More DVD cases!

One of my favorite video games of all time is Final Fantasy III for the Super Nintendo (or as it is known today Final Fantasy VI).  My first memory of it was when I visited my cousins' house and they were playing it.  At the time, my sole RPG experience was Dragon Warrior, a NES game we got for free from Nintendo Power.  I didn't play that game much because I found it very repetitive, difficult, and boring.  What I saw in my brief exposure to Final Fantasy III at my cousins' house was completely different.  Here was a game with fleshed-out characters, a wonderful story, amazing music, and compared to Dragon Warrior, a pretty fun battle system.  I only saw the game for about a half hour, but I knew that it was special.  Unfortunately, that was the last I would see of the game for several years.

I was going to go further into the story about my playing Final Fantasy III, but as I started writing about it, I realized that there was so much to say, and it didn't feel appropriate for this blog post, which is supposed to be about a craft that I made inspired by Final Fantasy III.  I'll save that story for another time.
Suffice to say, one of my favorite parts of Final Fantasy III was it's music.  And one of the most famous (infamous?) scenes in Final Fantasy III is its opera scene, where one of the characters, Celes, finds herself in the lead female role in an opera.  The scene is very touching, and the music is extremely beautiful, even though the "singing" is limited to SNES sound effects.  I have heard orchestrated versions of the opera music, but there's a certain charm to the digitized version.

Anyway, inspired by this scene, I decided to make another set of DVD cases.  I found a good clip from the opera scene:

And here's the final product:

I don't think it shows up as well as my Yoshi's Island DVD cases, since most of the background is too dark.  Also the reference is a little more abstract to be people who are not as familiar with games, but I still think it turned out well.

We're back, A Procrastinator's Story

I'm not sure if it's proper form for a blog to be self-referential, commenting about the frequency of posts within it, but I don't really care.  It's been over a month since I last posted, and I am truly ashamed of myself.  I could blame it on me being so busy, but since I somehow manage to catch an episode of The Simpsons and two episodes of How I Met Your Mother every night, I think that's more a matter of priorities.
The other reason I can think as to why I haven't written is that my phone broke, so I essentially lost my camera.  Although I'm not an avid picture taker, I was starting to enjoy including pictures in my blog posts, and the loss of the phone took away some of my motivation.

See, no pictures for my blog!

Anyway, I'm back and my intention is to get back to writing on a semi-daily basis.  I'm trying to think of something else to write here to make it so this particular blog post has some substance, but I can't.  

Instead, for now, I'm going to post this lovely interactive YouTube video for Saved by the Bell: The Game that I saw on the internet.  I had nothing to do with the making of it, but it's awesome!  The worst part is that I understood pretty much every reference in the video.

See you later!

The obligatory photo blog post

I am trying to keep going with my blog, so I tried coming up with topics to write about.  Today, I decided to give you a taste of the contents of my camera phone.  There are not very many pictures there, as I tend not to like taking/being in photos.  It is a scientific fact that when someone takes a picture of you, they take a piece of your soul.  Then, anytime someone looks at that picture, another piece is taken.  Facebook has made it possible for you to lose your entire soul in a matter of minutes, with much of it going to your second cousin's co-worker, Jimmy.  That's why my Facebook profile picture is a picture of me in a Halloween costume where you can't actually see me.  That, and the costume is freaking awesome.

freaking awesome

Trip to Denver:

You should never post pictures of yourself drinking beer on the internet.  For the sake of my run for president in 2020, I will only put up this picture of random beer glasses that may or may not have been consumed by me or my in-laws at the end of the Coors Brewery Tour

One of several pictures I took of my mother-in-law after she took several pictures of us moving things into a truck.  I decided to take a picture of her every couple of minutes to prove some sort of point.  After about three pictures I gave up since no one noticed what I was doing, and the joke was lost on everyone.

Squirrel Shot

The picture doesn't really capture the weirdness of what I saw outside our porch window.  This squirrel was laying with only its belly on the fence and it's arms and legs hanging off both sides.  I don't imagine it would be very comfortable.

Trip to the Zoo

Outside of Gretna, on our way to the zoo.  I wonder if anyone has ever taken them up on their offer. I don't even know where I could store that much milk.

