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Árstíðir- Heyr himna smiður

Always Look For The Helpers

Rocky Balboa Inspirational Speech

Man, I can't tell you how much I need to hear this on a regular basis- I think I'll keep this video up somewhere where I can easily get to it whenever I need it. Makes me want to watch the movie (yeah, I haven't seen Rocky Balboa yet- don't shoot me)! Makes me feel conficent, worthy, and able to take on anything I set my mind to, and boy do I need to believe that these days with what's going on in my life! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

The Future of Cell Phones: Phonebloks!

Represent!

Flash! Oooooooh!

Pokemon X/Y Starter Evolutions Leaked

So apparently evolutions for the 3 new Kalos region starters from Pokemon X & Y were leaked in a Japanese magazine called Corocoro. If this is actually real, and not some scam, then I would change my earlier choice of Fennekin to Froakie. The final evolution would also factor in, but for now I think I'll choose Froakie when I get the game next month. Who knows; the 3rd evolution may change my mind.

Ahhh, Life.

Game Launch Rock!

Extra Credits: Not A Babysitter

7 Things Everyone Needs to be Told

300: Rise of an Empire Trailer

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Trailer

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Trailer

RYSE: Son of Rome Debut Trailer

Dragon Age III: Inquisition Trailer- "The Fires Above"

New Minecraft Ideas

So I play Minecraft quite a bit (Not as much as Skyrim, but hey, I don't play anything as much as that- not even Civilization V!), and since getting the beta version of the game a couple years ago, I've come up with some ideas for new items/features in the game that I think would be cool additions. These are the ideas I've come up with (with some help from friends, my brother, and a bit from the interwebs). I know that some of these (a lot of these actually) are already implemented in mods, but it would be nice for them to be in-game so we don't have to install as many mods, as well as to see the Mojang team's take on them. Let me know what you think!

• New blocks (Marble, Concrete, Red Rock {Like rock from Arizona or Utah}, Quicksand, etc.)
• New ores/metals (Silver, Bronze, Copper, Tin, Aluminium, Ruby, Sapphire, Steel, Tungsten, etc.)
• Half slabs and stairs for ALL blocks!
• Fences for all wood types
• Connect minecarts together like a train
• Magical spells
• Tinted/colored glass blocks and panes
• More food types (mutton, corn, tomatoes, oranges, etc.)
• More tree/wood types (Willow, Palm, Redwood, Pine, Kapok, Baobab, Mangrove, Acacia, etc.)
• Rope bridges!
• More weapon types (spears, waraxes, hammers, crossbows, daggers, maces, halberd/poleax, etc.)
• Shields
• Quivers for arrows
• New mobs (goblins, orcs, ent-like creatures, friendly dwarves, etc.)
• The Aether
• More dragons (maybe able to tame/ride them?)
• The ability to place redstone vertically and upside down
• Not needing a block of air above redstone circuits
• More enchantments (Frost, Poison, Lightning, & Wither Aspects)
• Double ender chests
• Obsidian tools and weapons
• Underwater foliage/items (kelp, coral, etc.)
• Grappling hooks
• Bigger boats (for 2+ people)...canoes maybe?
• Quarter blocks
• More pillar blocks
• A new source of fuel that's more efficient than coal, but less than lava
• New biomes (savannah, plateau, marsh/wetland, etc.)
• Villager soldiers/guards
• Backpacks
• New lighting items (lamps, chandeliers, etc.)
• Snorkels (improves breathing underwater)
• Underwater dungeons/shipwrecks

What I'm Reading- 6/5/13

~The Pillars of Creation~

by Terry Goodkind

This book is kind of strange...but in a good way, I guess. This series- at least so far- is centered around two characters: Richard and Kahlan. This book, however, doesn't include them at all. It's about two young adults named Jensen and Oba. I know because I skimmed through the whole book, not reading anything, but looking for names to see which characters were talking. As far as I know, they're only mentioned, but they aren't actually in the story. They may actually be in it, but only for small stretches that I just missed. It's kind of throwing me for a loop. It's not like it's bad reading, but it's just weird that the main characters aren't present. It is set in the same world/timeline, so it's indirectly pertinent, but I don't think that this kind of thing is done very often. The book is interesting so far, but I'm just waiting to see the point of telling me all of this information. I may need to wait until the next book (Naked Empire) to see why...hmmmm. I'll let you know how it goes, but I'm only on page 122 of about 725, so it may take a while.

