RareWareCentral Forums - Blogs http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php RareWareCentral.com, at just one year old has already become involved closely with Rare and with the Rare community itself. RareWareCentral hosts alot of exclusive content including music, images and more. RWC has an arcade with a number games for you to play and dominate the scoreboards. By joining up to RareWareCentral you get access to many features and entry into our forums, where you can discuss any, well almost. So what are you waiting for? Join today! en Fri, 18 May 2012 11:34:49 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/images/styles/rwc_blue/bluemisc/rss.jpg RareWareCentral Forums - Blogs http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php Anyone take take SAT today? http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1934 Sat, 05 May 2012 19:45:30 GMT Let's talk about it, eh?

Didn't think it was too bad. Shooting for at least a 1200.

Wrote my essay on Sly Cooper. xS ]]> Angry Ancestor http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1934 Awesome Minecraft server http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1933 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:22:49 GMT well guys today I'm going to tell you about the awesome server That I was lucky to be building for.
It's has an amazing hub world called the capitol

this here is the main building of the hub world
We' also have plenty of things like a fair, an art museum and even a casino.

we're using plenty of bukkit plugins to keep things interesting so you'll never be bored.
Come check out the Capitol here
minecraft.legendzero.com
Until next time seeya!! ]]> venomjack http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1933 Tomorrow.... http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1932 Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:43:57 GMT ...so...what are your plans for tomorrow, guiz...? ...so...what are your plans for tomorrow, guiz...? ]]> Angry Ancestor http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1932 DEEP GAME IDEA THING http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1930 Sat, 14 Apr 2012 06:19:40 GMT SO I GAWT AN I-D-AH FOR DIS KEWL GAEM WER AL DA CATZ AND DOGZ GET SICK OF BEING PETZ TO HUMENZ SO DEY REBEL & ENSLAEV DA HUMEN RASE, & INIT U R A CATWOMAN/DOGMAN (CAT IZ 4 FEMAL & DOG IZ FOR MALE B CUZ DOG IZ STRONGR DEN CAT) & U HAV 2 ASK FILLOSOFIKUL QUESTUNZ ABOAT DA MEANING OV LYFE & DA HUMEN RASE


In all seriousness, I've always had an idea for a non-linear post-apocalypse game where you play as possibly the only live person on earth, and you just spend the game searching through a ruined city and outsmarting strange mutant predators trying to find out what exactly happened to humanity, and if there's any other remaining human life on earth. ]]> Devil_Bottles http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1930 Possible New Member http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1929 Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:06:09 GMT Okay, so I kinda invited my girlfriend here over Skype. I won't hear a reply for 13 and a half hours, though. Also, I spammed her with Roms and Emulators so that she has an idea of how Rare games are. Depending on if she chooses to play them before or after joining, she might not register for a while. But hey, SDJS won't be the only girl here anymore, maybe. ]]> http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1929 <![CDATA[I'm not done here.]]> http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1927 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 06:47:09 GMT Over the past few months (or probably year, it's been some time), I've been scarcely checking and posting here. It's not that I am trying to stop going here, or trying to slowly fade out. I mean to be continually active, but I keep forgetting to check this place. So yeah, please don't consider me inactive or anything. I don't know if anyone has, but yeah.

So, now that that's out of the way, let me make this blog interesting and talk about some ambiguous film project I've already purchased equipment for and started shooting.

I'm working on a film I wrote, currently titled "Student Film". It's going to be my first feature length (2 hour) film project, and I'm hoping I can get it done soon to enter it in a festival.

It's a found-footage style horror film, much like The Blair Witch Project. I've been trying pretty hard to make the story and script pretty damn scary without using those stupid gimmicks like jump scares and stuff. I'm also trying to make it different from most of the found-footage genre films that I've seen, since I don't want it to be just another found-footage flick. I want this to be a memorable film with many interesting aspects.

I don't want to spoil too much of the story, and I can't really explain the plot very well myself without doing that, but here's a bulletin list with some of the cool stuff in the movie:
  • It takes place in 1993
  • It's shot on a professional VHS video camcorder
  • It's about several high school students, the main one being a film maker, and a damn fine one at that
  • Lots of mysterious stuff happens, with a lot of hidden complexity in it
  • It's science fiction. Nothing supernatural here.
  • There's gonna be a lot of shooting in forests, caves, abandoned towns, and 90s bedrooms.

Yep. I spent over an hour retyping the plot again and again until I realized I couldn't get rid of enough spoilers for my life.

So yeah, this project is actually coming together. I have several friends already helping me out with this project, so trust me when I say this is going to happen. Hope you guys are interested, as I might upload a teaser in a few months.


Also, I've been working on an awful lot of artsy junk. Here's my dA if anyone wants to see some of that awesome stuff. http://samblye1.deviantart.com/
Also, the other day I worked on an experimental, glitchy art video for Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/39940526

And here's some of my film photography work:
http://www.lomography.com/homes/sajextryus/
There's an awful lot of nice photos there. You might like it if your into that stuff.


Well, that's a couple of things. I'm sure there's more, but this is getting long and boring. Point is, I'm still here.

Over and out. ]]> Sajextryus http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1927 A day at PAXeast 2012 http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1926 Sun, 08 Apr 2012 01:39:44 GMT Well guys I haven't done a blog post in a while, so I decided to post some pictures of my trip to PAXEast 2012

The front sign of the Expo

going down to the exhibit hall

A nice portal gun prop that I saw

Who you're gonna call?

