How to Emerge from Darkness (A.K.A. Laziness)

Yeah. Hi. It's been a long time. How have you been? I've been good. I've also been convinced to start using this blog again... as long as people are reading it.

So I figured I would actually need something to talk about. Instead of my normal, semi-obnoxious, unimportant ramblings. And because I've decided to actually talk about, ya know, stuff, I actually, ya know, need some topics to talk about. (And people to talk too, but that's currently irrelevent.)

Then I said to myself, "Why hurt my brain thinking of things to talk about, when i can get other people to do it for me?" That's where you (yeah, you, Mom) come in. I'm looking for general topics. Books, video games, television shows. Internet news. Hell, I'll even review short-films on youtube if y'all want. Writing advice?

(But it kinda defeats the purpose of posting if no one is there to read the posts... oh well. I do what I want.)
So if you'd just leave a little comment below (and maybe I'll set up a poll on the side), I'd appreciate it so much.

*Insert Outro here*

I just had to share.

So I have a friend -- let's call her Callie -- who is a writer. That alone isn't particularly rare, strange, or otherwise odd.

Now, dearest Callie started a blog. It's called Literary Jellyfish and has the most adorable background.

Here's the funny, coincidental part. (Really, Fungus King, you'll get a kick out of this.) Wait... you didn't think I'd just tell you, did you? No, no. Go to her blog. It'll take only a minute. Just read her first post and the about thing on the side. You'll see what I'm getting at. Plus, she's blogging about writing, which is off the hook all by itself.

That said.... I have nothing else to say. I shall leave you with a gif or two.

Valete, amicos.

Pleasedon'tkillme

Eheh. I went AWOL. I could give you a bunch of excuses or I could tell you the truth.... so I'll give you the excuses that are actually the truth. Sanctuary season four was coming to a close, so I had to devote a good hour every day fangirling over that. The season finale was the thirtieth of December and I nearly cried. (Go to Facebook and Twitter and beg for season five. In reward I'll give you pictures of cookies.) I've been playing SKYRIM and I have to say that it is wonderful. Not as glitchy as I thought it would be (unless I'm really lucky.... I'm not really lucky, for the record).

There was Christmas, of course, that required my attention wrapping gifts, making cookies, decorating the tree, trying to get to every box and bag before my family so I could see who got what. I got SKYRIM as an early gift in November, eight books (one was a first edition signed by Rick Riordan from before he wrote Percy Jackson), the Kindle, two t-shirts (I'm happy to post pictures of those, though one was my way of expressing my full conversion to the Dork Side; I love ThinkGeek), and other assorted stuff. All in all good haul this year, and I was happy to be with family. Anyone want to talk about their holiday memories/presents?

And I spent all last night eating sushi and caviar and reading until midnight while listening to Domino by Jessie J. I spent all today watching television (Captain America and Iron Man, anyone?) and playing video games.

So I've basically been doing everything except what I should be doing. Editing and blogging.

Please don't kill me. 

Who wants to share their going-ons and whatnot?

Do you believe in destiny?

And no, that's not just some cheesy pitch for one of my upcoming novels, my dears. No, that's going to be today's thinking cap question. But I'll get to that later.

First I'd like to address SKYRIM. My first impression of it was "oh, my gods above, this is beautiful" ......and then the game crashed. One minute I'm looking at this blond Nord dude on a prison cart, the next I'm starring at my brother's LEGO wallpaper. The appropriate reaction was the one I had: "whuh.... dafuq?!?" So I got my dad and he fixed it with magic and now it lags. That right there is the worst four letter word in the world. Not hate, not any curse word you can think of. Lags. Shudder. But it's not too bad and the game runs fine now. I'm making slow progress, but to be honest, I'm not keen on rushing into anything. Overall, SKYRIM is a win for me.

Next I'll address everyone's answers on the magic topic from the post before last. Spirit, I agree. I don't think anyone will ever understand magic. Fungus.... first, the picture is from the Disney charter bus. That's my head, my dad in the blue shirt, and my mom in the back waving (her hand is in front of my sister's face, ha). Second, I think it's interesting you see it as simple energy.

