ElfKetchup's LiveJournal

"Too hard to follow? It's cool, I have graphs and stuff in my room. And puppets. You like puppets?"

2009-12-19T05:01:32Z

I rarely make New Year's resolutions. Not because I have anything against them, but because my birthday occurs near the end of the year, and since I care more about my age than whatever the biggest number on my calendar is, I usually make new resolutions on my birthday instead of at the beginning of January.

Well, I've only been 23 for less than a week, but I like to think I'm doing pretty well. Now, it may just be the novelty and optimism talking, but still. One of my resolutions was to spend more time doing productive things, so now, instead of playing Fallout 3 or Star Wars: The Force Unleashed – Ultimate Sith Edition (the latter being something I got for my birthday), I actually spent nearly all my free time today alternately reading programming books, and reverse-engineering open-source projects I found on the Internet.

Hmm... well, that's not entirely true. After dinner, I did spend a few hours playing the demo for Katawa Shoujo, which was recommended to me by some people. It's a game – technically, a "visual novel" – about a seemingly normal teenage boy who suddenly finds (in a very painful and unpleasant manner) that he's got congenital heart disease. His parents then send him to a school for disabled children. From this point on, like a lot of other visual novels, the story becomes a quest for finding life, love, and happiness... especially the love part.

At first, I thought the game might turn out to be kind of cheesy and gimmick-ish... but instead, it not only had a good story, but the characters themselves are incredibly interesting. And it's definitely... I dunno, impressive, I suppose? when one considers that this is technically, as someone put it, "a Japanese-style dating sim about disabled girls made by some people from 4chan."

...yeah, I was surprised too.

Anywho, I already finished the demo (too bad the full game is still in production!), so it's back to doing what will hopefully be worthwhile things for the remainder of the night!

I'm dreaminggggg of a whiiiiiite Christmaaaaas~

2009-12-07T18:32:52Z

There is snow. Here. In the San Francisco Bay Area.

The hills around town are covered in the stuff.

...too bad there isn't any right around my workplace, or I'd go out and build a snowman during lunch break.

November goodness! (though the iMac came out in October)

2009-10-25T12:50:10Z

I woke up at 3 in the morning because I was hungry. While searching around for something good to eat, I realized something. Something very (okay, not really) important...

National Novel Writing Month starts in a week, and I'm STILL not sure what I'm going to write about.

...which isn't to say that I don't really have any ideas. I do, but I don't know how good they really are. Could I could really squeeze 50,000 words out of any of them? Maybe I could mix them all together to form some unholy literary abomination, but after thinking about it, I doubt it would be as funny as it sounds. Or maybe I could recycle some old, failed ideas that should yield a better wordcount... ah, who knows! ^_^

On a totally unrelated note, the new iMac came out. It looks less like a desktop computer, and more like a High Defintion TV with a wireless keyboard and mouse bundled with it. Also, Apple's new mouse is awesome.

Anyways, speaking of November events, Dragon Age: Origins and Star Wars - The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition come out on the same day (November 3). The former looks like an epic 40+ hour RPG, and since it's made by Bioware, it'll probably be ridiculously awesome. The problem is, I don't have a good PC to play it on, and while I could get the XBOX 360 version... I dunno, it just seems like the experience wouldn't be as good as it would be on the PC. I'll wait until I have a good-enough gaming computer before I go out and get it. The latter game, of course, lets people play as a Sith Lord. It'll be a good "consolation" for not getting Dragon Age, I suppose. XD

This sounds really random when I re-read it.

2009-10-14T02:32:57Z

Some time ago, I came to the conclusion that the only reason I still have a LiveJournal account is because of the LJ communities I'm a member of. I hardly ever post here anymore, and I only keep up with like two or three of the people on my friends-list (and I just skim through everyone else's entries... and that's probably not something I should have admitted). "I'm really just here for the communities" really doesn't sound like the best reason to keep an LJ account, but... oh well, it's what I've got. =3

And on a totally unrelated note, National Novel-Writing Month is coming up. I'm really not sure if I'll do it. While I'm pretty sure I could make room on my calendar if I really wanted to, I don't really have a good idea for a story this year (not yet, anyways), and I'm feeling just a little bit apathetic...

...oh, what the heck, I'll just do it anyways. Might as well at least TRY, I guess. ^_^

Anyways, it's rainy, cold, and windy; pretty unusual weather for October in this part of the country. I dislike rain, and the "cold" and "windy" part just makes it worse, but at least it gives me a good excuse to get some really good soup. Mmm, warm soup... too bad only a few restaurants are serving clam chowder today. Guess I'll have to find a yummy alternative.

