Recently, JK Rowling, of Harry Potter fame,
announced at a press conference that one of her characters in the series,
Dumbledore, was a flaming homosexual (sauce). This is quite
possibly one of the most shocking announcements about the series since that one
prick told everyone that Snape killed Dumbledore (spoiler alert). This was a
bit of a shock, but I suppose all of Dumbledore's instant messages to former
congressman Mark Foley might have been some indication. Critics are already
hailing her announcement, saying that it's wonderful that a gay character plays
such a prominent role in a children's book. I think this is a bit of a stretch.
I, honestly, did not even consider Dumbledore gay once during any of my several
readings of all the books. I just thought he was a bookworm who just didn't get
out enough to pick up any chicks. I'm sure that this announcement will cause
several fans to reread their books in a new light. Probably a hot pink or light
mauve light. I did like one of Rowling's comments though. She thought about how
the fanfiction world would change after her announcement. I'm rather concerned
about this as well. There is already enough fan-made yaoi manga. Do we really
need to add Harry Potter into the mix? Dumbledore and Hagrid? I shudder at the
thought...

I still have relatives over, so my posts are still going to
be very limited, but I just thought I would give you an update of what I have
been doing. I haven't been watching too much anime, but I have watched a good
number of movies and [edit: read some] books. All of the movies I had seen before, but I finished
reading Stephen Colbert's I Am America
(and so can you!), Dave Barry's History
of the Millennium (so far), and I just began Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. They are all actually very good. These pursuits,
however, took up very little of my time. Most of my time was spent with...

 

Metropolismania 2. This is quite possibly one of the
best games I have played in a good, long while. I have played several good
games over the past months, but this little fifteen-dollar bargain I had the
most enjoyment from. Yes, it may have actually bested Rune Factory as the game of 2007. It is basically a
city-builder. You get messages from people who want to move into your city, and
if you accept them you can place their home, business, or service wherever you
want. As your city grows, the needs of your people increase. For example, they
may start demanding healthcare (insolent swine). That's when you have to start
interacting with people. Yes, you can actually speak with every single person
you move into your city. They all have distinct personalities. As you become
friendly with the population, you can start to ask them if they have associates
in whatever service you may need. Still looking for somebody who runs a
hospital? Why don't you ask the pharmacist in the convenience store you just
set up if he knows anybody? If he does, he can introduce you to a doctor who
would gladly move into your town (and do naught much but drink coffee and frown
at people's self-amputations). The graphics are sub-par, but with a game of
this scale and fun, it can easily be passed up. I would highly recommend this
game to anyone with a PlayStation 2. It's only fifteen bucks, c'mon!

I L'ed.O.L.

Sorry, no posts for a while, since I have visiting relatives. Please adjust your lives accordingly.

The other day at work I was listening to my mp3
player when a coworker asked what I was listening to. I told him/her that I was
listening to some Japanese music (UVERworld, to be precise). I was ultimately
asked why I listen to Japanese music when I can't understand the words. I
didn't have a witty response then, but when I was getting into bed that night,
my argument began to manifest itself. I don't understand a word of Japanese
music, but I could probably say the same thing for a lot of American music. Most
music of today is so nonsensical and incoherent that they may as well be
written in a foreign language. Nirvana, Sean Paul, Snoop Dogg, Jewel,
DragonForce, MC Hawking... the list goes on. And those are just the ones whose
mouths sound like they're full of Mr. Bubble. Then there are the singers who
sing in perfect English, but make about as much sense as a tofu necktie. A
shining example of this is KT Tunstall, whose lyrics are so nonsensical that
the hippy music from the sixties almost makes sense. I think I understand
"Incense and Peppermints" more than "Black Horse and the Cherry
Tree" (it's some sort of sexual innuendo, right?). I mostly listen to
"classic" rock (read: awesome rock), but even I will admit that a lot
of it makes very little sense. I still haven't figured out exactly what
"Stairway to Heaven" is all about. And what exactly is this
"love rocket" that the famous band Love Fist goes on about? Who
knows!? And don't get me started on classical music. All you composers need to
just hurry up and pick a language!

