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Written by Greg Lockwood
March 13th, 2008 · 5 Comments
Dear Nintendo,
We’ve been in a business relationship for quite a while now, and to be honest, I never used to have any complaints about my job. I mean sure, my line of work has never really been considered “easy” by any means, but in the early days it just felt so much more… rewarding.
Do you get what I’m saying guys? I wasn’t too fond of chasing a huge ape up a series of ladders, but with that fine-ass Pauline waiting for me, I didn’t mind. Same thing with running around Mushroom Kingdom, I don’t mind taking out a few Koopas since I know Peach is going to be waiting for me. (”At another castle”…God that joke gets so old)
But recently, you have been forcing me to do shit that just isn’t in my job description. I remember the first time Shigeru called me up. “Yo Mario, wanna go to a party? How about 8 of them?” And of course I said yes. That’s because my idea of a party is knockin back a few cold ones with some buds, some drinking games with the ladies, and maybe Superbad. But no, you twisted fucks’ idea of a party is to have me and all the assholes I hate run around in circles for twenty minutes. That’s not a party, that’s a track and field meet. Which brings me to my next point.
Have you seen my waistline in the last few years? I would assume not, because you’ve got me playing more sports than Michael Jordan. What on God’s green Earth gives you the slightest thought that I would make a good soccer player? Have you seen how long a fucking soccer field is? It’s ridiculous. While we’re talking about ridiculous things, whose bright idea was it for me to compete in Olympic events against Sonic of all people? He was about to retire anyways, but no Nintendo, you just had to bring him back and have him compete against me in track events. What were you thinking? He runs so fast you can’t see his fucking feet.
Finally, as I’m sure you’re all well aware, for most of my life, the enemies I have faced have all been relatively tame, being dispatched with a simple jump or three at the most. Now you want to take me and make me battle to the death against a man with a gun? I can punch him, he can shoot fucking bullets at me! You’re all assholes, I hate you.
Die in a Fire,
Mario
- Location:Seoul, South Korea
- Mood:
chipper
By Lore Sjoberg EmailMarch 04, 2008 | 1:43:14 PMCategories: Current Affairs
450pxgary_gygax_gen_con_2007
Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, according to Stephen Chenault, CEO of Troll Lord Games.
Gygax designed the original D&D game with Dave Arneson in 1974, and went on to create the Dangerous Journeys and Lejendary Adventure RPGs, as well as a number of board games. He also wrote several fantasy novels.
"I don't think I've really grokked it yet," said Mike Mearls, the lead developer of the upcoming 4th edition of Dungeons and Dragons. "He was like the cool uncle that every gamer had. He shaped an entire generation of gamers."
Gygax was not directly involved with Dungeons & Dragons after 1985, and his relationship with his former company, TSR Inc., was not friendly at first. The company sued him over his competing game Dangerous Journeys, and in a 2004 interview with GameSpy he stated that he was "pleased to say" that he thought the cost of the suit and settlement drove TSR to sell the rights to the game.
While reportedly unimpressed with the current edition of the Dungeons and Dragons game, he created adventures and settings that could be used with it, which were published by Troll Lord Games.
Gygax went well beyond the role of game developer and became an icon to gamers, appearing as himself in episodes of Futurama and Code Monkeys and participating in discussions on roleplaying-related message boards.
Gygax had been in poor health for some time, according to his wife Gail. Chenault says he will publish more information, including funeral arrangements, on the Troll Lord message board as it becomes available.
- Location:Seoul, South Korea
- Mood:
tired - Music:Serj Tankian-"Empty Wals" fom Elect the Dead Album
A link to the latest Iron Man trailer, A LOT of new content in this one, and I think the best so far. check it out.
