get to go to the Sox/Rangers game tonight.
Yay for game! I promise I'll take photos.
Posted by Kat at 01:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 07, 2005
Thank you all
I love you all, and I love the passionfruit.
*glug*
G'night
I'll post instructions on how to sumbit your donations after the pledges close Tuesday.
We broke $50K.
Go us.
Posted by Kat at 09:00 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Not gonna try to make sense anymore. Not worth it.
Because I have two posts left, and I'm incoherant.
Totally incoherant.
So yeah, I give up. This post, then one more, and then...HELLO, BED!
Posted by Kat at 08:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Goddamnit
Was reading Harry Potter, and was so focused on staying awake that I didn't notice the time.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Stupid alarm, not being set loud endough...
Posted by Kat at 07:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Bed...
That's the discussion right now in the chat room.
Bed.
How nice it is.
All I have to say is Blar.
and...
cat, i'm a kittycat. and i dancedancedance and i dancedancedance
Posted by Kat at 07:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
To quote Barb...
My site monitor, who blogs over here,
BLAR
That is all.
Posted by Kat at 07:00 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Oh shit...
Not that I've ever pretended this was a family blog...or a family-safe blog...
But it's about to get weird...
Well, not really. The 'thon chat is getting weird. The blog itself probably won't get much weirder than usual.
Which is a step up from the 2003 'thon. I was really scraping bottom there for a while.
Though I figure around 8 or so, things could get pretty wacky...
Posted by Kat at 06:30 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Pretty
3 hours left.
Posted by Kat at 06:00 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Morning
And so morning breaks.
3.5 hours to go.
I can do this. I know I can.
No, really.
Hey, you! Yeah, you in the back! WTF do you think you're doing! Stop sniggering back there! If you think I can't do it, then get on out of here and do your own.
See how you like it when I come to your site and laugh.
The birds are singing...
The sky is light...
Oddly purple for this time of year. It looks like what I expect the fall to be.
We're playing ping pong in the irc chat.
Loads of fun.
Posted by Kat at 05:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
IFOC
He dared to laugh at me.
This of course, triggers an auto-response where my mind takes over and says the first sarcastic thing that comes to it.
Oh well. Sorry, Laurence.
Keep laughing.
Posted by Kat at 05:00 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Literati
Well, Xenosaga has gotten the best of me for tonight. It requires more brainpower than I'm willing to expend. But never fear!
I'll pick it up later and document my progress. Halfway through the ep, not bad.
In the meantime, I'm playing Literati over at Yahoo Games. If you want to join, leave a comment w/your yahoo name and I'll give you the info.
Oh, and
* KatieKat hands dusty a hole-in-a-wall and walks quickly away
* Dustyhawk plugs the hole-in-a-wall
* krikkert doesn't want to.
Yeah, we're disturbed.
We like it that way.
Posted by Kat at 04:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Blank
So far, nothing. I just don't know if I want to continue the game.
The fact that I can continue to think says a lot in favor of continuing, but I also worry that I'll burn out in a couple hours. This is a very stressful, thought-intensive game that requires a lot from me and I just don't know if I can keep giving it.
The blogging is fine. That's easy. It's just the game thats hard.
Posted by Kat at 04:00 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Chilling, literally
It's in the 50's here...so I'm out on the deck, getting some air.
Goddamn it's cold.
I may have to give up on the game. It's getting too hard to think.
I'll know within an hour or so.
Posted by Kat at 03:30 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
oops
Looks like I misjudged...
And forgot to heal between battles.
My bad.
Posted by Kat at 03:00 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Lift the curse?
Huh? Febronia's sisters? Trapped in the Zohar?
Cecily? Cathe?
OMG!...Female URTV's? Is that what they are? Is that what Nephilim is?
And there she is again... Nephilim...
Feb is waiting...There is no time left...huh?
Important choice, huh? I'm guessing it has something to do with her parents, who died in the Miltian conflict 14 years ago.
Shion is so rude to Allen. She should be nicer to someone who has such a crush on her (shut up, Jeff).
Posted by Kat at 02:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Couple more photos...
Sakura, daughter of Juli and Joachim Misrahi, the ones who discovered the Zohar, Y-Data, and the creaters of MOMO.
End of section. Continuing on...
The path to Old Miltia and the original Zohar has been opened.
The Immigrant Fleet is descending towards Miltia.
Down we go into Miltia.
Jin
Caanan.
Welcome.
(Nephilim just showed up...Intriguing...I thought she was gone...)
Posted by Kat at 02:00 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Boss Battle, Take 2, second part
Ok, so his regenerative powers decrease at 2577, or thereabouts.
There's also something about Sakura passing through them, and zones BC, boost, CB...
My status screens are back...good.
And there they go again.
OH SHIT!!!
Nah, wasn't that bad.