~Treasure Island~

by Robert Louis Stevenson

I recently started reading Treasure Island, and of the few pages I've read, I like it already. I'm really only a couple chapters in, but Stevenson's writing style appeals to me. It's simple, yet fun to read, and the language isn't archaic. This is good, especially because I don't really like reading books with a maritime setting. They're just so boring most of the time. I hated "Moby Dick" and "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" (which I had to read in 7th grade). The only books set at sea that I liked are "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and "The Odyssey" or books that are only partially on the water, like "The Swiss Family Robinson" or "Robinson Crusoe". I have a good feeling that I'll like this book, but we'll see what happens. I'm going to try to block out memories of the many variations of this story in movies that I've seen (Muppet Treasure Island is my favorite) so that I read and understand the "real"/original story. Looking forward to the rest of the book!

My Latest Obsessions- June 2013

I know it's been a while, but it's taken this long to find new things to be obsessed with! Enjoy!

Games

~Minecraft/Pixelmon~

I've had Minecraft for about 2 years now, and I love it, but I have been playing Skyrim a lot over the past year (I still play it, just not as much). I've recently returned to playing this awesome game due to inspiration from the Yogscast on YouTube and some mods, namely Pixelmon, which lets you play with Pokemon in Minecraft! Right now I'm working on my own fictitious region with towns, gyms, etc. I may post pictures later if I remember to.

~Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate~

I finally bought a 3DS about a month ago, and the first game I got for it was this one. I had been wanting to play a game in this series for a while now, but since I didn't have a Wii, I couldn't... until now. This game is great- the gameplay is unique, there is a ton of weapons to choose from, & the soundtrack is amazing! The only complaint I have is that in the 3DS version, moving around while swimming is awkward, and it's really frustrating when the camera locks somehow when I'm looking at the sky, and not a monster that's trying to rip my guts out. I'm only about 10 hours into the game, and am about halfway through the level 2 quests, so there's lots of game left to play!

~The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons~

This, along with Link's Awakening is one of my favorite handheld Zelda games. I remember playing this a lot as a preteen, and I was pleasantly surprised when Nintendo put the Oracle games on the Virtual Console, which I downloaded on my new 3DS. It's been fun replaying it, and it's interesting to see how far the graphics in Zelda games have come. Definitely worth a try!

TV

~Game of Thrones Season 2~

It took me a while to start watching this show because I wanted to read the books first, but I was (and still am) in the middle of reading The Sword of Truth series, and I don't really like leaving a series midway through. That, and seeing how long the books are, lead me to bite the bullet and start watching the show first. I will just have to compare the show to the book in a new way. I like it so far (I'm 2 or 3 episodes in on season 2), and I'm trying to catch up. George R.R. Martin certainly knows how to create infuriating characters and plot twists (a.k.a. killing off favorite characters). He's famous for frustrating/pissing off fans as well as taking his sweet time writing the books, but hey, as long as the quality is great, that doesn't really matter to me.

~The Big Bang Theory Season 5~

I love this show despite the fact that a lot of people dislike it for various reasons. I have the first 4 seasons on DVD, and I've been trying to find season 5, but it seems that every time I go to a store that would carry it, they're either out of stock, or I'm just looking in the wrong place. I've seen a few episodes through Comcast, but I want a physical copy! I'll get it one of these days.

Food

~Häagen-Dazs green tea ice cream~

This stuff is SO good! The first time I had green tea ice cream was at a Japanese steak house on one of my family birthday dinners when I was younger. The funny thing is that I don't like drinking green tea at all (I prefer red and white teas)! I like the fact that the green tea taste is still strong, but is still pretty sweet, and is really creamy, which is nice. I also like their strawberry ice cream as well.

~Fruit stand strawberries~

Speaking of strawberries... it's the time of year when local strawberry vendors open their roadside stands. I couldn't be happier! I like strawberries, but the ones you get at the grocery store are... well, they're pretty gross. Stand strawberries are soooo much better! They're fresh, picked at the right time, sweeter, and cheaper. The one closest to my house also sells blueberries and zucchini. I was able to get 3 cartons of strawberries, a carton of blueberries, and a small bag of zucchini for only $10! So good!

Sports

~Baseball~

While baseball officially started in April, I'm just getting around to talking about it in this post. I LOVE baseball- it's by far my favorite sport. I even enjoy watching it when my favorite team isn't playing (which is the Oakland Athletics, of course)- whether it's another MLB team, minor league team, or even the little league world series. I also play fantasy baseball, and though I'm not all that great at it, I definitely enjoy playing, even if I don't win. LET'S GO OAKLAND!

