Tag

Kendra tagged me.

1. What was your first word? "Wow."
2. What are two facts about you that seem to contradict each other? I have a really fast reading speed, but it takes me a month to finish a book.
3. If you could play any instrument, what would it be?  Guitar.
4. Do you know more than one language? If you do, what is it? If you don't, what language would you like to learn?  I want to learn Latin.
5. Do you like to travel? YES.
6. Are you an open person? Sometimes.
7. What is your favorite season? Late Spring/Early Summer.
8. In ten years, where do you see yourself? ...at age 31?

Sports Season

So, um... sorry I haven't written anything in a while.

I've been playing Halo: Reach since it came out.
Like, every day.
Whenever I have free time.
So.... yeah.  More on that later.

I Fight Dragons

There's a band by the name of I Fight Dragons.
They're a rock band that uses NES and GameBoy-style 8-bit sound along with traditional instruments to create a pretty cool (and unique) style.

They also wear superhero T-shirts as band uniforms.  They are officially my heroes.

This song of theirs, "No One Likes Superman Anymore," is really cool.  It's pretty much exactly how I feel about the cynical people of the world who don't seem to have time for decency anymore.

Strong hands, strong mind

Strong all the time

Straightforward and kind

Too simply defined

Cuz no one wants to know the man who stands for things we outgrow

He’s too noble and too blind

We’re all older now and we don’t need someone to care about

The innocence we left behind

(Don’t touch that dial)

(It’s just that goodness is out of style)

Be dark, be cold

(so conflicted)

No hand to hold

(heart constricted)

Dark Knight, bright soul

(we’re addicted)

No room here for the bold

Cuz no one wants to know the man who stands for things we outgrow

He’s too noble and too blind

We’re all older now and we don’t need someone to care about

The innocence we left behind

And what if he can fly?

Hey, well so can I

Jet Blue or United Airlines

And who cares if he’s strong

All we see’s the wrong we’ve done

Reflected in his eyes

Cuz no one wants to know the man who stands for things we outgrow

He’s too noble and too blind

We’re all older now and we don’t need someone to care about

The innocence we left behind

Oh hey, and for the Zelda fans out there...

Time to Boldly Go Again

 .

 

Damon Lindelof, a writer for the last Star Trek movie, was reportedly planning to finish writing Lost and then take a vacation before joining the other Trek writers to start the script for the next movie.  He wrote this on Twitter today:

"Vacation officially over. Ready to boldly go."

Yesssssssss....

Apple v Microsoft

With the rising popularity of Apple products over the last few years, many people have been claiming that "Apple is the new Microsoft:" that Apple has become a kind of imperialistic monopoly, and that Microsoft is now the "better" alternative.
My stance is this: Microsoft merely wants my money, while Apple wants my money but offers me a guaranteed high-quality product.
Thus, Apple retains my vote of confidence.

Superman: The Movies

Oh hey, so I forgot I was supposed to make daily posts now.  Whoops.

I watched Superman: The Movie (1978) and Superman Returns (2006) back-to-back today while cleaning my room.  I wasn't terribly impressed with either of them.  They both annoyed me for different reasons.

WHY can't someone actually make a GOOD Superman movie?
There've been four Superman-themed TV shows in the last twenty years, but only one movie, and it wasn't that great.  People who were kids when the 1978 film came out love that movie, but it just doesn't entirely click for me.
At the moment, I have an idea for a Superman film that I KNOW would work on-screen.  It would reintroduce the character in new iconic ways to modern audiences, while being incredibly fun.  And I know I'm not the only person with a great Superman movie idea.  It's just that no one's actually doing it.

Christopher Nolan (the guy behind Memento, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, etc.) is now producing a new Superman film, but... I doubt that it'll be anything like what I've got in my head, and entirely too far in the wrong direction for the character.  I'm hopeful, but a little worried.

My generation does not have a Superman.  I feel robbed.

Justice League Haikus

If you don't get these references, don't worry.  Just go with it.


Tonight I will write
haikus of the Justice League
Sit back and enjoy

Superman is great
He gives people lots of hope
Heat vision is cool

Batman is angry
because his parents got killed
He needs a big hug

Princess Diana
is known as Wonder Woman
Her clothes are shiny

Aquaman is cool
No, really, he's pretty cool
He rides squids and stuff

J'onn J'onzz is lonely
His family died on Mars
He has creepy eyes

Earth's first Green Lantern
Hal Jordan loves flying planes
without his ring on

Barry Allen died
but is back now as the Flash
Sorry, Wally West

Green Arrow shoots things
He shot a guy last April
People hate him now

Mistress of Magic
Zatanna wears a top hat
and sexy fishnets*

Dinah Lance breaks things
with her super-powered screams
Yay for more fishnets!