Polar bears are always so much fun to watch.  After they do something, they do the EXACT same thing over again. What a stupid animal.

Polar bears are always so much fun to watch.  After they do something, they do the EXACT same thing over again. What a stupid animal.

This gorilla is stretching and practicing yoga.  The crappy camera doesn't completely show the peaceful look in his eyes.

This is a picture of my favorite part of my last trip to the zoo.  There was a monkey who was holding a rock, but he apparently thought it was a nut or some sort of food, so he hit it against the ground to break it, but it wouldn't break.  Then he'd look at it confused and show it to his monkey friend.  Then he hit it against the ground again.  He did this about a dozen times.  It's funny when animals are stupid and cute.

I didn't really find this butterfly interesting or beautiful in anyway.  I just put this up because for some reason it scared Tyler.  To be fair, it was kind of big.  

Fourth of July Desserts

A patriotic cake.  I'd like to blame the blurriness of the picture for how bad it looks, but it didn't look much better in person.  It was pretty dang tasty though.

A slightly more flattering shot.

Kitty

Because no matter how crappy this blog post was, Cammie will always make it better.

Video Game case art: Yoshi's Island

In a previous blogpost, I gave a sample of some DVD cases that I was working on.  Well, recently I came across some color ink for our printer and decided to go all out an make an entire (small) shelf-long picture.  I had a hard time picking a theme because I wanted something recognizable and simple but colorful and interesting.  I decided that my first "complete" DVD case art should consist of art from one of my favorite Super Nintendo games and one of the most beautiful games of all time: Yoshi's Island.  I decided to use a scene from the introduction where the Yoshis come upon baby Mario:

I used full-size Gamecube cases for this instead of the thin DVD cases I was planning because it was easier to fit a somewhat larger picture on them.  Here's what the final results look like:

The hardest part of this was trying to come up with a way to put legible text on the cases without it being in the way.  You may notice in the picture above that the left four cases are slightly different.  I tried to make the text blend in with the background, but that made the text hard to read, so I had to settle with using small print in a bright color:

I'm glad the camera is kind of crappy, otherwise you would be able to see that the game on the right is "Ribbit King". 

Well, that's it for this post.  Now to come up with another picture to use for more cases.

My first time running with a partner, even if I did not intend to.

A lot of people say that one of the things they like about running is doing it with other people and having a chance to socialize while exercising.  Also, running with someone keeps you more motivated to actually stick with a plan since there is accountability.  It's a lot harder to put off a workout if you think someone else is waiting for you, even if the other person is thinking the same thing.

That's great and all, but for the most part, I like to run alone.  The main reason is this is the case is that during my workouts I like listening to podcasts on my phone.  I don't need another person to distract me because the podcasts do that.  Running is my chance to get away from people, to get away from my world.

Anyway, today I started an easy 30-minute alone, just like most of my workouts.  I had my phone set up to track the run and was listening to the newest video game podcast (there is a certain irony of listening to a podcast about a sedentary hobby while exercising) that I had downloaded.  I ran up South Street and about a half mile in I heard a jingle behind me.  I thought it was a bike and looked behind me, but didn't see anything.  Then I noticed in the corner of my eye something running diagonally across South Street towards me: a dog.  At first I scared that the thing was going to jump me, but he ran past me.  I started running again and he started following me.  

Another advantage of having my phone with me on my workout is that I have a camera with me.

Last time I wrote about running I talked about nipple chafing as a common problem for runners.  Well, apparently dogs are also a common problem for runners.  I had read about dogs when looking at stuff about running, but figured the problem was dogs attacking or running in your way from out of nowhere or leaving certain surprises in your path.  I never thought the problem would be that an unknown dog would decide to run with you for two miles.

I tried losing the dog a couple times, taking advantage of distractions such as squirrels, but every time I thought I had abandoned him, he found me again.  He kept weaving in front of me as I continued to run, making me worry that he would stop and cause me to trip over him.  Also, the dog forced me to change direction a couple of times because he was about to go into a busy street and I figured if he was going to follow me against my wishes I should at least keep him on side streets to keep him safe.

Perhaps my biggest concern was a selfish one.  During my run I came across several people out and about, whether walking or driving.  As far these people could tell, the dog was mine and I was being a very irresponsible owner, letting him run without a leash.  I think a couple of drivers who had to stop because the dog ran in the street gave me the evil eye, all while I was shaking my head and mouthing "it's not mine".