- Location:Seoul, South Korea
- Mood:
sick - Music:The Weepies
From wiki- http://wiki.d-addicts.com/I_Hate_You,_B
This drama is a story about love, family, and the realism of people’s dreams! Each character will experience their joy, frustration, and pain at times as they live out their daily lives. Na Dan Poong is a company marketing team leader. Jang Hyun Woo is a plastic surgeon and Baek Ho's friend. Sun Jae is good looking, smart, and makes very good decisions. He has a girlfriend, Ji Young, who he met while they were in college. But to farther his ambitions, he breaks up with Ji Young to marry Bong Soo Ah whose father is the owner of Bonjour Foods.
Cast
* Han Ji Hye as Na Dan Poong
* Kim Ji Suk as Kang Baek Ho
* Lee Joong Moon as Jang Hyun Woo
* Jo Dong Hyuk as Na Sun Jae (Dan Poong's brother)
* Yoo In Young as Bong Soo Ah
* Lee Young Eun as Hwang Ji Young
* Lee Sang Yoon as Seo Woo Jin
* Kim Hye Ok as Lee Jong Soon (Dan Poong's mother)
* Kang In Duk as Na Ki Tae (Dan Poong's father)
* Kim Young Ok as Ms. Choi (Soo Ah's grandmother)
* Kim Hae Sook as Oh Dong Ji (Baek Ho's mother)
* Lee Jung Gil as Bong Man Soo (Soo Ah's father)
* Lee Ja Young as Hwang Mi Ae (Ji Young's aunt)
* Kim Chan Woo as Oh Dal Hyun
* Eva Popeil as Sonia
* Park Joon Mok as Oh Chan (Mi Ae's son)
* Kim Sung Hwan as Hwang Jae Bok
* Suh Seung Hyun as Hwang Dal Lae
- Location:Seoul, South Korea
- Mood: calm
- Location:Seoul, South Korea
- Mood:
blah - Music:Regina Spektor
Napoleon Death: Arsenic Poisoning Ruled Out
By LiveScience Staff
posted: 12 February 2008 11:33 am ET
The results of the study show high levels of arsenic in Napoleon Bonaparte's hair throughout his life, suggesting he was not poisoned at the end of his life while in exile on the island of Saint Helena. Rather he probably absorbed arsenic constantly throughout his life, the researchers say.
The cause of Napoleon's death has been in dispute for a long time, with some saying he died of stomach cancer and others suggesting arsenic poisoning during the Emperor's final years on Saint Helena, off Africa in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Hair samples
For the new study, physicists at the University of Milano-Bicocca and the University of Pavia compared the arsenic levels in hair samples taken from Napoleon Bonaparte at various stages in his life with levels in hairs from Napoleon's son (the King of Rome), Empress Josephine and 10 living persons.
The Napoleonic hairs studied by the Italian team came from when he was a boy in Corsica, during his exile on the Island of Elba, on the day of his death (May 5, 1821) on Saint Helena and on the day after his death.
Samples taken from Napoleon’s son in 1812, 1816, 1821 and 1826, as well as samples from the Empress Josephine, collected upon her death in 1814, also were analyzed.
The hair samples were provided by the Glauco-Lombardi Museum in Parma (Italy), the Malmaison Museum in Paris and the Napoleonic Museum in Rome.
The hairs were placed in capsules and inserted in the core of a small nuclear reactor at the University of Pavia. The technique used is known as “neutron activation," which has two advantages: it does not destroy the sample, and it provides extremely precise results even on samples with a small mass, such as human hair samples.
The researchers, including Ettore Fiorini of the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics and the University of Milano-Biccoca, found traces of arsenic in all the hair samples and were surprised by their findings.
Surprise levels
First, the level of arsenic in the hair samples from 200 years ago was found to be 100 times greater than the average level detected in samples from persons living today. In fact, the Emperor’s hair had an average arsenic level of around ten parts per one million, whereas the arsenic level in the hair samples from currently living persons was around one-tenth of a part per one million.
In other words, at the beginning of the 19th century, people evidently ingested arsenic that was present in the environment in quantities that are currently considered dangerous.
The other surprise was that there were no significant differences in arsenic levels between when Napoleon was a boy and during his final days in Saint Helena. According to the researchers, including toxicologists who participated in the study, it is evident that this was not a case of poisoning but instead the result of the constant absorption of arsenic.