Also, Windows 7 comes out sometime this month... not sure if I'll upgrade yet (my boss suggested waiting until the first Service Pack was out), but I'll definitely look at it once I see it in stores. =3

yawns

2009-09-09T07:08:48Z

I might get a new job soon. I've already updated and sent out my resumé, though whether or not I actually get hired elsewhere remains to be seen. Anyways. In other news, my life is... actually pretty unremarkable otherwise. Been busy, and in my spare time, I study. It's probably not the most fun way to pass the time, but I it's productive and for a good cause.

...hmm, I'm trying to think of something else to write about and now I remember why I haven't updated this blog in so long. I did a lot of stuff, but most of it was so minor or not-really-interesting that I can't think of anything good to put up. Oh well. Let's see… I did some work. I studied. I met people. I thought about things. I did things. And in the end... in the end, I really need to sleep, because I'm supposed to wake up early tomorrow and it's almost midnight.

That's just how I roll. =3

A tale of sorrow and geekery

2009-07-29T17:18:36Z

The past three days have not been good to my Gateway laptop. I've had to wipe the hard drive and re-install EVERYTHING from scratch, not just once, but three times. The really surprising part – to me, at least – is that it's been running Linux this whole time. Major system failure's nothing new on Windows, but I'd kind of been expecting more from a Linux system. -_-

On Sunday night, I installed Ubuntu 9.04, 64-bit Edition. I brought it to work the next morning, updated / installed some software, etc. When I got home and turned it on, however, I got something that resembled the “static” sometimes seen on TV. I'm not exactly sure what caused it – my guess is that it might be the new drivers I installed for my graphics card – but I'm not about to try testing that theory out.

It was at this point that I abandoned Ubuntu and dug out a copy of Fedora Linux, version 11. For some reason, my laptop couldn't read the “standard” DVD (maybe due to the fact that the actual disc isn't a normal kind of DVD), but I had a regular CD (with the “Live” version of Fedora 11) with me, and it had a handy “Install to Hard Drive” option, so I went with that. I strongly suspect that installing from the Live CD gives different results than installing from a regular DVD, but whatever. Less than an hour later, I had Fedora 11 installed on my laptop.

The next day, I brought my laptop along again and tried to update the software... only for it to give me some weird error (“software update image corrupted” or something like that, I think). Worse, whenever I went online, Firefox would sometimes freeze up when I opened more than one tab. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason; it just would just lock up at seemingly random times. And when Firefox froze up, the rest of the system froze along with it, meaning that I couldn't move the mouse, type on the keyboard, etc... I just had to manually turn off the computer and turn it back on. I couldn't update anything, install any new software, or even go online anymore to look up answers without worrying that the whole system would crash. I think I had the system freeze up on me nearly a dozen times before I finally gave up on using Fedora.

In the end, I just stuck the standard 32-bit edition of Ubuntu Linux on my laptop and ran all the “normal” software updates. Later I'm going to install some more software; hopefully nothing goes horribly wrong again.

On the bright side, I didn't really lose anything; pretty much all of my stuff is backed up on external hard drives, on my desktop, and on my Mac laptop. And speaking of which, I think I finally understand now why just about every IT professional I've met so far prefer Macs over everything else. -_-

Anyways, these are all the computers I own right now:

1.MacBook (October 2008) – laptop – Running Mac OS 10.5
2.Gateway (2007?) – laptop – Running Ubuntu Linux 9.04 (32 bit edition)
3.Sony Vaio (2004) – desktop – Running Windows XP / Xubuntu 9.04 (32 bit edition)

Most of the “real work” (especially software development) is done on the MacBook. The Gateway is used mostly for writing and general fooling-around. The Sony Vaio is used almost exclusively as a back-up machine; I keep a lot of my stuff on it in case anything happens to my other computers.

He probably wants this song to be in Guitar Hero

2009-07-19T03:24:10Z

Danny Choo, the Grand Pimp Master of Japan, hard at work:

(If anyone's curious about the song, it's the ending theme from the anime K-ON!)

The beam saber probably doesn't work either.

2009-07-17T01:38:46Z

Some people may remember my mention of the life-size (18 meters tall) GUNDAM being built in Japan. Well, it's now finished, and the opening ceremony was a few nights ago:

...weapons systems are SO not online, but it's apparently got a good sound system and can light up in tune to old-school anime theme songs.

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T19:41:27Z

Happy 4th of July! ^_^

An old enemy reappears! ominous music

2009-07-03T22:22:58Z

I woke up this morning to find ants crawling around where I sleep. Now, there's no food (not even a bread-crumb!) anywhere close to where I sleep, so I thought it was a little strange. They also went to the bathroom, and I'm pretty sure that if I looked hard enough, I'd find them in all sorts of other weird places too. Ironically enough, there aren't all that many ants in the kitchen.

I haven't seen any ants in this house for a while, so for them to suddenly pop up and start scouting out my place is... well, a little strange. I did see a skunk wandering around my backyard last night though, so I'm curious if there's some connection here (skunks almost never come to my backyard).

