This summer has been jam-packed with great stories that I have seen or read. They don’t all have their origins in this season or this year, but that’s where they entered my purview and ultimately my heart.

*Potential Spoiler Alert*

While I will try my best to keep these little vignettes spoiler free be warned if you plan on watching/reading any of these stories.

Mobile Suit Gundam

I started this series about 2 odd years ago with gusto following the completion of the series Gundam Wing. Little did I know that 20 years of animation maturity made a difference. It took me a couple tried to actually finish this series, but it’s really a rewarding series in the end. The story is PAINFULLY slow. It is of a different era and the first of it’s kind. A small synopsis is that in Universal Century 0079 (a nod to the year when it aired 1979) the space colonies that surround Earth are tired of being exploited by the Earth and succeed which leads to a war between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon. From an outsider perspective it can be seen as just some big ol’ robots fighting, but in reality it is a story about the hardships and horrors of war. Japan was heavily affected by WWII so you tend to see many anti-war, horror-of-war stories as apposed to heroes of war like here. I was surprised as how in depth the story went especially when kids were the target demographic. The story does slump and get into a sort of predictable rhythm, but it takes a sharp left turn near the end where it does a little sci-fi psycho-nonsense. While some of the characters are one dimensional you tend to actually care about them. While the animation is dated and the story takes a while to progress this is a classic TV drama and worth your time if any of the above sound intriguing to you.

Z Gundam

This is a direct sequel to the aforementioned Mobile Suit Gundam. I didn’t know what to expect going into it. The show introduces an almost completely new cast from the get go, which is jarring at first because you just spent 43 episodes getting to know the previous set of characters. It does reintroduce some characters from before, but most play minor roles that don’t have a significant impact. Although the previous series had a serious tone to it this takes it even further and pushes what an animation can accomplish across the emotional spectrum. If this was seriously targeted at children I applaud the creators because it teaches just how horrible war can be and how traumatic it can be on all involved. The whole series builds up and ends in just about the best way it can (that best is directed towards the story, not the outcome). The whole series is incredibly intense and kept me watching and wanting. While I can’t speak as someone who has seen this without seeing the previous series the references to the previous series are small enough that I think it can be enjoyed by someone who has no prior Gundam knowledge. If I were to recommend one series of Gundam it is this without a fight. It’s amazing and definitely one of my favorite anime or any series I have seen. You owe it to yourself to check it out.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

This was my latest finished story. I went into it expecting it to be great having heard from many people that it was. I was not disappointed. It is just the best mix of humor and seriousness. The plot is best summarized by the intro description:

“Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements could stop them. But, when the world needed him most, he vanished.

A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, and Airbender named Aang. And although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he’s ready to save anyone.

But I believe, Aand can save the world.”

So, in a nutshell Aang has to master the four elements and that takes him on adventures around the world.

It is highly influenced by Asian culture and anime and does so in a way that is highly complementary and doesn’t once feel hacky. It is hard to believe that this show was on Nickelodeon since it overtly deals with death and war, two things which make rare appearances on the network. The characterization is very well done and you develop emotional bonds with the main cast as well as the minor cast (I’m talking about you cabbage man). It can be construed pretty easily as an allegory for Japan during the Meiji Era which is a nice to have a little Asian history introduced in America.

I found that by the end of the story I wanted to see more adventures with the characters. They grow on you in a profound way. The one criticism I have of the characters is that they are based between the ages of 12-17 and they are matured far beyond their age. I don’t think the story would be adversely affected if they were all in their late teens.

This is such a fun series and I can personally guarantee that if you have a heart you will fall in love with it. I can’t wait for the Legend of Korra due out in 2011!

20th Century Boys

This was hand down the longest manga series I had ever read. I was turned onto it by a blogger I read and after book one you get hooked.

The quick synopsis is that a group of kids create a doomsday scenario so they can protect the Earth. It’s classic kid’s imagination. The problem is it comes back to haunt them when they are adults as the stories start to become reality.

The author is well known for creating thrillers and this does not disappoint. No book has ever made me want to keep reading more than this series. It had a gigantic cast and never forgets about who it introduces. It has the mystery appeal that keep you wanting more. It is elaborate, creative, and completely original. One of the best manga I have read and very deserving of your time. I will say it is not for everyone, but if you have an interest in Japan at all it will be more than enough to suck you in.

