Announcement 6/11/06 16:30

Wow...it's been quite a while since I last posted. Sorry for that.

...But this is a good enough time to post....

That's RIGHT!

We got jobs teaching english for a year in this little village outside of Hiroshima. We leave August 1. We only work 4 days a week, get paid roughly $350CDN a week each, and live in an apartment above the school.

I'll post all the plans and such later. We're setting up a whole different blog for our time away, and I'll post the link here, as well as email every one.

GO OILERS GO!!!!! 5/21/06 9:30

For some fun...and out of bordom...I created some photoshops about the Oilers series with the Mighty Ducks. Click on them for a better view

Enjoy!

Brick Wall 5/21/06 9:00

Thanks to everyone for their support during my application process with the police. Unfortunately, I've been differed again...for the same thing I was differed from the first time I applied! I'm just so disappointed that I really don't feel emotion about it. How can I get differed for the same thing? It's so not fair. I'm not going to get into it here, but pretty much I've been cheated...duped...slapped. This may be the end for now, but I'll bounce back and get it later. The one thing that does make me mad about all of this is that I'll have to do the fitness test again...so I did all of this work for nothing...all the dieting and working out, I feel has been wasted!

I apologize for not updating sooner, I didn't have the time, nor the want to update yet. BUT I do now, so yay.

Now on to other stuff. Karleen and her family are up at the cabin this weekend. I would have joined them but I work. So, it's been just me and the cat, hanging out. It's actually been pretty nice. Friday I went to my Boss, Ben's house and watched the hockey game with him and his wife. Video games all day as well. Sat, I worked, went home, more games, then headed out with Dickie for dinner, then saw The Hills Have Eyes (brutal movie, really can't recommend it to anyone, unless you are twisted). I went home and chilled with more games, until I talked with Wade online. He's doing the same with...but with Pizza...I'M THERE! Picked up a case of beer and made a night of games. My psudo-batchelor weekend is over on Monday, when the Fam comes back...

Once again, thanks to everyone for the encouragement and well wishes...I'm sorry that it didn't last long.

One Down! 5/10/06 23:20

I DID IT!!!! THANK THE GOOD LORD!!!!

It was a long old day, but I got through it. Durin the night, while trying to get a good nights sleep, my mind was racing, so I only really had about 4 hours of sleep.

Once I actually got there, I felt good. Weighed in at 176 lbs, and a fat content of 16.5%, compaired to 188 lbs and 25% fat content the first time I did this in Jan. From there, I just gave it all I had.

The next step in the process are the interviews, which my file manager will call me and schedule a time to come in.

Here's hoping for the best!

Are you ready for this... 5/8/06 7:20

T-Minus 25 hrs to Judgement Day... I'm ready.

The fitness test it tomorrow and I'm starting to get that feeling in my stomach. I have super high confidence that I'll pass, but I'm still feeling uneasy. Tomorrow will sum up all the hard work I've put in these last 4 months, all the working out, all the dieting, all weight loss... I'm ready.

Not only am I ready for the test, I'm just ready to get through these hoops so that I can start my career. I'm sick and tired of just squeeking by money wise... I'm ready.

Wish me luck! I'll let everyone know the results, and I'll post them here in the next few days... when I'm ready. ;)

I...am...SANCHO! 4/30/06 11:30

We had a party at KIm and Bill's house last night, a Mexican Karaoke Party to be more specific. We drank Margarettas and ate Casadillas and played Karaoke Revolution Party for the Xbox...hence Mexican Karaoke Party.

It was a blast! We had WAY to much to drink and got home WAY to late...almost 4...and I had to work at 830 this morning...so tired.

Pics will be up later...when I feel better...same with comments...

EDIT: Ok, so after a LONG day at work, I'm finally putting the pics up on the MISC PICS page. I have recieved word that we had a wounded compadre after last night...

Get better Dave...

10,000 Days 4/28/06 16:30

So the new Tool album is coming out this tues, but I've had it for the past 2 weeks. I was going to write a small review about it, but you just can't do a "small" one. That and I found a few reviews (1 & 2) that does the cd justice. Now, in the second review, the writer's explainations of the songs are probably off, since Tool is well known for their cryptic meanings. My opinion is that the album, like all other Tool cd's, has grown on me, and I think it's brilliant.

Some Possible Track notes found on Wiki about the CD:

• Vicarious means either "experienced or gained through someone else" or "done on behalf of others".
• Vicarious begins with the same note progression as the Lateralus track "The Patient". A recreation or remix of previously recorded tracks, the songs' drum parts both begin at 00:11. It appears that many parts of the album consist of recycled material.
• Jambi is the name of a province of Indonesia, as well as the name of the wish-granting genie character who lived inside a purple jewel studded box on the show Pee-wee's Playhouse.
• "Marie" is the middle name of Maynard James Keenan's deceased mother, Judith Marie Keenan.
  • As Keenan explains on commentary on aMOTION, his mother suffered a stroke that left her partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound. The length of time between her paralysis and her death was 27 years, or approximately 10,000 days.
• It was recently revealed in an Adam Jones interview with Guitar World that one of the lyrics on the album to the song "The Pot" is "Who are you to wave the finger?" Jones confirmed the meaning of the lyric as the "pot calling the kettle black".
• The Lipan are an Apache tribe, known as the "Tall Grass People".
• An April 7 post on toolband.com specifically mentions Dr. Albert Hofmann, the "father" of LSD, stating that on that date he synthesized LSD.
• The Rosetta Stone is a granite stone found in Egypt; the stone was the key to deciphering the hieroglyphs; it was also used as a pseudonym for children's author Dr. Seuss.
• "Viginti Tres" is Latin for "Twenty Three" - the number has a lot of historical, mathematical, and occult significance, as well as in American slang, where "23 skidoo" means to leave a place quickly.

