I have a friend who likes to say, "We're all crazy, we just have to find someone who's craziness matches our own." When she says this quote she's referring to finding someone to fall in love with and perhaps tolerate well enough to marry. I agree with it wholeheartedly, but after some critical thinking, I've determined that I believe this quote can apply to friendship as well.
Because really, why expose yourself on a regular basis to people who don't understand the words coming out of your mouth? That's asking for a migraine.
So what prompted all this serious thinking, you may ask. Well, I have two friends who are leaving Fayetteville very soon, one for a year and the other is leaving forever. I try not to QQ over the situation because there's nothing to be done about it, and wishing it were otherwise is a wasted effort.
The situation has however prompted me to ponder the nature of friendship. I've looked at the people I choose to spend my sparse spare time with and think, "why do I like this person? What qualities make me want to call them my friend?"
My conclusion is a simple one for such a large question:
We've got some form of crazy in common and we just run with it.
Whether it's video games, reading preferences, or our opinions concerning human nature, there's something that keeps the conversation going and makes me want to hang out again some time next week (assuming there are no call offs at work).
So, since there's no avoiding it I'll say "Aufwiedersehen." It's is the best word of parting I can think to use because it literally means, "until we see each other again." And in conclusion I'd also like to add:
Tattles- Don't forget me while you're up in those cold ass mountains. I want to be a part of your happy, sickie, perky, emo, super hyper bubble for a long time to come. <3
Eshu- I may want to choke you out sometimes for playing mono-blue combo decks, but seriously man, don't die. Maybe by the time you're back I'll have scraped together the time and money to finish Wydwen!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Drenched in MTG
Last night I spent the evening getting my butt kicked at EDH/Commander format Magic the Gathering. S'ok though! I had lots of fun while getting my head handed to me. The people who hosted the gaming session are a married couple- nice folks, great deck builders, and they field all my noobity questions with patience and good humor. I explained to them that I collected more than played way back in the day (1997-2001). So I know the basic mechanics of play but beyond that- I have not a clue!
For those of you who don't know, Commander format uses a 100 card deck, you can only have one of each card except basic lands, and you can use any card from any expansion- EVER. There are thousands of cards in in MTG, so to build a truly formidible EDH deck you must have a great knowledge of the cards already or do a lot of time consuming research.
With the help of my good friend Charles I've managed to cobble together a functioning Green/Black Elves deck. It's a rough deck, needs about ten coats of polish, but it's playable- and it's mine dammit!
Througout the 3 games we played I had to read the effects of about 95% of the cards as each was played. I was content though that I was much better able to keep track of my 3 enemies' strategies and the general states of their fields than I was at my first session with the group. I made some more strategic plays, some better card and timing choices. Not that it made much difference to my life total! :)
I went in expecting to learn, not to win- and I'm satisfied with the evening's results. I can at least say that I've moved up from the easy-pickins weight class to the out-of-shape-but-going-down-swinging class. And it's become even more obvious:
So much to learn. So many cards to acquire!
My host, who is himself a veritable walking encyclopedia of Magic cards, came up with a fan-freakin-tastic analogy for the Commander format learning curve: "Trying to take a drink of water from a fire hose."
YUS
YUSSIR you are correct!
He also told me that once I've done my learning that I'm going to be a 'beast' Magic player.
Hope he's right about that too!
For those of you who don't know, Commander format uses a 100 card deck, you can only have one of each card except basic lands, and you can use any card from any expansion- EVER. There are thousands of cards in in MTG, so to build a truly formidible EDH deck you must have a great knowledge of the cards already or do a lot of time consuming research.
With the help of my good friend Charles I've managed to cobble together a functioning Green/Black Elves deck. It's a rough deck, needs about ten coats of polish, but it's playable- and it's mine dammit!
