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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

«Downtime, Blame Google»

I don't know what that downtime was about. Yes, this site was down for a few hours.

Something to do with the custom domain settings and it was on Google's side. All I did to fix it was set it to the default mastermarf.blogspot.com, then back to my www.mastermarf.com domain and is started working again.

So, whatever...

EDIT: Looks like Google is still having a few issues. Might just have to wait it out.

See the rest of “Downtime, Blame Google”»

Monday, October 10, 2011

«OWS: It's Growing»

Occupy Wall Street: Too Big to Ignore


Started in Egypt, and has spread across the globe. It's a contagious behavior. It gets to the point that people that otherwise have very little reason to protest or riot have this urge to. I'm not saying the Occupy Wall Street in the US isn't needed. However, and this is probably short-sighted, the riots in London or earlier in Canada were not warranted. With this global uprising spreading all the way to the US, China must be really concerned about it spreading to them.

My take on Occupy Wall Street? Wait and watch. It's unlikely there will be a significant showing in Idaho. The state is too red politically and the protesters are seen as new-age hippies without a cause. That's my main issue with the movement, too. They are pointing out a fundamental problem with capitalism we all already knew exists. However, there's no central solution or call to action. Everyone involved has different ideas. They need a legendary public speaker to unify their movement akin to Martin Luther King Jr. Until they get their act together I'm going to remain an outside observer.

Then there's the possibility of an event that will spark violence. Be it an overzealous protester or an aggressive police display, this is a volatile situation. Protests around the country could turn to riots around the country.

See the rest of “OWS: It's Growing”»

Thursday, September 8, 2011

«Point of No Return»

Here it is... I've reached the point of no return.

Official Virgin Age Meter

Click image to view full.

To some virginity is virtue. They've had the opportunity but through power of self discipline they abstained, for an ideological or religious reason. Not me. I don't have any unrealistic vision of finding "the one". There are many compatible people out there, and none of them are perfect. And like anything you do for the first time, it's going to be awkward and clumsy.

I've simply been unable to form a basic romantic social bond with anyone. Therein lies the problem. Virginity is but one metric to measure one's life by. It is by far not the only metric I fail at though. Social inability affects all aspects of my life. I am beyond saving.

"Happy" birthday to me.

See the rest of “Point of No Return”»

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

«The Reverend Marf»

This is what I believe to be the most epic thing I've done since starting this blog. It's all sorts of silly, epic, and to some I'd imagine offensive. I have officially renounced my atheism. If that sentence can even make sense. One can't really renounce a non-religion, can they?

I am now an officially ordained minister of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I'm now The Reverend Cody Durkin. I've seen the noodly light of Pastafarianism. Note the raised gold seal. This is a legitimate document.

Certificate of Ordination

Click image to view full.
If that isn't the biggest slap in the face to the validity of religion, I don't know what is.

I can legally use Reverend in front of my name now. Seriously. I can also officiate wedding ceremonies. Laws do vary between states (even counties) in the US, and I haven't researched international laws. Weddings are such a business in Nevada (go Las Vegas!) that they have some unique requirements. However, in most other states including my resident state of Idaho, one only needs to be a judge, governor, mayor or an ordained minister of any denomination. [Idaho Code Section 32-303]

Any. Denomination.

FSM is a real, legitimate religion, as much as any other. The fact that many see this is as a satirical religion doesn’t change the fact that by any standard one can come up with, our religion is as legitimate as any other. And *that* is the point.

- http://www.venganza.org/join/

They'd have one hell of a First Amendment case on their hands if they tried to deny it.

What's that sound? Yeah, I didn't hear it either. I expected to hear the sound of the sanctity of marriage draining away, but I guess celebrities already drained that. The "we must protect the sanctity of marriage" people need to wake up to reality. Same-sex marriage is the least of their worries. I can now legally perform marriage ceremonies, that are recognized by the government, in the name of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Some religions oppose same-sex marriage. My religion supports it. The government has no right to deny my people their Noodle-given right to marry someone of the same sex any more than it can deny a man and a woman to get married under the Christian God. And *that* is my point.

See the rest of “The Reverend Marf”»

Thursday, August 11, 2011

«PSA: It Gets Better»

[ ALERT! THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. ]

PSA video edition.