A True Captain

While I am not really a Star Trek fan, as my friends can attest (though the new movies are pretty dang good), I do realize that some great people were a part of that show- namely Patrick Stewart and Wil Wheaton. These guys are amazing, and I really wish that there were more role models like them in Hollywood. While I look up to both men, this post is about Patrick Stewart. I saw this post on Tumblr (from LemonSweetie), and I just had to share it. Violence- whether it's perpetrated by a man or a woman- is NEVER OK! No if's, and's, or but's about it- end of story.

"I went to Comicpalooza this weekend and I was full of nervous energy as I was standing in line to ask Sir Patrick Stewart a question at his panel. I first had to thank him for a speech he had given at amnesty international about domestic violence towards women . I had only seen it a few months ago but I was still dealing with my own personal experience with a similar issue, and I didn’t know what to call it. After seeing Patrick talk so personally about it I finally was able to correctly call it abuse, in my case sexual abuse that was going to quickly turn into physical abuse as well. I didn’t feel guilty or disgusting anymore. I finally didn’t feel responsible for the abuse that was put upon me. I was finally able to start my healing process and to put that part of my life behind me.

After thanking him I asked him “Besides acting, what are you most proud of that you have done in you life (that you are willing to share with us)?”. Sir Patrick told us about how he couldn’t protect his mother from abuse in his household growing up and so in her name works with an organization called Refuge for safe houses for women and children to escape from abusive house holds. Sir Patrick Stewart learned only last year that his father had actually been suffering from PTSD after he returned from the military and was never properly treated. In his father’s name he works with an organization called Combat Stress to help those soldiers who are suffering from PTSD. 

They were about to move onto the next question when Sir Patrick looked at me and asked me “My Dear, are you okay?” I said yes, and that I was finally able to move on from that part of my life. He then passionately said that it is never the woman’s fault in domestic violence, and how wrong to think that it ever is. That it is in the power of men to stop violence towards women. The moderator then asked “Do you want a hug?” 

Sir Patrick didn’t even hesitate, he smiled, hopped off the stage and came over to embrace me in a hug. Which he held me there for a long while. He told me “You never have to go through that again, you’re safe now.” I couldn’t stop thanking him. His embrace was so warm and genuine. It was two people, two strangers, supporting and giving love. And when we pulled away he looked strait in my eyes, like he was promising that. He told me to take care. And I will.

Sir Patrick Stewart is an absolute roll model for men. He is an amazing man and was so kind and full of heart. I want to let everyone know to please find help if you are in a violent or abusive house hold or relationship. There are organizations and people ready to help. I had countless people after the panel thanking me for sharing the story and asking him those questions. Many said they went through similar things. You are not alone."

Here's a video of the question as well:

Look at all the Artsy People

I will admit that I haven't always been all that into art, and while I do like art, I am still pretty picky. For me, the general standard I go by is this: if I can't tell what it's supposed to be, I probably won't like it. While that leaves out a lot of modern art, there is plenty of content to like (and there is modern art that I do enjoy; I'm just really picky). To make a long intro short: Here's a list of my top 10 favorite artists that I've found (so far):

10. Eduard Tomek

          Favorite works: Sea (1971) & Untitled (1949)

 

9. Stewart Edmondson

       Favorite Works: This Wild Untamed Land (2012) & The River Epic (2009)

 

8. Jenny Dolfen

       Favorite Works: Fingolfin's Challenge (2011) & Ossiriand (2012)

 

7. Mark Rothko

       Favorite Works: No. 13 (1951) & No. 203 (1954)

 

6. Lee White

       Favorite Works: Midnight Ride (2010) & Arctic Fox (2010)

 

5. John Howe

       Favorite Works: Flight to the Ford (1989) & Minas Tirith (1989)

 

4. Sandy Skoglund

       Favorite Works: Revenge of the Goldfish (1981) & Fox Games (1989)

 

3. Alan Lee

       Favorite Works: Rivendell (2007) & Farewell on the Edge of Mirkwood (1995)

 

2. Ansel Adams

       Favorite Works: Yosemite Valley Thunderstorm (1945) & White House Ruins (1960)

 

1. Vincent Van Gogh

       Favorite Works: Starry Night Over the Rhone (1888) & Branches of an Almond Tree in Blossom (1890)

 

John McWhorter: Txting is killing language. JK!!!

This was very interesting to listen to, especially since I am on of the people who believe that texting is causing  teenagers to become less intelligent. I understand what he's saying, but I still don't like it when people type like that. You have a full keyboard and a brain- USE IT!

We're All Human Beings

Don't Blink- A New Song by Relient K

If the rest of Relient K's new album (called Collapsible Lung) is as good as this song, it has potential to be my favorite album of theirs. So excited!