Througout the 3 games we played I had to read the effects of about 95% of the cards as each was played. I was content though that I was much better able to keep track of my 3 enemies' strategies and the general states of their fields than I was at my first session with the group. I made some more strategic plays, some better card and timing choices. Not that it made much difference to my life total! :)
I went in expecting to learn, not to win- and I'm satisfied with the evening's results. I can at least say that I've moved up from the easy-pickins weight class to the out-of-shape-but-going-down-swinging class. And it's become even more obvious:
So much to learn. So many cards to acquire!
My host, who is himself a veritable walking encyclopedia of Magic cards, came up with a fan-freakin-tastic analogy for the Commander format learning curve: "Trying to take a drink of water from a fire hose."
YUS
YUSSIR you are correct!
He also told me that once I've done my learning that I'm going to be a 'beast' Magic player.
Hope he's right about that too!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Avenge the Makeup!
What's the best way to stop a group of nerds eyeball deep in a DnD campaign dead in their tracks?
Show them the new Avengers trailer!
Seriously, Iron Kingoms campaigning away, Our half elf Duskblade youtubes up the trailer, turns his laptop around for the rest of us to see and BLAM! DEAD SILENCE!
That is until the pwnage starts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPoHPNeU9fc <=== Link to the Trailer
Heros assemble!
Cap vs Ironman vs Thor! Temper temper gentlemen!
HULK CATCH LITTLE METAL MAN FALLING DOWN!
Alien assaults from the sky! Loki killed the M-A-C store! YOU BASTARD!!!!!!!!! (This particular scene enrages my makeup obsessed self quite thoroughly)
Working together to save our planet AWWWWWW!
PEW PEW BOOM BANG @_@ @_@ @_@
Trailer ends
At this point there are 5 pools of drool for the DM to mop up off his floor. All who have witness the awsomeness are a little twitchy and tingly as they recover from their nerdgasms. It is agreed that we must all go and see this movie as a group. Two of us (myself included) immediately voluteer to cosplay for the event.
Holy crap I cannot wait for this movie to come out!
Thank you for reading,
That is all.
Show them the new Avengers trailer!
Seriously, Iron Kingoms campaigning away, Our half elf Duskblade youtubes up the trailer, turns his laptop around for the rest of us to see and BLAM! DEAD SILENCE!
That is until the pwnage starts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPoHPNeU9fc <=== Link to the Trailer
Heros assemble!
Cap vs Ironman vs Thor! Temper temper gentlemen!
HULK CATCH LITTLE METAL MAN FALLING DOWN!
Alien assaults from the sky! Loki killed the M-A-C store! YOU BASTARD!!!!!!!!! (This particular scene enrages my makeup obsessed self quite thoroughly)
Working together to save our planet AWWWWWW!
PEW PEW BOOM BANG @_@ @_@ @_@
Trailer ends
At this point there are 5 pools of drool for the DM to mop up off his floor. All who have witness the awsomeness are a little twitchy and tingly as they recover from their nerdgasms. It is agreed that we must all go and see this movie as a group. Two of us (myself included) immediately voluteer to cosplay for the event.
Holy crap I cannot wait for this movie to come out!
Thank you for reading,
That is all.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
But Once a Year
I caved. I resisted for a week, but c'mon ppl, I'm only freakin human here!
That's right I bought a bag! Don't you judge me!
But no, seriously (kinda), these are my favorite candy ever. They're like M&Ms after an episode of Total Makeover- better and more beautiful. Cadbury really makes excellent chocolate all year long, and the candy shell they put these in just takes the whole sweetooth experience to another level entirely.
...
......
..........
...............
I'm just glad they only sell these once a year. I'm a sugar fiend and if this crack-like substance was available to me year-round I'd be applying for a spot on The Biggest Loser. Oh- and don't be fooled by the knock off of these things that are sold at Christmas time! They are a poor imitation and, as such, not fit for consumption.
Now where'd I leave my glass of 1% milk to wash these things down with?
But no, seriously (kinda), these are my favorite candy ever. They're like M&Ms after an episode of Total Makeover- better and more beautiful. Cadbury really makes excellent chocolate all year long, and the candy shell they put these in just takes the whole sweetooth experience to another level entirely.
......
..........
...............
