Trip's Brain-Sucking Web Site

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Trip's Life (Recent episodes)

5 Most Recent Comments
2008-05-15:  "Re: thermion reduction for cats" by Trip
2008-05-15:  "thermion reduction for cats" by cat
2008-05-10:  "Re: gaming" by Trip
2008-05-10:  "gaming" by marith
2008-05-13:  "Re: Ayakashi" by Trip

15 May 2008 - Thursday

Thermions: DO NOT WANT

Nasal Tree Sex: DO NOT WANT

Work: Okay, that bit seems to work. Mostly.

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: Rewatched the last episode of the first disc of World of Narue, now that GreenCine has sent me a non-broken disc. (They were actually very nice about it.) Still high-school romance, with random alien activity.

Silly Computer Games: My Ikariams are chugging along. I'm putting my building material into upgrading production, which is not all that exciting. I have buckets of gold, though.

Cats: The cats don't want these thermions either! Fortunately there are fans and linoleum.

Writing: Triple check. Current status: nominal.

thermion reduction for cats by cat (Fri May 16 12:20:06 2008)

What i did for Cinders in LA was to take some ice packs out of the freezer and put them on the kitchen floor. I would move them around every 10 minutes, to keep on giving her cool spots. I don't recall if she appreciated it. I would also put ice packs on top of her, which was really funny - she's first go "oh, you put something on me," then she'd just sit and sit and sit, then after quite a handful of minutes she'd sit up all suddenly and startled going "Hey, something is cold!" =D (I'm so mean to teh kittehs.)

I thought about building a cool box for them to sit on - basically just a little platform that i could shove ice packs under - but never got a round tuitt.

Re: thermion reduction for cats by Trip (Fri May 16 13:43:55 2008)

Yah, a couple of summers back when we had the GIANT RADIOACTIVE MUTANT THERMION ATTACK, I provided the kitties with cold packs. I don't think I can do that now, though, because I'm not home at all during the day. If I took cold packs out of the freezer in the morning, they would be melted by the time the afternoon thermion wave started.

What I should really do is set up the window air conditioner you and Earl gave me way back when.

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14 May 2008 - Wednesday

Work: Well, that's that piece done. Now I need to write a script that will allow humans to do the thing to the thing with the other thing, without their heads exploding.

Random Encounters: Dave's cousin, Micah (sp?), who spontaneously showed up for anime because he was in town. He seems cool, but I can't figure out who it is he looks like.

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: 1 episode of Azumanga Daioh while waiting for Earl to return from learning to read the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, and then I showed Dragon Half to those who had not previously been exposed to its wackiness (and also to Dave).

Marith thinks I should write Dragon Half fanfic. I look so dubious.

Silly Computer Games: My city on Lambda has its first colony! Sweet sweet crystal glass production, you will be mine!

Cats: Twelve paws trying to shed excess thermions into the kitchen linoleum!

Maddie Cat let me oppress her with snuggles before anime! She is so cute!

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: 2 days behind.

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13 May 2008 - Tuesday

Work: La la la.

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: For a while we thought Neil and Marith might have been dead, but they finally showed up.

  • Kaleido Star 23: The doom of special training!
  • Ayakashi 2.2-2.3: The doom that comes to people who mistreat cats! Muahahaha!
  • Kodocha 29: The doom of grandparents!
  • Le Chevalier d'Eon 13-14: The doom of mysteries and angst!

Everyone liked the Bakeneko arc of Ayakashi, so next week we will begin the spin-off series, Mononoke. Two weeks later, when the first season of Kaleido Star is finished, we will watch either the second season or Dennou Coil, depending on what Neil's wife says.

Silly Computer Games: Ikariams still chugging along. Come make cultural exchange treaties with me! Come make trade treaties with me on Zeta! There is no escape!

Cats: Twelve paws!

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: 1 day behind.

Ayakashi by Dave (Wed May 14 12:35:27 2008)

It wasn't so much mistreating cats, as mistreating someone who treated the cat well.

Re: Ayakashi by Trip (Wed May 14 13:34:07 2008)

Don't forget the bit where <rot13>gurl jrer grfgvat bhg gurve snxr fjbeqf ba pngf</rot13>.

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12 May 2008 - Monday

Work: Ew, Monday. Still zombified from staying up too late Saturday night.

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: My Ikariams are chugging along but not very interestingly. I think I need to start investing in better production for the islands I'm on, so I don't have to spend so much time saving up building materials.

Cats: I wonder what Ghirardelli was hissing at outside the front kitchen window. I suppose it could have been his own reflection, but you'd think he would have noticed that before.

Writing: Double check. Current status: nominal.