Everyone is allowed a nostalgia trip now and then. I
recently took a nice long one on YouTube last night. I came across these two
videos that injected a rush of memories directly into my brain. Some more
painful than others. I thought I would give my thoughts on some of the shows in
the videos. Yes, I was a frequent watcher of most all of them. I didn't watch
only Nickelodeon, but it was definitely my most frequent haunt during my
childhood. Other channels included the early, and superior, Cartoon Network and
Disney Channel. Along with my thoughts, I will also add a little DVD symbol next to TV shows that I would not hesitate
to pick up if I saw the collection on disc. Prepare for a long post. I'll wait.

All That - This was an okay show. I didn't watch it as
frequently as others, but I do remember all of its spin-offs. This was a great
show for creating new talent for other shows and movies. It was like
Nickelodeon's version of SNL.

Kenan & Kel (DVD) - If
you stuck around to this blog for long enough, you would have already known
that I love this show. It was funny, satirical, and smart (in a stupid way). Plus,
it had an opening song from Coolio. Very nineties.

Pete & Pete - I liked this show. I wouldn't say I loved it,
but it was fun to watch. In short, it was a time-filler. I wouldn't go out of
my way to watch it, but I enjoyed it when I did.

Clarissa Explains it All - This is one of the shows that
shames me to admit I watched it. It shames me more to admit I liked it. I
thought it was fun. I liked most of the characters and the scenarios were
funny. My pre-adolescent crush on Melissa Joan Hart may have played a part, but
haven't I been shamed enough?

The Secret World of Alex Mack - Alex Mack wears a hat... how
about that? This show was just crazy. I liked it well enough. I thought it was
strange, though, and it wasn't a regular part of my TV schedule. My enjoyment
of this show may have had an effect on my subconscious and made me actually
enjoy the similar show Dark Angel years later.

My Brothers and Me - The pain of memories come with this
one. I liked the show, but only certain episodes were good. It was hit or miss,
if you'll allow the cliché. Most of the episodes were yawn-fests, but some of
the episodes were hilarious.

Are You Afraid of the Dark - I didn't watch this show. I
have nothing more to say about it.

Salute Your Shorts - I loved this show. This was one of the
ones I went out of my way to watch. I wanted to add a DVD tag to this one, but
I look back and realize that it was too childish, and I wouldn't watch it now,
but I certainly enjoyed it as a kid. Ah... ignorance.

Legends of the Hidden Temple - I shudder with the memories
of this show. I hated it. It was just the stupidest show ever. If this was on,
it was almost guaranteed that I was watching something else (like paint dry).
Rather than this show, they should have just aired a rerun of Double Dare. Now
that's a gameshow.

You Can't Do That on Television - I honestly don't remember
ever seeing this one. Seriously, I have nothing.

Animorphs - Yes, I remember the TV show, but I remember the
books more. I don't mean to brag, but I think I owned almost the entire
collection. I don't think I read them all, but I had them. As a result, I never
did watch too much of this show.

The Wonder Years - Just no.

Doug (DVD) - Even as a kid,
I gave this show a firm "meh". Nevertheless, I watched this show
reverently almost every day. To this day, I still do not understand why I
watched this show. I would get it on DVD, if only to figure out why. (You do
believe me, don't you?) It was nice to see Disney try to revive it years later,
though.

Rugrats - Talk about a series that wouldn't end. Don't get
me wrong, I love Rugrats (note the present tense), but the series should have
ended long before it did, if it's even over. It spawned so many toys, movies,
candies, and other merchandise that it would even take the Flying Spaghetti
Monster a while to count them up. Not to mention the sacrilege that is
"All Grown Up".

Rocko's Modern Life (DVD) -
This show is made of win. Off-the-wall humor mixed with fun characters and
bizarre episode plots makes for good TV in my book. This show, above all others
on this list, needs to get a DVD release.

Inspector Gadget - If I ever downloaded a new ringer for my
cellphone, it would be the theme for this show. Yes, I liked it and I watched
it, and I spat upon the crap that was the live action movie.

