Year End 2011

Time really does fly by. Here we are, at the end of the year 2011, about ready to usher in the fabled 2012. This upcoming year will definitely be full of big things, not the least of which is the Mayan-predicted end of the world on December 21, 2012. But that's just slightly less than a year away from now, so I won't go into that right now.

Instead, I'll do what I always do with these things: Resolutions and reflection. Which ones I kept, and some new ones to tackle. This year has actually been pretty satisfying for me, and I'll cover why.

Most notably, I actually got a job this year; two in fact. The first one was just a one-day job, working the helpdesk for my city's Department of Elections during the uneventful November 8th election day. Because it was a slow election, we didn't get too many calls in; I actually spent much of the time playing my DS between calls; good thing too, because it was a long day. I had to be there at 6am, and didn't get home until like 11pm that night. Not all of it was helpdesk duty, though; I also traveled with a few of the workers to one of the sites to collect the equipment the pollers used to count and gather votes. All in all, I got paid pretty good for it (though it took over a month for the check to come in the mail).

The second job was a PC Refresh project for one of the city's courts, this one a Juvenile facility. We had to replace many of the old computers with spiffy new ones. And when I say old, I mean it; these computers were using XP or--in some cases--Windows 98. We had to make sure all of their programs were in working order as well. Not bad, though I was a bit bummed that I was working part time instead of full time. However, once the project was done (it went by much faster than we had anticipated; we were told it'd be 6 weeks long, but we finished it in about three), I got a call back saying that they chose to hire me for a full time position. ...And that's where I am now, working both helpdesk and doing field work in the building. Pretty good, eh? ;D That said, it's still too early for me to be rejoicing; the first 90 or so days are usually the hardest for a new employee, so once I get past those, THEN I can start relaxing a little and enjoy my gig.

Oh, and I should also mention that schooling is done for me as well. I finished up my last class at the end of September. I may go to a university in the future, but for right now I'm focusing on getting some money in. I also still have to take my cert exams (still with CCENT, and now with the Windows 7 and Server certs), but I'm going to have to find time to do it between this job. Not to mention that my school Focus: HOPE recently had to suspend its classes due to lack of funding. So I may have to take them somewhere else...

Another development this year is that I finally got my driver's license. Yeah, considering that I'm 23, it's late, but better late than never, eh? Now I just need a car, but that is a ways away...

Unfortunately, I didn't draw as much this year, even though there was a part in me yearning to push out some work. I wish I could go back to how I was in high school. In fact...

This year's resolutions will be the following:

Resolution #1: Exercise - Yes, I've come to the realization that I'm not exactly in the best of shape. I have a gut forming, and to be frank, I don't like it. Even though I've been meaning to do it before, I'm going to start working out. Maybe in the mornings before work. I can see it..,. Lifting, jogging, push-ups, sit-ups... They would all work wonders by the end of the year.

Resolution #2: Draw - Nuff said.

Resolution #3: Spend Less Time on the Internet - Yep. I've noticed that ever since I set up my wireless router in our house, my productivity has gone down. Before, I used my laptop to work on things and write. Now that it has online access, I've been writing less and less. I mean, it makes for a quick resource in case I need it, but the distraction is a bit much to ignore. So I've decided... I'm going to cut down on how much time I spend online and go back to how I did things before I got my router all hooked up. This may also help me with drawing.

Resolution #4: Post Here More - I'm not sure how many people are even aware of this blog's existence, let alone read it, but you'll notice that this year has been VERY dry of posts; hell, on the main page, this entry is on the same page as the Year End 2010 entry. I just didn't have the motivation to post about anything here. Well, that will change this year. I'm going to start posting more and more about various things: happenings in my life, random thoughts, video game reviews and thoughts, and perhaps the revival of the Daily Cutie series; I know I keep teasing with that, but that may just become a reality in 2012. The point is, I want this blog to become more lively during the next year, and I am definitely going to work at it.

That's four for 2012. I intend to keep them, or at least make good progress on them. Like before, when the end of 2012 rolls around--and assuming the world didn't end--I'll post a report on how I did this upcoming year.