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11 May 2008 - Sunday

Gaming: Ayse is still crushed beneath the end-of-term schoolwork, so there was no actual gaming. (This may be for the best, since my brain was very small from staying up too late and I'm a pretty marginal GM at the best of times.) Instead, Dave and I played Carcassonne with Ken. Dave won through luck: first, Ken was kind enough that he was about to play the piece he had been seeking for ages in a silly place, and second, he got the one remaining piece that had a single road leading in and clear on all the other edges, letting his big guy get into the field of infinite points that Ken and I only had regular guys in. Bah!

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: Yay my Lambda city beat back a brutal, unprovoked assault! Many slingers gave their lives for the cause, but they will be remembered with honor.

Cats: Twelve paws!

Writing: Check. Current status: 1 day behind.

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10 May 2008 - Saturday

Visitations: I slept on the inflatable thing in the library, which was not as ventilated as my usual nest on the couch, but maybe it was for the best that I was behind closed doors, because when I emerged there was a zombie lying in wait! Robert and Kate held it off while I made my escape, though.

Joshua won a softball(?) game while I was asleep. Go Josh!

Chris and the Zablettes were around for part of the day. The Zablettes are now alarmingly mobile.

Because we came up last night so that Marith could be awake today, of course she couldn't sleep a wink all night and spent most of today in a coma.

Gaming: Harold did show up eventually, so we could play...

Amazon Quartet of Justice XIIIb: "The Lunatic King of Marginalia! Tentacles Attack AGAIN!"

While Natalya and Marika are busy with the urchinarium, the other four Amazons plot their next move. The leads they have are the Giant Pulsating Illithid Brain at the Center of the Ultraverse, Daniel in his magical prison, Samuel in the drow city, the steel-cage death match for the swing vote in Nööl, and the ingredients for the detentacularization ritual for Queen Ditte. The death match has a scheduled date, so the only thing that can be done there is to give the fire giants' best female warrior a powerful magic axe in exchange for helping them out. Of the remaining leads, the scavenger hunt seems most tractable, so the Quartet get the list from Stephen.

Most of the ingredients are obscure, but not difficult to obtain for the Amazons. The one exception is a moonstone, by which is meant not the ordinary translucent blue gemstone, but some sort of pearl-like orb that can be obtained from a kind of monster known as a moonbeast. Moonstones are reputed to induce a neurotic possessiveness in the owner, so getting one may be difficult, but nothing ventured, nothing gained! After some divination magic, the Amazons set out for Marginalia, the kingdom at the northern limit of mapmakers' knowledge, where the king has recently received such a jewel.

The vagaries of magical travel necessitate a brief detour, during which Our Heroines learn that Princess Lisbet has sent troops into southern Marginalia, on the border of the ruins of Avalon, so that the final battlefield can be surrounded when the time comes (which she believes will be soon, although no evidence has been presented).

Finally, Marginalia! The merchant who had not known beforehand that he was going to be the Quartet's local contact is a bit surprised when they appear out of thin air, but a letter of introduction smooths everything over and he gets them an audience with the king for the next day.

Some research determines that the average Marginalian on the street thinks the king is a good ruler, although he's seemed distracted lately. Fortunately, the first chancellor has been taking care of things. Also, Marginalia hasn't had a war in long enough that they're eager for one.

The magic shops of Marginalia, which have not already been picked clean by the Amazons or burned by horrible snake monsters, yield up a bounty of new cloaks of Charisma, as well as the most stylish pair of darkvision spectacles anyone has ever seen.

The next morning, Our Heroines are presented to the king, and Gabrielle makes the pitch for the International World-Saving Alliance. The king, perhaps due to his magically befuddled state, is noncomittal, but the young aristocrats of the realm are so gung-ho that the chancellor has to agree to schedule a meeting for the following afternoon. As the Amazons depart, the chancellor tries to buy them off on the assumption that they're ordinary con artists, but he is quite mistaken and has to follow through on his promise of a meeting with the king.

Gabrielle tries to explain to the horde of noble youth trying to swear eternal devotion to the Amazons about the difference between a cause and a cult of personality, but with only limited success. She and Amaryllis spend the night carousing.

In the meantime, Alyra has been skulking invisibly about the castle, but the king never takes off the moonstone and is never alone, so she eventually gives up looking for burglary opportunities.

When the Quartet arrive for the meeting the next day, the first chancellor and some of his minions are there, along with the captain of the guard and a few pages. According to the chancellor, the king will be joining them shortly, but he tries to get the Amazons to go away by the fiendish tactic of agreeing to their every demand. However, Gabrielle sees through his tricks, and stalls him with details.

Suddenly, there is panic in the halls of the castle!

Alyra, who has been lurking outside while Gabrielle, Amaryllis, and Fresa meet with the ministers, discovers a huge invisible monster invading the castle, terrifying all who come near it and leaving a broad trail of disgusting slime!