On a completely unrelated (and happier) note, I got a whole bunch of new albums today. Well, not all of them were new ("Secret Voyage" by Blackmore's Night came out last year, I think), though most were ("Morning" by Janice Vidal just came out today).

Anyways.

Also, I may have found a way around my problem with Firefox. Now, when I look down at my dock, there are FIVE browsers there.

I sat in the front row, too.

2009-06-28T18:09:45Z

I went to church for the early-morning service, and it wasn't until I got home that I realized I forgot to comb my hair. I'd gone out with the back of my hair sticking up, Sasuke Uchiha-style.

...well, maybe not that bad. Nobody told me I had "duck-butt" hair. Still, this is probably why I usually got for the right-before-lunch service... at least then, I'm awake enough to remember where my hairbrush is. -_-

I don't think Firefox likes me anymore.

2009-06-28T14:44:57Z

I've noticed a really weird bug in Firefox. For seemingly no reason, it will sometimes log me out of EVERYTHING. I'll be commenting on LJ, posting on a forum, etc., and suddenly I get a message that I'm no longer logged in. Then I'll go to other websites, and it turns out that I've been signed out of those too.

It's a pretty minor thing, really. I mean, logging back in takes all of what... ten seconds? But it seems to happen at least once a week. It seems like a recent problem, so it might only be this version of Firefox that's affected. Still, it's kind of annoying... I wonder if it's just my laptop that's got this weird quirk, or if anyone else is affected.

Heck yes.

2009-06-26T04:54:58Z

As some of you may know, there's a live-action movie version of Avatar: The Last Airbender in the works.

I found the trailer.

Dayyyyyuuuuummmm. ^____^

"I'm a slave to the system I inhabit / to my good and bad habits..."

2009-06-03T23:42:54Z

"I do believe that cockroach is writhing in agony."
"That's okay. Pick it up and throw it away."

Had a busy day at work. The morning was spent running CAT-5 cables (used for Internet connections; they have nothing to do with small furry animals) through the dirty, dusty attic of a large building. Then, I found that the one working computer in that building was starting to have some serious problems, so now it's sitting on my desk, innards exposed, while I perform what amounts to computer surgery on it.

My boss also seems to be disappearing every so often. He'll work in the office for a little while and then vanish. While this is good, since I can play whatever music I want and go online to do whatever, he also didn't leave many instructions as to what he wants done. Most of what's on my to-do list today is guesswork on my part.

On an unrelated note, I started playing Fable II again... for like the first time this year, I think. Last time I played, my character was a good guy who used swords, guns, and a little bit of magic. This time, I'm playing as a mass-murdering hobo who relies almost exclusively on a combination of fire magic, necromancy, and the Time Control spell. As some Fable players can guess, I'm doing pretty much everything wrong on purpose to see what effects it has on the game world.

KHY hugs kittens; you should too.

2009-05-30T02:20:10Z

A few months ago, I met an interesting person. He'd done quite a bit in his life, and he had plenty of stories and experiences to share. And since he'd seen and dealt with a lot of things first-hand, he also had plenty of advice and ideas.

Oh, and he was only a few years older than me. It made me wonder about my own life. I found myself thinking: hey, I've been alive for 22 years, and in that time, I've done a lot too, right?

Well, maybe that's not entirely accurate. A better way to say it would be that I spent a lot of it being busy. I spent a lot of time doing things, but I don't think there was really all that much variety. Whether it's going to school and studying, or going to work and doing my job, a lot of my time was spent going to the same places and doing the same things.

Is this a bad way to live? I'm not sure. I don't think so, but I also think a lot of things are best learned firsthand. This lack of variety means that I've got a pretty limited set of personal experiences and perspectives to draw from. Sure, I have plenty of secondhand knowledge, but the problem with that is that while I may understand the idea on a mental / theoretical level, it might not really seem... "real," I suppose.

If I ignite a cup of gasoline, the explosive force would be equal to detonating five sticks of dynamite. If I'm in a race-car and need to make a high-speed turn, I should maintain my speed but shift transmission to a lower gear. If I go to a restaurant in Japan and ask for a "kansho," I'd get a bill for food, but if ask for a "kancho," I'd just get snickering and maybe a poke in the butt. I know these things because other people have told me, but while I may understand these ideas in my head, it's in a clinical and distant way; it doesn't seem as real or true or personal as firsthand experiences would be.

And the examples I gave are for things that are pretty small and insignificant. What about the more important things in life? What about the knowledge and ideas I think are more important? How many of them are based off of second-hand or third-hand knowledge?

In the end, the moral of the story is... well, I'm actually not sure. Buuuuut, I do think this blog entry is long enough, so I'm gonna stop working on it, and go out and, you know, live life or something. Toodles. ^_^

I feel you, brother.

