Gotta love the Register.

Microsoft's sex-obsessed RoboSanta spouts filth at children

Microsoft kills Santa Claus

and finally...

Microsoft accuses kids of bullying Santa into sex chat

Linguistically, the book is well written, twisting words around in interesting ways. The concept is also fascinating. Forget what the cover jacket says. It's not really about people wandering the earth as angels and demons. It's more about the fabric of all reality and the way it touches down in the world. There's something called "the Vellum," Duncan says, that provides the backbone to everything. There's also a language (called "the Cant") which is the fundamental language of reality. Knowing this language allows you to alter the Vellum, and by extension, the mortal world. People who can do this become immortals, locked in a struggle for reality. Those on one side call themselves angels and those on the other side demons. It's all semantics, but semantic are what shapes the world.

The idea that a base language shapes human thought (or reality) was used in Neal Stephenson's Snow  Crash. Duncan draws heavily from Sumerian myths, and I wasn't disappointed by his use of them, nor was I disappointed by his basic (if somewhat controversial-seeming) worldview. What got me was the characters. There are only 5 main characters in the story, but e see them in an infinite number of incarnations, parallel worlds, and whatnot that it's really impossible to keep them straight. Some of them keep the same name in every incarnation, some have 2 or 3. The author seems to be rambling, trying out new ideas. He really could have just cut the book in half, added its sequel, and made one nice, easier-to-read book.

The vellum also gets in the way. Characters weave in and out of it all the time and, you know what, it's not a special place. In fact, it acts almost exactly the same as the regular world, which makes it nigh impossible to tell when a character is in the Vellum. What the book really lacks is internal consistency. For some characters the Vellum is special, for some it's just life. Some characters seem to be immortals by going through a lot of similar lifetimes, some just live forever. Sometimes characters retain the same characteristics throughout incarnations, sometimes they are drastically different. It also seems like their lives would almost overlap with themselves....

Despite all the problems, though, Vellum is a fascinating read. I wouldn't want to read it again, though. In fact, I'm not always sure that I want to have read it in the first place. I just know that, having come this far, I don't want to stop.

I'm tired, and my legs hurt *a lot* for some reason, but I should probably report my major Squeeage.

I now have an mp3/mp4 player.

It was an early birthday present from my parents. Early because my mother wants me to evaluate it in case it should go back (apparently there's a very small return window). So far it's pretty good. It even plays video!

Well, it plays one video so far, the one it came with. It doesn't *actually* play mp4s, just .amv files, and I'm trying to get videos converted into that format. And the stress of trying to do that has been tiring. But I can't deny that having an mp3 player is great.

No birthday plans, other stuff kind of got in the way. So, I'll just see most people on Wednesday.

I got an e-mail about Darfur and decided to post it here rather than e-mail it to people (since I don't really e-mail people).

I unfriended a few people just now. If you look to find that you are no longer my friend and think that it's a horrible mistake, reply to this post. I must've accidentally unchecked the wrong box or something...

I had to turn off Anonymous commenting, because I just got a SPAM comment.

Bad enough I get a ton of it on MySpace (which I don't care so much about, because it's MySpace), but now they hit me where I hurt, on my LJ.

..

Y'know how now when you scroll over your friends' pictures, it says "LJ Talk: Offline"? This is why: Gizmo Project for LJ Talk.

I'm trying it, but, y'know, I'll be the only one online...

Play Lunch Time

This was fun.

Still sick, still at work. Neither of those things are good together.

I'm not positive that I can hold out until the end of the day.

Still here.

Anyone know of a good rpg video game? I'm looking for something that's like Kingdom of Loathing, but not online. ADOM is too frustrating, as is Nethack. And the other games I'm finding are just scripted adventure games that require me to read the walkthroughs every few minutes.

That's my thing for today.

Don't call me on my cell phone! As of tomorrow, I won't have it. If you don't have my home number, ask me and I'll give it to you.

This also means I won't be taking text messages, obviously.

On a related note, I'll be cutting down on activities a bit, because I'm completely broke.

Sometimes talking to a person in a bad mood just puts you in a bad mood.



Also, had a terribly depressing dream this morning that follows the theme of roleplaying stress. I don't think I'll be taking its advice.