Things I Want Out of the Next Gen Xbox

With all the rumors flying around about the possible specs of the next gen Xbox, I thought I'd weigh in with my two cents worth. My ideas really aren't that original, but I still think that they're important. Keep in mind that a lot of these ideas are just rumors, and may never come true!

1. Backwards Compatibility
Without this feature, I will most likely not buy the next Xbox. I bought all of these Xbox 360 games for a reason, and I'd like to continue gaming on one console. Is it really that hard to do?

2. No "Always Online" Function
Not everyone has a good internet connection. Not everyone even has an internet connection in the first place. I don't think it's a good idea to alienate a possibly good chunk of your target market by adding this feature. Plus, gamers will be royally pissed if you do, especially if the reactions from the same feature in Diablo III and SimCity are any indication. Plus this seems like a ploy to help their ISP (Internet Service Provider) buddies make more money than they already do.

3. Blu-Ray player!
No explanation necessary :)

4. Lemme Play Used Games!
Seriously guys!? Seriously? If you're that bent on sucking as much money out of your customers as possible, then maybe used game stores can cut you a percentage of the price- I mean, you did make the game, and GameStop makes a butt-ton of money anyway. (fat chance that'll ever happen, but one can dream!)

5. Disc Drive
While if the next Xbox is all digital (like Steam) with no game discs, it won't be the end of the world, it would be nice to have an option to direct download it or play a game from a disc. Hard drives will run out of space eventually, no matter how big you make them. It would be nice to have enough space for games that release soon after launch, but also for games that release 5 years later.

6. A Tough System
Basically, I don't want my console to red ring unless I did something stupid to break it, or it gets really old.

7. It's A Gaming Device!
The Xbox is a friggin' gaming console, not a glorified cable box. Yes, those extra features are nice, but make them peripherals, not the sole focus. I mean, come on- the gaming tab on the current 360 menu is like the third tab over, not the main one.

8. Free Multiplayer
If the PSN can do it, why can't you Microsoft? I'd like to be able to play online and fully utilize all the functions of this game I bought without having to pay more money!

9. Keep the Controller Simple
Touch screens are cool and all, but make the controller easy to use/navigate, be wireless, be ergonomic, and not be freaking huge.

10. Don't Break the Bank
I honestly think that this won't happen- it's gonna be anywhere from $500+. If I decide to buy it at all, I'll wait for a price drop or a really good sale.

Ken Jennings TED Talk: The Obsolete Know-It-All

Seasons- Winter

Rain, rain, all the time

Soaking my clothes completely

At least let it snow

Breath made visible

Runny nose, sensitive skin

Bare hands freeze quickly

Quiet snow enfolds

Beauty in ev’ry season

Year’s end coming soon

Seasons- Fall

Falling leaves pile up

Swirling colors blow past us

Cold is coming soon

Summer is over

Children resume their studies

Learning improves all

Branches are now bare

Beautiful trees surround me

Winter is coming

Seasons- Summer

Freedom to wander

Evergreens provide cool shade

Beauty everywhere

Good friends and good food

Spending time while we’re still young

Lasting memories

Jump in cool water

Respite from sweltering heat

Sun burn hurts a lot

Seasons- Spring

Rain falls down to Earth

Cleansing, pure, new life springs forth

Soft drops drip on leaves

Gray skies spoil my mood

Wind howls through the trees

Wishing for summer

Sunshine brings new day

Golden flowers line the path

Rebirth, life anew

Interesting Linguistic Origins

Truly Surprising Word Origins by Buzzfeed

I love this kind of stuff! It's so fascinating! :)

Wow. Just... Wow.

My Favorite Disney Movies, Part 2

So part 2 will cover Disney movies made from 1990 to the present. Hope this brings back as many good memories as it did for me making this post!

9. Tarzan (1999)

8. A Goofy Movie (1995)

7. Hercules (1997)

6. The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

5. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

4. Brother Bear (2003)

3. Mulan (1998)

2. Aladdin (1992)

1. The Lion King (1994)

'Merica?

My Favorite Disney Movies, Part 1

I haven't done a list/countdown in a while, so let's do another one! This one will be in two parts so the post won't get too long. These movies will all be my favorite Disney films made before 1990. Here we go:

8. Snow White (1937)

7. Pinocchio (1940)

6. The Fox & The Hound (1981)

5. The Black Cauldron (1985)

4. Peter Pan (1953)

3. The Jungle Book (1967)

2. Robin Hood (1973)

1. The Sword In The Stone (1963)