- Location:Seoul, South Korea
- Mood: amused
- Music:Regina Spektor
$172.99
| Model | |
| Brand | ASUS |
| Model | M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition |
| Supported CPU | |
| CPU Socket Type | AM2 |
| CPU Type | Athlon 64 X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 |
| FSB | 1000MHz Hyper Transport (2000 MT/s) |
| Chipsets | |
| North Bridge | NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP |
| Memory | |
| Number of Memory Slots | 4×240pin |
| Memory Standard | DDR2 800 |
| Maximum Memory Supported | 8GB |
| Dual Channel Supported | Yes |
| Expansion Slots | |
| PCI Express x16 | 2 |
| PCI Express x4 | 1 |
| PCI Express x1 | 1 |
| PCI Slots | 2 |
| Storage Devices | |
| PATA | 1 x ATA100 2 Dev. Max |
| PATA RAID | NV RAID 0/1/0+1 JBOD |
| SATA 3Gb/s | 7 |
| SATA RAID | NV RAID 0/1/0+1/5 JBOD |
| Additional RAID Controller | Sil 3132 |
| Onboard Video | |
| Onboard Video Chipset | None |
| Onboard Audio | |
| Audio Chipset | ADI AD1988B |
| Audio Channels | 8 Channels |
| Onboard LAN | |
| LAN Chipset | NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP |
| Second LAN Chipset | Marvell PHY |
| Max LAN Speed | Dual 10/100/1000Mbps |
| Rear Panel Ports | |
| PS/2 | 2 |
| COM | 1 |
| USB | 4 x USB 2.0 |
| IEEE 1394 | 1 x IEEE 1394a |
| eSATA | 1 x eSATA 3Gb/s |
| S/PDIF Out | 1x Optical, 1x Coaxial |
| Audio Ports | 6 Ports |
| Onboard USB | |
| Onboard USB | 4 x USB 2.0 |
| Onboard 1394 | |
| Onboard 1394 | 1x 1394a |
| Physical Spec | |
| Form Factor | ATX |
| Dimensions | 12.0" x 9.6" |
| Windows Vista | Certified for Windows Vista |
| Features | |
| Power Pin | 24 Pin |
| Features | 1 x External SATA port 1 x WiFi-g antenna jack WiFi-AP Solo USB wireless module supports IEEE802.11b/g |
| Packaging | |
| Package Contents | M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition User Manual Driver Disk Rear I/O Panel Shield IDE/PATA Cable FDD Cable 6 x SATA Cable 3 x Power Cable USB Bracket IEEE 1394 Bracket SLI Bridge Wireless Antenna Optional Fan ASUS Array Mic ASUS Q-Connector Kit |
| Manufacturer Warranty | |
| Parts | 1 year limited |
| Labor | 1 year limited |
With this processor
$159.99
| Model | |
| Brand | AMD |
| Processors Type | Desktop |
| Series | Athlon 64 X2 |
| Model | ADX6400CZWOF |
| CPU Socket Type | |
| CPU Socket Type | Socket AM2 |
| Tech Spec | |
| Core | Windsor |
| Multi-Core | Dual-Core |
| Name | Athlon 64 X2 6400+ |
| Operating Frequency | 3.2GHz |
| HT | 2000MHz |
| L1 Cache | 128KB+128KB |
| L2 Cache | 2 x 1MB |
| Manufacturing Tech | 90 nm |
| 64 bit Support | Yes |
| Hyper-Transport Support | Yes |
| Virtualization Technology Support | Yes |
| Multimedia Instruction | MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, 3DNOW! Professional |
| Voltage | 1.35-1.4V |
| Thermal Power | 125W |
| Cooling Device | Cooling device not included - Processor Only |
So thatis a running total of
$332.98
Still need a cooling fan for the procesor, ram, case/powersupply, videocard (only gonna start with oe then move up to SLI and a second one), etc etc
*edit I may rethink the wireless thing. not sure yet.