Elongated Man
is now a ghost with his wife
Ray Palmer is sad

The Red Tornado
is a robot with powers
He controls the wind

Firestorm is two guys
in a single person's head
That's gotta be weird

Hawkman is hairy
And he never wears a shirt
Female fanservice?




*I couldn't find any other important things to say about her that would fit in five syllables.

Halo: Reach

I've never really been a huge fan of the Halo game series.

The first game in the series, Halo: Combat Evolved, was overglorified and overmarketed because Microsoft really didn't have any other good games at the launch of their Xbox console in 2001.  Halo had a few original ideas, but was basically a straightforward game.  It's mostly "run from Point A to Point B whilst shooting all the aliens along the way."  It was also somewhat simplified for the console-gaming crowd.  "Dumbed down," one might say.  For someone like me, a kid who played first-person shooters on the PC, playing Halo was taking two steps down in quality from what I was used to.  I hated it, and was constantly frustrated by the fact that nearly all of my friends were obsessed with it.

Then Halo 2 was announced.  They showed a new trailer of the game, which looked really, really fun.  I was actually getting very excited.  The general consensus among gamers was that Halo 2 would be the greatest single achievement in human history.  Then it came out, and it was... well, it was more Halo.  It didn't exactly fix any of the previous game's problems, and it didn't really make me like it a whole lot more.  Fortunately, by this point, I had played enough of the Halo games (at friends' houses) to actually get pretty good at them, so I could have fun with the game.

By the time Halo 3 rolled around, most of my Halo-playing friends were gone, so I was left to myself as far as that game went.  I loved it.  Really.  Something about the way they'd balanced the overall gameplay and enhanced the visuals made it much more fun to play than its predecessors.  The multiplayer was even better than before, and I really enjoyed it.
Then, over time, it started to get less fun.  Other games, like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, started to show all the newer and better ways to make first-person shooters work.  In hindsight,  Halo 3 wasn't that great after all.

Now, the beta (preview) of the new game, Halo: Reach, is up and running.  I got to play it yesterday, and... wow, it's really good.
(the below paragraph may make no sense to the non-Halo-initiated)

Something about the way the game is balanced seems to be much better than before. In the multiplayer for Halo 1-3, the individual player didn't have much of any effect on the overall game, but now, with the addition of the new (somewhat limited) special abilities in each loadout (jetpack, sprint, camo, and shield), it really feels like each person in every game has the ability to turn the tide for his/her team.
Example: last night, I was playing CTF with two of my friends. We each had different abilities (they had jetpack and sprint; I had camo), and assaulted the enemy flag room together. My jetpack guy landed right in front of the door and caught the entire enemy team by surprise, while the sprinter ran alongside him from the ground. The two of them managed to move through the room like a wave, clearing it so that I could sneak behind them (while invisible) to snatch the flag. (random note: the flag now has a one-hit-kill melee attack. FUN. :) ) We managed to use our different strengths to their fullest, and safely got the flag home in plenty of time.
That one match has now convinced me that Halo is now, finally, awesome.

Sketchbook

For some reason, Elisabeth thinks that I'm some kind of amazing artist.  I don't know why.  But I've been meaning to get into sketching, so I bought a sketchbook and drew the above image.  I think it's pretty sweet.
The symbols above the shield read "AARON" in Kryptonian.  Yeah, that's right, I'm that awesome.

And here's two Camaros I saw yesterday:

Daily?

So... would you guys like me to make this blog a daily thing?  I'd mostly post random nothings from the day, but I'd probably also post a few more long/deep posts.  Comment!

When I was out earlier today, my Apple earbuds started acting up.  The left speaker was making static sounds when too much bass was going through it, and I could actually hear it thumping against the inside of the speaker housing.  So I slammed the left earbud backwards against my desk, in an attempt to shove the speaker back into the right spot.  It worked.  :)

Oh, and here's the Camaros that I've seen lately:

Yes, those stripes (and Chevy ribbon) are pink.

What the....

So I went by Toys R Us today. No real reason.