There were plenty of girls cosplaying as male characters that day, infact I saw the same fem-tail cosplayer FOUR times that day


Pieces of the awesome Castle Crasher's Arcade Cabinet at the Behemoth panel
Well that's all the good Pictures that we're taken at the actual trip but I also took some of the pictures of some the merch I got

The one on the left is the official Castle Crasher Blue Knight figurine and the one of the right is the exclusive Chonku Chonku figure which I actually had to buy 300 yen for, and for those who don't know what Chonku Chonku is, It's basically a Japanese egg vending machine. Here's a pic of what it looks like


the Courage/Franklin badge Keychain from the mother series (wonder what GMG will think of this)

Some LOZ Pins and stickers from the FanGamer.net panel where I got the Courage badge had to do a couple simple challenges to get the sticker's free

I got a brand new copy of RIFT and a steam code for Magicka (not seen here) In my Swag bag for free. It was really a surprise to see that in my bag. Well I hope you guys like the pictures. until next time seeya! ]]> venomjack http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1926 Lack of the Ladies? http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1925 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 04:55:03 GMT I would invite my girlfriend to the site but she's never played a Rare game before. ]]> http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1925 just found this on reddit http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1924 Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:39:26 GMT =D Image: http://i.imgur.com/HSo1K.jpg =D

]]> Angry Ancestor http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1924 Ragnarök http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1920 Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:08:53 GMT I'm thinking of converting to northern religion. You know, vikings and stuff? Not really because I believe it's true, but because it's so badass. But no. Having anything to do with religion would be completely against my ideals. Science rules everything.

Quite a lot has happened since I last posted a blog. I thought I'd mention some of them here.
First of all, you know how I wrote about how I'll try to get an "MVG" in a whole bunch of subjects? Well, that won't really be hard. I'll probably get it in all the ones I aimed at. My main problem right now is, I've already chosen what gymnasium or "upper secondary school" I want to spend the next three years of my life at, and the average "points" right there is 240 (which would represent a VG in every subject). If I get the grades I'm aiming for I'd be getting somewhere around 280-290. Max is 320 (with all MVGs, aka, the highest grade in every single subject). And this is a problem because, I simply lack motivation to do the things I should. It's like; "I should study for my presentation, but, nah, I'll get into the school anyway". I know this is a completely twisted way of thinking. If anything the grades are for me and no one else. But I'm just that lazy of a person I guess. Of course I'll probably still get the grades I want. Just, the path there will be more of a bore than it would've been, which is sad.

We've had what in Sweden is called "nationella prov" (national tests), in Swedish so far. We'll also have it in English, Maths, and Physics (which doesn't affect me because I already have MVG in all these subjects, except Swedish then). Basically, what it is is, everyone in the country (Sweden, derp) gets to do the same tests, the same days, under the same circumstances. Meaning, the grading system will be equal for everyone, and there will be no discrimination (further so because the tests are anonymous, at least in our school). The national tests is, what absolutely severs the ninth grade from the other grades (apart from the ninth grade being the last one of course). I've always had a problem with tests. If you ask someone, they wouldn't be able to tell because I always succeed anyway (what can I say, genius). But, there's something about time pressure that gets to me. We've had 2/3 national tests in Swedish (the third one isn't a scheduled one, it's just some hearing exercises we'll have spread across the semester). The first one we had, reading exercise went surprisingly well. According to my teacher, the reading stuff has always been my obstacle (I've barely read a book in my life). We haven't gotten back the tests but, I think I'll get a VG, and, if I'm lucky an MVG (but I won't get my hopes up here). But, oh ho ho, the writing exercise. Dear lord that was a crash and burn. I'll say, if I get anything higher than G there, I'll be surprised, and I mean surprised. Oh my, I'm not looking forward to getting that back. I don't think the MVG in Swedish is beyond reach. It probably is, and I'll end up dissapointed with myself. Standard.

About the "barely read a book" thing. It's true, I've read extremely few books in my great days here on earth. And, it wasn't long ago (only a couple of days) that I realized why that is. The problem isn't within the books (my teacher is consistantly nagging me about; "this book is great, read it!" etc). It's within me. A book can be great. It can be amazing. I still wouldn't enjoy reading it. In fact, no matter how good a book was, I'd still get bored senseless reading it. Which is why the book report I'll have on a book I've only read half of next week will be a pain. Heh.

I've started going to a gym. Generally mondays, wednesdays and fridays, but now my friend who I'm going there with has persuaded my to go there with him every day the following weeks. That will be fun. It's only been about three weeks, and I already see a difference on my upper arms. It feels great, honestly.

Death Note is a good show. I've known that I'd like it for a long time, I just haven't been arsed with downloading it. But recently I did (last friday actually), and I've already almost finished watching the show. It's much better than I anticipated even. I bet a lot of you have seen it. If not, concider it. It's a japanese animé.

I don't think there was a lot else. Don't know how long this is.

-Add ]]> Addict http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1920 Nintendo (retro) Collection Update http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1918 Sat, 25 Feb 2012 09:07:01 GMT As most of you guys know I've been aiming for a complete PAL N64 collection for quite some time and if you check my older blogs you will see how its evolved over the years.

Anyway here is a picture of what it currently looks like:

Included is N64 Top, SNES middle and NES and gameboy/hand held in the bottom.



System boxes (NES/SNES and 64) are on top.

All together it looks pretty nice and the collection is really coming on but there is a lot more to go.

And just a quick look back to 11/2010 it's really coming along

]]> Skill http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1918 So I bought a New Car http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1917 Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:53:22 GMT So a couple of days ago I decided to buy a new car after my XA falcon just wasn't reliable any more sad to see it go after 5 years but it was time.

So I bought a Hyundai tiburon 2004 model, its a nice 2 door V6. Since buying it I haven't driven all that much prolly only about 120 - 180KM but its very nice to drive.