Side note, I finished reading this about a week before the site OneManga.com stopped hosting mangas so thank goodness for that as the series is still being released for the first time in English in America.

Also, this series spawned 3 movies that cover the story and as far as I can tell from watching the first one do as good as a movie can do for presenting the story. If you don’t have the patience to read them (it’s really long) check out the movies.

Marvel Civil War/World War Hulk

 I am going to leave this to a couple of responses between my friend Mike Dodaro and I had about this stories. Thanks Mike for getting me involved in American comic books.

My Email to Mike:

“Hey Mike!
I hope St. Joe’s is going super well. I bet everyone there already loves you. I want to come down to visit soon. Maybe I’ll call up Mr. Joe and Mr. Tom since they are in such close proximity and plan a mini-road trip.
Anyway, without too much foreplay, on to the comic book discussion. So, overall, loved them. If Bendis is the guy planning this all out, he is a smart dude. Let me preface any further discussion with a confession. I did not read the Frontline stuff. I read two of the Civil War ones, but it’s so dialogue-heavy and not that compelling. The Civil War was great and it’s hard for me to side with my boy Iron Man about it. There is something that isn’t played up much throughout the comics that I found interesting and kind of contradictory. When Reed Richards revels he has been able to mathematically predict future actions of human beings he mentions that if the Act was not put in place humanity would be doomed to a fate worse than anything the Civil War could bring. So, I understand Reed Richards stance and I am wondering if Tony Stark saw it as well. He claims to be a "Futurist," but never actually makes any concrete claims like Reed Richards did. I gained a huge respect for Capitan America throughout the CW. They made him such a dynamic and multi-dimensional character. I always thought of Cap as a pretty flat uninteresting character. Just the token leader-always-do-what-is-right guy. He is up there with my favorite super heroes now. The way they played out Iron Man I though was pretty awesome too. He was getting to the point of being a do-no-wronger, but for all his smarts and intelligence most of his plans blew up in his face. It showed an extremely human side of him. The fact that he wants to play God and how selfish he is about it. I’m sure I have more to talk about, but that’s my immediate take on CW.
Onto World War Hulk! I LOVED WWH! I actually liked it better than CW surprisingly. Again they added dimensions to the Hulk I didn’t think were possible. I mean man did those guys (Illuminati) screw up. They totally deserve everything that happened to them too. It’s hard not to be sympathetic to the Hulk even if he went way overboard. I think that is what makes the Hulk interesting. His intentions are mostly good, but he always goes overboard. It’s what makes the Hulk impossible to be stable. Like when he was rescuing his cousin Jen, he had no regard for property damage or how it would be perceived, but his intentions were rock solid. I also liked Amadeus Cho. He seemed to understand the Hulk even better than Rick Jones. I loved the fact that he is a smarty pants know it all too. Also, what they did with the Sentry. Man what an awesome character. He is so unstable and deep. He is just this time bomb and you can’t help be feel sorry for him. Like the Hulk he has no place to go really. He is volatile and unpredictable; not to mention he, like the Hulk, can’t really be stopped by anyone. Anyway, WWH, awesome!
I am curious to hear your take on everything and am totally ready for the next batch. If you can just email me a list of what I should read for the next chapter in the Bendis saga that would be great. I hope to see you soon Mike!
Matt”

Mike’s Response:

“Oh Man Matt!

Yea, it is so hard to not be on Cap’s side.  I love how cinematic it is.  The pictures look like still frames for movies.  Millar writes that way and everything he does usually gets turned into a movie (i.e. Kick-Ass and that other movie).  The end of civil war is cool because Cap wins the war, but Iron-Man actually has the moral victory (even though most people reading side with Cap).  I love that you just have to look at Cap’s eyes to know he’s not going to kill Tony in the fight.  Did you read Captain America #25 and The Confession?  Oh and I totally don’t blame you about Front Line.  They’re good, but not the best.

