[Gamma on...] Things I Like?

While I think we'd all like to post more, I find that life of a 20 something has a way of interfering with our writing habits.  With Mass Effect 3 coming out, and monetary issues becoming more of a struggle to survive as of late, not to mention school and work, I don't think that there will be a huge amount of posting going on that frequently.  I will make a marked effort to make sure that I post more frequently, even if it is just a one off rant about something trivial.  It's important to get into the habit of writing so that it is fresh on the mind and easier to find time to do.  That said, I realize that we don't have a huge reader base, and this post is more for myself than it is for readers.  In that spirit, here is a list of things that I like.

Two complimentary colors displayed prominently next to each other.
The smell of smoke on clothes.
"Alternative" hair styles with bright colors and accessories.
Decades old scotch.
Chip tunes.
The feelings of low level electrical currents running over my skin.
The taste of aluminium when drinking out of a coke can.
The texture of cotton candy.
Cold silk.
The sting of cold air on the lungs early in the morning.
The feeling of well worn shoes.
The sound of a metal blade hitting leather.
The weight of a full ammo clip in my hand.
Butterflies.
That floating sensation just before falling asleep.
The soft hum of an electrical generator.
Poster board.
Throwing cards at a wooden wall.
The crunching sound snow makes when you walk on it.
The feeling of a cool breeze on a warm spring day.
The way things look in black light.
LEDs.
The sound cigarettes make when you first pull on them after lighting.
The taste of gin.
The feeling of thunder's sounds waves passing through my chest.
The ring of scattered light around the moon on a cold night.
The sound of water dripping into dirt.
Petrichor.
Slow color changing primary lighting.
Bubbling, clear water in a glass tank.

That's all that comes to mind right now.  There's more, but who cares?

[Rin on...] Mass Effect 3 Demo

I'm writing this after having given it a day to sink in and after reading various articles and reviews on the demo. The one I'll reference the most here was written by a friend of mine from the 'Scapist days, Remy van Ruiten, who has a blog of his own. I'll quote him throughout this post so you know what commentary I'm referring to, but if you want, just read his article here before reading mine.

Let me preface by saying I'm a super, super serious Mass Effect fan. I played both 1 and 2 multiple times, doing every single side-quest in both. So, needless to say, I have been frothing at the mouth impatiently for the release of ME3. I even pre-ordered the N7 Collector's Edition. [Hah! I say even like it's a surprise.]

[Rin on...] SOPA

How to Strike

How to Write Your Congressmen

A great article on SOPA / PIPA


And to TL,DR;

[Kenna on...] Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms

The average person does not appreciate the full capacity of intelligence, wit, and work that most authors put into their works. When the average reader’s eyes glaze over a novel, they read the basic story; not the background, not the in-depth characterization, not the symbolism, nor the motifs, themes, and language.

[Rin on...] Anime Voice Actors

     This is a journey concerning two specific voice actors, and how much fun it is to trace one voice actor through all those animes you've watched, full of "Oh shit! That was him?!" moments. Moreover, this is about how much of a weeaboo I really am, if you ever doubted it before. I follow my mind and wikipedia biographies through J. Michael Tatum and Christopher Patton's work. Step in, enjoy the ride, and remember, keep your arms and feet inside at all times. Otherwise they'll be ripped off due to the G-force of my nerdy awesomeness.

[Gamma on...] Isolation

In this age of unparalleled connectivity, where anyone in the world can connect to and communicate with, often times with at least voice (if not visual) communication, many of us find us inexplicably isolated. Perhaps this is, for some, a choice. Not everyone enjoys being immersed in the sea of social interaction. Surely all of us, however, enjoy sharing a connection with another human being, even if it’s only one. Why do we find ourselves, even for short periods of time, disconnected or even completely severed from human connections? Why do we experience loneliness? Why do we feel, for lack of a more specific term, sadness brought on by lack of connection?

[Johnathan on...] Dreams

The body is but a vessel, but the mind is just as much a vessel. When we sleep our brain lights up and dims down, seemingly random activation can bring about a conscious experience while the rest of our mind sleeps. This is what happens when we dream. We, the individual, the owner of our consciousness remains awake. And in this new world we may visit places in the past or future. We may talk to old friends or even exploit our own mind. This is quite the gift, the gift of dreams. The gift of another world to escape to, the world within all of us.

[Johnathan on...] Subjective Importance

I suppose I’m writing this for fun.
     I’m not sure what keeps me "down to earth". It's probably my consistent conscious experience, however I feel this is a flawed system. I dislike being "restricted" to my everyday life. I'd much rather live my thoughts and dreams as if they were real. I don't see a place for this kind of "thinking" in today's life. People constantly riding the stream of reality without questioning the nature of the stream itself. I can't help but look at the world from a physicist's prospective. One in which only facts matter, facts that explain what it is that does matter. However subjective this may sound, I believe the term "matter", or what it is that is "important" should come from just that; subjectivity. This prospective explains more however, such as what it means to exist, and what it means to be simply "aware".

[Johnathan on...] His Religious Views

Hmm where to start... how about the beginning?

I was raised on Sunday church going. I believe my parents once told me they wanted me to see for myself. I thank them for such open-mindedness. Anyhow this didn't last long for me. My teachers told me there was a God, i said where? They said "In Heaven of course!" I said where's that? "Well... up? somewhere?" I couldn't help but laugh at this concept, i didn't know if they were implying higher dimensions or if they even knew.

[Gamma on...] Common Ground Communication

I was sitting at our local Starbucks today, enjoying a scorching hot chocolate with a few shots of chai (try that shit out, it’s fucking awesome) with my lovely associate, Rin, when an older gentlemen with a buzz cut and some nice shades came up and sat down at the table next to us. He was muttering half to himself and half to Rin and I about the heat and his boss. His extroverted nature was refreshing in this age of isolationism, so I asked him about what his job was. Over the course of the conversation that followed I was bombarded with all sorts of information that I couldn’t really tell you what all was said. Throughout the entire exchange, I tried my best to keep up with the industry tips and life advice he was offering me, but it just didn’t seem to stick. I couldn’t help but feel like what he was saying was going to be important someday.