- Location:Seoul, South Korea
- Mood:
anxious - Music:Azure Ray"Hold on Love"
- Location:Seoul, South Korea
- Mood:
disappointed - Music:The Weepies "Not Your Year"
So It is the New Year holiday here, so I only had to work on Monday and Tuesday. Some friends and I ventured to the Yong Pyong Ski Resort, about 3 hours from Seoul by bus. (http://www.yongpyong.co.kr/eng/index.asp) There we decided to go snowboarding/skiing. All in all it was a good time, I just don't think I am cut out for snowboarding. Only one person out of our 7 person International Winter Sports team had ever been on a snowboard. (2 of them were excellent on the skis though.) This meant there was a lot of falling, and bruises, near concussions, and even more cold butts. As I am so sore I can hardly lift my arms, I will keep this brief. (pictures should be posted shortly, if I can obtain them) Here are some tips to remember when snowboarding for the first time. 1.Snow hurts when you land on it. 2.Snow is cold. 3.Plummeting down a mountain with a board strapped to your feet at what seems to be 100 mph is scary. 4 Snow hurts even worse when you fly backwards through the air and land on it from a few feet up. 5. nix the snowboard and get a pair of skis. To quote our team's resident Italian, "Next-a time you get the skis, and stick-a with me." Luckily all our team emerged from this trip relatively unscathed. (though one person did give us a scare) While we won't win any medals for performance, we should all get one for sheer grit, and how stylish we looked while falling. Well I am off to lay in bed and recover for the weekend, which will be spent looking for a drying rack.
- Location:Seasons PC Bang: Seoul,South Korea
- Mood: sore
- Music:Dashboard Confessional
I have decided to rebuild a new desktop system. So, i need advice folks. I know HOW to build one, I just need some input on good components to buy. i am thinking of a quad core processor and such. I know the exact components depend on how much I want to spend. does anyone know any links to some good tech blogs that may better assist me on who is making the good stuff these days.
- Location:Seasons PC Bang, Seoul South Korea
- Mood: tired
Here are some little teaser pics.
Tony testing his repulsor tech.
That is not CGI folks. Its good old fashioned special effects. In fact very little CGI will be used
in the movie. Amazing stuff huh?
That is not CGI folks. Its good old fashioned special effects. In fact very little CGI will be used
in the movie. Amazing stuff huh?
- Location:Seasons PC Bang, Seoul South Korea
- Mood:dorky
- Music:The Misfits
Captain America, Back from the Dead (Sort Of)
See a Page from the New 'Captain America' Comic (PDF)
EnlargeThe original Captain America takes on Adolph Hitler on the cover of the comic's premier issue in 1941. Marvel Comics
Morning Edition, January 30, 2008 · In the alternate universe of comic books, there's a crisis brewing between the U.S. and Russia. America is being threatened by a former Soviet general and his Nazi partner. Sounds like a job for Captain America.
But Captain America died last year, shot by assassins on the steps of the federal courthouse in New York City.
On Wednesday, a new issue of Captain America hits comic book stores and with it comes a new Captain America. It's not the same character ... he's still dead. But the comic didn't die with him.
Ed Brubaker writes Captain America for Marvel Comics. For the past year, his stories have been about the loss of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America or "Cap," and about the search for his killer. One particular character has featured in many of those tales — Captain America's oldest friend, James "Bucky" Barnes.
"Bucky is kind of a very conflicted character who's trying to find some redemption, and his closest friend is basically taken away from him before he can really reconcile with him," Brubaker says.
Bucky and Captain America fought against the Nazis and the Japanese in World War II. According to Marvel Comics lore, both disappeared in the final days of the war.
This is where it starts to get complicated.
Steve Rogers (Captain America) was found frozen in ice in the mid-1960s and revived to become an American hero, thwarting villains with his signature Shield.