World War Hulk is drawn by one of my top three favorite artists.  I love everything about it.  Especially the end.  It stinks though because from there Hulk branches off into a bunch of different stories that I never figured out how to follow.  I love Amadeus Cho.  What an interesting character.  I’m glad you’re interested in the Sentry.  His story really picks up from here.  He’s this all powerful guy and he doesn’t know what to do.  He’s like a kid and will go with whoever will take care of him.  Right now it’s Tony, but that’s going to change soon.  Oh and good call about the Hulk.  He’s like a tantruming kid, but in every case the parents are clearly evil.

From here you should read both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers (you don’t need to read Mighty Avengers after Secret Invasion, but keep going with New, it’ll get boring for a bit but I think it pays off).  Then you’ll read Secret Invasion.  Try to get your hands on The Cabal one shot after Secret Invasion.  After Secret Invasion the stories are titled Dark Reign which leads into Siege which is really the payoff for the last seven years of comics and ends in the only way it can really end.  I can get you a more extensive list if you need it, just let me know.

Please come visit.  I would love to spend time with you and the crew.  Rennselaer is not the best, but my place is pretty cool and we can drink beers or wine and eat snacks and enjoy an ambiance established through candles or incense.

Much love,
Mike”

Scott Pilgrim

The final installment of the book finally came out this past July and it was not a disappointment. The whole series just feels like a love letter to video game culture. There is so many slight references to video games without it being like REMEMBER VIDEO GAMES?!?!? There allusions are sometimes overt like Mario 3 one above, but they range to the obscure such as one of the bands being called The Clash at Demonhead. The best part is that it isn’t about video games at all, it’s about a kid named Scott who is in love with a girl named Ramona and has to fight to win her love. It’s very pop cultury, but it never feels like it will be dated ala South Park. It is consistently funny and heart-warming without going sappy. It’s just a really fun read and one that can be read more than once. Totes recommended.

 

That was a post full! Any one of those stories has my personal seal of approval and if you have read/seen any or are going to please leave a comment. I would love to hear your takes.

Welcome to my continued journey back into my musical past. This time I am going back to glory days of 2002. I was a plucky, little freshman just getting my feet wet with different genres of music. One style I really latched onto was Ska. I think it was because while I like/liked punk  it just wasn’t upbeat enough for me. In comes Ska with it’s oft fast, two-tone beats, horn accompaniment, and mix of punk in the third-wave bands. I was all in. So, here is my top 5-ish albums from my freshman year in high school.

Reel Big Fish – Turn the Radio Off

Reel Big Fish – Why Do They Rock So Hard?

Reel Big Fish – Cheer Up!

Less Than Jake – Hello Rockview

Less Than Jake – Losing Streak

Mustard Plug – Yellow #5

These are still some of my favorite albums. They are extremely fun and definitely worth the listen.

UPDATE: After thinking about the matter further there is one album I forgot to put in the mix which deserves to be there just as much as the rest. So, it has been added and should be respected as much as the others.

If I haven’t mentioned it, it bears mentioning. The reason I study what I do (engineering, computers, Japanese) — it’s all due to video games. When I was growing up Japan was the country that was the mecca of all video gamedom. Almost all the bests and classics came from Japan, not to mention the god to which I prayed, Nintendo, was a Japanese corporation. So, in tandem my interests in both computers and the Japanese culture grew into the obsessions they are are today. They sometimes manifest them in ways as we see today, where I am going to gush about an experience I never got to have (really, as you will learn, not many did.)

That brings us to the Satellaview.

Now what in the world is a Satellaview. Well, it’s an add-on for the Super Famicom (SNES) that was released only in the land of the rising sun. Great! It was basically a satellite driven modem that was stuck on the bottom of the Super Famicom. Who cares?? Well, let me do some name dropping, Zelda, Mario, Excitebike. Excited? If you are not than maybe this article isn’t for you (please, don’t stop reading). Here is a little photo just so you can stop wondering what the danged thing looks like.