Here is an image of the same model as mine, same paint and same condition. I took some pics of mine but haven't been bothered to transfer them to the PC yet.




I haven't gotten rid of my XA falcon yet, its actually sitting in the back yard at the moment but looking to sell it really soon hoping to sell it to some one that wants to do it up. ]]> Skill http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1917 <![CDATA[Can't sign in to The RWP]]> http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1916 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:36:09 GMT If anyone else here goes on RWP, I need help. I can't sign in, it keeps telling me my password is incorrect, and I've requested at least five new passwords already. ]]> Devil_Bottles http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1916 venomjack special: Hanafuda http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1913 Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:02:53 GMT hey all, today i'll be talking about the Japanese card game hanafuda. Hanfuda has a really simple concept to it, you and your opponent get a set of cards and you have to match them to a base of cards of eight cards that are layed out on the table. Just in case that didn't help, watch this little video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTWx8...ure=plpp_video
well if anyone's interested you can play the game online here http://www.gamedesign.jp/flash/hanafuda/hanafuda_e.html i hope you guys enjoy. ]]> venomjack http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1913 <![CDATA[I've made my contribution for now]]> http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1912 Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:31:53 GMT Time to slink back into the shadows... Time to slink back into the shadows... ]]> http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1912 Scythe Wheat Scythe (what?) http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1911 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:36:08 GMT I told you I'd blog more often from now. i TOLD u. This blog is going to be some sort of continuation from the last one, but with some different subjects. Where do I begin...

It felt weird celebrating both christmas and new years without any snow around. I'm glad though. I hate snow (the very first blog entry I made will further explain why). Although it's the first christmas I've ever celebrated without massive amounts of snow. Same for new years. In fact, it's probably the first snow-less christmas in Sweden for hundreds of years. And though the other children cry, I couldn't be happier~

But something terrible has happened. A lightning strike of terror has struck upon our newly crowned inferiority that is Sweden. It snowed today. And oh, how sad I am. It snowed a lot too. Big flakes. And now it's lying as a cover on our pavement, as though Stockholm is a Victoria Sponge and the snow is it's icing sugar. A lot of icing sugar. I wouldn't want to eat that cake. I don't like the situation. My girlfriend has sworn she will chuck snowballs at me, just because she knows I hate it.

My girlfriend. The girl. You know who I'm talking about. We're "together" now. It feels good. Better than snow. I feel like I've shed a tear of hope amongst a few of the basement dwellers that is the modern gamer. There's hope now. A possibility. Believe! And you can achieve anything. I talked a lot about my grades in the previous blog. Talked about how superior my intelligence is. Well, compared to her it's far inferior. I knew she had better grades, but for those of you who now understand our grading system, she has 11 MVGs, 4 VGs and 1 G. This bothers me a lot. Not that she's doing good, I'm happy for her, but it has made me realize how not-good I'm actually doing. Although it depends on who you're comparing with. My brother finished ground school with 9 MVGs, 6 VGs and 1 G. His girlfriend did it with 15 MVGs and 1 VG. I would love to finish with a score similar to my brothers, because I know how smart he is, I can say without a doubt he's the smartest person I know. I don't think this will be impossible to achieve, but I don't know if I'll push myself hard enough. So far there are 4 subjects I know I could get MVG in that we so far have not had, and will have next semester. But three of these are some of the most difficult subjects in school. History, which we've already had half of in the form of a presentation that I scored a solid VG in, and we will soon have a test about World War ll that matters a lot more than the presentation did in form of the actual history grade, but I've seen how difficult some of the questions we need to know the answers to are (by the way, did I mention there are 60 of them? Including two discussion-questions that require us to write at least a full page on our opinions of, probably three pages if we want the highest grade). Religion, which I don't know how great my chances are of getting the MVG I oh so want, I have some very extreme opinions on religions, but I won't mention them because I know a lot of you would be offended. That'll be fun, seeing how that goes. Then there's geography. Normally I wouldn't be too nervous about this, but my teachers keeps insisting "the geography essay will be the most difficult thing you've had to do in school!". Sounds worrying, yes? We're supposed to "compare" an economically rich land to a poor one. I'll probably work harder for this more than anything else, it actually sounds really fun. Plus, I'm good with maths, so I'll probably be able to explain a lot of things pretty accurately. The fourth subject is pretty irrelevant, it's just a small subject. Don't even need to bring it up. So, I don't know how any of this will go. I just need to push myself far enough. This is enough talking about grades. Seriously.

I've stumbled into a new genre of music. Swedish heavy metal. It sounds ridiculous, but oh dear, it's absolutely amazing. It started with my friend telling me he likes a genre called "viking-metal", which is basically a nordic heavy metal form where they sing about the nordic belief (Asa, Valhalla and such), basically what the vikings believed in. I started listening to some of the songs he suggested by a band name "Finntroll", and found that it actually was quite decent. Absolutely ridiculous, but decent. I asked my mother if she knew of this genre just yesterday, and she told me that she likes a band with similar style called Raubtier. I listened to some of their songs, and they are, absolutely, the best thing ever. I let my friend know and he as well thought it was the best band he's ever heard. I'll link a song by them at the bottom.

The final thing I want to bring up again, is my increasing weight-loss. I've come to the realization that it might be more serious than I thought. Though I haven't suffered any actual consequences yet, I read a couple of hours ago how long you're supposed to wait between meals. A person who claimed to have a degree in medicine said "never wait past 4 hours, 2-3 is good". This worries me a lot, because on weekends I generally tend to eat once about every 12 hours, and that's including slices of bread and such. I realize it's not healthy, but I don't know what to do. When I wake up in the morning the idea of eating seems disgusting more often than not. I rarely eat lunch unless I'm in school. If I do it's a slice of bread, maybe two. I then eat dinner, of course. I don't really eat a lot, less than the average person, but if I eat more I don't feel very well.