Now, once again this is only "possible" track notes, but interesting none the least. Ah...and thinking, they are probably only interesting if you've heard or seen the song listings...ah find them here. I don't want to post them and make this post even larger than it is.

Karleen and I went and saw American Dreamz the otherday. It could have been better. Hugh Grant was pretty good as the Simon Cowel/Ryan Secrest character, you disliked him. Either than that, it was definatly a renter. The next movies I want to see are An American Haunting, about the Bell Witch, and Mission Impossible III.

OH, and I'm loving the MP3 player. I've been using it in the Cammobile to listen to tunes, and I've found out that I can put the lyrics of the songs on to the player and they scroll across the display. Neat.

Sofa King "Wii" Tard Did 4/27/06 15:30

As on the Nintendo website:

Introducing... Wii.

As in "we."

While the code-name Revolution expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that seperates videogame players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch with their games... and each other. But you're probably asking: What does the name mean?

Wii sounds like "we," which emphasizes the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.

Wii has a distinctive "ii" spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people playing it. And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of videogames that sets it apart from the crowd.

So that's Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because it's really not about you or me. It's about Wii. And together, Wii will change everything.

Wii?......WEE?! What the HELL is that! Revolution was a perfect name for a system! It's going to be REVOLUTIONARY, hence a great name...but Wii? GAAAAA!!!

Ok...that's out of my system...for now.

I bought myself a MP3 player the other day. MPIO 512Mb. It's pretty nice. I would have gone higher and more flashy, but we don't have the money and I had a $100 gift certificate, so it was like $20. I'm liking it, especially while working out. Beauty.

EDIT: A very well written article in the Defence of the name Wii for Nintendo. LINK After reading the page, I have come to terms with the name. Regardless of what Nintendo would haved called this system, I'm still want it, hands down!

Finals 4/24/06 10:00

I have my final tomorrow, and I have yet to study. I'm finding it hard to actually care about the class lately. The class is Criminology, and it's SO BORING! I don't mean to complain because it's not like the class was hard or anything. I mean, there were no assignments and this will be the 3rd test of the semester. Plus, the final is 35 m/c questions...wow. I guess I'm just ready to be done with school and get on with a career, even though it will be school all over again when I get on to the force. The difference is that I'll be paid for doing school work.

2 weeks untill the fitness test...I'm ready. Do it....Do it.

Karleen and I watched "Fun with Dick and Jane" last night. Save your money and your time...

Silent Hill 4/21/06 19:46

The Silent Hill series of games have been some of my favorites over the years. So when I heard that they were doing a movie, I was skeptical, naturally. My thoughts were turned around when I found out that it was being written by Roger Avary (Killing Zoe) and directed by Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf), as well as reports that both are avid fans of the games. JOYGASM! A game adaptation that might actually be great!

I was overtly excited leading up to the release date, with every commercial making me like a giddy schoolgirl. Then...a bombshell...Sony Pictures didn't show a press screening-which is usually horrible sign because the distributor more than likely does not think it's good. My heart sank, but I reassured myself that it would prevail.

I enjoyed the movie very much, but it was not without it's flaws. Here's my breakdown on the good/bad:

GOOD: This movie had amazing atmosphere and imagery. My hats off to the cinematographer, he made such an eerie town. The camera work was impressive, primarily once Rose gets into Silent Hill because it's very much like the first game. Another plus was the monsters...wow. They weren't so much scary, as they were unsettling. You felt a chill when you saw some of them. The little girl who played 2 characters in the movie was great, and by great I mean creepy. She pulled off being innocent with one character and weird with the other. The music was fantastic; the same composer from the games created it, so they bring a lot of familiarity for those who have played. Plus, the music borders on somber/mystified thoughts. Last, but not least, just how twisted this movie is. I mean...there are some really F*@k'd up scenes, especially right before the final act. It was a cross between Hellraiser and House on Haunted Hill.

BAD: There was no character development, although there really isn't in the games, but I would have appreciated a little. They tell the back-story through a visual monologue 3/4 the way through. You never do that, and I get why they did it. In games, you have hours of playtime to uncover the past in small clips, eventually bringing the pieces together. You can't do that with a movie. I wish that they dropped little hints along the way so that it did come together smoothly, and so the audience could piece it along the way. And my main concern about the movie...no scares. NONE whatsoever! Like I said in the Good part, it gave you uneasy feelings; you had expectations of what's to come...but it just didn't deliver. Many of the high-tension scenes falter away.

Overall, I had fun with the movie. It gave you some of the same feelings while playing the games. It was a plus that we saw it with only a few people so we could add in our commentary, mostly little bits from the game (ex. crossing off the map-"can't go there") and hearing the same sounds that Shaun makes playing the game ("GAWWW!"). While it wasn't the best game adaptation, and probably won't make waves in the box office, it has a good chance of being a cult classic in the future. I will probably pick it up on DVD.

I give it ***1/2 out of 5