The first chancellor makes a run for it, but Gabrielle freezes him in his tracks before he can more than open the door. The captain of the guard and all the Amazons rush out into the throne room to see what is going on. They see the king and queen and a few servants fleeing one monster, but heading right for where Amaryllis hears its invisible comrades lurking! She yells a warning, but only the king and queen and one guard hear her, and the others, along with Amaryllis herself, are seized by unseen tentacles!

Fresa and Gabrielle are put to flight by the monster's aura of magical fear. Alyra dives for the king, but doesn't reach him until moments after the first monster crushes him in its tentacles. Nevertheless, she scoops up his body and teleports away. This leaves Amaryllis as the only Amazon facing three invisible monsters.

Gabrielle and Fresa return in time to find the quivering body of a creature like an immense column of writhing tentacles, which they put out its misery while Amaryllis chases down the last of the two tentacle-bearded, bat-winged giant heads that made off with three courtiers. Two of the courtiers have been eaten, but she rescues one, who understandably swears his entire life to her service.

In the aftermath, the first chancellor declares himself regent and has the queen taken somewhere secret and surrounded with loyal guards, for her own protection. Gabrielle, who is now his best friend, manages to keep him from taking his coup any further before Amaryllis can retrieve Alyra and the king's body (sans moonstone, which now resides in a sealed lead box) and have Fresa call the king's soul back from the realms beyond. Fortunately he is willing to return, and no one except the Amazons has seen him in a verifiably non-animate state, so the chancellor is forced to hand back the reins of the state and wait for a better opportunity.

After Our Heroines' amazing feats of derring-do in defense of the Marginalian crown, there is no doubt that a new member has been added to the Alliance!

* * *

I apologized to everyone for being a munchkin with a horribly twinked character, but I don't think it helped.

Visitations, cont: Marith slept some more, but we made Al and Sherilyn entertain us until sometime after 22:00, when we finally woke Marith up and made her drive home. We got back about 1 in the morning.

Food: Too much, as usual when visiting Roseville. We have to make sure Sherilyn cannot possibly think we're hungry.

Silly Computer Games: Ikariam kept chugging along without me, as it should.

Cats: Number of paws: Still twelve! YAY!

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: 1 day behind.

gaming by marith (Tue May 13 22:44:06 2008)

I apologized to everyone for being a munchkin with a horribly twinked character, but I don't think it helped.

I can't imagine why people are not more receptive to your apologies for saving the day. :)

Re: gaming by Trip (Wed May 14 11:21:53 2008)

But other people should get to play too!

gaming by marith (Wed May 14 15:52:39 2008)

That wasn't your fault, it was the fault of the invisible tentacled horror with fear attacks! Unless Amaryllis talked the GM into letting her take the "Fail Save" spell last level and sneakily cast it on the rest of the party. In that case you can apologize some more.

Re: gaming by Trip (Wed May 14 16:37:27 2008)

Nah, fail save is a cleric spell. :)

(Actually, I bet you could do it with bestow curse, which most classes can cast.)

At least Sherilyn didn't give Amaryllis the special sorcerer artifact that looks like a school uniform before sending in the tentacled horrors!

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9 May 2008 - Friday

Tentacles: In fact, colossal tentacles!

Work: Yay Friday!

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visitations: Marith, Dave, and I trundled away to Roseville so Marith can sleep there and be awake when we game with Sherilyn tomorrow.

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: Ikariamu, Ikariamu, la la la.

Cats: Aspen slept between my feet and then came to stomp all over me this morning!

I hope the kitties will be okay while I am gone!

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: nominal.

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8 May 2008 - Thursday

Work: Now I keep developing this code while it's being reviewed. Blargh.

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: Yay! I can start upgrading one of my governors' mansions to get rid of corruption! (It seems weird when you put it like that, but apparently it's supposed to be the administrative center for the colony, not just a mansion.)

Cats: Twelve paws of fuzziness!

Writing: Double check. Current status: 1 day ahead. (But I expect to lose at least one and maybe two days this weekend to AQoJ expedition, so that's not as good as it sounds.)

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7 May 2008 - Wednesday

Work: Ack, code review.

Gaming: Earthdawn! Ayse was buried under homework, so we declared her character to likewise be busy studying while the rest of the PCs became bored and wandered off to sack the recently-discovered Hidden Cavern of Secret Evil. We found what we initially thought might be a bank but later realized was a thieves' guild hideout, fought off some undead (we didn't have our nethermancer along, so of course there were undead), found some bodies that had been bricked up in a wall, and scarpered with a possibly-cursed dagger and a whole crate full of coins. Yay Legend Points! Yay cash! (Unless the kaer government decides they don't believe in the right of salvage, in which case we will Sulk.)