Check out that chunky thing! Sexy, thy name is Satellaview. This system used a broadcast technology already in place in Japan aptly named “Broadcast Satellite.” This was one of the many precursors to the modern day Xbox Live or PSN. It offered games, tournaments, news, and magazines to subscribers. It’s nearest cousin was the Sega Channel (another sweet add-on I missed out on). Come to think of it, there were basically the antithesis of each other — Sega Channel was on Sega Genesis (Mega Drive for everyone else), only in the USA, and through cable; Satellaview on the other hand was on Super Famicom (SNES), only in Japan, and was received through satellites. Weird revelations! Anyway, the Satellaview was released in 1995 and ran all the way until 2000 which is longer than I expected. It had specific times in which you had to play due to the other broadcasting that happened on the satellite system. It’s claim to fame was in the fact that it had versions of games that were only available on the Satalliview such as BS Zelda no Densetsu, and Excitebike Buzz Mario Battle Stadium (What a translation!). These were exclusive to the platform and drove sales and interest in the system years later.

BS Zelda no Densetsu was a subsection of games for the system called SoundLink. In addition to this being a 16-bit remake of the original Zelda title because it was a SoundLink game it would broadcast full audio which would often consist of narration for hints and clues.

Now why did this not get widespread adoption?

Well, partly due to this tangle of rediculosity. The above image is a diagram of the item’s need and wires need to play the Satellaview. Yowza! Let’s do some quick math, because we all love math.

(all costs are estimates)

BS Tuner: $330.00

Satellaview: $140.00

6-Month Subscription: $50.00

BS Dish: $75.00

—————————————-

Total Upfront Cost: $600.00

That quite a large upfront cost. I can tell you that there is NO WAY that I would have been a happy subscriber even if I was in Japan in ’95.

Luckily, some of the experience has been preserved thanks to the emulation community. Many roms are available for satellaview games with minor hitches. For example, any SoundLink game does not contain the broadcasted audio because that was a direct feed and was not embedded in the remaining memory packs.

I will leave you with some videos of the Satellaview and gameplay. I hope this was even a little bit enjoyable. I enjoy gaming history thoroughly and passing it on is the best way to keep it alive.

All images were taken from Wikipedia and are sole copyright of those owners.

This topic has probably already turned of the vast majority of readers. I promise this is not about technique or best routes. No, this is more based in philosophy and why I personally run.

A little background. I am training for the Chicago marathon in October. Why? To prove to myself I can do it. I am also reading Haruki Murakami’s auto-biographical book about running. I figured that with a potent cocktail such as that it is about time I wrote about running.

Now, I have never had what you could call an athletic physique. In fact, I am probably the opposite. That is not to say I’m some lazy ass, it’s genes mostly these days (but not always). I am one of those people who will gain weight if I sit still. It sucks, but on the bright side it keeps me aware and active. In high school I was a little chubster. I had a terrible diet and was a total couch potato. Around senior year I got kind of embarrassed and (begrudgingly) decided to do something about it. My girlfriend at the time was all into running; track, cross-country, the whole shebang. (Me being what I was, I must have had just an amazing personality to bag a runner. I kid, I kid…) Anyway she was trying to get to go running so I caved. I actually enjoyed it, I mean beyond the pain, panting, and shin splints. I started to pick it up after that and have been running on and off ever since.

Running is a unique sport. I really think it’s the most human of all sports. You are basically equipped for it naked. You need almost no gear for it, a pair of shoes and a long stretch of road. We are born runners. It’s part of our survival.

Running is also one of the most personal sports. This is why it suits me so well. Aside from races, running is a solitary experience. The only person you are competing against is yourself. This makes only you accountable for any shortfalls that occur. The time when I am running it is very peaceful, almost meditative. I rarely run with music and when I do it’s mostly without lyrics. It’s a chance to escape into my head because the only thing my body needs to worry about is moving forward. If there is ever a problem I need to confront or anger that needs venting I always save it for the run. It’s incredibly cathartic.

There is nothing better than reaching the goal you set for yourself, or finishing a long run. The runner’s high is real and it feels amazing. The endorphins swimming all around invigorating every part of your being. The immediate gratification after running is awesome and keeps you coming back. There is days when you don’t want to run. That never goes away, and from what I read, even at the Olympic level. You just need to push through it.

That’s why I run. It aligns itself so well with my personal philosophies. It’s a matter of you vs. you. That’s what life really is. It is always, how bad do you want it? If you work had enough and have the determination you will get to where ever you want.