I don't really want to think I have any sort of eating disorder (seriously, that stuff is for women!), I really am not sure what's going on. I'm just going to keep it up until I face any consequences I think. That sounds like something I'd do.

Don't know if this blog is particularly long, doesn't really feel like I've been typing for long, so I doubt it is. Like last time, no tl;dr's still. Thanks in advance. Kisses.

-Add~


Raubtier - Lebensgefahr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VcDTE39YEk

FYI, lebensgefahr is GERMAN and means "danger for life". ]]> Addict http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1911 <![CDATA[Another AP English "essay" about Gatsby.]]> http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1910 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:43:25 GMT This is the final "essay" we had over break.
The teacher's prompt:

Edmodo post #3 (DUE Monday 1/2 @ 11:59 p.m. OR when you finish the book, whichever comes first)
• Again, what book are you reading and what page are you on now? Have you actually finished the book?
• First, respond to someone’s question from post #2 AND comment on one other thing that person wrote in his/her post (this part can be late if you are on the “out of town” list, but please do it at some point when you return).
• Consider two definitions of American Classics that we explored in the NPR transcript: 1) that a classic shows you something you didn’t quite realize about yourself 2) that a classic endures because it somehow conveys something important about its setting (time and place) that may not have been apparent when it was written. In your opinion, does the novel you read fit either definition? Why? Is it the WAY the author writes or is it the CONTENT of what he writes that is significant?
• If you were a teacher, would you assign it to your students? What would be your rationale and what would you hope they learn/observe/think about?
• Are you glad you read it? Why? What, if anything, did you come away with?

The student's question:

Melissa R.: What do you think about Gatsby and Daisy’s secret “relationship.” What would you categorize their “relationship” as? Finally, do you want Gatsby and Daisy to be together?

And my response:

I am on time. This means I’m 1 for 3. Words cannot express my monotony towards this achievement.

My apparent scoliosis is gone. I think, at least. Actually, it’s starting to come on again. I think it’s mental. I think I’m mental.

As of a few minutes ago, I have fully read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s prestigious novel known as The Great Gatsby. That’s right, I completed a book. And it had no pictures between the covers. This is a chronicle of the ages. My great-aunt would be proud.

@Melissa R. – I say, what an interesting inquiry we have here. Gatsby and Daisy is indeed a topic to talk on. I truly believe (or believed, since, you know, I finished the book) that the relationship was too forbidden to exist. Even though the two seemed to be madly in love, the whole idea of a dedicated connection seemed like a bit of a fantasy. On a personal note, I wouldn’t have really cared if Gatsby and Daisy had skipped off into the hills happily ever after or not. My subconscious was aware that this relationship would never really take off, so I never really had an opinion on whether I wanted them to be together or not. Maybe I’m too emotionless to care about fictional relationships, or maybe just heartless, or realistic. Or mental. I also found your interpretation of the valley of ashes interesting. It correlates with mine in a way, although not really in the same vein. Both analyses could work though.

The Great Gatsby fits the second of the two “classic novel” definitions. To make this post longer, I am going to copy-and-paste said definition here: “a classic endures because it somehow conveys something important about its setting (time and place) that may not have been apparent when it was written.” Fitzy’s book has quite a few underlying themes, and one of them I haven’t quite elaborated on, let alone mentioned as far as I remember. This theme involves the American dream of success, fortune, and prosperity—all which kind of mean the same thing, so I don’t know why I said all three. I tend to do that. Gatsby represents the excessive wants of an average American, as well as the lack of satisfaction no matter what is achieved. Although his methods were unlawful, Gatsby did indeed fulfill the quintessential American dream, and he failed to realize that. His undying passion for Daisy and relentless efforts to win her again indirectly led to his demise, emotionally and literally. Many Americans during the Roaring Twenties pursued the American dream, and were eventually blinded by greed, ignorance, and…see, now I’m having trouble thinking of a third thing. I guess I could just leave it at two. Greed and ignorance. That’s fine, I suppose. Fitzy (is that nickname getting disrespectful and/or stale?) conveys this theme both in his style of writing and his literary content. Nick’s intelligent and unbiased mind successfully summarizes the themes somewhat vaguely, and characters (such as Gatsby and the Buchanans) are utilized as symbols to signify them as well.

If I were a teacher, I would whip my students. But besides that, I would absolutely make them read Where The Wild Things Are. I would also, of course, make them read The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is an excellent read. After persevering through the thick forests of confusion in the beginning of the novel, you will be glad you stuck it out. Aside from being captivating and enjoyable book, it is also jam-packed with themes and symbols to interpret. I find that interpreting symbols is an excellent way to stimulate your mind, and makes reading funner. I will never say “more fun.” Never. It’s “funner.” So to sum up my thoughts, I would encourage my students to look for themes and symbols within the pages.

I am very glad that I read The Great Gatsby. Had I not read the book, I would probably not know what to write for my Edmodo posts, and end up receiving poor grades on them. Also, had it not been for the book, I would have played video games until I developed deep-vein thrombosis. So this novel essentially saved my life from a painful fate. I look forward to The Great Gatsby film later this year, although I wish Gatsby was portrayed by a 30-year-old Christoph Waltz as opposed to Leonardo DiCaprio. ]]> Angry Ancestor http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1910 Who wants to read an essay I wrote for AP English? http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1909 Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:28:15 GMT Not you! But I'm proud, and therefore posting it anyway.

