Hm, haven’t posted in a while…I suppose the 55-hour FFXII marathon had a hand in that, as well as the general laziness that comes with the holiday season.
And speaking of holidays, I actually received a pretty cool gift this year from Sui. Being well-versed in gaming history and icons, she took the time to reconstruct one of the most recognizable icons in gaming - down to the pixel, back when pixels were the graphical medium courtesy of two-dimensional sprites - from these funny-looking Pixel Blocks. The end result actually works out well, as you can see in the included shot and in my pictures.
They sit now in my office, guarding the room against the demons of boredom and corporate monotony. Timeless indeed.
I’m currently sitting in the newly opened San Mateo main public library, looking over the stacks of books and studying people to contemplate the right combination of words to describe this…serenity. Having not been to the library in a good many years, it’s cool to see how the purpose of the institution has transformed to keep up with modern times.
The Internet and Barnes and Nobles have cobined to kill off the traditional library. No longer is it vital to do one’s research papers buried within stacks of reference books; the Internet and Google has made it too convenient for bits and bytes to deliver information over printed text and paper. Nor is it necessary to visit the library if one simply wants to curl up to a good read; BN has made it pleasant and inviting to stay at the bookstore, sipping a coffee and freed of draconian rules of silence.
Black Friday passed by last week, for me without much fanfare as I watched people climb over each other for PS3’s, Wii’s, and $400 laptops. Of less fame is the Monday following, dubbed “Cyber Monday”, when online retailers take moderate discounts to existing inventory that didn’t quite clear Black Friday and makes it slightly easier to obtain goods without crowds or overloaded servers.
I took this opportunity to buy one of the things missing from my current home theater setup: an actual sound system not consisting solely of my television set’s speakers. I had been reluctant to get one because of the sheer trouble of wiring speakers, especially in a rented apartment, and because I wouldn’t be doing my neighbors any favors. Living here for over 2 years has shown me that, well, either my neighbors don’t care or they can’t hear anything, and hell, if I can fit a 140 lbs. TV in here I might as well match the visual treat with an audio cornucopic experience.
