Valkyrie's Page of Wonder

March 17, 2008

Willpower

"The ability to exert one's will over one's actions"

I thought I had this whole entry laid out in my head, but after reading that article, just about everything I had is gone. So instead you get a lovely, uh...gimme a sec.... Stream of Consciousness entry, which I'm sure will end up on many different tangents as I go along. Anyway, back to the topic.

I like to play WoW, World of Warcraft in case you didn't know. I think it has become one of my favorite games of all time. Probably has something to do with how in depth it is, or the massive amount of configurations all the different items allow. There are hundreds of quests to complete and several large scale, multi person dungeon things to attack and conquer. One in particular that has caught my interest lately is called Alterac Valley. It's a battleground which allows for Player vs. Player action (PvP), but in this case its 40 on 40. The main premise is to attack and kill the opposing side's main boss, but there are several other side things to do as well. There are towers to capture, good guys to save, parts to collect and turn in for extra rewards, and on top of all that fun, you earn 'Honor Points' which allow you to purchase more/better pieces of armor and weapons.

One of the things I like about battlegrounds is I don't have to find a group, meet somewhere, find an opposing group, and start fighting. I just click that I want to join a battleground and within minutes it has matched me up with 79 other people that wanted to join a battleground, 39 for my team 40 for the other. This is made even easier by allowing 'Cross-Realm' players. From my understanding each realm is part of a Battlegroup and when I want to join a battleground I can join with anyone else in that Battlegroup regardless of which realm they are on. For example, I play on the Draenor realm which is part of the Cyclone battlegroup. When I join a BG(Battleground) I'm not limited to the Draenor realm but all realms inside the Cyclone battlegroup, expaning the player base by several times. All this makes it a lot faster to get into a BG, which in turn reduces downtime, increasing fun.

Um...where was I? *scroll* Oh yeah, Favorite games and willpower. It has been mentioned that I might like this game a little too much, that I might be addicted. And while I highly doubt that, there is always that possibility. Plus most addicted people don't usually see themselves as addicted. So in an effort to prove to myself mostly that I am not addicted I plan to not play WoW for a week, starting now. In fact I plan on doing zero WoW related things. That includes visiting WoW websites, looking up WoW item information and the like. Now I can't not think about WoW simply because it's something I like so much, but if I can control my actions and not act on those thoughts, I think I can prove to myself that I am not addicted.

To help with the not playing of WoW, I plan to start working on my story more, which is coming along pretty well I must say. My single 'Fallen Angel' novel, I realized, was too much story and spanned too many years to be contained in one book, so at the moment I have it broken into three. Why three? Because three just seems to fit everything else in my little universe. Three major factions: Good, Evil, Balance (Good and Evil being relative terms). Three sections of Xannon's life: Rise, Fall, Rebirth (Which happen to be the subtitles of the trilogy). The number of sets of wings that Archangels have, which Xannon turns out to be. And I'm sure a whole bunch of other stuff that I can't really think of at the moment. Plus there are the triangles. Triangles are supposed to be the strongest geometric shape, and I can see why. They don't suffer from shear, they can't really be squished. They just work. I used a triangle for the symbol of Gi'erth(the name of the planet my characters live on), with each point representing one of the major forces. The sun represents Good (Creation and Life), Fire represents Evil (Destruction and Death), and the tree represents Balance. I also have a triangle key chain which reminds me of that symbol and my story every time I see or touch it.

I think I got off track again... Oh yeah. One other thing I plan on doing to keep from playing WoW is to start drawing again. I did a little drawing after I got home today and realized my skills, to put it bluntly, suck. That doesn't mean they can't be improved on. Granted I was focusing on figure drawing, in particular a person sitting with their head in their hands. I was studying the pose to hopefully make use of it in a piece I want to create for the song lyrics I posted a while back in reference to Xannon and Sarah, Letter from the Departed. It's supposed to show Xannon/Valkyrie sitting either at his desk or perhaps somewhere outside while Sarah in ghosty form hovers behind him, perhaps giving him a spooky hug or something. I haven't quite worked out the details. If anyone reading this lovely brain spewage(brain spewage? Don't ask it just came out) wants to create this lovely piece of art for me, it would super cool. If not, well...I guess I'll do it. *shrug*

If I'm not writing and not drawing I don't know what I'll be doing. Maybe watching TV/Movie, maybe playing some neglected PS2/Xbox games, preferably ones that don't crash on me like X-Men Legends 2 does. Which really sucks cause it's right near the end before fighting the final boss. I'm tempted to exchange it, but at this point I don't think it's worth it. I've already tried cleaning it to no avail. Hey, maybe I'll use some of the extra time to hang out with Chris and bust out my awesome plastic guitar shredding abilities, also known as Guitar Hero. He recently (last week on...Thursday I believe) got an Xbox 360. He picked up Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock (and since when is Tenacious D a Legend of Rock?), the Lego Star Wars saga, and Sonic, which I think is more for his fiancee Wendy. I figure since he owns the game he should be able to catch up to my awesome skill pretty quick, right? I guess we'll see.