I kept hoping the dog would get tired or get distracted enough to go his own way.  Unfortunately, the dog made it through the rest of my workout and ended up at my house.

Standing outside our house, he just wouldn't go away.

In fact, even after I went inside, the dog stayed in our yard for an hour or two.  We tried calling a phone number on the dog's collar that appeared to be the owner's number.  Of course, the phone number was not in service.  I think my new friend has finally disappeared and hope that he made his way home.

Looking back, I take back what I said about not wanting to run with others.  I can say that with this running partner, I was distracted enough that I barely noticed I was exercising.

R.I.P. Playstation 3 (that rhymes!)

hopefully, the only time
I have to use this header

On Tuesday, June 28, 2011, Playstation 3, or "PS3" as it was known to friends, died.  Although the cause of it's death is unknown, sources close to the PS3 said it might have overheated during a game of Pacman Championship Edition DX.  At first, it was thought the PS3 had merely fainted and stopped working temporarily, but after consultation with the internet, it was established by the family that the PS3 had the Yellow Light of Death.

According to Sony, which specializes in reviving systems that suffer such deaths, PS3 could possibly be fixed if sent to their hospitals for an extended one or two month stay.  Unfortunately, PS3's insurance was not extended past its first birthday, so PS3 was uninsured and the cost for treatment would be expensive and the chances of success were slim.  It surgery were unsuccessful, Sony promised to send a similar system back for PS3's users to "adopt" and use as if it were the same as PS3.

Playstation 3 (2008-2011)

Instead of go through the expense and potential heartbreak, PS3's users literally pulled the plug on PS3, and decided that after a few months of mourning, they would consider getting a whole new system, a healthier, slimmer version of Playstation 3.

Although not as successful or social as other video game systems, PS3 had some accomplishments to it's name.  It had garnered several trophies, including three coveted platinum trophies during it's short life.  PS3 also had an uncanny ability to store lots of information, and from an early age, it was apparent that PS3's 40 GB hard drive was just not enough to hold everything, so PS3 successfully underwent hard drive replacement surgery and increased its memory to 250 GB.

It had so much potential.

PS3 leaves behind several games, many of which were not completely finished. One of PS3's discs, Little Big Planet 2, was only a couple months old at the time of PS3's death, and now officials are afraid this relatively unplayed game may never get a chance of fulfilling it's potential as a form of entertainment.

PS3 was also with disc at the time of the death.  Although efforts were made to extract the disc so it would have a chance of use outside of PS3, things look grim.  Further complicating matters is the fact that PS3 was merely a surrogate for the disc.  After the disc was completed, it was to be sent to Netflix, who has legal ownership over the disc.  Although Netflix has not been contacted yet, it is assumed by parties involved that restitution will need to be made to Netflix if further efforts to extract the disc are unsuccessful.

PS3 died young and is survived by a large family of video game systems, some of them decades older than PS3.  PS3's father, Playstation the Second, and PS3's grandfather, Playstation the First, were both there to see the untimely death.  Playstation 2 was saddened to see its successor go, noting while it had seen this type of thing happen all the time to Xbox 360s, it never thought such a thing could happen in its family.

Also surviving PS3 is Super Nintendo, Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Game Boy, several Nintendo Game Boy Advances, Nintendo DS, two Nintendo DS Lites, Microsoft Xbox, and Mattel Intellivision, all of whom are still alive and kicking.  PS3's relation with some of these systems was strained, particularly with it's great-grandfather Super Nintendo, who fathered Playstation the First but abandoned it because it felt Playstation's mother, Sony, was asking for more than a fair share of child support.  (If you don't get the joke, don't worry, I didn't expect you to.)

Nintendo Wii, dusted off and ready to
fill PS3's big shoes

Hit particularly hard by the PS3's death is its second cousin, Nintendo Wii, who after a couple years of sitting around doing little work, has been asked to fulfill many of PS3's duties, including Netflix streaming.  Although Wii has claimed it would try its hardest to live up to PS3's example, its inability to play DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, or high definition content mean it will likely fall short.