Now for my main hobby: video games. Perhaps my most notable purchase this year was of my fresh new 3DS two weeks ago. And I must say, I'm loving it. The 3D also makes the games look pretty crisp and fresh, though I typically play with it only at half power, as full power tends to make my eyes hurt a bit.

And yes, I got the Flame Red model that I was fangasming over last year. I'm glad that it was finally released here, considering the disappointment I had when I found out that it was not a launch color. To be clear, I got it bundled with Super Mario 3D Land.

The list of games I got in 2011 consists of:
-Pokemon Black (DS)
-Radiant Historia (DS)
-The World Ends With You (DS)
-Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (Wii)
-Excitebots: Trick Racing (Wii)
-Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (PS2)
-Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
-Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
-Pokemon Rumble Blast (3DS)
-Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked (3DS)

Definitely the year of handhelds. Depending on how my job goes, 2012 may see even more purchases, not the least of which will be the highly-anticipated Xenoblade Chronicles, as well as The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and many other games I missed out on. Man... My backlog is starting to get huge.

Oh, and I have a Backloggery now. It's a pretty neat site that lets gamers keep track of their games and which ones they need to beat. I have quite a few that I still need to play through, not the very least of which are long JRPGs such as Baten Kaitos Origins and Star Ocean: Till the End of Time.


I'm also surprised to see that this year saw the demises of three tyrants and dictators: Osama bin Laden, Muammar Gaddafi, and--most recently--Kim Jong-il. I wish I could say the world is a better place with them gone, but things don't always go the right way. Libya is being run by rebels, and Kim Jong-il's more-insane son is the heir to the leadership of North Korea. We can only wonder what 2012 holds for us...

Osama's death was the real surprise. ...I guess I can understand why people were out celebrating and cheering in the streets that he was dead, but the hypocrisy is astounding. Considering that people over in the Middle East were doing the exact same thing when 9/11 happened, and we were fuming at them. I know that it was one guilty man vs. thousands of innocents, but it's the principle of things. Plus, al-Qaeda is still alive and kicking despite Osama's absence, and they're still carrying out attacks. Osama may be dead, but the threat of terrorism is nowhere near gone.


2012 will also be the big election year. We will see if Obama can gain a second term. Hopefully he well, as these Republican candidates are all pretty awful. I love how people are complaining that the Obama administration isn't fixing the problems Bush left behind for us, when those problems will take a while to address, not to mention that the Republicans in Congress and the Senate tends to fight near anything Obama tries to put through.

I do admit that the Obama administration hasn't been perfected, but no administration is. I especially like that they're taking a stand against the infamous SOPA and Protect IP bills. I just wish that they had more of a backbone and said, "Look, this is what we're doing and this is what needs to be done. Stop arguing and make it a reality." ...Maybe I'm just wishful thinking...


But I will close this right now by telling everyone to have a good new year, and I will see you in 2012.
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Goodbye, RCA

Locutis of one of my favorite sites Really Cute Asians posted today that the site would be shutting down soon, due to other obligations taking up the staff's time. It's quite a shame; for the last three years it was like my favorite resource of pictures of Asian models (though they mainly focused on Korean models). Too wake up to this news was quite a shock. I guess I should have seen it coming, when Steve announced that he was stepping down from managing the site earlier this year.

Like Locutis said, all good things must come to an end, but still... It's going to be sad seeing the site go. I guess when it finally goes offline, I'll have to remove it from the side-links. :/

...

Let's send them off with a picture of Han Ga Eun, a cutie whom I discovered through RCA (after the Daily Cutie series went on indefinite hiatus).



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Pokemon Ruby: Nuzlocke Challenge - Pt. 12

(NOTE: This was originally done and logged elsewhere on 9/24/11, but I never got around to posting it here.)

DAY 12: Tragic Training
So with Ghoul in my party, I head north of Mossdeep to Shaol Cave, battling each of the trainers outside. Man, Ghoul really is a pushover when it comes to attacking. Even with Shadow Ball. Thankfully its defenses are pretty decent, so she's not a complete pushover. I enter the cave, and with it comes a new opportunity for a new Pokemon. I encounter a Pokemon, which turns out to be...

...Zubat. Dammit, if only I had caught the one I found way back in Granite Cave...