I think these Legend Points will go to improving Isidari's Melee Weapons, Taunt, and Thread Weaving talents. Or maybe into looking sad that there isn't a good way to improve initiative.

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: Wow, commerce is the way to get lots of gold. Who would have thought?

Cats: Twelve paws!

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: nominal.

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6 May 2008 - Tuesday

Work: Documentingu documentingu la la la.

Fiendish Plans: Check!

Events: Apparently it's National Pet Week! Yay pets!

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: Yay Tuesday Night Anime!

  • Kaleido Star 21-22: All the preparatory doom has been dealt with, so it's time for the end-of-season Extra Doom! (However, it is probably not the sort of doom suggested by the line from the trailer, "The things reflected in her eyes! The things reflected in her eyes!".)
  • Ayakashi 3.1: The fabled bakeneko ("goblin cat") doom begins! With a unique and slightly confusing art style! It is easy to see which character gets the spin-off series (Mononoke).
  • Kodocha 27-28: The doom! But it is nice to see that even though Hayama is about 897325 times more sensible than Sana, he is still a kid.
  • Le Chevalier d'Eon 12: Most of us thought family pride was a lame motivation for that much doom. I have no idea whether it seems more forgivable to a Japanese audience, or heck, even a less freakish American audience.

Also, the first disc of Dennou Coil has finished burning, and the process has been started for Mononoke discs. I also have Spice and Wolf to burn, although I'm waiting for the OVA/episode 7, which is supposed to be out in Japan at the end of this month (so presumably it will be fansubbed and torrented by the first week of June).

Silly Computer Games: Ikariam thinks that in addition to spending 5500 lumber to upgrade my palace to support a second colony, I also need to spend 5500 lumber to upgrade the governor's mansion in each colony. So, that second colony is actually three times as expensive as I thought. Bah!

Cats: Twelve paws!

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: 1 day ahead.

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5 May 2008 - Monday

Ded of teh Kyute: The mother duck and her ten offspring were in the fake stream again today. The offspring are getting quite large and ducky; I don't think they count as ducklings any more.

Work: Argh, people want me to stop fiddling with this project and release it, even though it's not at all perfect.

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: Most of the first disc of World of Narue, an unexceptional romance comedy about alien girls who go to school on Earth and the boys who love them. Like the Trigun disc, it had a strange semicircular crunched bit at the outer rim so the end of the last episode on the disc wouldn't play right. I'm sure it's not the case, but it really looks like a DVD-handling robot has its grip strength turned up too high. Bah.

Silly Computer Games: Unlike last time, where I deliberately colonized an uninhabited island because it seemed cooler, I colonized a populous island so I wouldn't have to build up the resource mines by myself. And indeed, they are both quite high-level!

Muahahahahahaha!

Cats: Twelve paws!

Writing: Check. Current status: 2 days ahead.

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4 May 2008 - Sunday

Gaming: There was no Brunnewald because Ayse is full of homework, so instead Ken and Dave and I played Starfarers of Cataan. Ken and I were each about a turn from winning, and Dave a couple of turns away, when a fortuitious event placed victory within Dave's grasp and he crushed us like the insects we were. This happened about twenty minutes before we would have had to quit for the evening anyway, so all was well (except the part where I didn't win).

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: YAY! I can finally start my palace upgrading! The upgrade will complete sometime in the early hours of the morning, so when I get up I can plant a new colony on a shiny shiny crystal glass mine!

Cats: Twelve adorable paws of tussling!

Writing: Check. Current status: 2 days ahead.

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3 May 2008 - Saturday

Lizards: Marith gave me a copy of Nurk, so I gave her a copy of The Queen's Bastard's Breasts!

Gaming: I suddenly realized I was doing the thing with words and links between them all wrong. Now I should do it correctly. Also, read stuff that clarified that I am doing all gaming wrong. (Because I suck.)

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: I really hope I don't get raided before I save up enough lumber to improve my palace.

Cats: Twelve paws!

Writing: Double check. Current status: 1 day ahead.

The Queen's Bastard's Breasts! by kit (Wed May 7 07:30:22 2008)

laughs!

Re: The Queen's Bastard's Breasts! by Trip (Wed May 7 09:12:33 2008)

It is a very fine book! It just has a very striking cover!

Re: The Queen's Bastard's Breasts! by kit (Thu May 8 09:54:56 2008)

Yes. Yes it does. O.O

Re: The Queen's Bastard's Breasts! by Trip (Thu May 8 10:34:28 2008)

Or maybe more like (_)(_) ...

Re: The Queen's Bastard's Breasts! by kit (Sat May 10 08:45:21 2008)

LAUGHS!

Trip FTW!

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2 May 2008 - Friday

HAPPY HAPPY AL-DAY!!