Running is a sacred time of day for me. It is my meditation and my soul food. It keeps me healthy, helps me sort through all of life’s crap, and refocuses me. In a nutshell, I need running.

I hope this might inspire some people to take up running even if only to see if they like it. It’s not for everyone nor do I claim that various other activities wont keep you healthy. It’s just my personal favorite. If you do try it and haven’t before or even love running too, leave me a comment, I would love to hear about it!

UPDATE: I didn’t stress it in the above paragraphs, but my girlfriend at the time when I started running deserves a lot of credit. She is the one that pushed me into it and allowed me to discover the joys of running. I am very grateful for that so, thank you.

There is few things in life I despise more than mowing. It’s not just that it has been a point of contention with my family ever since they stood me behind a machine I barely could stand over at the ripe age of 9, but just the pointless, un-winnable battle with a series of plants that would much prefer to stay long. The whole point of grass cutting has always escaped me. How much energy could we save if we just didn’t have sprawling yards, or if we just let it go? Most of us pay for parks and recreation which provides, among other things, parks for us to use. So, if I need some outside fun, I will venture to one of those. I never really used my yard either. Most of my time in the yard was spent…mowing it. Charlie-Brown-eqsue-Ughh!

I know it sounds weird, but mowing really defined my teenage years. It was something that needed to be done every week that I opposed to the point of being insane, while my dad fought me tooth and nail. Mowing was really less about cutting grass and more about a power struggle between my Dad and I. Example: The lawn always must be mowed before rain if we are to receive rain. Always. Why? It’s not going to prevent it from growing, if anything it will grow more freshly cut. Such is the struggle. For better or for worse, mowing is intertwined into my psyche.

Just because I loathe it so much, I decided to do some calculations and see just how much energy,time, and fuel has been wasted on mowing.

Here is my lawn taken from a satellite view from Google maps. This in my family is how we divide our yard. I know the names are dumb and uncreative I apologize (Well, it’s not the backyard. How about back back? Perfect! Not the sidelot…).

I used some Google magic and took some rough measurements of everything. (everything is in meters, Also, some parts were not perfect rectangles so the excess is added)

Sidelot

16 x 45

Back Back

6 x 20

Front

11 x 19

Side Side

46 x 9 + 3 x 18

Backyard

18 x 9 + 2 x 5

I tallied everything and found the total area to be:

1689 square meters or about 0.417 acres

Now to the meat of this, the reason I did it.

Warning these are very ball-parked figures, they just serve the purpose of an estimate.

I have to fill the tank of the lawnmower about 2 times per mowing and it has a 0.5 gallon tank. So, about 1 gallon of gas per mow.

I estimate the mower span to be about 2 feet so about 0.61 meters. That would mean after calculating through all of that I walk about 2383 meters or 1.5 miles per mow.

Using a calculator I found online, using my body weight and distance, it estimated I burn about 778 calories per mow.

It takes around 2 hours to mow the whole yard without breaks.

Using the amount of times I do this, going from age 9 to age 18 when I moved to college doing it roughly every week, i’ll even estimate every 2 weeks, during the months of May to November gives us:

18-9 = 9 years * 6 months * 2 times per month = 108 lawns mowed.

Now if we shrink that number, but not eliminate it, from age 18 to 22 and say probably once every 2 months:

4 years * 6 months * 0.5 times per month = 12 lawns mowed.

108+ 12 = 120 Lawns mowed

So, compiling all that, we have the totals:

120 * 1 = 120 gallons of gas

120 * 1.5 = 180 miles walked (almost 7 marathons)

120 * 778 = 93360 calories burned

120 * 2 = 240 hours (1 week and 3 days of straight mowing)

What a waste! Kind of like sitting down and compiling all of this data. All I know is where ever I am moving is going to have little to no yard. Well, sorry for that potentially interesting or potentially death inducing boredom. Check back for less mowing-themed posts.

Wow, boy did I let this thing get behind. By my calculations I owe 10 blog for the year, and you better believe I will pay them back in full. While my original resolution was an astounding failure, I still want to try and salvage it. This is the first post in the mid-year revival.

This won’t have much content: 1. Because it’s late and I’m very tired. 2. Because pictures will make up for it!