It Gets Better - The Amazing Atheist


So remember kids, you may be struggling to fit in now. But don't worry, it gets better. Time fixes all ills of society. When you grow up you'll be able to be your own person and live how you want. Also, there's a bridge for sale in Brooklyn.

[ THIS HAS BEEN A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT, BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Master Marf AND TheAmazingAtheist. ]

See the rest of “PSA: It Gets Better”»

Sunday, August 7, 2011

«Science Saves Souls»

Science Saved My Soul.


"There might yet be a heaven, but it isn't going to be perfect, and we're going to have to build it ourselves."

See the rest of “Science Saves Souls”»

Sunday, July 17, 2011

«Goodbye Future»

I feel like the future has been stolen from me.

Colonizing Space - '70s Style!


Where's my damn space colonies? Flying car? Mr. Fusion?! Nope. Just a retired 30-year-old shuttle program and a cancelled space telescope.

At least the Russians are getting their shit together. Monday they will launch a Cold War era telescope. They still have manned missions to space. Looks like we called "winner" of the Cold War a bit prematurely.

And how's China coming along? Better than the US I'm sure, at least they're trying!1

1: Yes, I mad.

See the rest of “Goodbye Future”»

Friday, July 8, 2011

«Last Shuttle Launch»

Well, here it is. The final shuttle mission. STS-135. Assuming weather permits, it launches today.

Official STS-135 Poster

Click image to view full.

I can't help but feel a bit sad. While other generations watched in awe as the first men set foot on the moon, I get to see the end of the shuttle program.

Take a good long look at Atlantis. This image is the final rollout of the final shuttle mission.
Space Shuttle Atlantis on its last rollout
Click image to view full.

Yes, the shuttles are aged. Atlantis has been in space 32 times before this final mission. It marks the 166th manned NASA space flight, and the last planned. Since the cancellation of the Constellation program, it looks like it is up to commercial vehicles to continue the future of US-based space flight. While I would love to see the commercialization of space, they're just not ready yet. Until then, we are to rely on the Russians.

EDIT: I'm happy to report that America's final shuttle launch was successful. I was watching it live on NASA's HD livestream on their website.

See the rest of “Last Shuttle Launch”»

Monday, July 4, 2011

«The Derpy Salute»

Happy 4th America!

Derpy Hooves salutes flag

See the rest of “The Derpy Salute”»

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

«IT HAS BEEN 2 YEARS»

HI, MASTER MARF HERE!

DOES IT SEEM LIKE TIME IS JUST FLYING BY? DO YOU HAVE A HARD TIME KEEPING TRACK OF THE YEARS? WELL I'VE GOT A REALITY CHECK FOR YOU!

IT HAS BEEN 2 YEARS SINCE BILLY MAYS, THE TELEVISION PITCHMAN LEGEND DIED. THAT'S RIGHT! NOT ONE, BUT TWO WHOLE YEARS! DON'T BELIEVE ME? HERE'S HOW TO CHECK FOR YOURSELF:Wikipedia: Billy Mays.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! YOU CAN ALSO READ MY PREVIOUS POSTS I MADE IN THE DAYS AFTER HIS DEATH: Motivational Monday: Billy Mays AND Billy Mays, Goodnight Sweet Prince.

P.S.: CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL1!

1: At least it is for June 28th.

See the rest of “IT HAS BEEN 2 YEARS”»

Friday, June 17, 2011

«Oh, So Much Truth»

So much truth about how atheism is viewed by society it hurts.

Double Standard


I'm sorry for the lack of posting. I'm just not feeling the whole daily blogging thing. I do acknowledge that I need to post more...

See the rest of “Oh, So Much Truth”»

Saturday, May 21, 2011

«You Know What This Means»

Apocalypse Not: Harold Camping wrong – again – about 'The Rapture'

You know what this means, don't you? The Rapture DID happen today, and everyone on Earth was left behind. Think about it, everyone breaks something the Bible commands of you. Newborn babies have original sin. You really think someone like that would be "saved"?

So life continues after the Rapture. Pretty much exactly as it did before the Rapture. Almost like it never happened...