I'm just glad they only sell these once a year. I'm a sugar fiend and if this crack-like substance was available to me year-round I'd be applying for a spot on The Biggest Loser. Oh- and don't be fooled by the knock off of these things that are sold at Christmas time! They are a poor imitation and, as such, not fit for consumption.
Now where'd I leave my glass of 1% milk to wash these things down with?
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Culture of Ignorance
As a manager of a Subway located inside a Walmart I am continuously exposed to an extremely low quality portion of humanity. People who walk out on orders because we are out of courtesy cups, people who try to use food stamps to pay for their orders, etc. Then there is the alarmingly large number of people I serve who think it is alright or even cool to be stupid. Take for example:
Actual conversation with a customer:
Customer: "So, uh, what all meats come on the Turkey Ham sub?"
Me (wondering if this is a serious question): "It has turkey and ham."
Customer(nodding, pleased at this discovery): "Oh, okay."
This is actually a mild example of some of the ridiculous questions we field each day. Worse, when I try to identify our menu items to people, I can see that they immediately dismiss the information with an air of superiority. There's no desire to remember tomorrow what ham looks like or that it comes from a pig. (Yes I have had to educate a person on the facts that ham is pig and beef is cow.) Apparently, looking like a halfwit is the way to be. To me, this 'culture of ignorance' is downright apalling.
And before you tell me I'm being to hard on people, let me say that not ALL our customers are like that and I'm aware that everyone has a brainfart now and then. Your kid distracts you and you order a meatlong football sub instead of a footlong meatball. That's something to have a laugh over. But if you, as an adult, have to bang on the sneeze guard glass like a child and point to 80% of the vegetables you want on your sub because you don't know the name of them or are too lazy to even try to think of what that name might be, then really, at that level of ignorance/ineptitude, what good are you to humanity? If you can't sift up from your meager knowledge base the word tomato instead of "them red things" then how the hell did you manage to actually get to Walmart and our Subway? Operating a motor vehicle is obviously beyond your brain's motor function capacity, and if you took the bus then did you have to have someone count out the exact change for you?
Ignorance of this level is not and never will be ok. It's not cool. It's not something to giggle over.
In the words of Forest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does." So as a general FYI to the human race -Choosing ignorance is sentencing yourself to a life of utter insignificance. Until that sinks in (if ever), try not to fall in the toilet and drown yourself mmkay?
Actual conversation with a customer:
Customer: "So, uh, what all meats come on the Turkey Ham sub?"
Me (wondering if this is a serious question): "It has turkey and ham."
Customer(nodding, pleased at this discovery): "Oh, okay."
This is actually a mild example of some of the ridiculous questions we field each day. Worse, when I try to identify our menu items to people, I can see that they immediately dismiss the information with an air of superiority. There's no desire to remember tomorrow what ham looks like or that it comes from a pig. (Yes I have had to educate a person on the facts that ham is pig and beef is cow.) Apparently, looking like a halfwit is the way to be. To me, this 'culture of ignorance' is downright apalling.
And before you tell me I'm being to hard on people, let me say that not ALL our customers are like that and I'm aware that everyone has a brainfart now and then. Your kid distracts you and you order a meatlong football sub instead of a footlong meatball. That's something to have a laugh over. But if you, as an adult, have to bang on the sneeze guard glass like a child and point to 80% of the vegetables you want on your sub because you don't know the name of them or are too lazy to even try to think of what that name might be, then really, at that level of ignorance/ineptitude, what good are you to humanity? If you can't sift up from your meager knowledge base the word tomato instead of "them red things" then how the hell did you manage to actually get to Walmart and our Subway? Operating a motor vehicle is obviously beyond your brain's motor function capacity, and if you took the bus then did you have to have someone count out the exact change for you?
Ignorance of this level is not and never will be ok. It's not cool. It's not something to giggle over.
In the words of Forest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does." So as a general FYI to the human race -Choosing ignorance is sentencing yourself to a life of utter insignificance. Until that sinks in (if ever), try not to fall in the toilet and drown yourself mmkay?
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