Obligatory coming up on the end of a semester post
"You won't try just enough to get by
Half-assed, not worth our fucking time
Just enough, that's how you live your life
Blood, sweat...We've put everything in this
Won't let, you ride our coattails anymore
You won't ride anymore
Along for the ride"
Long post.
Been awhile as usual, I've just been busy with everything...this semester has been awful. Right now I'm probably as stressed as it gets, and my brain is running at 500 brain miles per hour. So to counter-act this and try to slow down...I need to write...about everything. And it's not helping me that the game room has gotten worse. One of the kids brought in a pair of speakers. So people don't know volume control. I've come to an understanding that everyone likes their style of music etc etc. But damnit...play it at a tolerable volume. I'm playing mine at a tolerable volume behind my desk...but it's getting drowned out by Kate Perry and the usual country and or rap. Driving me fucking bananas.
School per usual has me worried for this semester...I think this is the closest I'm getting to (and might actually fail) a class. Computer Network Architecture (formerly Computer Organization & Architecture) has been the thorn in my ass for this whole semester. First, we had Professor Xu, so the class is already impossible because he teaches it very hard, doesn't explain much...basically most the work is on the student. He goes out for 3 weeks for back surgery. Professor Shaver comes in. VERY EASY...totally awesome. 3 weeks later we find out that Xu is not going to come back and Shaver cannot continue to teach the class, so Professor Clincy steps in. Badbadbadbadbad. Clincy is the professor who openly says "none of you will pass one of my tests". So I just got back our test, and I got a 51%. GRANTED...I did not study for this because the test was "open book" so I didn't study. I'm down to one more test...I just hope that I can focus enough to study for this appropriately. And even then, I pray that whoever gives me my grade takes into consideration what all our class section has gone through and I walk with a C.
My other classes are manageable. I just need to dictate proper time to each of them. Linear Algebra all in all is getting harder, but if I work at it, I can understand it. Computers in your world is a joke, I just need to do the homework assignments before Professor Shaver kicks my ass. Lastly Advanced Data Structures looks pretty good. I got really good footing in the beginning of the semester and I've been coasting with c's on tests and 100's on assignments. I should be fine if I can continue good study habits.
I'm just worried the most about failing. And how to break that to my parents if it would happen. Might take the Jason Mohring approach and just sweep it under the rug and not tell them. Seems the easiest, but it could come back to haunt me.
Enough about school.
FFXI has been decent this semester. I'm almost done with getting *all* the relevant sky gear. Just need a few more kirin drops and abj's. I think im down to like 6 pieces total. It would be great to finish it all and never have to return to sky...but I'm starting to think that its bleak, and I'll return to the gardens later. There's been some talk about a salvage group starting next semester, and this has my biggest interest. I'm probably going to have to stop leveling RDM and focus on farming gil and meriting to prepare MNK and BLM for salvage. Gonna start to prep for it regardless and merit MNK. Don't really want to stop leveling RDM though...it's at 50 right now...so 4 more levels and its just Haste/Refresh/Cure spam in Aht Urghan areas till 75. Honostly, could probably go from 54-75 in 2 weeks over Christmas break. I just want RDM 75 so I can get some kind of priority on W.Legs and W.Hands in sky...only because im a loot whore. We'll just see what happens.
I've been playing DDR alot lately. We got a new arcade thats like 10 minutes away from my home, and its got the new SuperNOVA2 mix. The pad is kept up (atleast on one side). As much as I would like to be super-pro and get like AA's and AAA's all the time like some players...I don't have that much time/money to dedicate to the game....yet. So for now, I just try to go on a regular basis to attempt AA's and pass all the 10 footers. Mostly, I'm just going for the health benefits of staying physically active. Since last Christmas, I developed a Christmas pudge and I've been working on keeping it down. So back to the dedication point...since I've gotten back into DDR, I want to really play it regularly (almost daily). So I started browsing online and I got the idea to build my own machine. Not just some metal pads, not just a computer with stepmania, an entire machine.