Here's the prompt from our teacher:

Edmodo post #2 (due Thursday 12/29 @ 11:59 p.m. OR when you are about 2/3 finished with book, whichever comes first)
• Again, what book are you reading and what page are you on now?
• First, respond to someone’s question from post #1 AND comment on one other thing that person wrote in his/her post (this part can be late if you are on the “out of town” list, but please do it at some point when you return).
• Go back and read your entire post #1. Has anything changed for you? Why or why not?
• Consider any TWO of the following: intriguing character relationships, thought-provoking internal or external conflicts, extended metaphors/symbols, emerging potential “themes” or commentary on “America” that the author may be trying to convey. Explain and comment on your choices.
• For those reading the same book, pose another question.

Here's the question of my fellow classmate which I responded to:

Megan M.: What did you think of Gatsby when Nick first met him? Did he seem to fit all the hype about being so amazing?

And, my response:

Blast it, late again. You should see me right now. I’m typing like a hunchback; my back and neck hurt very badly. I think I have scoliosis.

The page I’m currently on in the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has no page number labeled on it. All I see is the text that reads “CHAPTER VI.” This doesn’t really tell me anything about the page number, though. I can infer, however, I am on page 103, for the previous page is labeled “102” and the one after it reads “104.” This is just a wild guess. I’m just that risky of a person.

@Megan M. – My initial reaction to Nick’s encounter with Jay Gatsby was a hardy guffaw (not really, but nonetheless the moment was humorous). Nick’s feeling of surprise and almost embarrassment almost mimicked mine, for I was not nearly expecting Gatsby to be a young and seemingly-outgoing man. I should probably address your true question now, right? Although this Jay fellow did not necessarily meet the hype of a great, mysterious man, he met it in a different criterion. Gatsby proved to be not the kind of shallow, rich buffoon I expected him to be, but instead, a likable man with exciting interests and a wonderful smile (at least, Nick thought he had a wonderful smile…in fact, he seemed slightly aroused). So yes, Megan M., Gatsby was indeed amazing, but not in a way I’m sure any reader would have expected.

Reading my first post, I have come to the realization that I was only a young, foolish, and easily-confused lad at the time. Fitzy’s novel has picked up in pace tremendously, to a point where I can no longer contain myself. The book is very dialogue-heavy now, with character interactions all over the place. This allows for easy focus and interest management. I still stand by my argument that states that the story has very captivating conversations, but my outlook on the “perplexity” aspect has fizzled down to a plankton-sized…thing.

Among the choices provided to discuss, two stand out momentously: INTRIGUING CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS and EXTENDED METAPHORS/SYMBOLS. Look, they’re so momentous I’ve typed them in all caps. Let’s address INTRIGUING CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS first. There are many interactions among characters in this book, but two that strike significant in my opinion are between Nick and Jordan, and Gatsby and Daisy. The relationship between Nick and Jordan is an interesting one. It was first suggested by Tom and Daisy, so it seemed a little forced at first. But after Gatsby’s party, they seemed to have clicked like salt and pepper (although salt and pepper don’t always click. I mean, who puts pepper on their salted pretzels?). The two seem like polar opposites, Nick being honest, unbiased, and collected; Jordan being deceitful, spoiled, and lazy. They were still brought together by what Nick described as love, in a way. It’s a relationship that’s doomed for failure in any aspect, for love cannot be sewn together by antonymous personalities.

Gatsby and Daisy are a very fascinating couple. The first instance of romance between them was their kiss in Louisville. Since then, Gatsby has been non-stop thinking of Daisy, staring at her dock on East Egg each evening (seems a little obsessive, no? Oh, the things we do for love~). At their tea party encounter, things begin uncomfortable but soon incline to a romantic, lively reunion. Daisy is even brought to tears by her joy. This is the relationship that has truly defined this novel as an American classic if you ask me.

The second choice, EXTENDED METAPHORS/SYMBOLS, was thoroughly addressed in my initial post, but I suppose I’ll reiterate. The obvious symbol of the novel is the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. These eyes, seen on the cover of the book and mentioned in “CHAPTER II,” serve as a greater being that overlooks the valley of ashes. The eyes stare in dismay, for everything it sees is essentially death, and that the modern world is headed towards a shallow, self-absorbed future.

Fellow Gatsbiers, we meet again. Although I’ve noticed none of you responded to my post thus far. I am disappoint (that’s not a typo, by the way—just an internet meme). Here’s something you folks can contemplate, but probably not reply to: What are your thoughts on Nick and Jordan’s relationship? Do you think it will prosper or fail? ]]> Angry Ancestor http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1909 Life Sweet Life http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1908 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:19:28 GMT This will most likely be one of my slightly longer blogs, so even if you don't read the whole thing, I hope you'll at least read parts of it instead of just not reading anything at all. And please. No tl;dr's. I'm sick of 'em, GMG.

So life is pretty sweet right now. Occasionally I get brief feelings of depression, but it's been like that for years now, I've gotten used to it. I suppose it's my fault for listening to such depressing music. What's going on in my life though, you may ask. Well. Two major things have happened. First of all, I've gotten my seasonal grades for this semester. Second of all, my amazing personality and huge muscles have gotten me my first kiss (not under a mistletoe, though). And since I figure some of you are forever-aloners (nothing personal, this is a gaming forum after all), I thought I'd share this story, and some of the backstory and nervosity I felt before hand. Also christmas. In this blog I'll be talking about christmas. Also weight-loss. We'll be talking about alot.