Work: It kind of works a bit more now.

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: Most of the first disc of Trigun. Halfway through the last episode on the disc, it crapped out. I asked Greencine to send a working copy, but so far I don't see why it is such a fan favorite. Maybe this is because I am a hundred jillion years old.

Silly Computer Games: Ikariam continues to entertain me. At this rate, sometime around Sunday evening I will be able to begin upgrading my palace to support a second colony.

Cats: Twelve fuzzy paws!

Writing: Double check. Current status: 1 day ahead.

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1 May 2008 - Thursday

Work: It sort of works! Especially if I er use the correct hostname for SMTP service.

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: Argh, my capital on Zeta has been pillaged! By bobfather from Bobbolopolis v3, who I declare to be a Rat Bastard!

Time to buy some sulfur and build a few phalances.

Also I started a city on Lambda. Sadly, it also is on a marble island, so I do not get to experience the fun of starting on an island with some other resource.

Cats: Twelve paws that scamper upon the fresh sheets and ride in the laundry basket!

Writing: Check. Current status: nominal.

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30 April 2008 - Wednesday

Work: Why do you hate me, mail system?

Gaming: Yay Earthdawn! This session, we explored a creepy tower with a spell carved into it and some sort of undead thing tearing up our books to paste up (in Elven, spelled phonetically in Dwarven characters) "I have been in this tower for 117 years 239 days 16 hours 2 minutes 19 seconds. I am very very bored. I have been in this tower for 117 years 239 days 16 hours 3 minutes 24 seconds." etc. We spent a lot of time trying to get its attention without much luck, and finally ended up going home with all the intact books after waffling whether to just euthanize[1] it. When we got back and looked things up, it appears we may have made the right choice, since the undead was acting rather like a known and very nasty type (possibly with Debate instead of Dance as its key skill). Further planning is required. On the other hand, we have a book that should have vanished when Parlainth (sp?) removed itself from the world but didn't, and which may tell us more about our magic items.

[1] I don't know if that's the right word for undead or not. I mean, it's already dead, so "thanize" might not apply, but on the other hand, "euthanos" can be translated as "true death", which is a fairly common phrase for putting down undead. I bet Dwarven has a clear and unambiguous word for this.

Silly Computer Games: Now I have to save up lumber to upgrade the lumber mines on both islands I inhabit so I can more quickly get enough lumber to upgrade my palace in the capital and build a governor's mansion in the colony. This may take a while.

Cats: Twelve paws of cute miauing!

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: nominal.

Silly Computer Games by Ken (Thu May 1 18:29:38 2008)

Where are you in the world? I'm at 66,75.

Re: Silly Computer Games by Trip (Thu May 1 20:27:44 2008)

My capital is at 79,18 on Zeta. Once I get a level 3 embassy, we should form an alliance!

Re: Silly Computer Games by Trip (Thu May 1 22:36:56 2008)

And on Lambda, I'm at 40,21. But I just started there.

Re.: Silly Computer Games by Jeremy (Sun May 4 09:49:23 2008)

I resolutely ignored this just as long as I could. You're a very bad man. Lambda 61:90, still trying to professionalize my military.

Re: Silly Computer Games by Trip (Sun May 4 10:34:44 2008)

Muahahahahaha!

Someday we'll research Foreign Cultures, and then we can form a Lambda Alliance!

Re: Silly Computer Games by Jeremy (Sun May 4 13:44:28 2008)

Must resist urge to make Greek jokes....

Re: Silly Computer Games by Trip (Mon May 5 09:13:56 2008)

But there are so many to choose from!

Re: Silly computer games by Marith (Tue May 6 23:44:41 2008)

Jeremy, have I explained that you need to play the Submachines games yet? :)

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29 April 2008 - Tuesday

Work: Check.

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: Check!

  • Kaleido Star 20: Oh the doom of the shrimp costume!
  • Ayakashi 2.3-2.4: Oh the doom of people who mostly deserved it so it wasn't as tragic as the first arc!
  • Kodocha 26: Oh the doom of the earlier unwise decision!
  • Le Chevalier d'Eon 10-11: Oh the doom of being in Russia!

Silly Computer Games: Yay, I have enough building material to colonize! I am the first empire to land on this fine island of grapes and lumber!

Sadly, I will need approximately a zillion hours of lumber production to upgrade my palace enough for a second colony.

Cats: The cats were oh so very helpful this morning. But Aspen walked all over me and fiercely attacked my fingers and toes when I wiggled them under the blankets, which is a good sign!

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: 1 day ahead.

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28 April 2008 - Monday

Work: Successful success! And then some flibbling around that hopefully will lead to additional success when it's finished.

Gaming: Now I should come up with an adventure for M&M, although it looks like it will be cancelled this fortnight, so maybe I have time.