1289...
Watch him do something severe when he gets below 1000, and kill me or something.
omg...587...no problems yet...
I beat him.
I fricking beat him.
Wow.
43 minutes.
MOMO!
She's...giving up the Y-Data...
It's gone...
Posted by Kat at 01:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Boss Battle, Take 2
Fighting Albedo. He took over MOMO's SC, and established the whole scene I was playing today. All this, just to get to Jr and release his rage...
Now I have to kill the fragment of Albedo stuck in MOMO.
Here I go. Characters are KOS-MOS, Jr, and chaos.
Albedo has 7690HP.
Destroyed his arms.
He's at 6762...
Ack! Status window erased! Not good!
HP 4638
Posted by Kat at 01:00 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Game, Game, and Game some more
Blah blah, you know the drill. Nothing happening, except that this one area was not in the "summer" section, but is in the "winter".
And the radio is playing REM!!!! End of the World as we know it!
Yay for CTY! (yes, I went to Nerd Camp. Wanna make something of it?)
Posted by Kat at 12:30 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
More gaming
Back to the game. Let's see if I can actually get through it...
Not much...more enemies, more fighting, still in Sakura's SC.
Posted by Kat at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 06, 2005
Dumdedumdedum...
Wondering when I should start drinking. Probably not till around 2am EST, right?
The blogathon chat is hopping.
Posted by Kat at 11:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Hilarity
So even as I'm thumping through this boring section of the game (every game has to be boring in at least one part), the other 'thoners are keeping me amused.
Example:
Posted by Kat at 11:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
groan
Ok, I'm so ready to be into the section that is all story and no playing.
Can I please get there? Please?
aw...Doggie is barking in her sleep...I love that...
Posted by Kat at 10:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Gasp
Listening to Blogathon radio while I'm playing...
ew ew ew ew ew ew ew...bad music...
Ok, now it's good. Fiddle playing is always good.
Britney...ew ew ew ew ew....
Swing is good.
Oh...here's a pic of my toe...the one I jammed last weekend. It's pretty healed now, no infection, but it's still messy.
So that bit on the left there...that's cracked. Not just cracked. That part of the nail is torn from the skin.
Hey, MARIO TWINS!!!!!!
I love this radio thing.
Posted by Kat at 10:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Ongoing
Starting to fade a bit, at the halfway point, but I'll keep going. Just need something to boost...ah. Cold air.
It's 66 degrees here. Brr.
Go read Laurence. He's doing Ask The Cats, which I love.
Seriously. Get out of here.
Oh, and the Sox suck.
(no they don't but i have to say that because they blew a great lead and it really sucks)
Posted by Kat at 09:30 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Poor doggie.
I feel so bad for her...I mean, just look at this face...
I've been here, playing this game and obsessing on the computer, and she's just...being so good.
Oh, and this is the halfway point.
Posted by Kat at 09:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Photos galore!
Pretty...
You can almost see the tears in those big purple eyes...
But of course only after his head blew up, and regenerated...
And he realized that he was going to outlive his twin brother, Rubedo.
Posted by Kat at 08:30 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
More story
It's amazing how this story gets more and more complex.
There's so much that happened, and it's all just...indescribable.
I seriously recommend anyone who loves stories to play this game.
More photos!
After this break.
(I do need to eat, after all, and I can't find the number for the pizza place. So Annie's Pasta it is.)
One photo...
Death is merely rest for the soul... - Ziggy
Posted by Kat at 08:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Ahahahahahahahaha
You see something missing? Like maybe...a BOSS!!!
I beat him! Haha!
Moving on...
1st...check out the emotion on this character's face. Such a far cry from the games of old.
2nd...these are the three URTV variants. Albedo, Rubedo, and Nigredo.
And that's our post. I'm back to playing.
Oh...quick note...It seems as though Albedo started going insane at this point in Sakura's SC. He tried to kill one of the unmodified, emotionless URTVs, and it may have been Rubedo's disapproval that started the slow descent into insanity.
I'm off to order pizza.
Wow...And the story gets better.
I can't even begin to explain it, unless you've played this from ep 1, just how unbelievable it is.
Posted by Kat at 07:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
WTF is that, and how do I get there?
I wanna know how to get over there. Can I crawl? Is there something I'm supposed to get or do?
Grr.
(side note...my doggie is feeling neglected, so I'm giving her these little alphabet treats from Petco.)
I BEAT THE BOSS!!!!
Posted by Kat at 07:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Kill the box!
As soon as I destroy this, enemy comes out and tries to kill me.
That's ok, I beat them.
Yes, that is a gas station.
Posted by Kat at 06:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Game again
Ok...back inside for the game. I'd take a photo if it was anything interesting.
But it isn't. And it won't be till I beat this damned boss.