But let's start with my grades, the part where I get to boost my ego by telling you all how intelligent I am. Skip this part of the blog if you're not interested in my superior intelligence and huge muscles. If you've read some of my previous blogs, you should have a decent understanding of how the Swedish grading system works. However, if you haven't I'll explain it beneath:
How I get graded (My year is the last to get to use this grading system, it's changed), is by four different grades. There's the MVG, the VG, the G and the IG. Basically, the G stands for what would translate to "passed", and the V and M are abbreviations of what would translate to how well you've passed (VG being passed with a good margine, MVG being passed with a great margine). IG is being not passed, ergo, failed.
So, now that that's out of the way, let me tell you about my amazing performance in the different subjects (it's not really amazing, but hey, I'm happy with them). I will only be going through the grades of the subjects we've had this semester, alot of the grades won't be graded until next year. I got a total of 5 MVGs, in the subjects: Math, English (duh), Biology, Physics, and a subject I'm not sure you have which would translate to "Society-Knowledge", which is mostly politics, immigration and very general things like that. These 5 MVGs is a huge boost to the just one I got at the end of last year (English). I'm hoping to get some more next year, I'll be trying hard in Geography, Religion, Music, Chemistry, and possibly History (though I doubt I'll get an MVG in history). I got four Gs, in subjects: Spanish (so difficult, I don't know how you do it Husky!), Art, Chemistry (this is left over from last year, I WILL improve it, I've already decided), and a subject that would translate to Home-Knowledge (which is mostly cooking, a bit of how to be environmental and stuff while doing it). I don't think I'll be able to improve any of these (apart from chemistry, of course), which is a shame. The teachers for these subjects hate me and I'm terrible at them. The rest of the subjects (things like Swedish, Gym class, History and stuff) I have a VG in, which I suppose is decent (VG in gym class thanks to my huge muscles).

I don't think anyone is going to read all of that, that's like the least interesting thing I've ever written. A long story short, only one person in my class got better grades than me, so I'm happy. Who was that person? WHO WAS THAT PERSON? It was a damn girl. A girl who I kissed the other night. This here is another huge ego booster, seeing how most of you probably have kissed girls when you're like 12 because you're just that gangster, but I'll tell you this story anyway, it's a pretty okay story I think. Basically, it's a girl in my class who I chatted alot with but never had any long conversations with in school and such, I'm sure you're familiar with that situation. She told me she liked me over text, which made me angry because I've had that happen before and things not working out at all, but I just went with it. We started talking more and more in school, and I asked her if she wanted to do something (I liked her too, but that goes without saying I think). She was a bit resistant at first, but I convinced her to come to my place after school. She did just that, and we had fun and such, and somehow we ended up in my bed next to each other (super cheesy part coming up, beware). I said "let me kiss you", and she said "okay", and then we kissed, and it was awesome, awesome enough we made out for like three hours. So that's the story of my first kiss, at the embarrassing age of 15. That was like, last tuesday, two days before school ending and she went to her relatives directly after that and won't be coming home until three days from now, awful timing to start seeing each other, seriously. I'm seeing her again on thursday, so hopefully that will be good, and not awkward or anything.

Now, what else is there to talk about, now that I covered my superior intelligence, huge muscles and success with ladies.
Christmas. Christmas christmas christmas christmas... I never really cared for christmas, at least not these past few years. Almost every christmas eve me and my family have started fighting. Alot. And from that, I've just grown to hate the holiday. Can you blame me? But this christmas was nice. Much nicer than I expected. Yesterday I was at my uncles house celebrating with all of the close relatives from my fathers side of the family, except from my father (he's in Abu-Dhabi, and besides, I haven't seen him in months, we were fighting super much, partly because of something that happened at CHRISTMAS >:C, and I probably wouldn't have went if he was going. I'm patching up with him though, hopefully I'll start seeing him again soon. So that was fun last night, lots of nice food to eat (don't know if you know this, but swedes celebrate on the 24'th). Today (25'th, I'm writing this late in the night, 4AM), I celebrated with my mom and her mom. It was nice today too, more good food, my mom is going to buy me a new computer chair as a christmas present as mine is broken, my generous grandma gave me 2000 kr for christmas (that's like $330), which was insane, and it was just an overall good day. Christmas is slowly getting back up there for me.

Two more things I want to cover in this blog (about 80% of people have stopped reading by now). One of them, is my Starcraft 2 success. I got the game and played my placement matches (if you don't know, this is an RTS strategy game, you build up a base and an army, and try to destroy your opponents base and army), and got placed in Bronze league, the lowest (this is where most people get after playing for the first time). I didn't play super much, but after a while I got back in and started playing alot, getting to silver league. Then I played very little, but started picking up again a lot later and got to gold. I kept playing alot, and I've recently gotten to Platinum League (after plat comes diamond, then masters, then grandmasters, being the top 200 players per region). I'm having a lot of fun with this game, and I actually feel myself getting better with every match I play. It's a crazily awesome game, you should defenetily give it a chance if you have money and time, and like this type of game. It is however one of the hardest games out there according to a lot of people, so keep that in mind too.

And ultimately, the last thing I'll cover in this blog. I've been losing weight at an insane margine lately. I'm not even trying, I just eat super little (I hardly ever even get hungry anymore), and I lose 1 kilo like every week. I'm currently 1,82 and 57 kilos, which would classify as underweight. I'm not too worried about this, although I heard it can affect your fertility, so that might be a problem later on. So, Addict's #1 tip on losing weight (I used to be overweight) is stop eating so much! I didn't do it intentionally, I just haven't really been full in a long time, but at this point I hardly feel hunger anymore so it doesn't bother me.

If you've read this entire thing you should get a site award or something, this is more boring than the books my grampa gave me for christmas. Christ, I need to start planning my blogs ahead, not even I'm going to read through all of this to check if everything is put together correctly...