Visual Entertainments: First disc of Hell Girl. Only in the fifth episode did it look like they were even thinking of changing the formula of "suckweasel does something awful, victim who is too young to know better sells soul for revenge", so I am dubious about continuing. On the other hand, there was a clear progression in the heinousness of the crimes, so perhaps there is something that's being set up.

Silly Computer Games: Yay, I have researched Expansion! Now I just need to log for a while so I can build a Palace, and then sweet sweet colonization will be mine! I wonder what resource I should try for?

Cats: Twelve tussling paws!

Writing: Check. Current status: 2 days ahead.

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27 April 2008 - Sunday

Gaming: Ken turned out to not be full of germs after all, so there was gaming. However, the GM was incompetent so it wasn't very good gaming and hardly anything really happened. Using hero points to seize narrative control and make things happen is just not in our group's idiom. (I feel like I could do it, if someone else were running, but Carl has evolved beyond such primitive mechanics, and no one else is into it, and I'd probably spazz in the execution anyway.)

Silly Computer Games: Ah, apparently my growth was stagnating because town size is limited by the level of the town hall. I can fix that! I can also sell some marbles to this guy on another island for 40 each! W00t!

Cats: So many kitties! So cute! But not so snuggly, because there are thermions. Bah!

Ghirardelli rubbed his cheeks on my beard to claim it as his own, and then bit my chin. I think he has been hanging out with Marmalade the Beard-Licker too much.

Writing: FAILURE (and on a weekend, how lame). Current status: 2 days ahead.

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26 April 2008 - Saturday

Gaming: I really really should write this stuff down. But it may not matter since Ken is full of germs.

Visual Entertainments: First disc of Red Garden. It is weird, but possibly interesting. The main characters don't seem to be very good at asking simple, concrete questions like, "What is that?" or "Why should we kill it?". I'm not sure if that's a girl thing, a Japanese thing (the characters are supposed to be American, but the show comes from Japan), or just a human thing.

Silly Computer Games: More Ikariam. Someday I will find someone to buy my marbles!

Cats: Aspen flopped down on the bed with Marmalade while I was sitting by it reading, so I oppressed her greatly with the pettins! I was good and did not try to demat her fur or clip her claws or anything, though!

Writing: Triple check. Current status: 3 days ahead.

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25 April 2008 - Friday

Work: It's like victory, only without sendmail properly executing the script it should be delivering to. The permissions all look right...

Gaming: I should probably write some of these ideas down.

Auditory Entertainments: Marith and I went and listened to Smorgaschord (Harold's a cappella group) at the coffeehouse, because we like Harold. A bunch of other people didn't go and listened, for the obvious reason.

Silly Computer Games: My Ikariam town is slowly growing. It would be growing faster if I could queue up building improvements. Still, I have some nice marble.

Cats: Twelve adorable paws!

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: 1 day ahead.

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24 April 2008 - Thursday

Work: That's like progress. Kinda.

Gaming: Okay, so if the NPCs do that, this way, and that other person gets involved... Okay, it might not suck entirely. (Only mostly.)

Visual Entertainments: First disc of Mouse. The character designs in Witchblade now almost reasonable. Also, it's amazing how much a good plot or dialog could make up for, if either were present.

Silly Computer Games: A little NPPAngband but mostly I wasn't too lame.

Cats: Twelve paws!

Writing: Double check. Current status: 2 days ahead.

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23 April 2008 - Wednesday

Work: Bah. Bah, I say!

Gaming: It is really very unfair that I think so much worse when I'm not talking to anyone. Especially since most people I could talk to are a) not interested, b) the people who are supposed to be amazed and astounded by the ideas, or c) so much smarter than me that I shouldn't be wasting their time with my inferior thoughts. (Or d) two or more of the above.)

Visual Entertainments: Ghost Hunt failed due to illness on the part of Cat and Earl, so I stayed home and watched the first disc of the Witchblade anime. The character designs are very. Um. Superheroine-iffic. On the other hand, how often does a superhero have antagonists who work for the Child Welfare agency?

On another tentacle, though, sexualized violence is really not FTW. (Well, sexualized use of super-powers, but those powers don't seem to be good for anything else.)

Silly Computer Games: I tried Ikariam. It does, indeed, seem to be like Civ in your browser. Enh. Still wondering if there's a game out there that I will like as much as DTD.

Cats: I really need to suck less and actively adore Ghirardelli more. Possibly with some sort of cat toy, but of course it can't involve string.

Writing: Double check. Current status: 1 day ahead.

Witchblade by Silkie (Thu Apr 24 21:39:09 2008)

I believe that Josh saw a statuette of Witchblade at the comic store when he was about three. He stared at it for a minute, then commented, "Look! That person not wearing a shirt!"

unfair by marith (Fri Apr 25 04:15:00 2008)

You forgot e) too tinybrained and dim!