So anyway, If you managed to make through that raging river (instead of a stream) of my thoughts and are still reading let me sum up the article for you: WoW = Like, Me != Addicted, .'. No WoW for a Week to prove: Me != Addicted, Copious Free Time used by Writing, Drawing, Other Gaming, Showing off my awesome plastic Guitar skills and making Chris feel oh-so-bad for oh-so-sucking. At least thats the plan. Only time will tell if everything works out like it's supposed to.

And before anyone asks, I don't want to cancel my WoW subscription because A) it's a pain to cancel and then reactivate, and B) I plan to play again. Plus C) $15/month really isn't all that much when you stop and think about it. I spend more than that on interest on one credit card(stupid interest rates).

So...um....yeah. I guess I'm done. I'm off to bed. Leave comments and let me know if thought this whole Stream of Consciousness(does it suck that I have to look up how to spell that every time?) thing was a stupid idea and should never do it again.

....um....k, laters.

Obama and his Church

In response to an email regarding a March 14 CBS report on Barak Obama's church's pastor and his statements saying we should blame the United States Government for the 9/11 attacks:

>"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the
>thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," Wright
>said. "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black
>South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done
>overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's
>chickens are coming home to roost."

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were done after entering a war that was already
raging and it was also done with the purpose to bring about and end to
the war. Every major action we have taken has been in response to
something else. We did not start WWII by dropping nukes, we ended it (or
at least part of it). As for the Palestinians, that war (yes, it is a
war) has been going on for the better part of two millenia. Plus, as far
as I know, Israel is our ally, not Palestine(which appears to be more a
group of people than a nation anymore). Regardless: we attack person A,
we attack person B, and then person C comes and attacks us without
warning and for no apparent reason.

>"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a
>three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no,
>God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn
>America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for
>as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."

Not sure where he gets the "gives them the drugs" portion. Killing
innocent people is wrong, I agree with that. But if you want to quote the
bible why not bring out the part that has public stoning of adultery? Or
any of the other interesting punishments for crimes? Prison is a vacation
compared to what they should be getting. How many murderers sit in their
comfy cells with three meals a day, cable TV, and "recess" while the
victim's family cries for proper punishment? There are far to many crimes
out there where the punishment simply does not fit the crime. Life in
prison for murder? Far too soft in my opinion. The only thing he loses is
his freedom. They need to bring back the death penalty and properly
punish those that deserve it. Instead of building bigger prisons to hold
all the "lifers" just kill them off to make room for the new scum.
They're never going to leave anyway. Harsh? Perhaps.

But back on topic. This reverend person is stupid for even making these
remarks. Obama is right for denouncing these statements. The pastor is
only able to speak for himself. It takes other supporting him to give his
statements any weight at all. And Obama is not part of that. And I
applaud him for that. If I was in his position I might have done a little
more than denounce the statement but actually attack it. Bringing out the
flaws in the statements and letting everyone know without a doubt that I
do not support it.

Saying "No" is easy saying "No and here's the reasons why" is actually
saying something.

Bringing down the Price of Gas

In Reply to a Chain Email Letter about not buying from ExxonMobil to help bring down the cost of gas:

Gasoline Market Share in California

According to a 2006 Market Share chart of Gasoline in California, Exxon/Mobil had only a 6% market share. Assuming that hasn't changed too much in the past two years, and that this percentage extends across the US, we can determine that if this email reached the 3 million people it was supposed to, only 180,000 people of those people would actually be using Exxon/Mobil and be able to make a difference.

Lets now stop assuming and stick with California. If by some chance those 3 million people reached ALL lived in California and those 180,000 people ALL switched to something else besides Exxon/Mobil, then going off the number of registered drivers in California we can calculate a 13% drop in total sales for Exxon. Again thats only IF all 3 million people lived in California and IF they all decided to stop buying Exxon.

So to make this really work first we figure out how many of the 196 million drivers use Exxon. Lets be nice and say they do 10% of all the gasoline sales in the US. That means 19.6 Million people use Exxon. Now we decide how many would it take to really make a difference. I'd say 10% would be pretty noticeable and make them take action. So that means 1.96 Million people would have to stop using Exxon. And since we can't knowingly contact just Exxon users we have to let everyone know. And if only 10% of everyone uses Exxon then we are back to having to get in touch with 19.6 Million drivers.

Now this guy talks about reaching 300 million people assuming that everyone who gets it sends it out to 10 people who havent already got it. But how many people simply delete spam and not send it? And how many people send it to people that have already got it?