I have differing opinions on most things. I think magic is an energy. I think it's stored in things around us. A sunrise, a smile, a moment in time. In music and thought and emotion. I think magic is only "good" or "evil" in the way you use or see that magic. And what I strongly believe is that humans do have magic. We don't always see it. But we can feel it in a good book, in a song, and in a story. Can you guess what it is? I think magic is in imagination.

A quote before the questions and before I go. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Corinthians 13:13, I think (not totally sure, since I haven't actually read the Bible).

Now. Questions. Get thinking, you lot. Do you believe in destiny? Is everything predetermined in the strands of time? Does it matter if you fight or give up? Is everything exactly the same if whether you were handed your "end point" or earned it? Do you end up in the same place no matter what you do? Or can the future be changed enough that destiny is null and void? And, given the choice of foresight or retrospection, which would you choose? (Seer or Spirit Walker ;))

M'kay. Later.

A quick note...

This'll be fast; in my next post I'll answer comments and whatever stuff I need to do.

But for this post, I will do nothing except say....

SKYRIM IS OUT. OH, YES. I got my big box collector's edition the moment 11.11.11 started in Texas. The reason why this post is delayed is because I've been a) reading my collector's edition guide, b) itching to install Skyrim, c) looking at comcept art, or d) trying to keep my brother away from the mentioned three things, as well as my draon model that came with my game and books.

It's installing as we speak... and I just got up to check if it's done, which it nearly is, so peace out.

FOR SKYRIM. (I'll talk about it in depth later. Waaaaay later ;D)

Heh.

My apologies. I sorta got caught up in everything. Life, writing, school. Ya know how it goes.

So.... I went to Disney world on the 21st of October and came back on the 30th (late at night...) and I would just like to share that it was freaking amazing. Which leads us to the think-topic of the day.

What is your opinion on magic? Is it unholy, impure? Or is it purity in essence? Are there other worlds, other dimensions, out there that are the subject of our human myths and legends and stories? Did we humans as a race have magic at some point? Do we still have magic? While we're at it, what is magic? Where is it stored? Does it have a different name? Is it sentient?

On a totally different topic, I need some help. Not sure you lot can lend that help or not... but if you are/know anyone who is Hindu, then please speak up. I've been researching the Hindu religion and mythology/stories and it took me literally three hours yesterday to find sufficient works on the first incarnation of Vishnu. And if anyone can explain Dharma to me in English I'll give you a cookie and award you a gold star on my blog. You ask why I need to learn this? Tough school essay, perhaps? Am I converting? Actually, no. I'm torturing myself trying to find an internet source other than Wikipedia for fun. Seriously, though, I need it for Retro-Specter. Plus I like knowing things other people don't. Thus the need to find someone with first-hand knowledge of all things... well, Hindu.

I'm so specific, ain't I?

Right-o. I gotta go. Peace out.

Mediator

Because it's so much fun trying to stop an argument.

Someday I'm just going to give up and become part of the problem instead.

Yes, boys and girls, my advice for this post is to avoid arguments. Because you can't win. EVER.

Cue the crickets.... and new topic. How's everyone? How's school? All that fun stuff. I've been busy (not) editing Retro-Specter. I'm actually almost a third of the way through. This weekend I get to stay with my grandparents, which'll be fun. They've apparently read part of Retro-Specter--at least, my grandmother has--so I'll have more input to edit.

Today I want to ask everyone's opinion on a certain topic. It's been on my mind for a while, mostly because I've been redesigning some of the themes in my book. Anyways, here's my question/statement to get you guys thinking.

Who are we to determine who lives and who dies? We are merely human, not a god. Preserving life is within our power as is ending life. But just because the power to end life is available, does it mean we should take it? Or is it the other way around? The world is full of death and if we are able to do something, we should? If someone hurts someone else, return fire is only karma? Is karma just an excuse? Is there a line where something goes from karma to vengence?

I want to hear your thoughts.