I'll try and start blogging more frequently, but as you may have noticed, I like long blogs, so if you see a new BLAAAARRRWWGH then you can start popping some popcorn and prepare for a long read. So long for now RWC!

Addict ]]> Addict http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1908 <![CDATA[90’s Retrospective - Tazo's Pogs and Caps!]]> http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1907 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:42:02 GMT Tazos came out all over the world and the American set is I think pretty different to the ones we have in Aus, I’d actually like to buy the America... Tazos came out all over the world and the American set is I think pretty different to the ones we have in Aus, I’d actually like to buy the America set as i’ve heard they contained a Tiny Toons set but I haven’t seen them on ebay so I don’t know about them really.

Anyway Tazos were much more popular then Oddbodz as they lasted many more years and came out pretty much at the same time as Oddbodz maybe slightly after.

There was a way to play with them I think you would stack them on top of each other somehow and slam tazos in to the stack which would flip them revealing how many points you got by what was on the back of the tazo, in saying that I think only a few people actually played with them that way, I certainly didn’t and neither did any of my friends we used to just trade our doubles with one another to try and get a complete set.


So years have gone by and I still have mine so I’ll show some of my collection below:




I always liked the way Wile E looked in this one




One thing I really liked about the tazos is that it would continue on with the numbering from one set to the next for example it was
Series 1 – loney tunes 1 – 60
Series 2 Cheetah techno 61 – 100
Series 3 Loney tunes again (techno this time) 101 – 140
Simpsons 3d 141 – 180
Cheetah again and then looney leaving it at 220.

Now there may have been another set that continued with the numbers but there the ones I have.

Then they reset the numbering for the Space Jam set which started a new lot and went from numbers 1 – 80 the second part of that set was the star wars set 81 – 160, I’m missing a few from the star wars set and only have a few of the special holographic ones.






Tazo’s were only one type of cap/pog that excited and infact glow zone the same company that made oddbodz released a set of caps.

Now there is three series of these and I have two in this folder all nice and presented well and the third in the box which is just full of other types of caps and pogs so I guess I ran out of sleeves.



They also have cool and hot caps like the oddbodz:




These were so cheap, just take a look at the sticker price.



It didn’t just end there though almost everything had a cap or pog form even sonic:



(my sister wrote clean me on the top of the shelves there had not notices it was in the pic till just now lol.)

Unfortunately I don’t seem to have them all and have no idea if you could get them on ebay maybe I could try and get the missing ones one day.

Anyway that’s about it for this blog, so I’ll be sure to start putting together another blog really soon!! ]]> Skill http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1907 Dreamcast Reviews: Jet Grind Radio http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1906 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:19:38 GMT Attention PAL readers: This game is called Jet Set Radio in your region, as well as in Japan. JET GRIND RADIOOOOOOOOO-*shot* This game number... Attention PAL readers: This game is called Jet Set Radio in your region, as well as in Japan.

JET GRIND RADIOOOOOOOOO-*shot*

This game number one on my list of reasons to get a Dreamcast. It's a humorous twist on Tony Hawk where you use rocket powered roller blades to evade the police, airplanes, tanks, and supervillans in order to spray paint the city with your graffiti, which can either be made in the graffiti maker (my personal choice), unlocked throughout the game (you can find over 100 laying around, good luck getting them all), or be downloaded off of the DC's web browser... if you either still use dial-up or are willing to dish out $100 for the broadband adapter. Onto the review!

1) Gameplay
You can choose your character, so regardless of playstyle, you should be able to appreciate the game. Some characters can take massive damage (great for if you ignore the enemies), others can hold more spray paint than you'll ever need (very useful on some levels), and the other ones (the ones I prefer) are amazing at pulling off tricks.

You'll be pulling off stunt after stunt to navigate the segments of the city and reach new heights- sometimes literally. Each of the five areas (three if you import the Japanese original- I'd advise against it) has a unique feel to it. One has a lower halfpipe that runs through it for fast travel, another is linear, and the third is mazelike. When it was ported outside of Japan, it gained two flashback levels that are in conjunction with a cut-scene that encompassed them in the Japanese version. One is based around riding a lift up, then tagging as much as you can on your decent down before going back up. The other is about avoiding enemies in some tough situations. Both of these fit in perfectly, and until I read about them being added in, they were so seamless with the rest of the story that I thought it was in there from the start.

Overall, gameplay stays fresh and unique, with nearly no flaws.

10/10 (20/20)

Visuals:

This game came out before Wind Waker. It brought cell shading to gaming. When you use the Dreamcast's beautiful VGA cable on the game, I do have a complaint: The logo looks awful. It's just one small scrape... but you'll be seeing it quite often, as it's a very addicting game.

9/10

Music:

Pros like Rob Zombie were hired to do this. Every song is beautiful- well, most of them. There's some scream-o one in the couple of levels that were added in, and the final boss music is just flat out lackluster. Amazing elsewhere though, still can't get Sweet Soul Brother out of my head.

8/10

Replay Value:

You get to take a route of your choice through the game, but in the end you'll still be hitting every mission besides the 15 side ones. Additionally, there's a New Game+ that carries over all your unlocked characters. Getting A ranks can unlock the five hidden characters, and will certainly take you a while. No skipping missions you get bored of and/or already have the A rank on, though. Level select also only lets you use the 15 side missions ahead of time. Flawed, but still above average.