Angry Beavers - I really liked this show, and I watched it
whenever I got the chance, but the only thing keeping a DVD tag away from this
one is that I think the characters were too childish. Though it doesn't seem like it,  I have grown up a little bit..

Hey Arnold! - I think they still have this show airing. It's
been a while since I watched Nick. Yes, I liked this show and watched it
regularly. I think this show may have caused my interest in shoujo anime (Helga
is very tsundere).

Tiny Toon Adventures - I look back upon this and shudder. I
have seen some stupid shows growing up, but this was one of the stupidest. I
enjoyed it as a kid, but looking back at it now makes me question my tastes
(among other things). I did like the movie, though.

Animaniacs - Sorry, but I wasn't much of an Animaniacs fan.
I watched it from time to time, but I generally changed the channel. No real
reason to it, I just didn't like it.

Beetlejuice - I remember seeing the live-action movie after
seeing the cartoon and thinking that it couldn't hold a candle to it. The
cartoon was awesome, in a gothic sort of way. I'm sure we are only moments away
from Hot Topic selling Beetlejuice the cartoon merchandise, if it hasn't done
so already.

AAAHH!!! Real Monsters - I loved this show, if only for the
first season. After that, it all kind of became the same, and I started
watching other things.

Ren & Stimpy - I never got into this show. I know people
all around me go on about how great it was, but I could never bring myself to
actually watching much of it. I've seen a few episodes here and there, but I've
never seen much reason to go back.

Shows not in the videos, but should be:
KaBlam! - Basically a cartoon version of SNL. There was a
main set of hosts with a plethora of humorous skits. It even managed to score a
couple of spin-offs with its more successful shorts. Action League Now, anyone?

CatDog - Maybe this one was too far near the end of the
"Golden Age" of Nickelodeon, and that's why it didn't show up. Still,
I remember watching this show fairly regularly. I wasn't a huge fan of it, but
it filled the gaps.

The Wild Thornberrys - I liked this show. I didn't get to
see the movie, but I hope to someday. I liked the premise, and the shows were
interesting. There's not really a whole lot more to say.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog - It's Sonic. It's a
cartoon. It's the early nineties. What more do I need to say? It was awesome.

The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo - This show didn't stand out
too much, but I still remember it. I don't remember enjoying it too much, but
it was there.

Space Cases (DVD) - DUDE! Do
I remember Space Cases. This show was so cheesy, that it was awesome. I watched
almost every episode of it. To this day I even get the theme song stuck
in my head occasionally.

Gullah Gullah Island - Well, I had to watch something on
days when I was sick, or when I had the day off from school. This was about the
only daytime TV show I could stomach.

Nick News - Ah... the days before I discovered the Daily
Show. How foolish I was.

Wild and Crazy Kids - This show was too crazy for my tastes,
and that's saying something. I watched a few episodes here and there, but
ultimately did not like it.

Double Dare - This is the gameshow to beat. I mentioned it
earlier in the post, and I still think that this is one of the crowning
achievements in gameshow history. If Jim Carrey was to make a gameshow, it
would probably look like this, only with more 23s.

Rocket Power - Nevermind.

Well, I hope you read this far. It was a fun trip for me,
and I hope it was for you, especially if you all are my age. If you're not my
age, then I hope this will open your eyes to what the world was like when
Nickelodeon was actually worth watching. Thanks for reading this far. Someday I
hope to do a post like this on the Golden Age of Cartoon Network and the Disney
channel.

Sonic the Hedgehog is officially a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

I just read on the official developer's blog that Sonic will be a playable character in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game. Sorry to post twice in a day, but this is some pretty big news. Video Link from the site. It's not a hoax this time. The new problem I see is that the blog-runner has changed the release date from early December to TBD. Crap, I hope that doesn't mean a delay. This is Nintendo, not Natsume.