Someone wanna tell me what I'm doing wrong? KOS-MOS is Lv22, chaos and Jr. are Lv21, and I'm fighting my ass off. But no dice.
Posted by Kat at 06:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Chilling
Needed a break, so I'll answer questions.
Anyone got questions?
June: How does Episode II connect with the first?
Pretty closely, actually. The second starts out with what happened 14 years before, when Shion was a girl. Her older brother, Jin, met up with chaos (yes, the same one) and another Realian, Caanan, and the three of them went towards the center of Old Miltia, which had gone insane.
Jin was on his way to the Yuriev Institute to analyze the information pertaining to the Y-Data he obtained (the Y-Data being what controls U-DO) and chaos/Caanan to rescue the URTV's. Jin runs into an old enemy of his, a member of the U-TIC organization, which wants control of U-DO and the Y-Data. They fight. chaos and Caanan manage to rescue the three modified URTV's (Rubedo, Albedo, and Nigredo), although the others are lost.
Fast Forward...
The group (Jr., MOMO, Ziggy, Shion, KOS-MOS, chaos, and Allen (an NPC who is integral to the story) as well as a few other extras, are landing on Second Miltia after freeing themselves from the Song of Nephilim and Proto Merkabah, which is how the first ep ends. So now they've landed, and the second ep begins.
The game is basically a six-part story, moving fluidly from one part to the next, with flashbacks to what happened 14 years ago.
Posted by Kat at 05:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Dead.
Sigh.
Died in battle.
Trying this again...
After a break.
Some info about Zohar in terms of Judaism, not Xenosaga.
Posted by Kat at 05:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Argh
Ok, I'm getting bored with the leveling up.
Though I'm not really leveling up, I'm trying to build up skill points so I can add Medica All to my cadre of skills.
Mad Skillz, dontcha know.
Damn...chaos just kicks ass. He's so...zen.
Here we go with Boss Battle, attempt #2.
KOS-MOS, chaos, and Jr. fighting.
chaos just took off 900HP. I think this was a good choice.
Posted by Kat at 04:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Dullness
There's more going on in the chat room than there is in the game.
In the meantime, go visit Luna, who has some interesting things to say.
And since I refuse to post photos of myself or others (at least faces) on here, I'll mollify all of you with
this.
Posted by Kat at 04:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Considering the options
I think I'll put chaos in instead of Shion, and see if that works.
And now, for the obligatory kitty cat sound...
mruooooouwwww...prrp?
I return you to your regularly scheduled insanity.
Wow, things are harder with chaos than with Shion. But I like him better, so he stays.
Posted by Kat at 03:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Boring
Nothing new.
Seriously. Nothing new.
No new photos.
No new enemies.
Still haven't hit the 21st level for two of my characters.
Though I might after this battle...
Jr leveled up. Now for Shion.
Ok, so she's leveled up to 21, but now I'm rethinking my strategy. It might be smarter to put in chaos and take her out, since he has higher HP and better physical attacks.
Posted by Kat at 03:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Gameplay
Gonna go level up some more, try to gain at least one, if not two levels, then head back to the boss.
It's a lot easier to beat the silly little enemies now...I think one more level should give me enough strength to beat the boss.
Then again, I thought I could beat it at Lv20.
Ok...KOS-MOS is 21, Shion and Jr. are both 20. Good thing the other characters level up w/o having to fight them. I'd really rather not have to go through the hell of leveling up MOMO and Ziggy right now.
I wonder if chaos would be a better active character than Shion...
Whoever said that the "I loath your beauty/charm" was related to the attack that Gnosis uses...You're right. It is.
Posted by Kat at 02:30 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Back to the game.
Oops...Phone call...
Back to game after it's over...
The woman who called is a friend of my mom's. She meant to call before mom left for Australia, but...oops!
Continuing the game...
Just more leveling up. Nothing interesting right now.
Go check out the Xenosaga site for more cool graphics, pretty music, and unbelievable story.
Posted by Kat at 02:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Questions
Name: June
Email Address: ayeyeyjay@yahoo.com.au
URL: http://iamapotato.blogspot.com/
Comment:
How long are the cut scenes? I've heard they're massive, and my attention span could never handle it.
--------
The cut scenes are long, true. Some of them are 45 minutes or longer. But they're so interesting, and are so well written that you get drawn in and can't wait for the next one. It's like watching a movie.
The game is filled with esoteric references to Judaic philosophy, Kabbalah (not the same as Judaic philosophy, although there are similarities) and ancient Christian philosophy. The enemies are called Gnosis, which are the spawn of U-DO, a massive consciousness derived from pure energy. The cut scenes are what give this story, and the entire game has beautifully rendered symbols from Hebrew and other ancient languages.
---------------
Name: Barbara
Email Address: burn@evanescing.org
URL: http://evanescing.org/
Comment:
What's the POINT? What's our end goal, here?