Watching a show on Roman technology today and thinking:

Roman tech was roughly similar to tech around a hundred years ago (let's say). What would have happened if that level of technology had been maintained? There would have been no Dark Ages (but there would have been no Renaissance). What would life be like in the 21st Century? And what steps would history have taken to get there?

It seems I basically got screwed over by somebody who "no longer works" at this Temp company. I'm not sure who's decision that was, but I don't think his behavior was very professional, so...

However, the woman I just spoke to was very nice. She's going to try to get in touch with another placement person, try to find something, and call me tomorrow regardless. The "regardless" is kind of nice.

I can't connect to MWI. Grr.

Fuck everything. I'm not going outside again.

Everyone seems to be talking about eating better. Eating better and chocolate. So I've decided to mention that I've been having sugar cravings lately. I think that's why I've been drinking too much soda, which is very bad. I've been under a lot of stress lately (Saturday and yesterday I hurt my hand bad b/c of stress-related ocd stuff--banging it and stuff). Caffeine makes that a lot worse. But I want sugar!

Saw my new cousin today! I went to the HIP medical center near my house to check it out (since I changed insurance two days ago), go frsustrated b/c everyone in Customer Service was out to lunch, and left. As I walked down the block toward home, I saw my cousin and her new baby. It was cool, even though we had to cut it short b/c he was unhappy in the heat.

Okay, time to eat!

...he got hit on the head by a hailstone and he went to bed and he doesn't want to get up in the morning...

Blech. Not feeling great today. Then I went out in the hail to close the awning and got all my clothes re-soaked (I walked around with wet feet for 6 hours yesterday).

Apologies to qotcpcf but I'm not going to make it to the party tonight. Happy birfday! Have fun, everyone.

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.
- AA Milne

I can't log into my own livejournal. This means that I can only post through Semagic (if this even works...), and I can't read most peopele's posts. Anyone else having problems with this? I get a page of code (a style sheet, I think) when I sign in, then I'm not signed in. Just one in a long string of computer and internet problems that I've been having lately. The last, I hope. I thought updating Firefoxwould solve it, but that problem seems to not be my fault (my other internet .problems were helped, but not this one).

Well, let's see how this goes...



(5 MINUTES LATER...)

I checked the FAQ and logged was able to log in using the secure login. Yay! Now, I think the new Firefox has helped most of my internet slowdowns and other problems, with this fixed, I should have nothing else wrong.

...but that has nothing to do with this meme.


Go to Wikipedia and look up your birth day (excluding the year). List at least three neat facts, two births and one death in your journal, including the year.

August 28
EVENTS
* 475 - The Pannonian general Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his capital of Ravenna and appoints Romulus Augustus in his place.
* 1565 - St. Augustine, Florida, established. It is the oldest surviving European settlement in the United States.
* 1898 - Caleb Bradham renames his carbonated soft drink "Pepsi-Cola".
* 1953 - Nippon Television broadcasts Japan's first television show, including its first TV advertisement.
* 1979 - An IRA bomb explodes on the Great Market in Brussels.
* 2005 - A mandatory evacuation is ordered by New Orleans, Louisiana mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco as Hurricane Katrina moved nearer to Louisiana.

BIRTHS
1025 - Emperor Go-Reizei of Japan (d. 1068)
1749 - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer and scientist (d. 1832)
1828 (O.S.) - Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer (d. 1910)
1917 - Jack Kirby, American comic book artist (d. 1994)
1943 - Lou Piniella, baseball manager
1979 - Robert Hoyzer, German football referee

DEATHS
430 - Augustine of Hippo, North African saint and theologian (b. 354)
1987 - John Huston, American movie director (b. 1906)
2005 - Esther Szekeres, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1910)
2005 - George Szekeres, Hungarian mathematican (b. 1911)

IN ADDITION (HOLIDAYS)
Hong Kong: Liberation Day (1945)
Many Christian churches: feast day of Saint Augustine of Hippo.

I went a little overboard, but I was kind of fascinated by all the stuff that happened on my birthday.

I just bludgeoned my keyboard with a Butterfinger candybar.

Accidentally, of course.

Livejournal's blocked from work again. I'm so sad! No more
Cybersphere, no more Livejournal. What am I going to do now?