2009-05-27T21:45:33Z

Finally, a man who can explain... THE PLIGHT.

Though an analogy I'd better relate to would be... I dunno, cars, maybe. Or food. Hmm... *scratches chin thoughtfully*

"Donuts? I love donuts!"

2009-05-19T22:55:30Z

Cars meets Tokyo Drift:

^___^

"I'm a guy named T.O.P. / my love's all bling-bling / like L.E.D."

2009-05-12T00:09:54Z

Chuck Norris saves a bakery.

...good times.

On an unrelated and more personal note, I beat Tales of Vesperia. It's a pretty good game, and certainly satisfied any JRPG cravings I might have had while waiting for Final Fantasy XIII, which isn't going to be released until next year. -_-

"Once I get up / I will rock / never stop / you can be sure / I'm your number one"

2009-05-04T20:46:55Z

OHOHOHO I FINALLY BOUGHT GRAND THEFT AUTO IV.

...during lunch break at work, of all times. But now I'm poor. Oh well.

And... yeah, don't really have anything else to say. But here are some pictures of nice (or at least interesting) computer workspaces I found at one of the forums I go to:

Actually, now that I think about it, all the devices in that last one are here at work, so I could rebuild it here... but the catch is, I don't think the people currently using them would appreciate it if I took their stuff to make a pimped-out workspace for myself. Oh well. Such is life.

My budget can cover the burger... the giant robot, not so much. =(

2009-05-01T20:31:12Z

Just found out that there are two interesting things being made in Japan now.

The first is a life-sized GUNDAM Mobile Suit:

The second is the Quarter Pounder restaurants. They're McDonald's restaurants, actually... but in order to attract more people, two McDonald's in Tokyo have been converted into establishments that sell exclusively Quarter Pounder burgers (plus fries and drinks, of course). Everything else is gone... even the traditional McDonald's design.

The entrance:

What the inside looks like:

The menu / ordering:

The food:

Sooo... basically, it's a more sleek and classy-looking version of McDonald's, but with only two items on the menu. It seemed a little weird to me at first, but looking at those pictures, it seems like those two places are doing pretty well.

And now I want a burger.

Shadow Hare, defender of Cincinnati!

2009-04-30T19:43:01Z

I heard from reijigin that some 21-year-old guy has decided to become a superhero. He wears a spandex outfit, and spends time handing out food to homeless people, and patrolling the streets of his city. He even "busted a shoulder" trying to stop a man from beating up a woman. He also calls himself the "Shadow Hare."

I'm not making any of this up. There's an article about it.

My first thought was this whole thing was... really silly. My second was that I found that I respected the guy. As dumb as this sounds, he can honestly claim that he's making the world a better place. How many people in his age group can claim that they spend their free time helping/saving people? To be honest, mine is usually spent playing video games and goofing off online. -_-

So, while I doubt that I -- or anyone else reading about him -- will be prancing around in tight outfits and saving the world, I've gotta say that I think he's strangely inspiring.

Meanwhile, I have to go mow the lawn. Toodles.

"The day comes when we'll have to say goodbye / Replay, replay, replay..."

2009-04-29T22:15:54Z

My new nephew's still healthy, as far as I know. Some of my other relatives visited, and word is that he's going to be named Hezekiah... which would be difficult to shorten with a nickname. I mean, there's "Zeke," but, uh... yeah. Maybe I'll just call him "Lil' H" or something.

I'm currently blogging at work. I don't think my boss minds, but then, he's busy doing web design and listening to stoner music, so he probably wouldn't notice. I think he'd take it easy on me anyways, since my right hand was injured due to excessive yardwork (no, seriously).

I'm going to go leave in a half-hour and go swimming, anyways. But for now... I think I'll hang out and relax. And I've got SHINee's "Replay" blasting in my ears via my headphones. Everytime I hear this song, I always get the urge to hang out at my college campus, and sit under the trees on a warm Spring afternoon with a bowl of yummy food and watch people walk by.

The rise of the next generation

2009-04-26T04:25:01Z

My 20-year-old cousin just gave birth to a baby boy. The baby is currently in an incubator, due to being born a few weeks premature, but otherwise, both child and mother are healthy. I'd visit, but there's a seven thousand mile distance between myself and the hospital, so... it could take a while. -_-

Anyways... I guess this makes me an uncle now. ^_^

I'd play it.

2009-04-23T01:38:14Z

Hello Kitty Online.

It's a real MMORPG now. ^_^

Just another April day?

2009-04-15T20:10:14Z

I'm at work, reading stuff and having a frappuccino.

My boss is at his desk nearby, listening to stoner music.

Walking down the hallway outside reveals that about half the staff is nowhere to be found.

This is a typical afternoon at work.

...also, I haven't eaten lunch yet.