Good afternoon!
Just wanted to post a picture of a ship I've traveled with (along with family and friends). Back in July '00, a group of us went on the cross-Atlantic voyage with the Queen Elizabeth II. It is a beautiful ship on the outside, and even better looking on the inside :-) The picture is from Oslo on July 11, '05, taken on the way back from summer school.
[Ed. I am so far unable to successfully post the picture :-( ]
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Friday, July 22, 2005
Finished Super Mario Sunshine!
Hey there!
At last, I have completed Super Mario Sunshine (the Super Mario game for the Nintendo Gamecube)!!! Unfortunately, it was more of a project than a bit of fun as I find SMS to be too difficult to be fun. I have wanted to finish it for a longer time, and used more game solutions and tips than I care for when it comes to games I actually enjoy.
Unless you are big time fan of Mario and have a desire to complete all Mario games, I recommend not buying Super Mario Sunshine. Though it has nice graphics, cool music, and an upbeat setting (a sunny tropical resort where the framed Mario has to clean the area and clear his name), the gameplay quickly becomes repetitive and complex. I first quit the game (in terms of not playing for several months) during an amusement park level, where Mario has to jump into the ferris wheel ride. After failing to do so multiple times, I gave up and put the game on the shelf.
Now that it is done, I feel somewhat relieved :-)
At last, I have completed Super Mario Sunshine (the Super Mario game for the Nintendo Gamecube)!!! Unfortunately, it was more of a project than a bit of fun as I find SMS to be too difficult to be fun. I have wanted to finish it for a longer time, and used more game solutions and tips than I care for when it comes to games I actually enjoy.
Unless you are big time fan of Mario and have a desire to complete all Mario games, I recommend not buying Super Mario Sunshine. Though it has nice graphics, cool music, and an upbeat setting (a sunny tropical resort where the framed Mario has to clean the area and clear his name), the gameplay quickly becomes repetitive and complex. I first quit the game (in terms of not playing for several months) during an amusement park level, where Mario has to jump into the ferris wheel ride. After failing to do so multiple times, I gave up and put the game on the shelf.
Now that it is done, I feel somewhat relieved :-)
Re: Crazy Frog ringtone hops over from U.K.
Re: http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20050722/en_usatoday/crazyfrogringtonehopsoverfromuk
Good morning to all!
With this good morning, I'd like to warn all readers in the United States against something so terrible, so grating that it is likely to destroy any potential you have toward enjoying good techno music. This terror is none other than Axel F's Crazy Frog (cue the dramatic banging of pots and pans, given that my musical know-how only stretches to the recorder and minor knowledge about pianos)!!! From my current stay in Norway, I feel obligated to warn you that this is, in my opinion, truly terrible music. This is my Wolverine's-claws-scratching-the-blackboard!
Please protect yourself and any family and friends you have from this ring tone and its mind-numbing effects!
Holding his ear and closing his eyes,
Nick :-)
Good morning to all!
With this good morning, I'd like to warn all readers in the United States against something so terrible, so grating that it is likely to destroy any potential you have toward enjoying good techno music. This terror is none other than Axel F's Crazy Frog (cue the dramatic banging of pots and pans, given that my musical know-how only stretches to the recorder and minor knowledge about pianos)!!! From my current stay in Norway, I feel obligated to warn you that this is, in my opinion, truly terrible music. This is my Wolverine's-claws-scratching-the-blackboard!
Please protect yourself and any family and friends you have from this ring tone and its mind-numbing effects!
Holding his ear and closing his eyes,
Nick :-)
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Return after extended hiatus!
Hello there!!!
It has been quite a while since my last posting; since then I have finished my first semester as a graduate student (in International Relations), begun summer school at the University of Oslo’s International Summer School (taking Norwegian Literature and Newer Norwegian Literature along with Johnny), and been addicted to World of Warcraft for the second time. I am in Norway at the moment (as you may have guessed with the UoO mentioning above) and am doing my darndest to enjoy my time here (which is difficult when going off to summer school at the wee hours of the morning). I have not seen as much of my friends as I would like to, partially due to our different day schedules and partly due to my gidda-laus-ness (being routinely tired takes its toll).
These days I am working on the latter half of my school semester, getting back in touch with friends, family, and new people online, and watching through The 10th Kingdom. It is a fantasy miniseries featuring a fairy tale world (based on the Grimm brothers’ collection of folk tales) that exists parallel to Earth and connects with Central Park through magic traveling mirrors. The series is fun in itself, though the concept is much more interesting than the actual execution. The screenwriting and the direction are the two most disappointing facets, unfortunately. I often found myself questioning how the story and characters developed, as both often took sudden turns (that were expected to come through more gradual changes) and contained unsound occurrences (how would three trolls from a fantasy world be able to comprehend a New York – Manhattan street address from an Earth-based wallet during their first visit to Earth?). There are some pieces of dialogue that fall pancake flat and some failed comic delivery. Ahhh, the things I would have loved to do with it (may share some ideas on here as I develop them; first to go would be the visibly breathing corpses).
From semi-disappointing series to imminent bedtimes; to get enough sleep before I go to school, I have to get to bed at around 21:00 (9:00 PM). This means that I will end it for this time. I hope you all are doing well and taking care of yourself and yours.