See the rest of “You Know What This Means”»

Monday, March 21, 2011

«Another Break»

I think I need another break for a bit. Perhaps collect some ideas for posts. I've just been completely out of ideas.

See the rest of “Another Break”»

Saturday, March 19, 2011

«Ponyday: Taste Glory Awesome»

FYI: Rainbows are extremely spicy. "They're not known for their flavor."

Taste the rainbow
ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOPONY
Who's awesome? / You're awesome!

See the rest of “Ponyday: Taste Glory Awesome”»

Friday, March 18, 2011

«Orabrush Ad»

Yes, I skipped yesterday. Deal with it.

I was going to embed Kazusan's Day Out as a random video for today. However, the advertisement that played before I could watch it blew it out of the water in terms of randomness. I present to you, the Orabrush ad I saw:

iPad 2 PUNKED! (Parody)

See the rest of “Orabrush Ad”»

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

«Modestleaf»

Snivy, commonly referred to as Smugleaf because of how smug it looks. Funny thing, mine has a modest nature.

Snivy

See the rest of “Modestleaf”»

Monday, March 14, 2011

«Motivational Monday: Age (Steven Seagal)»

One thing that has changed since 2006 is that he's gained weight.

Age / Steven Seagal is immune to it.

See the rest of “Motivational Monday: Age (Steven Seagal)”»

Sunday, March 13, 2011

«Dramatic Pony»

Dramatic Twilight Sparkle

So much better than Dramatic Look Gopher.

See the rest of “Dramatic Pony”»

Saturday, March 12, 2011

«Ponyday: Night of Pony»

I almost couldn't contain the awesomeness of this video long enough to post it today.

Night Of Pony


Honestly I think the video starts out a bit rough, but once it hits the 1 minute mark it finds its groove. The sequence that starts at time index 2:34 is the best part.

See the rest of “Ponyday: Night of Pony”»

Friday, March 11, 2011

«Supermoon»

Now all the "Supermoon" naysayers feel justified. So what if the 9.0 earthquake in Japan was a week early?

I've been hearing about this "Supermoon" that's going to destroy the world on March 19th. The moon's slightly elliptical orbit will bring it closer to Earth than it has been in... wait for it... 18 whole years! It will be a couple thousand miles closer to Earth than normal. That's between 1 and 2 percent closer.

Even though it didn't destroy the Earth 18 years ago (in fact nothing out of the ordinary happened), that was just practice. This time it's for real and the moon is going to unleash hell. Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, volcanoes, severe weather... Any natural disaster you can name has been predicted to happen.

And some of it might. Not because of the moon, but just because these things happen. These "Supermoon" folk predicted all hell to break loose on a very specific day: March 19th. However, we'll most likely find out this Earthquake in Japan today is the worst thing to happen anywhere near that time. So they'll end up taking credit for that and say "See? we were right! An earthquake DID happen!" ...Even though the moon is nowhere near its closest point yet.

EDIT: It's been upgraded to a 9.0 earthquake.

See the rest of “Supermoon”»

Thursday, March 10, 2011

«Charlie Sheen»

Charlie Sheen = Michael Jackson Reincarnate


I admit, I've followed Charlie Sheen on Twitter. Although I haven't watched any of his crazy interviews I keep hearing about. I only followed him on Twitter because I expected to read some hilarious ramblings of self importance. However, he's kinda incoherent and not nearly as funny as I expected. I'll unfollow before long.

See the rest of “Charlie Sheen”»

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

«Civilization 5 Achievement»

Time to stop playing Civilization 5. I have officially won. That's it. Game over. There can be no win greater than what I have achieved: the "My Little Pony" achievement. I'm hesitant to play because if I do, I may get another achievement and "My Little Pony" will no longer show as my most recent. Yes, it's that awesome.

It's actually an easy achievement to get. While playing as Russia, research horseback riding before any other civilization... But it's My Little Pony. And that makes it awesome.

See the rest of “Civilization 5 Achievement”»

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

«Fluttershy's Lullaby»

If only they had Fluttershy sing the entire lullaby. The part she sings is so soft and peaceful. Too bad Sweetie Bell had to ruin it.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Hush Now, Quiet Now (Fluttershy's Lullaby)

See the rest of “Fluttershy's Lullaby”»

Monday, March 7, 2011

«Motivational Monday: Man Up»

And now for something manly, this blog has been severely lacking in the "manliness" department lately.
Man Up / Wahh I've got a kidney stone. botch, bitch, bitch.