I went to Mitsuwa with Lauren yesterday. If you are scratching your noggin as to what Mitsuwa is don’t fret; I will explain. It’s basically this giant Japanese market/bakery/bookstore/food court in Arlington Heights/Elk Grove. It’s one of my favorite places and I like to make as many trips to as I can, which usually results in every other month or so. The inner Japanophile gets a hold of me and won’t let go until it is satiated.

Here is some pictures from the excursion!

Sometimes happiness is a piping hot bowl of Ramen.

Azuki Beans with Soft and Hard Server Ice Cream. Dee-lish.

Do you know what time it is?

HEY!

My payload from the trip included:

• Ramen (worth the trip by itself)
• Calpis (Bottle and Can)
• Ramune (Bottle)
• Hapi (Chili Bits and Peanuts, My favorite Japanese Snack)
• Recent issue of Famitsu (Video Game Magazine from Japan)
• 3 Navy Blue 0.5 mm Pens (Favorite pens that I can only find there, I can’t even find them online!)

I cleaned up pretty good for being on a limited budget.

We also trekked to Ikea in Schaumburg which is only about 7 minutes away if you don’t go the opposite way of the directions which I did many times. ^_^; While I have no pictures, that place is amazing. I could spend all day in there and not even see everything.  I want to buy pretty much all my furniture from them. Overall, super fun time, spent with super fun girlfriend! 1 down, 9 to go. I will catch up!

One fortnight ago my university was infected by the zombie virus. It was a horrible, fast spreading infection that consumed the entirety of the Boiler Tag club. What I am referring to is the recently played game of Humans vs. Zombies. The game is basically a giant game of tag. When I say giant, I do mean giant. Over 700 people took part in this campus wide event that engulfed the events of the week.

Rules

The rules are basically as follows.

• All people start out as humans except for 6 OZ (original zombies).
• If you get tagged by a zombie you become a zombie.
• A band around the head signifies zombies.
• A band around the arm signifies humans.
• All bands must be visible when on campus.
• If a zombie is shot with a Nerf dart or hit with a sock grenade they are stunned for 15 minutes and must re-spawn in a safe zone or touch a tree.
• Safe zones are defined as a 30 foot radius in front of any door that all people can enter and inside public buildings on campus.
• Safe zones turn off at 11pm and turn on at 6am.

The way tagging worked was that when you joined the game you were given a “Feedcode.” These were a string of numbers and letters that were unique to you. When you were tagged you would give the tagger your Feedcode and they would, in turn, submit the Feedcode to the website. The information would update showing them as the killer and then changing you over to a zombie. It was actually really well done, and impressive how organized the moderators made it.

If there is an exploitation you can see, they probably thought of it too. The chief rule stressed was “Don’t be a jerk.” I think it’s important that it was stated because the game is very honor based. Being tagged and being hit is always based on the discretion of the players involved. While not every encounter can be taken care of neat and tidy, most can be solved with that simple rule.

So, that’s the game and it lead to some extremely fun days. It was held the week after spring break (3/23 – 3/27) with missions during the day and every night from 8pm to 10pm.

Missions

The missions were sent out every night by email to the players. There were different “factions” that had different objectives. You could align yourself with any faction you wanted and change it up throughout the game. If those missions were successful the humans gained special advantages such as more safe zones or automatic weapons. The Horde (zombies) also had missions which usually was the foil to the human missions. Just like the humans, if the Horde was successful they would get upgrades such as faster re-spawns.

The human missions usually involved escorting an NPC (non-player character) to locations or collecting items. Conversely, the Horde was usually responsible for tagging said NPCs or protecting items. The humans were usually much better at the night missions due to organization. The zombies had no really good leaders and usually meant to small scraps of people running about and that mostly left the humans free to move about if they just waited long enough.