Regards,
Nick :-)
It has been quite a while since my last posting; since then I have finished my first semester as a graduate student (in International Relations), begun summer school at the University of Oslo’s International Summer School (taking Norwegian Literature and Newer Norwegian Literature along with Johnny), and been addicted to World of Warcraft for the second time. I am in Norway at the moment (as you may have guessed with the UoO mentioning above) and am doing my darndest to enjoy my time here (which is difficult when going off to summer school at the wee hours of the morning). I have not seen as much of my friends as I would like to, partially due to our different day schedules and partly due to my gidda-laus-ness (being routinely tired takes its toll).
These days I am working on the latter half of my school semester, getting back in touch with friends, family, and new people online, and watching through The 10th Kingdom. It is a fantasy miniseries featuring a fairy tale world (based on the Grimm brothers’ collection of folk tales) that exists parallel to Earth and connects with Central Park through magic traveling mirrors. The series is fun in itself, though the concept is much more interesting than the actual execution. The screenwriting and the direction are the two most disappointing facets, unfortunately. I often found myself questioning how the story and characters developed, as both often took sudden turns (that were expected to come through more gradual changes) and contained unsound occurrences (how would three trolls from a fantasy world be able to comprehend a New York – Manhattan street address from an Earth-based wallet during their first visit to Earth?). There are some pieces of dialogue that fall pancake flat and some failed comic delivery. Ahhh, the things I would have loved to do with it (may share some ideas on here as I develop them; first to go would be the visibly breathing corpses).
From semi-disappointing series to imminent bedtimes; to get enough sleep before I go to school, I have to get to bed at around 21:00 (9:00 PM). This means that I will end it for this time. I hope you all are doing well and taking care of yourself and yours.
Regards,
Nick :-)
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Thoughts on March 22, 2005
Hoi there!
At times it feels like life is a frustrating train into ever-increasing nothingness (in other words, that life sometimes just seems to suck...in a white, middle-class, "oh-woe-is-me" angsty kind of way).
Currently I am procrastinating on the school work I should be doing, including multiple essays, readings, and presentations. I have procrastinated on much of it so far, while considering that most of my required work is due during the last week of school. Naturally, that means that the work is rolling into one heckuva (or helluva, if you prefer the "real spice") snowball, rapidly moving toward the target that is my head. I still do not know if I will a) dodge the snowball and make a remarkable turn toward proactivity; b) get hit squarely in the head and yet manage just fine because, hey, it's just snow; or c) have the snowball buddy up with my past concussion and conspire toward a nervous breakdown before the end of this spring.
In the past, it's largely been b) that has taken place, though I did break semi-down a few times during high school (for other reasons than school work though).
Ironically, while I feel paralyzed with regards to my school work, this blog is coming out quite fluidly. Part of it is the viciousness of combining procrastination with depression, which go way too good with each other. First, there is the procrastination, which prompts the putting off of necessary and required duties to the last minute. Second, once I have started putting the duties off, I start feeling guilty about it, and therefore start making (hollow) personal promises to recompensate for my procrastination by doing extraordinary work. Finally, the promises to do extraordinary work build up my expectation and my worry about my capabilities and I am doubly paralyzed (and monstrously stressed!).
I still do not know how to break this repetitive behavior.
In the meantime, I will finish making my Mac'n'Cheese dinner and enjoy it with some Buffy, and (please by all that is good and fluffy!) work on my school before going to bed.
Thank you, good night, and pleasant dreams (of all things kind, fluffy, and cookie-oriented) :-D
Nick :-)
At times it feels like life is a frustrating train into ever-increasing nothingness (in other words, that life sometimes just seems to suck...in a white, middle-class, "oh-woe-is-me" angsty kind of way).
Currently I am procrastinating on the school work I should be doing, including multiple essays, readings, and presentations. I have procrastinated on much of it so far, while considering that most of my required work is due during the last week of school. Naturally, that means that the work is rolling into one heckuva (or helluva, if you prefer the "real spice") snowball, rapidly moving toward the target that is my head. I still do not know if I will a) dodge the snowball and make a remarkable turn toward proactivity; b) get hit squarely in the head and yet manage just fine because, hey, it's just snow; or c) have the snowball buddy up with my past concussion and conspire toward a nervous breakdown before the end of this spring.
In the past, it's largely been b) that has taken place, though I did break semi-down a few times during high school (for other reasons than school work though).
Ironically, while I feel paralyzed with regards to my school work, this blog is coming out quite fluidly. Part of it is the viciousness of combining procrastination with depression, which go way too good with each other. First, there is the procrastination, which prompts the putting off of necessary and required duties to the last minute. Second, once I have started putting the duties off, I start feeling guilty about it, and therefore start making (hollow) personal promises to recompensate for my procrastination by doing extraordinary work. Finally, the promises to do extraordinary work build up my expectation and my worry about my capabilities and I am doubly paralyzed (and monstrously stressed!).
I still do not know how to break this repetitive behavior.
In the meantime, I will finish making my Mac'n'Cheese dinner and enjoy it with some Buffy, and (please by all that is good and fluffy!) work on my school before going to bed.
Thank you, good night, and pleasant dreams (of all things kind, fluffy, and cookie-oriented) :-D
Nick :-)
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Test blog
Hey there!
Just wanted to test this blogging tool for the time being. I have too much homework that I should be doing :-O
Hope anyone who reads this is doing okay and having a peachy day (the day down here may be peachy, but in that case it is a rainy peachy kind of day).
:-)
Just wanted to test this blogging tool for the time being. I have too much homework that I should be doing :-O
Hope anyone who reads this is doing okay and having a peachy day (the day down here may be peachy, but in that case it is a rainy peachy kind of day).
:-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)