Re: Witchblade by Trip (Fri Apr 25 10:27:24 2008)

Yah, pretty much. Also no pants. But gloves with extending katana blades!

Re: unfair by Trip (Fri Apr 25 10:28:29 2008)

Apparently you don't recall who I was talking about gaming with on Wednesday night. :)

No moose whang for you!

Re: unfair by marith (Fri Apr 25 17:39:43 2008)

Apparently you don't recall who I was talking about gaming with on Wednesday night. :)

Thus proving my point! :) I am so clev- darn.

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22 April 2008 - Tuesday

Work: Why do you hate me, code?

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: Kaleido Star 18-19: Oh the doom! Ayakashi 2.2: Oh the well-deserved doom! Kodocha 24-25: Oh the doom! And the rabbits! Le Chevalier d'Eon 9: Oh the revolutionary doom!

Silly Computer Games: Nope!

Cats: Twelve paws of fuzziness! Also, several paws who help me sleep at night and help me wake up in the morning.

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: nominal.

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21 April 2008 - Monday

Work: Blah, Monday.

Ded of teh Kyute: One of the buildings I pass on the to work from the train station has a little artifical stream thing around it, and this afternoon there was a mother duck and DUCKLINGS! Nine of them! Teh kyute, it killz meh!

Gaming: I found a 2000 kanji list online so I can generate ideas with a d2000 even when I don't have the dead trees. Does that count?

Visual Entertainments: First disc of Kurau: Phantom Memory. Huh. I wonder if it might be good for TNA. It's not goth psycho-drama like Ergo Proxy, but I get a little of the same vibe from it.

Silly Computer Games: Argh.

Cats: Twelve adorable paws! I oppressed Aspen with the hugs and the brushins, but she did not maul me.

Writing: Double check. Current status: 1 day ahead.

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20 April 2008 - Sunday

Gaming: FAILURE. I never did figure out what the adventure should be, and then Ayse became viral, so gaming was cancelled altogether. It was extra bonus gaming anyway (normally this would be a M&M Sunday, but Jeremy and Rachel and their gaming munchies are out of town), but I still suck. You knew that, though.

Visual Entertainments: Cat and Earl and Marith and I went to see Forbidden Kingdom. It was somewhat entertaining, but not actually good. I think Marith's open letter is about right.

On the other tentacle, Jackie Chan and Jet Li!

Later, I watched the first disk of Kanon by myself. By the end of the fourth episode, it looked like they might be thinking about getting to the plot sometime soon. I don't think I have the patience.

Silly Computer Games: Sigh.

Cats: Hurray for Marmaffection! Less hurray for him swiping the kitty treats I tried consoling the poor over-cuddled Aspen with, but I can't deny that she wasn't interested in them.

Writing: Check. Current status: nominal.

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19 April 2008 - Saturday

Tyranny of Stuff: Borders sold me a few more of the things on my list (I really escaped with a pretty good desired/impulsive ratio), but I again more than made up for it with books moved to the outgoing pile.

If only I would actually take the pile to Bookbuyers...

Gaming: I stole an adventure idea from Marith, although she may not recognize it when I'm done with it. Now I just need to figure out who is responsible for the malfeasance and how they did it, and the doom can begin.

Visual Entertainments: First disc of Kannazuki no Miko. Too many giant robots, not enough yuri romance.

Silly Computer Games: Even more Chain Factor.

Cats: I tried to bribe Aspen to tolerate pettins by offering her kitty treats, but she is unwilling to eat from my fingers. She did snarf it up when I set it down, so apparently it wasn't completely unappealing, but obviously I need a better bribe.

Writing: Check. Current status: nominal.

cats & fingers by kit (Tue Apr 22 15:09:25 2008)

Lucy doesn't like eating from our hands either, even if it's something as nice as tuna. She will eventually relent with tuna, but mostly, even if she really wants it, she'd really rather you put it on the floor. So it's prolly not a personal statement on Aspen's part. :)

Re: cats & fingers by Trip (Tue Apr 22 22:21:35 2008)

Probably just a general disapproval of giant looming bipedal monsters!

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18 April 2008 - Friday

Work: Yay Friday!

Tyranny of Stuff: I stopped by Kepler's on the way home (it is right next to the Menlo Park train station, after all) and got a few of the books on my master list of things to get. However, I moved more books into the Bookbuyers-bound pile than I brought into the apartment, so in theory I am ahead!

Gaming: FAILURE.

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: Chain Factor. I need to find a new silly Flash game. I really liked Desktop Tower Defense, but eventually I used up the fun and other tower defense games aren't as interesting for some reason.

Any recommendations? (Jeremy, now's your chance!)