Personal Account

Day 0

The game started with a briefing at 11 pm on the steps of Stewart. Lauren, Kelsey, Eli, John, and myself are all in attendance and as the rules state, all humans. The paranoia has already set in. We know this is more than an explanation of what’s to come. It’s a trap and it’s not even clever. The mob is told to move from Stewart to MSEE. Instead of falling prey to the zombies we blaze our own trail and watch from a considerable distance. Midnight strikes and still no commotion. Then huge screams are heard. The OZ (original zombies) hit. They are not required to wear any indicators on the first day so the initial infection can take place. We run into two heavily armed guys with their headbands around their neck. They were tagged on the first night. Sorry guys. I maintain my distance from them. I didn’t know how nervous I would be. It is affecting me like crazy. We safely make it back to Eli and John’s and then head back home. Initial infection crisis averted.

Day 1

Not much action during the day thanks to an Exam. I am stuck in my room all day to study, but can see the orange headbands of the zombies walking by Pao. After my exam I call Eli, to meet up with him and John for the night missions. I am to meet up with them by Beering. I ride my bike to the location and am all by myself. I am looking everywhere all at once. I know I am the prey. I lock my bike and take out my Maverick and make sure it works. I am just really wanting those guys to show up. I notice two zombies trying to circle me. I know if they flank me I am done for. Just then a guy comes barreling towards me. I see the orange headband. I don’t think, I shoot. I’m still alive. I’m shaking. Need to get back in the game. The two zombies tell me they are “Not interested in me.” I call bull. I get them far enough away from each other. I know if I don’t make a move they will. I charge towards one and fire. Direct hit. I look up and there is John leading a sizable pack of humans. I am safe for now. John, Eli and I take the helm and try to locate more humans. It seems everyone is disjointed and not sure what to do. We make our way from safe point to safe point. We hear there is humans by the bell the engineering mall so we try to make our way. 10 or so zombies come at us. Humans scatter. Not the plan! Many are turned. I barely make it out shooting and running. John, johnny boy. He didn’t make it. He’s one of them. I think, how long can I make it? Eli and I make our way over to Schleman. We are looking for a good group. Not newbies who run. We find one who looks pretty good, but she tells us her group is too full and to go away. WHAT A BITCH! I am fuming and I just tag along behind them mad as a hatter. Then, BAM. I get tagged by someone on my bag. A dude who was hiding as part of the group. I…I’m turned. 1 day and I’m already a fucking Zombie. I call John to see if he wants to hunt. I have a sudden urge to kill. Everyone is done for the night by the time John and I meet up. Tomorrow, brains.

Day 2

I try hunting during the day to no avail. The humans are plastered to the safe zones. No one is moving. They are too powerful in groups. They are all wimpy, no guts. I must wait until night to hunt again.

The zombies actually have a bit of organization on this night. The Hordes numbers are quite staggering now. It appears it’s about half (humans) and half (zombies) now. The NPC that was turned gets us all together. Our chant goes as follows.

“What do we want?”

“Brains!”

“When do we want them?”

“Brains!”

“What’s our favorite color?”

“Brains!”

We are told that the items we need to protect are by the bell tower. It’s imperative that we protect these or the humans complete their mission. We set up a trap to get a group of humans coming. One faction steps right into our trap. We feast!  We kill about 20-30 people. Great night for the Horde!

John and I go out in search of brains late after his practice. He got two kills during the day, but I don’t know how. We have some intense chases, but the night is over. I need a kill and I need it tomorrow.

Day 3

I hunt before lunch and the situation is worse. Humans won’t go almost anywhere without an escort of other humans. The weather is terrible. It’s cold and rainy. It’s the cold you can feel to your bones. The need for brains overtakes any emotions about the well being of myself. Lauren is turned now which is going to help a lot. I see lots of zombies hiding their true identities under umbrellas. It seems like a good strategy. As I leave lunch I notice a human walking alone. I ask to borrow Joe’s umbrella as we cross paths. He didn’t notice me. Perfect. I drop my bag and quietly stalk him. When I am in range I bolt. I have him. My first kill. A girl who is not even playing shouts “ZOMBIE!” Damn her! She alerts him and I lose the element of surprise. Just as he turns another human joins him. It’s too late, I can’t get him. I express my anger for the girls intervention in a frank and uncouth way, “I hate you so much!”