I got this idea because I came across 3 links...after looking at these, my mind starting going! My DDR buddy Jay has already made his own metal pads, and they're pretty damn close to actual arcade pads (size, accuracy, etc). I found a link about pad construction, so with those 2 resources, we have that covered. Next, I came across a link that was a diagram for how to make the pads light up when you step on them. HOW AWESOME...just like the fucking arcade. Lastly...on DDR machines, the way to control what song you choose etc...is controlled by a "control box" which contains a left arrow, select button, right arrow (if you've seen a ddr machine you know what i'm talking about). So I start to think, all I have to do is build a pc to run stepmania...run S-video out to a tv...mount the tv...build a cabinet to support everything...OMG I CAN BUILD AN ENTIRE MACHINE. Which is the plan. Going to take 4 people on this. Myself, Jay, and my dad are going to be on the construction end. Black Friday, I'm going to build the PC and probably buy the TV. From there we begin pad construction and cabinet construction. That's where the 4th person comes in, Nicole. To take this project to the absolute maximum level...why not paint the cabinet to look like a DDR machine (not to mention you can have a matching scheme on stepmania like DDR Max2 for example). So I'm going to dig up some picture of DDRMAX 2 machines (favorite scheme, mostly black with red, orange, and yellow accents) and have her draw the logos n such on the machine. From there we can all paint it, I mean...im pretty fucking awesome at coloring in between the lines...as far as drawing the lines...yeah no. Regardless, this project is going to be awesome and I can't wait to see how it plans out.
Magic is going ok. I haven't made it to a FNM in a few months, but I've got a few opportunities coming up. Went to the Grand-Prix Atlanta where I was put in the Feature Match for round 3. And guess who I get paired up with...Gerry Thompson. Some background...Gerry Thompson is a pro player who writes for Starcitygames.com, has top-8'd on 5 Grand-prix's...4 of them being limited events. Needless to say, he stomps me 2-0, but it was fun to actually play a match against a pro. Game 2 I could have won if I was lucky...I had him down to 6 and enough lands to cycle resounding thunder, would have been funny. Regardless...i'm just trying to pick up a few cards for extended for when we travel to the World Tournament in Memphis in December. Four days of magic, BRING IT ON!
Well...I think my brain has slowed down. Going to try to work on some math homework that's due tomorrow.
XmarkX
Half-assed, not worth our fucking time
Just enough, that's how you live your life
Blood, sweat...We've put everything in this
Won't let, you ride our coattails anymore
You won't ride anymore
Along for the ride"
Long post.
Been awhile as usual, I've just been busy with everything...this semester has been awful. Right now I'm probably as stressed as it gets, and my brain is running at 500 brain miles per hour. So to counter-act this and try to slow down...I need to write...about everything. And it's not helping me that the game room has gotten worse. One of the kids brought in a pair of speakers. So people don't know volume control. I've come to an understanding that everyone likes their style of music etc etc. But damnit...play it at a tolerable volume. I'm playing mine at a tolerable volume behind my desk...but it's getting drowned out by Kate Perry and the usual country and or rap. Driving me fucking bananas.
School per usual has me worried for this semester...I think this is the closest I'm getting to (and might actually fail) a class. Computer Network Architecture (formerly Computer Organization & Architecture) has been the thorn in my ass for this whole semester. First, we had Professor Xu, so the class is already impossible because he teaches it very hard, doesn't explain much...basically most the work is on the student. He goes out for 3 weeks for back surgery. Professor Shaver comes in. VERY EASY...totally awesome. 3 weeks later we find out that Xu is not going to come back and Shaver cannot continue to teach the class, so Professor Clincy steps in. Badbadbadbadbad. Clincy is the professor who openly says "none of you will pass one of my tests". So I just got back our test, and I got a 51%. GRANTED...I did not study for this because the test was "open book" so I didn't study. I'm down to one more test...I just hope that I can focus enough to study for this appropriately. And even then, I pray that whoever gives me my grade takes into consideration what all our class section has gone through and I walk with a C.
My other classes are manageable. I just need to dictate proper time to each of them. Linear Algebra all in all is getting harder, but if I work at it, I can understand it. Computers in your world is a joke, I just need to do the homework assignments before Professor Shaver kicks my ass. Lastly Advanced Data Structures looks pretty good. I got really good footing in the beginning of the semester and I've been coasting with c's on tests and 100's on assignments. I should be fine if I can continue good study habits.
