Geek vs Life

From Jon’s previous discussions with me regarding this GVL business, I’ve basically come to the conclusion that, well, fashion isn’t on the “important to learn about” list. Totally understandable, completely expected. From reading the several very informative categories on the right side of the screen, it would appear that the idea of “fashion” may exist in more RPGs (Fable had some good outfits) than in real life.

HOWEVER, let’s pretend you’re single… And if you are single, well, let’s pretend you wish you weren’t, y’know, alone all the time. You want to attract a (insert your gender preference here, because in my world, it doesn’t matter which you prefer in this scenario). Your Blizzard shirt, Decepticon-logo’d hoodie and your ever-present cargo pants may not be the perfect armor to go into battle with. Luckily, I’ve come up with a few easy (and CHEAP!) ways to improve your social status without looking like (prepare to cringe) Ryan Seacrest. “Seacrest OUT!” was a catch-phrase that should have caught on… literally.

Us here at GVL International Headquarters don’t always know what’s “in” or “cool” or even “adaquate” when it comes to fashion. We’re gamers! Not fashionistas! If it passes the smell test, it’s good enough.

Heck half the time we have to restrain Joe from walking out of the office wearing only his underwear. More than once we’ve had to ask the question: “Joe, where are your pants?”

That’s why we make friends like Lindsay. She makes us slightly less indecent to look at. Just slightly.

GVLifer JoshuaBryan is known for many things. His fascination for board games, Neil Gaiman comics, music knowledge and more. To me though what always comes to mind is how much he has traveled in the past years. Recent travels have included adventures to Australia, Japan, Mexico and more.

The Ethnologue lists more than 6000 languages in the world. I can speak 5 of them but only four conversationally: English, Spanish, French and Covenant. So I thought, what better way to wish Joshua a happy birthday than by saying it in 168 different languages?

Happy Birthday Josh! (this one doesn’t count.)

A few weeks ago I performed my poetry live, for the first time. I was so nervous in the weeks leading up to it, I thought I would die.

I’ve had an almost sick obsession with music. The one problem: I can’t play an instrument, (unless you count the ocarina or bongos) Well hell, so I started writing about music, like an angry husband writing dirty letters to his cheating wife. …

Until eventually, I started working on my spoken word album. I was finally happy, ecstatic that I was asked to play the show.

Then the fear set in.

I began drafting new poems. Poems like silken, root beer bj, silken2, rip out my eye. I was a mess.

When the day came, I packed my iPod and my inscribed copy of Almost Transparent Blue and headed on down to SoHo (New York City).

Robert Jordan died yesterday. He was the author of the “Wheel of Time” series. Robert Jordan is a pen name. His real name is James Rigney Jr. This was announced on his website www.dragonmount.com. The site is down right now because of too many hits right now. I never read his series, but I respect his accomplishments in the Fantasy genre. All condolences to his family, friends, and fans.

This post is for a very special friend of mine who is celebrating his 25th birthday today. Happy birthday Joe, I give you Pi to the 1 millionth digit!

**Edit**

Apparently, Pi to the 1,000,000 will bring the site to its knees. So here is Pi to the 10,000 digit! Not as impressive, but still…

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Funny when its my mom who’s the one that points me into the direction of a video that seemed pretty interesting. The short, thought provoking film shows global statistics as well as estimates that relate to the ever changing world that we inhabit. According to the website that is made for the video (http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/) it is meant to make us think about how to prepare ourselves, and our students, for the 21st century. The version I was sent is an updated one from the first video, which was made in early 2007. Both can be found on YouTube by typing “Shift Happens,” but embedding them here seemed like a good idea as well.

First, the updated one:

And the first one:

People don’t watch TV anymore. It would be nice to believe that it is because the general constituency has adopted a healthier lifestyle, but alas that’s not quite the case.

If you look at the numbers published in various publications, TV viewership is down to new lows reminiscent of the days before three TVs in each household was the norm. Some media critics would like to blame the poor quality of shows being broadcast as the sole reason why the ratings are so thin. In general, there is at least a modicum of truth to that. Where have all the fresh ideas gone? Next Fall, look for the Bionic Woman to hit the air, really.

Bad concepts aside, the problem lies somewhere else: technology. New media, new formats which were meant to be supplemental to the TV watching experience have supplanted the medium.

So, on June 13th, did you Blog Like It’s The End Of The World or were you among the huddled masses, hoping it all just blew over?

I, for one, was taken by the bug to blog on my LiveJournal, which I’d be happy to point you to, but will not be posting the link here; comment with where you’d like the link sent, an email in anti-email-farming-bot form is preferred.

At 12 midnight on June 13th, the dead rose. It was not immediately apparent from the accounts, but as reports came in throughout the city, nation, and the globe, it appeared a pandemic of epic proportions was evolving. Stories of cities falling and the military taking over were abounding!…

Then, as the clock struck midnight at the end of June 13th, it was over. The zombies were nowhere to be seen and the siege had ended.

Superman is dead! Long live the Bat!

BBC News Report

Want one of the best educations money can buy, without the cost? Ok, so you get no recognition for it, and no direct contact with the faculty, but MIT has put their courses online. For free! It’s everything that you’d get in class minus being in class, and the teacher. Personal edification FTW!

MIT OpenCourseWare

This media release was sent to me by the Paradigm Research Group about a goverment alien cover-up conspiracy. it mentions “the end of a 60 year truth embargo imposed by federal authorities.” Interesting stuff, read below for more info.

April 4 2007

Press Release

Re: Disclosure Developments

Washington, DC, Almost one year ago on April 24, 2006 the Paradigm Clock, which tracks proximity to a formal acknowledgment of an extraterrestrial presence engaging the human race, was reset to 11:59:45 - 15 seconds to midnight. Such an acknowledgment is referred to as Disclosure and would mark the end of a 60 year truth embargo imposed by federal authorities. The explanation for resetting the time included this statement:

Based upon an analysis of multiple circumstances within and outside the nation, PRG has concluded that America is now facing an unprecedented crisis which has opened a window to disclosure wider than at any previous time.

I like her. She is smrt.

I actually read a lot of blogs. I try and check my friends page on LJ almost everyday and I subscribe to the blogs of most of my friends here on Myspace. I find it amusing to see what people are doing or thinking. Often, it will allow me to hear about stuff that we might not discuss in real life, or then again, allow us to elaborate on a certain post. Blogging has become a broad spectrum way of communicating, gone are the days of having to re-tell the same amusing little anecdote over and over again. Blog it and technically, everyone of your closest friends should know. Simple.

I know I am not the best typist, I typo at a regular rate and I am okay with that. My grammar is poor in most cases, but we can easily mark that up at me being born, raised and educated in French. Not that my grammar in French is really flawless either mind you.