Night starts and Lauren and I hunt early. We get information from other zombies on where the humans should be. The humans are clumped together and again the zombies are unorganized. A group of zombies by the name of RAVE are going around with a boombox dancing. They have no interest in feeding, they are not of concern to me. We are having little luck  tonight. We have a group pinned down, but we are at a stalemate. Just then I spy two humans running for a safe zone. I take off. Another zombie and I tagged him. I was first. My first feedcode. It was delicious. I can still taste it. The night ends with a whisper and Lauren and I go home.

Day 4

Eli is tagged early in the morning followed by Kelsey after lunch. No humans in our group remain. The infection spreads quickly. Unfortunately, other plans arise and I don’t hunt. I am still full from the nights kill.

Day 5

This is the final day for any remaining humans to get to the extraction and win. Eli and I are the only zombies who want to hunt. We want kills and we want them bad. This day is filled with last stands. Eli and I make a great team. We flank some guys making a run for it and Eli tags him. We also kill some people at last stands by Armstrong. Eli and I finish the game with 2 kills. No human stood a chance that day. They were all decimated. Zombies achieve full infection.

Final Thoughts

This was one of the most fun experiences I have had at college. It completely sucks you and and makes you feel like a kid again. I have heard the whole “too old” argument and I find it ludicrous. The game is a great deviation from the norm and a chance to grab a slice of childhood in a time where responsibility is increasingly playing a bigger role. Thank you Boiler Tag for organizing all of this, without all you guys it never would of happened. I can’t wait to play it next semester. I hope I can survive past the first day!

Stats

So, the Boiler Tag moderators made a mistake and released a .CSV file of all the stats. I spent about a day figuring out some cool stuff using numbers. Here is my findings.

My Stats

Kills: 2

Names of Kills:

• • Zach Fisher
  • David Harbaugh

History of my Zombification

OZ –> Ben Kuttesch –> David Montgomery –> Me

# of Actual Players: 789

# Zombified Per Day of Play

Tuesday: 229

Wednesday: 200

Thursday: 97

Friday: 182

Saturday: 72

Sunday (late entries): 9

Top Kills

Top OZ Kills

Top Non-OZ Kills

Deadliest Times of The Week

Photos

Will add more as the become available!

Boiler Tag Flickr!

Boiler Tag YouTube Channel

Extraction

So, my friend Mike had this awesome idea to host a 24 comic book day. I am currently in the middle of it, but we are quite tired and have finished all our comics abruptly. I am afraid this post is going to be terribly written, but I will post what I have done. It is about the absolutely normal adventures of a guy named Max. It is pretty terrible and it ends really abruptly, but for my very first comic there is a bit of pride. Please, enjoy and thanks to Mike, Eli, and Tim for doing this awesome day with me. I will link to their comics as they become available.

After many long years Final Fantasy XIII has finally descended down from the Square Enix heavens. I did get to pick it up at midnight release day so that was pretty awesome. What sucks is that I have so much school stuff to do that I won’t be able to really play it until break. I am really glad that this game came out so close to break so I’ll have a good opportunity to really sink my teeth into it. I have only played about an hour of it so far, but it is gorgeous and the story is engaging. I will let you know how it is as I progress, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a good one.

I need to get this out before it’s too late! I have been meaning to write this all week and I am finally sitting down to do this. (SUNDAY IS STILL THE WEEKEND!!) This week in my life I have been pretty super busy, but have been doing something I haven’t done in a long while, reading comic books. There is so much out there that I haven’t read! This week I got sucked into Scott Pilgrim and the Marvel Zombies series. Both of them are GREAT and I can’t recommend them enough. I’ll give a one sentence summary of both and implore you to read them.

The Marvel Universe is infected by zombies!

Scott Pilgrim is dating Romona, who has Evil Exes, who he has to fight, video games.

In none, comic news, I have been doing a really good job going to the gym. I have been doing all sorts of stuff and I need to come up with a plan to do it regularly, but I have swam laps, played racquetball, ran, and lifted. Go super active me! Here is the epilogue to the lifting session. I threw out my back. It hurts like crazy because I did some exercises on it and it told me to go fly a kite. I hope once this heals it was a one time thing and I can go back to lifting because right now I feel like an old man who needs to take a nap before the grandkids come over.  I hope to have another music post up soon and a more detailed and purposeful post this coming week, but for now. GO READ COMIC BOOKS!