Sauce

Ted is an honest man. Well, that's not entirely true. It's
more like he is semi-honest. Oh sure, her tries his hardest to be honest, but
sometimes it just isn't easy. To Ted, honesty is an elusive creature. He tends
to be truthful with several things. The pen is blue. The lemonade is tasty. The
picture is crooked. He is honest with a lot of things. Would all of these
little truths be enough for Ted? When it comes to matters of great importance,
Ted's honesty falters. That bill is much too high for this meal. The toilet is
supposed to sound like that. Of course, that dress doesn't make you look fat.
The question is do all of Ted's several small truths counteract his few big
lies? Would it be enough to consider Ted an honest man? Ted does not question
these things. Even with some of the more blatant lies, he still considers
himself an honest man. In Ted's mind, he does not recognize lies and believes
everything he says is truthful. His point of view has the ability to alter what
is truth and lies in his own mind. In the eyes of others, Ted is a good guy,
but has a poor grasp on reality. Some, his wife included, seem to think he is
mildly insane. That bill is much too high for this meal. He was eating and
home. The toilet is supposed to sound like that. The cat had fallen in. Of
course that dress doesn't make you look fat. She wasn't wearing anything. He
tries to help out where he can, even when he wasn't asked. Nevertheless, Ted,
in his own way, is an honest man.

I hope you all noticed that in the course of a single
meal, I was able to invent an honest man and make him insane. Cheers.

• Anyone who constantly wishes for a youthful face is
  clearly forgetting about all of the acne.
• Given the circumstances, I don't think a Caesarian was
  an option for Mary when she was giving birth to Jesus.
• I think scrolls need to make a comeback.
• Where the heck is my brown belt? Oh, here it is in the
  drawer with the rest of my belts. How was I supposed to know to look there?
• When an acorn falls and hits me in the head, for a few
  moments I just do not know what to think.
• Windex: now with the ability to cure cancer and fuel
  the space shuttle.
• Cold pizza... the breakfast of champions.
• Do gnats go to heaven or hell? I don't think I'd want
  to be in heaven if it's the former, considering how many of them I've killed in
  cold blood.
• Never once in twenty years have I eaten an artichoke.
  Is a world record in order yet?
• I subscribe to the "suck it up, baby" school
  of health care.
• The closest I ever came to death was when I ate two
  BigMacs and half of a large pizza in one sitting.
• If Jesus tried to walk on a wavy ocean, would he get
  tipped over?
• Is it really that difficult to write an ampersand?
• I don't know why, but there is just something really
  cool about an arc-welder.
• I think this song, above all others, makes me want to get Guitar Hero III

x1acorn1x: yo leafy, whats up?
LeAfY111: hey acorn. Not much right now. How about you?
x1acorn1x: nuthin just hangin around, if u no wat i mean.
LeAfY111: I fear that I do.
x1acorn1x: yea, so wat about u?
LeAfY111: not a whole lot. Just converting carbondioxide to oxygen, y'know?
x1acorn1x: oh, ur always doing that
LeAfY111: heh, what can I say. I'm good at it.
x1acorn1x: woah, check out this dorky station wagon pullin up under me
LeAfY111: You mean that wihte one?
LeAfY111: *white
x1acorn1x: yeah
x1acorn1x: hey, I think I'm gonna drop on it
LeAfY111: why?
x1acorn1x: cause itll be fun and put a big crack in the windshield
LeAfY111: uh... ok
x1acorn1x: thisll be awesome. catch you on teh flip side
LeAfY111: whatever.
<< x1acorn1x has logged off >>
<< jimbo1023 has logged on >>
jimbo1023: hey, I didn't know you were logged on.
LeAfY111: yup, what are you up to.
jimbo1023: not much. Just getting off of work
LeAfY111: cool
jimbo1023: wait, what the hell is this crack on my windshield!?
jimbo1023: did you do this, leaf?
LeAfY111: how the heck would I do that?
jimbo1023: tell me who did this
LeAfY111: no way, it was a friend of mine.
jimbo1023: I think Mr. Pocketknife says you'll tell me.
LeAfY111: woah hey! Don't cut me off of the branch. It was just an acorn.
LeAfY111: lighten up
jimbo1023: lighten up? It'll cost me 200 bucks to fix this. That's not chump change for a college student
LeAfY111: uh... well...
<< LeAfY111 has logged off >>
jimbo1023: bastard