Chain Letters and Pyramid Schemes
According to a website by Chip Denman, only about 1 in 20 in his example sent out chain letters. If we apply that here and say only 1 of the 10 recipients will send out a rely we can see that this email will never really reach the 300 million it hopes.

Simply put this kind of tactic while sounding good is extremely hard to put into practice. This would have to be accounced on TV or sometihng to get any real change going.

March 07, 2008

Gary Gygax

xkcd - A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language - By Randall Munroe

The creator of Dungeon & Dragons and in essence the creator of Fantasy Gaming as a whole, died in his home this week. I only played D&D a few times, but when I did it was fun, but there are plenty of other works out there that I have played a lot that owe a lot to him.

Kinda makes me feel sorry for Death though...

March 06, 2008

Sneak Preview! - Fallen Angel - Raid

The sound of light footsteps what the only audible noise as the group slowly worked their way toward the courtyard of the temple. With the front lines so far to the south the temple barriers, wards, and guards had been relaxed and in some cases entirely absent.
They reach the north west wall and Valkyrie helps Verana jump over the wall. The elf lands silently on the other side. Skye and Grey fly over the wall next leaving Valkyrie alone. Knowing magic would still set off the alarm he proceeds to carefully and quietly scale the wall. Within moments he is over the top and lands softly on the grassy courtyard.
While Verana, Skye and Grey didn't know the exact reason they were here, Valkyrie did. Perhaps it was dangerous, foolish and a waste of time, but he had to find it. That book was his, given to him by the High Priestess herself. Then, on that fateful day, taken away. His name was already in it, he had marked passages, poured over its contents for years. Perhaps it was mere nostalgia, but the knowledge in that book would help him one day. He knew that much.
The entirety of the temple slept save for a few guards and companions at the front door. No one expected an attack from the back. Approaching the door that led into the main hallway, Valkyrie calls Skye up to pick the lock. Magic could have unlocked it a lot quicker, but it would set off the alarm and it was not time for that yet. The book was still not found.
With a barely audible click, the door unlocks. They quickly but silently open the door and make their way inside. Once everyone is inside, Valkyrie leads the them through the twisting halls straight to their destination, a small storage room where old items are kept. Finding it unlocked, they all head inside, closing the door behind them.
The room was slightly cramped with the four of them, but still enough room for one person to move around. Valkyrie instructs the other three to watch the door while he lights a nearby lamp. Shelves from floor to ceiling were crammed full of odds and ends. Rows and rows of books filled one side of the room and he proceeds to search for the book. One shelf had several used magic books on them. He checks out each one, looking through certain pages until he finds the one he came for. An inscription on the inside front cover reads: "To the best student this school has ever seen. May you life be full of excitement. - Celeste"
He jams the book into his inside coat pocket then turns to the others motioning them to leave. He extinguishes the lamp and they proceed back into the hall. Verana shoots him a questioning look, asking without words if that was why they came here.
Valkyrie shakes his head and points back the way they came. He leads them back through the halls stopping at a large door at the end of the sanctuary. The words "High Priestess" were etched onto a plaque on the door. He opens the door and they all silently make their way inside.
They now stand in the office of the High Priestess of Bast. A book shelf to the left holds years of research on magic and the special link between Priestesses of Bast and their animal companions. The temple of Bast had only recently begun letting Priestesses have animal companions, but the results were amazing. He grabs all the books on the subject he can and hands them to Verana who puts them in her bag. Valkyrie then checks the desk for any communications they could use against the temple of Bast. He finds several and hands them to Skye. Having gathered enough information they begin to file out of the office, but Valkyrie stops feeling someone behind him. The others leave the office and head for the designated meeting place.
Valkyrie turns to see the High Priestess looking at him from the doorway that connected her sleeping quarters to the office. She watches him for a moment, knowing who he was from the start. Memories rush back to Valkyrie, reminding him of the last time he saw her. He draws his sword.
"Is this how it ends for me, Xannon? Slain in the night by the one man who haunts my dreams?"
"Xannon is dead. Only I, Valkyrie, remain."
"I have dreamed about this moment for years, ever since you left. I always wondered if I would sound the alarm and fight back. But I feel calm, relaxed. I feel like it is supposed to happen like this. Like fate."
"I swore I would make her pay for what she did. And now my payback begins."
"You know if you slay me, that another will rise. One without the sympathetic attachment we have. She will not waver in her devotion to the goddess. She will be a thorn in your side for centuries. She will see you, and treat you like a servant of Kardis, not like the fallen angel I know you to be. One with the potential to rise again like the phoenix, Zyst."
Valkyrie stares at her for a moment, his devotion to the causes teetering on the edge. On one hand, Celeste had helped him through rough times, and he had helped her when reports of Naveen's death came in. On the other, she represented that which he hated most, the Goddess Bast, whose actions drove him to leave the temple. He remembers Sarah's last moments and how alone she felt.
With a sudden burst of energy Valkyrie drives his sword through Celeste's stomach. She doesn't scream, doesn't sound the alarm, she just smiles. Valkyrie withdraws his sword and Celeste wavers for a moment before slowly sliding to the floor.
"I have much faith in you, Xannon. Your destiny was determined before your mother even knew you existed."
Blood begins to tickle from the side of her mouth.
"You are fated for great things. Things I can't even comprehend. But I must give you a warning."
She motions for him to come closer. Valkyrie kneels next to her and she leans in close to his ear.
"Beware the elf girl. The actions of this night will cause great strife for you if you are not careful. I assume you came for your book."
Valkyrie leans back, shocked that she knew why he was here.
"I kept it for you. In my dreams I saw you take it. So many times did I see you take it. So many times did I wish for your return. And so many times did I know it was not meant to be."
She coughs up blood which splashes on to her white night gown.
"You must hurry. When I die the wards I have placed around this room will fail and everyone will know I am dead."
Valkyrie stands back up, again shocked that she has protected him from detection.
"Why have you done this for me? I cursed your goddess, revoked my priesthood, killed one of your priestesses. After all I have done against you, why save me?"
She was already getting weak, the strain of keeping the wards up was beginning to take their toll.
"You will... understand in time.... Now Go!"
She waves for him to go.
Valkyrie turns to leave. He slowly pushes the door open to check the area outside.
From behind him he hears Celeste's final words, "You are still my favorite student...."
Moments later ward fails and the entire temple seems to cry out in agony. Everyone is alerted to her death and the guards at the front door burst in and begin heading for his position.
"Goodbye Celeste," he says before leaving the office.