Anyway, Bruce joins the party. I explore the cave, which is at low tide permanently because of the dead battery, running across several more Zubat and *sigh* Spheal. Man, Spheal would have been a lot more useful than Zubat... While inside, some guy gave me a Focus Band, which I found no use for. I reach the lowest level of the cave; a mini-ice puzzle (because it wouldn't be Pokemon without one). In this room, my very first encounter was with the elusive Snorunt. ...Aww man... I had no choice but to KO it, grab the NeverMeltIce and TM07 Hail, and get out of there.

I flew back to Lilycove and after healing up, I headed west and then south towards Route 123. There were some cuttable trees there, but I did not have a Cut-user with me, so I decided to come back later. A girl who loved Grass-type Pokemon gave me TM19 Giga Drain after seeing that I had Todd in my party.

Now, with this new route came a new capture opportunity. So I stepped into the grass and found...

Wingull. Already had one, ran to try again.

Zigzagoon. Another roll, please.

Duskull. Dammit.

After a bit of research, it seemed that nearly all of the Pokemon in this area are those I already have; the exception was Kecleon, but it only has a 1% chance of showing up. ...Yeah, fuck that.

So, I go through the area training Ghoul against wild Pokemon and trainers, until I come across a Psychic trainer. She sent out a Kadabra, which was 2 levels below my level 33 Ghoul. Confident in Ghoul's defenses, I order her to use Shadow Ball. Of course, Kadabra was faster, and struck with Psybeam.

...It was a critical hit.

...It was a one hit kill.

Goddammit. My ace against the Mossdeep Gym fell to a stroke of bad luck.

After the battle, I flew back to Lilycove and sent Ghoul to heaven, to be with her predecessors. Seeking another potential Pokemon to take to Mossdeep, I withdrew the Gloom that I caught at the Safari Zone, and realized that she wasn't nicknamed. I went and named her "Sunny", and also taught her Hidden Power. Now, as a Level 25 part Poison-type, she has no chance against the Psychics at Mossdeep. However, I decided to evolve her into a Bellossom before going there. However, her movepool was a bit weak: Hidden Power, Acid, Stun Spore, and Sleep Powder. I considered teaching her the Giga Drain TM I got, but I wondered if it would be a waste. Giga Drain isn't exactly a strong move, and it only has 5 PP. I decided to hold off on that for the time being and get to training her.

I went back to Route 123, this time also with Fry the Anorith as my Cutter. Behind one of the trees was another Psychic that I plowed through, as well as a Rare Candy. Further down the path I came across a Cooltrainer with a team of five Pokemon. One of which was a Trapinch. I sent Sunny back out against it, before realizing that Trapinch could have the Arena Trap ability. As the Trapinch was at a higher level, and Sunny did not have any Grass attacks (her Hidden Power is either a Poison-type or a Bug-type), I became scared that I would end up losing a second Pokemon in one day. Thankfully, I was able to switch to Rena and swamp the little ant lion away.

After exploring that route, I flew back to Mossdeep and went to the Space Center. A man inside gave me a Sun Stone. Perfect for Sunny when I decide to evolve her. The scientists there were also celebrating the 9999th launch of the space shuttle. ...That means they've been launching for 192 years. Man, the Pokemon world really does have advanced technology. Where are all of the hovercars, though?

After that, deposited Fry for Phobos, and then decided to call it quits for the day.


Current Team:
Hotblazer, Level 38
Rena, Level 37
Lightning, Level 35
Sandra, Level 38
Phobos, Level 36
Sunny, Level 29

Deceased:
Ziggy, Level 21
Nigel, Level 28
Ghoul, Level 33

Damn, Ghoul did indeed keel over. Now I'm gonna have to get Sunny up to pose a threat to Mossdeep. And with her moveset that may be a bit difficult. ...Maybe I should teach her Giga Drain after all... Read more on this entry

Pokemon Ruby: Nuzlocke Challenge - Pt. 11

(NOTE: This was actually originally done and logged elsewhere on 8/24/11, but I never got around to posting it here.)

