Duality

N.L.T.

Learn that abbreviation because I might use it again. I’ve decided I won’t launch the new design until it’s ready.

Getting myself to work on the new design this week has been hard. There has been a lot on my mind and a lot—or it feels like a lot—to take care of. This vacation has served its purpose: I’m ready to go back to work, even though this week didn’t feel like a vacation at all. And the blogosphere’s felt dead to me lately. It’s hard to get excited when seemingly nothing else is going on.

Anyway, back to work. It’ll be ready when it’s ready. Though, I probably won’t get everything working before I declare it ready.

So, I haven’t been posting much because I’ve had to take care of some stuff over my week off in addition to working on the new design and relaxing. But I found something just now that screamed to be mentioned.

You have no doubt been looking around the Google Video beta. That’s where I found this beauty (yes, safe for work. Show all your coworkers! =)). It’s a video of some guy playing level 3 of IKARUGA with his left hand controlling player 1 and his right hand controlling player 2. He full-chains the level and pulls off some crazy, crazy, crazy manoeuvres… maneuvers.

Seeing as how I’ve never full-chained level 3, I’d be impressed by just a single-player run-through. But this—one person controlling both players—is just crazy.

(Then again, it might be two people pulling off an elaborate hoax? Nah, don’t ruin the excitement.)

Something big’s going down at TRU (Toys R Us) tomorrow. We’re talking almost $5-CC-clearance big. I won’t be going—I better not be going because my credit card bill this month will already be huge—but I know I’ll be thinking about it all day.

I’m sort of interested in the games, but really, it’s not about the games. My fascination with game deals has never been about the games. If it were, how could I let all the good games I buy languish on my TV? It’s about getting something new. And getting something for much less than it usually costs.

It doesn’t make sense when I think about it, but still the deals never fail to fascinate me. Knowing that I won’t—and shouldn’t—be taking advantage of this deal eats me up inside, but I guess there’s always next time.

I’ll be honest: hearing about Microsoft’s troubles with the XBOX360 puts a big smile on my face. As a Microsoft-hater and Nintendo fanboy, I think it’s my right to smile at their troubles, even if I’m over 21 and supposedly an “adult.”

Microsoft’s inability to provide enough consoles is especially delicious. They never said the reason behind the shortage, right? No need really; I think every Mac user knows why. What? You don’t know? It’s IBM’s legendary inability to produce their high-end CPUs in significant quantities, of course.

Ah, the frustrations over PowerMac shortages are now delights over XBOX360 shortages. Really, are people still wondering why Apple dumped IBM?

(Yes, I know Nintendo’s Revolution will be using IBM chips, but I’m not worried. I think the key difference will be that the Revolution isn’t using cutting-edge CPUs—and all those stick-in-the-muds won’t be buying it.)

I finally got Mario Kart DS last Wednesday and have been playing it like crazy to make up time. I’ve already beaten all the 50CC, 100CC, and 150CC grand prix, some of the GP that comes after 150CC, star-ranked all the missions except one, unlocked a few staff ghosts, and showed Bigi “teh pwnage” online. You haven’t done all that yet? Who’s the slacker now, huh? HUH?!

(I like Bigi’s Mario Kart icon: “PWN U FTW!” It’s very theoretical—because he has exactly 0 wins against me at the moment =))

I should write a review for this game. But you know, this is one of those games you don’t need to review. If you own a DS, you should own Mario Kart DS. If you don’t own a DS and you want to play one of the most fun games ever, you should get a DS and Mario Kart DS.

Even if you don’t play through the single-player modes—which admittedly is sometimes like eating your vegetables, assuming you don’t like veggies—I think the sheer fun of online play will keep you enthralled for hours. Yesterday, I played a couple matches against Bigi online. It was only us two (instead of the full online complement of four players), but it was still the most fun I’ve had since the party.

To quote Bigi: “damn. online play is so good”

Help sate my curiosity while possibly guiding the future of Duality by answering the following questions. Again, no iPod drawing.

Questions

1. Does your computer have the font Gill Sans?
2. Have you changed browsers since May 31st? If so, what browser and version do you use? (ignore if you use Firefox)
3. Is the gamma setting on your monitor closer to the Mac default or Windows default?
4. Do you like blue?
5. Am I the last DS owner that doesn’t have Mario Kart DS?
6. Is the DS Nintendo’s first dual-screen device?

Remember, feedback makes everything better… except noise factor.

“Another night deprived of slumber,
Hours passing without number,
My eyes trace ’round the room. I lay
Dripping sweat and now quite certain
That tonight the final curtain
Drops upon my short life’s precious play.

From the darkness, by the closet
Comes a noise, much like a faucet
Makes: a maddening drip-drip-dripping sound.
It seems some ill-proportioned beast,
Anticipating me deceased,
Is drooling poison puddles on the ground.

A can of Mace, a forty-five,
Is all I’d need to stay alive,
But no weapon lies within my sight.
Oh my gosh! A shadow’s creeping,
Ominous and black, it’s seeping
Slowly ‘cross a moonlit square of light!

Suddenly a floorboard creak
Announces the bloodsucking freak
Is here to steal my future years away!
A sulfurous smell now fills the room
Heralding my imminent doom!
A fang gleams in the dark and murky gray!

Oh, blood-red eyes and tentacles!
Throbbing, pulsing ventricles!
Mucus-oozing pores and frightful claws!
Worse, in terms of outright scariness,
Are the suckers multifarious
That grab and force you in its mighty jaws!

This disgusting aberration
Of nature needs no motivation
To devour helpless children in their beds.
Relishing despairing moans,
It chews kids up and sucks their bones,
And dissolves inside its mouth their ‘lil heads!

I know this ’cause I read it not
Two hours ago, and then I got
The heebie-jeebies and these awful shakes.
My parents swore upon their honor
That I was safe, and not a goner.
I guess tomorrow they’ll see their sad mistakes.

In the morning, they’ll come in
And say, “what was that awful din
We heard last night? You kept us both from sleep!”
Only then will they surmise
The gruesomeness of my demise
And see that my remains are in a heap.

Dad will look at Mom and say,
“Too bad he had to go that way.”
And Mom will look at Dad, and nod assent.
Mom will add, “Still, it’s fitting,
That as he was this world quitting,
He should leave another mess before he went.”

They may not mind at first, I know.
They will miss me later, though,
And perhaps admit that they were wrong.
As memories of me grow dim,
They’ll say, “We were too strict with him.
We should have listened to him all along.”

As speedily my end approaches,
I bid a final “buenas noches”
To my best friend here in all the world.
Gently snoring, whiskers seeming
To sniff at smells (he must be dreaming),
He lies snuggled in the blankets, curled.

HEY! WAKE UP, YOU STUPID CRETIN!
YOU GONNA SLEEP WHILE I GET EATEN?!
Suddenly the monster knows I’m not alone!
There’s an animal in bed with me!
An awful beast he did not see!
The monster never would’ve come if he had known!

The monster, in his consternation,
Demonstrated defenestration,
And runs and runs and runs and runs away.
Rid of the pest,
I now can rest,
Thanks to my best friend, who saved the day.”

-Bill Watterson
(The Complete Calvin and Hobbes)
(Awesomest Christmas gift ever!)

Merry Christmas to all!! I hope all your dreams come true.