March 04, 2008

Fuzzy Friends in Seattle!

Living | Friends of ferrets to the rescue! | Seattle Times Newspaper

From what I've read Ferrets are the 3rd most popular pet behind Dogs and Cats. I'm hoping people will read up more on these furry, funny animals before purchasing them for someone. But since that rarely happens with Dogs and Cats I kinda doubt it will happen with Ferrets. So since that won't happen, I hope the shelters can better supported by the community and government in which they exist.

There can be only one...

HD DVD's End Is Fresh Start For Blu-ray - 2/25/2008 - TWICE

For those who don't know HD-DVD's biggest supporter, Toshiba, withdrew it's support mid February as reported by Twice magazine.

What does this mean now? It means Blu-Ray is the next HD Format winner. For those of you who already have an HD-DVD player, I'm sorry. At least it's not as bad as having a betamax player.

I've only recent began looking at the smaller differences between the two. I already knew that Blu-Ray could hold more data. Then I learned that only HD-DVD players had required built-in ethernet support for the fairly popular online content that comes bundled with the new HD discs, while Blu-Ray players didn't have said requirement until recently.

While bonus content and such is nice, i haven't really looked at any bonus content in a while, and I'll probably look at online bonus content even less. From what I've been reading only about 33% or less of consumers actually look at the online content.

With the HD format battle over perhaps more people will begin to get HD TVs and Players which in turn brings prices down and so on. Now if they can just convince people(me included) that HD movies are really that much than regular DVD movies. Cause from what I've seen to really see/hear the difference I'll need a good sized HDTV and at least a 5.1 surround system. So to upgrade to HD is a big money sink. I think I'll hold out for now.

March 03, 2008

To Screen Watch, or not to Screen Watch, that is the question...

Texas Instruments' Dual View: Look Ma, No Split Screen

The technology built into new DLP TV to allow for 3D viewing of movies has had an interesting side effect. Whether it was originally planned or not, I don't know, but it's very exciting for gamers such as myself.


First, some background on the 3D portion. Original 3D Movies showed two images at the same time on the screen with some red/blue color variations. Using special 3D glasses you could see the composite image and enjoy having a rampaging dinosaur or something look like its about to chew your face off.

These new 3D TVs have a similar technology but instead of showing two images on the screen at the same time it very rapidly, 120hhz/fps, alternates between full screen images of slightly different images. Using special glasses that alternate which eye is looking at the screen at a given moment you can see the wonderful 3d effect.

If you can alternate which eye is looking at the screen at a given moment, why not use both eyes and have two different images on the screen. That is exactly how this technology applies to gaming. You can have player 1's screen and player 2's screen showing full screen at the same time and, using the glasses can only see your screen, preventing the "cheat" known as Screen Watching.

Another less explored side of this technology is being able to watch two completely different movies at the same time. Or watching a movie and playing a game at the same time. This last one would be nice because then I could be in the living room playing games, while my wife sits and watches her favorite show/movie whatever on the same TV. Then the only problem is independent sound, but i'm sure they have that figured out too.


Check out the link or do a search for "Texas Instruments Dual View". It's getting to be an exciting world out there.