See the rest of “Motivational Monday: Man Up”»

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Saturday, March 5, 2011

«Ponyday: Assimilated Coolness Tolerate»

Seriously, cats are gone... For now. I have been assimilated by the /b/rony collective.

You will be assimilated
Needs about 20% more coolness
I'm gonna tolerate & love the SHIT outta you.

See the rest of “Ponyday: Assimilated Coolness Tolerate”»

Friday, March 4, 2011

«Up at all Hours»

I like it when I can really get into a game. This time it's Civilization V. However, it has a few side-effects. First one is late blog posts. Second is a totally screwy sleep "schedule".

The day I got it I stayed up all night, took a nap around 3 PM the next day, then stayed up until 3:30 AM that night. Although from what I normally do, 3:30 AM was going to bed early. How long am I going to stay up tonight? Only time will tell.

See the rest of “Up at all Hours”»

Thursday, March 3, 2011

«Turn 2 Barbarians»

I bought Civilization V, I wanted to play a different type of game than TF2 or Minecraft. So far I like it, but I've had to restart several times because I didn't realize important concepts of the game, and it screwed me over later.

One time I failed on the second turn on easy mode. Barbarians came and killed my settlers before I could make a city.

See the rest of “Turn 2 Barbarians”»

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

«MLP:FiM Fan-Made Music Video»

I'm not much into the pop music of current times, but this combination of 7 artists (and ponies!) wasn't too bad.

My Little Pony AMV Epic (7 Artists)


I particularly like Rainbow Dash's "I kissed a girl" parts. It just seems to fit her so well. While all the ponies in the TV series are basically asexual1, Rainbow Dash still gives off a lesbian vibe.

The "You spin me round" song will forever remind me of that meatspin2 website.

1: It was suggested that the ponies reproduce through budding, but Lauren Faust confirmed that they reproduce like any other mammal.
2: Please, don't go and search for "meatspin" now unless you're an adult. It's a NSFW website.

See the rest of “MLP:FiM Fan-Made Music Video”»

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

«Feeling Pinkie Keen Controversy»

One of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episodes sparked a bit of a controversy among some of the fans. The moral at the end in the form of a letter:

I am happy to report that I now realize there are wonderful things in this world you just can't explain. But that doesn't necessarily make them any less true. It just means you have to choose to believe in them. And sometimes, it takes a friend to show you the way.

- My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Keep in mind, most of the outspoken fan-base are like me; denizens of the darker side of the internet (4chan). There's a disproportionate number of skeptics and atheists in the community.

Basically, Pinkie Pie had a precognitive ability that manifested itself as involuntary twitches. Twitching tail means something's about to fall, for example. The scientific-minded Twilight Sparkle wouldn't accept a supernatural explanation, and was determined to find the true reason for Pinkie's ability. In the end, she gave up and just accepted it (and thus the moral).

This may seem like an odd thing to become an issue in a cartoon that has regular use of magic and mythical creatures. However, the magic is portrayed in the series as an extension of science. That being specific spells have a predictable and repeatable outcome, and it can be studied and understood. It's not presented as a supernatural thing that "just is". Twilight Sparkle's ongoing studies to understand the literal Magic of friendship shows this.

The general issue with it was that kids are gullible enough as it is. They shouldn't be taught to believe something without proof just because they're told by someone. It was perceived to promote noncritical thinking; a sort of "don't bother trying to understand things" message. And yes, Santa Claus and religion were pulled into the big discussion.

Lauren Faust's response on her DeviantART site was:

Wow. It's so not what I ever hoped anybody would ever take away from that episode. It's a really awful message and I'd never dream of suggesting it.

I'm so disappointed, especially since it's seems to be completely ruining what I thought was one of our funniest episodes.

I'm really sorry and if I could have anticipated such a misunderstanding, I would have revised it.