I'm just worried the most about failing. And how to break that to my parents if it would happen. Might take the Jason Mohring approach and just sweep it under the rug and not tell them. Seems the easiest, but it could come back to haunt me.
Enough about school.
FFXI has been decent this semester. I'm almost done with getting *all* the relevant sky gear. Just need a few more kirin drops and abj's. I think im down to like 6 pieces total. It would be great to finish it all and never have to return to sky...but I'm starting to think that its bleak, and I'll return to the gardens later. There's been some talk about a salvage group starting next semester, and this has my biggest interest. I'm probably going to have to stop leveling RDM and focus on farming gil and meriting to prepare MNK and BLM for salvage. Gonna start to prep for it regardless and merit MNK. Don't really want to stop leveling RDM though...it's at 50 right now...so 4 more levels and its just Haste/Refresh/Cure spam in Aht Urghan areas till 75. Honostly, could probably go from 54-75 in 2 weeks over Christmas break. I just want RDM 75 so I can get some kind of priority on W.Legs and W.Hands in sky...only because im a loot whore. We'll just see what happens.
I've been playing DDR alot lately. We got a new arcade thats like 10 minutes away from my home, and its got the new SuperNOVA2 mix. The pad is kept up (atleast on one side). As much as I would like to be super-pro and get like AA's and AAA's all the time like some players...I don't have that much time/money to dedicate to the game....yet. So for now, I just try to go on a regular basis to attempt AA's and pass all the 10 footers. Mostly, I'm just going for the health benefits of staying physically active. Since last Christmas, I developed a Christmas pudge and I've been working on keeping it down. So back to the dedication point...since I've gotten back into DDR, I want to really play it regularly (almost daily). So I started browsing online and I got the idea to build my own machine. Not just some metal pads, not just a computer with stepmania, an entire machine.
I got this idea because I came across 3 links...after looking at these, my mind starting going! My DDR buddy Jay has already made his own metal pads, and they're pretty damn close to actual arcade pads (size, accuracy, etc). I found a link about pad construction, so with those 2 resources, we have that covered. Next, I came across a link that was a diagram for how to make the pads light up when you step on them. HOW AWESOME...just like the fucking arcade. Lastly...on DDR machines, the way to control what song you choose etc...is controlled by a "control box" which contains a left arrow, select button, right arrow (if you've seen a ddr machine you know what i'm talking about). So I start to think, all I have to do is build a pc to run stepmania...run S-video out to a tv...mount the tv...build a cabinet to support everything...OMG I CAN BUILD AN ENTIRE MACHINE. Which is the plan. Going to take 4 people on this. Myself, Jay, and my dad are going to be on the construction end. Black Friday, I'm going to build the PC and probably buy the TV. From there we begin pad construction and cabinet construction. That's where the 4th person comes in, Nicole. To take this project to the absolute maximum level...why not paint the cabinet to look like a DDR machine (not to mention you can have a matching scheme on stepmania like DDR Max2 for example). So I'm going to dig up some picture of DDRMAX 2 machines (favorite scheme, mostly black with red, orange, and yellow accents) and have her draw the logos n such on the machine. From there we can all paint it, I mean...im pretty fucking awesome at coloring in between the lines...as far as drawing the lines...yeah no. Regardless, this project is going to be awesome and I can't wait to see how it plans out.
Magic is going ok. I haven't made it to a FNM in a few months, but I've got a few opportunities coming up. Went to the Grand-Prix Atlanta where I was put in the Feature Match for round 3. And guess who I get paired up with...Gerry Thompson. Some background...Gerry Thompson is a pro player who writes for Starcitygames.com, has top-8'd on 5 Grand-prix's...4 of them being limited events. Needless to say, he stomps me 2-0, but it was fun to actually play a match against a pro. Game 2 I could have won if I was lucky...I had him down to 6 and enough lands to cycle resounding thunder, would have been funny. Regardless...i'm just trying to pick up a few cards for extended for when we travel to the World Tournament in Memphis in December. Four days of magic, BRING IT ON!
Well...I think my brain has slowed down. Going to try to work on some math homework that's due tomorrow.
XmarkX