9/10

Overall:
20/20 + 9/10 + 8/10 + 9/10 = 46
46 * 2 =

92%
WetDreamCaster

Closing comments:
This game is worth getting a Dreamcast for. Seriously, I'd put it in my top 10 games of all time list. 92% is very, very hard to get out of me. In comparison, Banjo Kazooie would get 94%. You'll get used to my rating system as time goes on, and when you come back to this you'll marvel at that 92% I gave it. ]]> GameMasterGuy http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1906 Dreamcast Reviews: The Rating System! http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1905 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:53:46 GMT Before I make my first DC review, I figured I'd explain my ratings. There's four categories it's judged in:
1) Fun Factor- This is doubled in the average, totaling 20 points. I rarely give anything an 8/10+/16/20+ unless it does something unique.

2) Visuals- Not to be confused with graphics. Megaman has primitive, 8-bit graphics but beautiful visuals. Call of Duty has modern graphics, but boring visuals. The art style has to really shake me to get an 8/10+.

3) Music- self-explanatory. It needs to either be very catchy or atmospheric to be 8/10+, and both need to be combined for the perfect 10/10. This is the only category where 10/10 is even dreamable by most games.

4) Replay value- this doesn't just include being fresh on second, third, etc runs, but also things to do after beating the game. Sidequests can boost this significantly, but it's alternate routes that usually seal an 8/10+.

As for how rating work:
10/10: Perfect. There literally can't be a flaw, or else it gets bumped down to a 9.

9/10: Masterpiece. It either stands out in the game, or if there's another 9/10 (or 10/10, but that's unlikely), would stand out if put into an average game.

8/10: Above average. Something comes off as good, but not particularly memorable.

7/10: Average. THIS IS NOT A BAD GRADE. Please do not complain when I give something a 7/10 despite being flawless- it just does nothing to stick out above the crowd.

6/10: Below average. Even the slightest flaw can cause this.

5/10: Flawed. It's a noticeable bad part of it.

4/10: Disappointing. Not only does it have to be bad, it has to be so bad it affects other aspects of gameplay.

3/10: Memorably bad. This is rare.

2/10: Purposely bad. Extremely rare, I can only think of a few instances this would be in.

1/10: Anti-perfect. There is literally no redeeming quality about this aspect of the game. I have yet to find a game with something worthy of this, and yes, I know of ET, SM64, and any crappy GBC game you'll link me to.

Overall Rankings
The four categories are totaled up to 50 points maximum (gameplay counts twice), then doubled for a percentage average.

Under 60%:
NightmareCaster

60%-80%:
SweetDreamCaster

80%-99%:
WetDreamCaster

100%:
Chuck Norris ]]> GameMasterGuy http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1905 <![CDATA[So who's up for some wild and crazy Dreamcast game reviews?]]> http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1901 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:44:51 GMT Because I might start making them. If people want them, that is. I'll try to get as many unknown gems as poplar classics, but I don't see the point in reviews unless anyone would read them. Would anyone here read them? ]]> GameMasterGuy http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1901 Deck the forums with boughs of... http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1900 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:23:11 GMT Ok, ok, yeah, It's that time of the year and RWC is looking a bit like Ebenezer Scrooge's house, no lights on display, no snowflakes, no Chrismas Rare art put together a couple of days before the event, eh hem, nothing that even resembles a christmas tree.

Well truth is I've been pretty busy with my new Job, working on TCJ as well as my personal life and well things have been a bit flat out.

Incase you can't wait till we pull out the old photoshop decorations and hang them with care, as well as rushing some render or something out, check out last years comic:

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4 ]]> Skill http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1900 Pac-Man? That’s Pac-Gentleman to You http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1899 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:11:29 GMT well i was looking around the internets when i came across this art toy by a brilliant doctor A Image:... well i was looking around the internets when i came across this art toy by a brilliant doctor A

he's a quote about the little thing
Quote:
“When this game was first released in 1880 it was so hugely popular in taverns and inns that the bank of England was forced to mint more threepenny bits to keep up with demand. The game was created by messrs Nam & Nam and Co. as a novelty pastime for the masses. Outdoing the previous top public house game of Shove Ha’penny. “
I thought this was awesome enough to show you guys. i hope you enjoy! ]]> venomjack http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1899 awwwww yeahhhhh http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1898 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:27:02 GMT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeLrl...el_video_title ]]> Angry Ancestor http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1898 For those of you who cannot whistle... http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1895 Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:38:04 GMT Keep practicing. Every day. 7 days ago I could not whistle. Now, I can. Every single day, practice finding that whistling "sweet spot." It'll come faster than you think.

That's really all I can tell you. *whistles away* ]]> Angry Ancestor http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1895 Darn! http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1675 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 09:39:13 GMT I missed my one year anniversary!

It's been a great year and I've met many interesting people!

Let's hope I'll stay on the site for another year! ]]> KillerLizard http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=1675 A blog in which I post a Max Payne song. http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=830 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 01:00:09 GMT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6fLQbATCOI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6fLQbATCOI ]]> Devil_Bottles http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=830 Building a PC soon OMGFKAJSDF! http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=829 Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:09:43 GMT Soo keen! After I register my car and insure it etc I'm gonna build a PC.

My new job is going well, I'm making a good amount of money for someone straight out of school, should only take 2-3 weeks to save up for what I'm after :D

Gonna cost me $1700 inc postage and everything, I'm building it all myself (I already have all my HDD's ready).

I can't wait so I downloaded about 50 games I wanted totalling over half a terabyte! Keen keen keen!

24" monitor


ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 Motherboard


Gainward GeForce GTX 570 1280MB Goes Like Hell Edition


Intel Core i7 2600K


G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-17000CL11D-16GBXL (4x4GB) DDR3 - 2133MHz



CoolerMaster GX 750W PSU


CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced


Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler


Samsung SH-B123A 12X Blu-ray DVD Combo Drive
]]> Anthrax http://www.rarewarecentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=829