DAY 11: Magma Infiltration
Well, after quite a bit of time out of commission, I had to reorient myself with the guys. I went through my team, as well as my reserves. It's been so long, that if any of them were to faint, it likely wouldn't have as much of an effect on me now as it would have a year ago. I mean, my eyes actually watered when Nigel went down due to my stupid mistake...

But enough of that. I decided to take care of some unfinished business; Team Magma in Lilycove. One of the Grunts in the city told me to stay away from the cave where they had made their base. ...Well, gee golly! I can't advance the story if I don't give you all das boot, so I'm just going to march my Black ass right in there and wreck your shit.

Once inside--annoyed that for some reason I could not run here (this is the enemy base; why should I follow the "no running indoors" rule here?)--I battled the grunts that challenged me and kicked their asses. As I'm playing on my DS, I went for my touch screen more than a few times out of instinct; after all, Black/White has been released since I last played.

Anyway, I ran through all the grunts using Caliente and Rena. The warp tiles almost made me blow a fuse, but they weren't too bad... One such warp tile led me to a room with a Nugget and--wait for it--a Master Ball. Neat! Oh, and there were also two Electrode right next to those items. Caliente dispatched of them with its newly-learned Earthquake. Yeah, I'm still not evolving it into Camerupt until it learns Flamethrower.

Eventually, I made it to the submarine that Maxie stole. However, his top grunt/grunt with a girl's name Tabitha stopped me and we did battle. He used Numel, Camerupt, and Mightyena; Caliente tore apart Numel, Rena drenched Camerupt, and Hotblazer pounded Mightyena. However, despite his loss, he gloated that it was just a stall, and I could do nothing but watch as the sub departed for parts unknown. ...Or, they were "parts unknown", until Tabitha, in true grunt fashion, told me that Maxie was looking for a cave at the bottom of the sea. Idiot...

I left the cave and healed up. Since this is a water route coming up, I boxed Caliente and Phobos, and withdrew Todd and Ghoul, as the next gym would be a Psychic-type gym; a Ghost-type would definitely come in handy. ...Except that Ghoul is underleveled and had crappy moves. I taught it Shadow Ball and Secret Power, placed it at the lead of my party, and went out to the waterworld known as "Route 124".

The trainers here were cake, but I also ran into a wild Pelipper, which Ghoul did battle against. ...Man, not even Shadow Ball could damage it much. While Ghoul had excellent defenses, its Attack was pitiful. Hopefully it gets better when it evolves into Dusclops at level 37... Anyway, I had to keep using Shadow Ball and Confuse Ray on this Pelipper, while it fought back with Supersonic and Protect (annoying; especially when Ghoul was confused), and the occasional Wing Attack. After a long battle Ghoul reigned supreme and leveled up to Level 29.

I reached Mossdeep City, the location of the seventh gym, where I decided to rest for the time being.

Current Team:
Hotblazer, Level 37
Rena, Level 37
Lightning, Level 34
Sandra, Level 37
Todd, Level 32
Ghoul, Level 29

Deceased:
Ziggy, Level 21
Nigel, Level 28

No doubt about it; before I challenge the gym, I'm going to grind Ghoul up until it at least gets close to evolving. ...Hopefully it doesn't keel over during its training... Read more on this entry

Unexpected Surprise

Holy crap... I came home from work today, and saw that Nintendo of America has finally decided to answer the fans asking for it and bring over Xenoblade Chronicles to North America.



It's being released as a retailer-exclusive deal with GameStop, and will release in April 2012. I must say that even if retailer-exclusive deals typically do not go over well, I think any release here is good, especially after how long we've been getting strung-along by the Big N.

I said in my last post that there was a chance that Nintendo of America was waiting until next year, where there would be a drought of top-class Wii games between Zelda: Skyward Sword and the Wii U to release this game (along with The Last Story and Pandora's Tower). Glad to see that that theory is in a way true, though I imagine that Operation Rainfall's constant pestering also had a hand in it.

Either way, I'm excited that it's finally coming over, and once I'm able to, I'm going to preorder it, likely when I'm out getting my 3DS very soon.

This raises hopes for North American release of The Last Story and Pandora's Tower, both of which are not out in Europe yet. Hopefully they do follow suit and send the Wii out on a strong note.

But at least the game I wanted most of all three of them is coming here for sure. :) Read more on this entry