Oh, yeah, work...


(And I got rid of all my "can't view lj" backups--the file that tells
me how to post by e-mail and the link to my friends list rss feeds)

"Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening."
- Barbara Tober

I will not be at Mage Downtimes tonight, as I can't keep up the schedule of 2 DTs per week. Plus I'm tired today and my stomach doesn't seem to like me for some reason.

I will be at the game on Saturday and at Changeling DTs next week (but probably not Mage again, unless there's a reason for me to go). Sorry, Mage players, but my Thursday schedule already contains a few things that *cannot* be shuffled around.

Anybody have a copy of the Mage tabletop book, or whatever book mentions the Trinary Computer, or know a link to someplace that explains it?

I'm back from Florida. I had a great time and learned a lot about some things. I have some stronger friendships than when I left.

Happy New Year, everyone.

...know that on New Year's I'll be back again.

Oh, so no Downtimes at Neutral Ground for me tonight, since I'm in Brooklyn and there are no trains running. I'm not hopping on an express bus (whose service is going to be sketchy) and paying $4 to get there. Oh, and the BM4 stops running at around 8pm...

Mm, had good sushi from Omiya (best. sushi. ever.) and some miso soup to warm me up from my trip to the Post Office. Still working on some of my gift ideas and now getting distracted on IM by a 3-way conversation trying to plan gifts and parties (plus the usual day-to-day IM stuff).

Eh, all my ideas from before got erased from my brain by the fact that I stoped writing for almost 45 minutes. I've got memes for later!

(my monitor is squiggling. why?)

Sitting up this morning caused intense pain in my lower side back. So intense I was doubled over and could hardly breathe. It (mostly) went away but I'm taking a trip to the Emergency Room, since I lack a doctor :P

I'll be incommunicado for probably the rest of the day, as I'm not sure about the cell phone policy in ER waiting rooms.

As promised, here's the list of anime that I have on CD. They're all digisubs, but most are very good quality. I've watched all of it (except for one thing) but I'm giving it away because I either have it on DVD now or I'm not that concerned with keeping it around (and I can probably get it on DVD from my friends). Some things are missing episodes, but I'll probably fill those in. If anyone wants mini-reviews of any shows I'll be happy to give them.

Hack Sign 1-4
Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar 1-2, 5-24+Tokyo Breakfast (8 CDs)
Princess Tutu 1-9, 11-18,20-26, Specials 1-3 (7 CDs)
Wolf's Rain 1-13 (4 CDs--2 are SVCDs)batlev
Hikaru no Go 1-24+Special (8 CDs)
Chobits 1-14+AMVs (5 CDs)batlev
Boys Be 1-3
Kiddy Grade 1-24+Boys Be 13 (8 CDs)
Samurai Girl Real Bout High School 1-13+Omake & Interviews (4 CDs)
Kimi ga Nozuomu Eien 1-14 (4 CDs)
DNAngel 1-11 (3 CDs)
Full Moon wo Sagashitebatlev

Oh, so just reply to say that you're interested and I'll cross stuff off the list. First come is first served and all.

I'm in the process of putting my anime fansub DVDs in order. I'll post a list for anybody who wants to borrow them when I finish that.

I'm off to Brooklyn College (after my shopping errands) to watch my friends sing. I'll show up to Neutral when they do, later on in the night.

I get to go home now! Yay!

Two things on the chopping block:

I've decided to announce that my journal is Friends Only. Yes, it has been for a while, but I'm finally giving in and admitting it.

Secondly, I'm going to purge my Friends List. This isn't actually related to the first announcemt. I don't mind sharing with other people, but I've started only reading the journals of people I know and hang out with. If you don't fit into this category (there are a few people whose journals I've stopped reading but who I know, a little) and you find yourself defriended and would like to continue to follow the events of my life, reply to this post and I'll refriend you. I'm not dropping everyone, so don't mob me with replies.

Since it's Yom Kippur this week, and it seems that not many people will be showing up for Downtimes, I've decided to skip them as well. Some other stuff I have to do this week has been cancelled, so I'm just going to take it easy.

See everyone next week ^_^

A special Happy 21st Birfday to my twin sister Violet! Now go get drunk ^_^