I went past the toy cars and whatnot, and saw this:

I'm a biker?!?
Weird.

Oh, and I saw a Camaro on the way out.

iPad

So the new Apple "iPad" came out a few days ago.

It's basically a giant iPod Touch.  There really aren't any extra features, other than the fact that it's a lot more technically capable.

BUT!

It
Is
Awesome.

Yeah, it doesn't really make any sense logically, but it's really, really cool.  I went by the Apple Store today and played with one for about an hour.  It's ridiculous just how cool and fun it is just to mess around with.  It's like that feeling you got when you first picked up and played with an iPhone, but five times better.

I want one. Badly.

Camaro Stalker, Vol. 2

Camaro Stalker

I take pictures of Camaros wherever I go.

Many updates! / The Fallen

First off, I wanna apologize for not keeping up with Teen Justice updates. I kind of wrote myself into a corner a few chapters ago, and it took me a while to figure a way out. Hopefully I'll start posting more often from here on out.

Secondly, I'm starting a new blog! (I think it's my fifteenth of sixteenth. I've lost count.)
It's called DC Tales, and it's basically a place for all of my epic/poetic/nothing-to-do-with-TJ superhero-related short stories.  I'm still tweaking the template, so please ignore any weird formatting problems. =/



And now, for today's topic:

Evanescence was my favorite band when I was fourteen.

(Note: this is the time when you should scroll down to my playlist widget on the right and click "Bring Me To Life." Helps with the atmosphere.)

Their first album, Fallen, was the first album I'd heard where I actually liked practically every one of the songs.  It took alternative metal and gave it just the right electronic edge, with a masterfully-conducted orchestra behind it.  It was about as close to perfect as I knew at the time, and even today it remains the only album that I truly love.

Here's the thing: the band didn't stay together.  Amy Lee, the lead singer, wanted to go off in a totally different [annoyingly depressing and negative] direction, while Ben Moody, the co-songwriter/guitarist, wanted the band to continue with the same [awesome] sound.  So the band eventually eroded down to basically just Amy Lee, with a bunch of new people that no one cares about.


Meanwhile, Ben Moody has now put together a new band (consisting of most of the former Evanescence members) in order to continue the sound they started with Fallen.  They're called "We Are the Fallen."  Yeeeeaaaahh.....

 

They're pretty good.  They've only put one single out thus far, and their singer's not nearly as amazing as Amy Lee, but the basic instrumental sound is back, and I'm very very happy about that.

BECAUSE I'M BORED, THAT'S WHY!

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
Ran into a kitchen counter when I was four.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
Superman poster. Metal Superman-Shield chain bangle dealie-thing.

3. DO YOU SNORE, GRIND YOUR TEETH, OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP?
Apparently I started snoring this past month. I really need to get in shape. :P

4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
Alternative Symphonic Soundtrack Metal Rock. (preferably all at once)

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
1:06 AM (Hawaii time)

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
Wisdom, and the ability to carry it out.

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS?
A lot.

8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION(S)?
My computer. (Clarice Isabella)

9. HOW TALL ARE YOU?
5'9''

10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC?
Only if it's a tight space that I might not be able to physically break out of. For instance, being stuck in a concrete coffin and buried (under more concrete).

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
Pssh. No. I revel in it.

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
People don't make me cry.

13. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR?
Being doomed to care about people and never have them care back.

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE GENDER?
Blue is always rather striking, but honestly it doesn't matter.

15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF PROPOSING?
Disneyworld. No, really.

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK?
Energy drink.

FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING?
Pepperoni/Extra Cheese.

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Grapes.

19. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME?
Blue.

20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH?
Who actually eats live goldfish?

21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
A photo album with pictures from my toddler years in Hawaii.

22. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?
um... no? =/

23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED?
In my thumbs, yeah. And I can kinda pop my shoulders out of joint.

24. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND?
Uh... *whips off Green Lantern T-shirt and looks at tag* ...DC Comics?

25. FAVORITE ANIMAL?
Tiger!!

26. LIKE TO SING?
Not really?

27. FAVORITE MOVIE?
Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and That Thing You Do. Three-way tie. Ten-way, if you count the individual films.

28. GAY, STRAIGHT OR BI?
....oh, I'm sorry, I was distracted by Scarlett Johannson in the new Iron Man 2 trailer.

29. HOW DO YOU FEEL?
...um...

30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED:
A number from one to a hundred.