Did evil take over the world? Do you need to save the princess? Why, why, why!
Site Monitor of D00M!
------------
That's kinda part of it...It's like life, you don't really know what the point is.
Ok, that's not totally true. The point is ever-changing. In the first one, it starts out with the main character, Shion, transporting a new type of Realian that she has developed. The transport they're on gets attacked, because it's also transporting part of the Zohar, and KOS-MOS gets prematurely activated. There are all sorts of problems with Gnosis, a planet gets attacked, and then suddenly the characters find themselves meeting up with MOMO, a 100-series Realian that has special data encoded in her neural pathways. She is captured by Albedo, a U.R.T.V. of a special model (the same as Jr, otherwise known as Rubedo, and Gaignun, otherwise known as Nigredo). The three URTV's were created for a special purpose that is unclear, even now (I believe that's the story for the third episode).
At this point, they're on Second Miltia (the first one was destroyed 14 years previously, that's a whole other story) to try to retrieve the data (Y-Data) stored in MOMO. Two new characters have been added in this episode, and they're instrumental in what happened 14 years ago, along with the original retrieval of the Y-Data.
However, MOMO had a trap laid in her neural pathways by Albedo, who went insane after being exposed to U-DO. The only one of the three URTV's that seems normal is Gaignun (Nigredo). Jr seems to have stopped aging.
So MOMO, to save the UMN (Unis Mundus Network) central computers, destroyed her neural net. Shion, Jr, Ziggy (another character I'll get into later, when he's relevant), chaos (also instrumental in what happened 14 years ago), and KOS-MOS have dived into her subconscious to try to restore her.
She's based on her creators' daughter, Sakura, who died from a rare disease when she was a child. This causes all sorts of other problems. So now they're basically diving in Sakura's memories to try to restore MOMO and recover the Y-Data.
And that's all I know about what's going on now.
Posted by Kat at 01:30 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Taking a break
Figured I could use a break before I go back and level up some more. So I'm sitting out on the deck, enjoying the sun and I'll talk a bit about Xenosaga.
Except I don't know where to begin. Here's an idea. Leave comments, asking questions about the game, and I'll answer them. That way, the story will come out the way people want to know it.
Go for it.
Posted by Kat at 01:00 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
First Boss Battle of the day
Here we go. He has 5760HP.
I'm starting with stocking my characters. Each of them has three stock slots, and with each one they load, they can do more moves in a turn, or special moves. But I haven't gotten any special moves yet, so I'm just stuck with doing three, four, or five moves in a turn.
I have two boosts, which allow a character to move up in the rotation. I'll build up to the third boost while not wasting my stocks (I build up by attacking the enemy) and then just let loose. Hopefully that should give me enough in a row to do some damage.
I'll also make sure I have all my guards on. Some of the skills I learned are ones that limit the effect status attacks will have on me. Let's see if they do any good.
I just cast a Thunder Veil on Shion. I don't know if he has any elemental attacks as part of his physical attack...
According to my analysis...
So this means no ether attacks. Ok. Maybe it means he won't use them either.
He's called "Level 4". And his cerebral something-or-other has just been stimulated. Wonder what that does...
5498...God this is going to take a long time.
Got him down to 4522 in one attack.
System 40% recovered
Cellular system activated
That's at 3870HP.
2811...he brings up a transformed U.R.T.V. to help him.
Do I attack the URTV or the boss...
Or both?
Bah. Poisoned. Have to take care of this first.
And Shion dies first.
Revived her, but now KOS-MOS is dead.
Used a Revive S on her, since Shion doesn't have Revert, and Jr's EP are down to 1.
"Activating Unlimited Program"
Aw shit.
And Shion's dead again.
KOS-MOS nearly so.
Revived Shion, but KOS-MOS died.
Grrr....This is really starting to get annoying. I think I'm about to die again.
And Shion's dead.
And Jr.
My first death of the Blogathon.
Bah. Forgot to take photos.
Posted by Kat at 12:30 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Levels
Well, I'm up to 20...Hopefully that's enough. We'll see how I do against the boss now.
I have candy. Yum.
By the way, I came across this earlier in the game but didn't post it. I have no idea what it'll do later, but the fact that there's an "Encephalon dive device" (device for diving into a Realian's - android's - subconscious) inside Sakura's subconscious definitely means something.
I realize that some things need to be explained. So the next entry (after the battle I'm in) will be an explanation of characters, enemies, and basic story.
Bah...just noticed my photos are getting cut off. Hmm. Need to figure that out, I guess. For now I'll just change the size of the photos to something smaller.
In the meantime, here's some photos of the boss battle. I died last time I played him, so we'll see what happens this time.
He's big and nasty.
Again with the screenshot problems. Argh.
Posted by Kat at