Cats: Twelve paws!

Writing: Double check. Current status: nominal.

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17 April 2008 - Thursday

Work: Blargh. I understand the importance of unit testing, but that doesn't make writing unit tests any less tedious.

Scripted Encounters: Ayse and Ken gave me a lift home from work, because it is on the way and Ayse was at school until almost the time I was done for the day. San Bruno's failure of street signage led Ayse astray, and then there was traffic on 101 (shock! surprise!) but it was still no slower than my usual commute.

Gaming: FAILURE. I should transform some of my ideas for ZoZ into an actual adventure, in case there is surprise bonus gaming this Sunday, but I appear to be too lame to actually do that. Only one of the three players has responded to the notion of surprise bonus gaming, though, so it may be moot.

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: Augh, Chain Factor! Why do you torment me so?

Cats: Twelve paws! Four of them got to ride in the laundry basket and later occupy the Mountain of Fresh Laundry! However, it is now too summery for extended residence atop the MoFL.

Writing: Double check. Current status: 1 day behind.

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16 April 2008 - Wednesday

Work: I sort of had a brain thing!

Gaming: Earthdawn! I had all the right ideas, but everyone else had to spend time flailing before they realized my correctness.

Anyway, we finally found the Secret Cavern of Unknown Mysteries, and beat the snot out of a couple of gargoyles. Maybe next session we'll get to actually see the mysteries! (Just before we have to fight the undead husk of their former curator, naturally.)

Note to self: Isidari should use All-Out Attack or whatever it's called more often. Her AC DCV PD is not too bad even at -3, and with Riposte (and Avoid Blow, if it comes to that), raw PD isn't that important.

Visual Entertainments: FAILURE.

Silly Computer Games: I had to restart my browser process, so it went back to showing me Chain Factor. Oops.

Cats: I am always surprised to see how long the inter-pad fur is on Marmalade's share of the twelve paws.

Writing: FAILURE. Current status: 2 days behind..

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15 April 2008 - Tuesday

Brains: Humans really aren't all that great at thinking.

Tiny Ganglia, Not Deserving of the Word "Brain": Headachey, sleepy, ill-tempered, unable to concentrate... yah, I guess it has been about that long since my pharmacy and doctor failed to get their act together enough to provide me with the opportunity to refill my prescription. Bah!

However, today they have finally gotten their act back together, so I was able to pick up the new drugs. I laid down for a few minutes after taking one, and soon felt infinitely better!

I have no idea if thinking, "I wonder if this is just the placebo effect" would negate any actual placebo effect, but I still felt okay after thinking it.

Work: Skipped out early but it's not like I was getting much of anything done. (See above.)

Gaming: FAILURE. But I don't think I destroyed any previous work, so it's not that bad. Right?

Visual Entertainments: Yay Tuesday Night Anime!

Kaleido Star 17: The plot continues! Also: motorcycles!

Ayakashi 1.4: Yah, that was about the doom we expected.

Ayakashi 2.1: Most of these people deserve the doom they have coming.

Kodocha 23: Doom! But the doom was averted!

Le Chevalier d'Eon 7-8: I would not have expected the level of fanservice to increase when the party left France. (Not that there's all that much even now.) Also: doom.

Food: The cinnamon flatbread from Trader Joe's is not good for me. I must remember that.

Silly Computer Games: None!

Cats: Twelve paws! Marmalade and Ghirardelli came to help me lie down before anime, which was not exactly soothing but did make me happy. I petted Aspen and did not attempt to remove any of her keratinaceous bits, which hopefully will rebuild trust a little.

Writing: FAILURE. Current backlog: 1 day.

Brains! by Dave (Tue Apr 15 11:21:05 2008)

It's just another entry in the "OMG - thinking takes energy!" list. I mean, who knew?

Re: Brains! by Trip (Wed Apr 16 10:11:37 2008)

Sure, basic physics tells us that, but human brains don't seem to be very good at obtaining/stocking up on energy compared to their needs, leading to a decidedly mediocre duty cycle.

Tasty, though!

Re: Brains by Jeremy (Fri Apr 18 22:28:44 2008)

The interesting question is, can we do appropriate exercises to improve this situation? I'm doing a long-term experiment with a fat head and lots of caffeine....

Re: Brains! by Dave (Mon Apr 21 09:46:26 2008)

Based on my own experiments, we certainly can. When I fail to exercise regularly (30-60 minutes of DDR, 4 times a week), I am markedly less capable of thinking. My hypothesis for this is that having a well conditioned cardiovascular system increases the base "carrying capacity" of the system - rather than improving the responsiveness to demand, it raises the amount that can be demanded before undergoing resource starvation.

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Previously in Trip's Life


This file was last modified by trip@idiom.com.