31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
It's funny; I never really liked blondes until about a year ago. Now it's basically even. I don't really have a preference.

32. FAVORITE QUOTE?
Batman.

33. FAVORITE PLACE?
Disneyland.

34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA?
No.

35. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
Kryptonite—ER... the internet. So distracting.

36. MET ANYONE FAMOUS?
...no.

37. FIRST JOB?
Data Entry. Or High School Biology Lab Assistant. Depends on how you look at it.

38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
I hate those things. I never do them, and they never work on me.

39. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOULMATE?
In a sense, yes.

40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT?
Publishing the latest TJ chapter.

41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY?
Not that I'm aware of...

42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
Being smart. I used to get complemented on being sweet, but most of the people who said that (girls) all moved away. :(

43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES?
Nope.

44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
A black 2005 Mustang.

45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT AND THEIR NAMES?
Two? And, um... I don't care? Though if they were Jaina and Jacen (Jason works too), that'd be awesome. (if you've ever read Timothy Zahn's epic Thrawn Trilogy of Star Wars novels, you'll get that.)

46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No; my parents said that God gave them my name.

47. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Having had multiple previous boyfriends.

48. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LIKE(D) ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?
Uh... I didn't have to worry about adult responsibilities.

49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE?
Whatever's there.

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
It's adequate.

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Ham.

52. ANY BAD HABITS?
Ignoring important things.

53. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON?
No.

54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Sure?

55. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?
No...?

56. DO LOOKS MATTER?
Well, um, to a degree.

57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER?
I rant about things. And listen to music. And fantasize about swordfighting people.

58.WOULD YOU RATHER GAIN 58 POUNDS OR LOSE 58 POUNDS.
Lose.

60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
Lego.

61. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE?
A hundred-ish?

62.WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID?
Up to a point.

63. Do you use sarcasm?
Of course not...

64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE?
MAC AND CHEESE!!!

65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
Christian, intelligent, playful, adventurous, Audrey Hepburn-esque.

66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
Angela's the only one who has a nickname for me. And I don't feel like saying it.

67. FAVORITE SUPER POWER?
Flight, forever and always.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?
At the moment, 30 Rock. Maybe Scrubs or How I Met Your Mother.

69.WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR ENEMIES?
Defeat them in a duel.

70. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
I prefer Lemon Sorbet, actually.

71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES?
Last time I checked.

72. DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER IN YOUR ROOM?
Two.

73. PLANS FOR TONIGHT?
None.

74. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE WHEN YOU ARE OLDER?
I'm thinking either NYC or somewhere in California. Not sure.

75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
That'd be cool. I mean, I'm sitting here going through like A HUNDRED QUESTIONS. It'd be cool to get something out of it. :P

76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
Flyleaf - Memento Mori - "In the Dark"

77. LAST THING YOU DRANK?
Cherry Coke Zero.

78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Mom.

79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Either hair color or age.

80. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Websurf.

81. FAVORITE THING TO HATE?
Jerks.

82. FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR?
Late Spring/Early Summer.

83. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF CANDY?
The chewy kind. ^-^

HAVE YOU EVER REALLY AND TRULY HAD A BEST FRIEND?
Yeah, actually.

85. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?
Brown.

86. EYE COLOR?
Brown.

87. SHOE SIZE?
10 & 1/2.

88. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
Chick Fil-A. Except that they're too expensive for a college student like me. So usually Taco Bueno.

89. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?
Red Robin, maybe. (Good call, Steph)

90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?
I don't think I've ever had it. I'm open to it, though.

91. WATCH TV TODAY?
I saw some of American Idol (my mom was watching it).

92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
Christmas Day is really cool.

93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS?
Not really. I have a guitar in my closet that I'd really like to learn to play, though.

94. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT?
Technically, I'm independent.

95. KISSES OR HUGS?
Hugs.

96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?
Relationships.

97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
Oil for the car.

98. WOULD YOU EVER BE A HOUSEWIFE?
HAHAHA.

99. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
Uhh... Prince Caspian?

Camaro Count: Retro Edition

So you've all seen Transformers, right?
Remember when Bumblebee was that beat-up awesome 1976 Camaro?

Okay.  So I'm out driving today, and I see this:

(click for larger picture)

=D

Not the same model, but within 5 or so years, I'd say.  Same paint job and everything.  I want one. :)