Bucky was also found frozen, but he was revived by the Soviets, who turned him into an evil killer known as The Winter Soldier. This character is now, once again, a good guy, but he's no Boy Scout. Unlike the modern version of Captain America, Bucky carries a gun.
Brubaker says he wasn't trying to stir controversy by adding this element to the Captain America character. But he says criticism comes with the territory when you're writing the adventures of an American icon.
"All liberals want Captain America to be standing on a soapbox outside the White House bashing President Bush," Brubaker says. "All right-wingers want Captain America to be ... over in Afghanistan punching Osama in the face," just like in the first issue, when he was smacking Adolph Hitler, the writer says.
I am not sure how I feel about this. On one hand yeah Cap has used a gun before, he is a soldier but on the other hand he always seemed above that.
I suppose the thing to keep in mind, this is not Steve Rogers as Cap anymore,
it is Bucky a.k.a The Winter Soldier. Times they are a changing.
- Location:Seasons PC Bang: Seoul,South Korea
- Mood:
curious
I think I may be addicted to Techno Mart.....so many floors of gadgets...I don't even really have to buy any...... I just like to look.......its like a giant robot full of gadgets exploded and was rebuilt into a mart, a Techno Mart no less.
- Location:Seasons PC Bang: Seoul,South Korea
- Mood:
contemplative - Music:Stars-In Our Bedroom After The War
- Location:Seasons PC Bang: Seoul,South Korea
- Mood: chipper
- Music:The Weepies-"Take it From Me"
So apparently the pigs of Korea have something to fear in me, as my insatiable appetite for them continues. I have discovered my second favorite Korean dish, Donkas, its a friend pork cutlet sent from the heavens smothered in Korean secret sauce. It is quite tasty. I love it so much I now know how to order it on a menu written only in Korean!! So, go me. Today was my first official day of teaching, everything went well. It will go even better once I figure out how to pace my classes better. I either run out of time or finish the lesson way too quickly and end up talking about Thomas' (one of my students) pet fish. He is orange and yellow, does not have a name, and apparently does not enjoy scrambled eggs, the fish not Thomas. So I have 3 more days left this week and hopefully by the end I will have figured this teaching thing out. Then it is off to the splendor that is Techno Mart. So peace out yall. To everyone back home I miss you all!
- Location:Seasons PC Bang, Seoul South Korea
- Mood:determined
- Music:Azure Ray, Hold on Love
I met up with a friend over here and went to Technomart, it is the mecca of computers, digital cameras, pretty much anything tech oriented that you could ever want, packed into a 9 story building. Yes folks that is 9 stories. There is also a movie theater and restaurants there as well. Its a pretty rad place indeed.
- Location:Seasons PC Bang, Seoul South Korea
- Mood: content
- Music:The Arcade Fire
- Location:Seoul, South Korea
- Mood: cold
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| So this is exactly where in Seoul I will be going, the Gangseo District. I thought I would give yall a little info about it, for those who care. Peace. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Location:Mob-Town
- Mood:
aggravated - Music:Harry Connick Jr.-'Star Turtle" Album
For The Record:
A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.
Apparently only using the copy and paste feature in a blog is forbidden. Who knew?
So I have been listening to the Stars album "In our Bedroom After the War" incessantly for the past few weeks. Its good, you should probably pick it up. One particular song, Take Me To The Riot, is a favorite.
" Good news is my shoes is lined with all my nickels and my tens
Let's do them! Just feed me... I hate when I have to go to sleep
You despise me and I love you
It's not much but it's just enough to keep..."
So I leave for Seoul on Monday, finally. These past few weeks have been a torrent of packing and E-2 Visa regulations. So much so that I have hardly had time to think, which is probably a good thing. If i had a dime for every time someone had asked me if I am nervous about the big move I would be at a Coinstar right now. The answer is astonishingly no, not really. Which is a shock for anyone who knows me, I tend to be the nervous type. Here is to hoping my resolve does not fail me now.
- Location:Mob-Town
- Mood: cold
- Music:Stars-In our Bedroom After the War