Hey, my eyes are up here! A "sensitive" blog post

WARNING: The following blog post makes reference to male nipples in a strictly non-sexual sense.  If this offends you, please continue reading anyway, since you will likely be offended by anything you come across anyway.

When I started running earlier this year and slowly worked myself up to being able to run for thirty minutes straight, I had no real issues with injuries or ailments that sometimes come with running.  When I ran a 5k in May, there was no problem.

Then, only a couple days after that, in the middle of a twenty-five minute run, I started noticing two areas of sensitivity in my chest area.  My nipples were becoming hard and rubbing against the fabric of my shirt.   I would have blamed the shirt, but it was the very same shirt I had worn for the race.  I also had done my homework and made sure I only wore moisture-wicking technical shirts made of non-cotton materials during my workouts.  Also, the shirt I was wearing was a pretty good fit, so it wasn’t moving too much. 

Yet, there I was in the middle of my run, with my nipples getting irritated.  I couldn’t just stop there because I run away from my house for the first half of a workout and turn back for the second half.  That meant I was about a mile and a half away from home, and I had to continue my workout.  Also, it didn’t really hurt.  Yet.  I continued jogging at a slightly slower pace for about five more minutes holding the front of my shirt out with my hands so they wouldn’t touch my nipples.  That didn’t seem to be working.  I finally decided that my comfort was more important than that of the drivers of South Street, and removed my shirt.  This helped a little bit, but by that point my nipples were so irritated that just the air blowing on them was annoying.

Me, minus the blood and the ability to sing a capella.

When I got home, my nipples were feeling real sore.  And that pain lasted for at least three days, and was bad enough that I did my next run shirtless.  I knew that nipple chaffing was an issue for runners, but I was still caught by surprise when it happened, since I went for so long without it happening.  It turns out I was probably just very lucky for the first three months of training.  This year we actually had a pretty cool/mild spring.  I never had to run in temperatures above 65 degrees, except for a couple hot days during a trip to Denver, but there it was dry.  The day my nipples started chafing, it wasn’t too warm, but it was one of the first really humid days.  I’m a bad sweater, and all I needed was a humid day to make my sweat too heavy for even a moisture wicking shirt to take care of.

One of the problems with nipple chafing is that once it occurs, it just makes the nipples <okay, I’m starting to feel awkward constantly writing the word nipples, but that’s why I gave the disclaimer> more sensitive.  Now I can’t even run in conditions that I used to be able to run in without protection because even merely thinking about nipple chafing is enough to cause it. 

So I had to do something more about it.  My first solution came from some online suggestions: Vaseline.  Vaseline acts as a lubricant so prevents the rubbing between the skin and fabric.  This seemed like a good, economical solution.  Except it wasn’t a solution.  Also:

It kind of stains

Even after several washes with pre-treatment, the greasy and awkwardly placed stains remain.

Since that didn't work, I decided I had to actually cover up my nipples during a workout.  See, one of the reasons that nipple chafing doesn't happen as often to women is they wear sports bras, which naturally hold everything in place and reduces rubbing.  Unfortunately, men don't wear anything like that, so if we're going to cover up our nipples we have to put something "unnatural" on there.  The first thing I tried were some Nexcare Sports Bandages I got at Walgreens because they were free with mail-in rebate <note to self: perhaps you should actually send that in>.  If there's even a little bit of moisture where you are putting them on, they will not stay and the bandage is ruined.  But, if you get them on just fine, they stay on very well, even with moisture.  I'd even say they stay on a little too well (ouch).  Also, when not "free", they are kind of expensive.  So now I use something much cheaper and just as effective, 99 cent Walgreens bandages:

They're cheap, and I would never use them as an actual bandage, but for temporary nipple protection, they're a bargain.

Since I started using the bandages, I have had no problem with my nipples, despite the fact that it is getting warmer and more humid, and I am running for longer distances.  There are fancier (read:more expensive) solutions out there, but this works for me.

Also, I have purchased another product to take care of similar problems called "Body Glide".  It looks like a stick of deodorant and applies non-staining protection to the skin.  Although some claim it works well for nipple chafing, I will stick to actually covering my nipples.  Still, I do use this stuff to prevent other chafing, but since my disclaimer above only mentions nipples, I will not go any further.