- Lauren Faust


I think ourimaler summed up quite nicely how I feel about the episode:

Dear Mrs Faust,

I (and several others from rpg.net) have been among those who have criticized the message of "Feeling Pinky Keen". Most of us, however, admit upon further thought that we overreacted:

Part of it, as another commenter has said, probably stems from identifying with Twilight. Part of it, perhaps, is from projection between Pinky Pie's precognition and claims that real-world skeptics debunks. But beside that...I think a large part of it is that some of us have gotten USED to seeing the "skepticism is bad, m'kay?" message in media - to the point that when we watched this episode, we reflexively saw it instead of the intended "hubris is bad".

Does that mean I think there was NOTHING wrong with the episode? Eh...I wouldn't go that far. The chasm scene will always bug me, there was some unfortunate phrasing, and I do believe the message got muddied a bit in the end. I admit, however, that my negative reaction probably stemmed less from problems with the episode than my own defensiveness.

- ourimaler


I have to say the moral in this episode had a very different feel, and I still am left feeling a little unsettled and at odds with it. I wouldn't say it ruined the episode for me though.

Here's the episode, if you are (wo)man enough to watch 22 minutes and 1 second of My Little Pony.

My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic - S01E15 - Feeling Pinkie Keen - vostfr

See the rest of “Feeling Pinkie Keen Controversy”»

Monday, February 28, 2011

«Motivational Monday: Penguin»

No, it's not a motivational pony... This time.

Why / is there a penguin on the helipad?

See the rest of “Motivational Monday: Penguin”»

Sunday, February 27, 2011

«Slime Fountain»

Since Minecraft Beta version 1.3, slimes became common. I remember back before they were removed, they were my favorite "enemy" in the game. The idea behind a slime is if you kill one, it breaks apart into multiple smaller ones. The smallest can't hurt you, and if you kill them you get slime balls. In multiplayer however, they're buggy as hell right now.

Take this medium sized slime that spawned in my mob grinder collection room.
Slime in collection room.

Click image to view full.

I thought he was cute, so I had him follow me up the stairs to the surface where my creeper temple is. Big mistake...

This 1 medium sized slime got stuck in the fountain at my creeper temple and drowned to death... Splitting into multiple HUGE slimes, then they drowned and- OH GOD WHY!?!
Slimes spewing from a fountain.
Click image to view full.

I managed to climb the ladder up the wall to safety, and look down in horror as they kept multiplying; spewing forth from the fountain. It was actually quite entertaining. But alas, when I logged out and back in most of them were gone.

MineCraft: Slimes by Bobby Yarsulik

See the rest of “Slime Fountain”»

Saturday, February 26, 2011

«Ponyday: Pony Serious Woo»

Screw cats... Ponies are the new cute!

I don't always watch shows for little girls / but when I do it's My Little Pony
Oh, wait, you're serious / Let me laugh even harder
woo hoo

See the rest of “Ponyday: Pony Serious Woo”»

Thursday, February 24, 2011

«So Cute»

It's SO cute!
...And that's the appeal of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It's just so damn cute. Especially Fluttershy. The little squeaks she makes are just adorable.

See the rest of “So Cute”»

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

«How Far Apart?»

How Far Away is the Moon? (The Scale of the Universe)


Same thing with the distances between the orbits of all the planets and their distance from the sun. In reality they are spread out a lot more than is shown on diagrams.

See the rest of “How Far Apart?”»

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

«Son, I Am Disappoint»

I was talking to my dad on the phone1 yesterday. He saw yesterday's post about My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Now, what he said to me is I need to get a job and I have too much time on my hands. However, I'd imagine this is what he was thinking...

Son, what're you watching? / My Little Pony / Son... I am disappoint
And really, I can't blame him. I'm a bit disappointed in myself.

No one must know my secret
No one except for all of you, my family that reads my blog, those who follow my twitter account... Yeah. No one must know.

1: Actually it was facetime with the iPhone 4, so we could see each other.

See the rest of “Son, I Am Disappoint”»

Monday, February 21, 2011

«Motivational Monday: Pinky Pie»

I'll admit it. I've been watching the new My Little Pony series on YouTube. Yes, I'm a grown man. I blame the internet.

Always Bet on Pinky Pie / Even a Little Pony knows when "it's Time to Kick Ass and Chew Bubble Gum"

See the rest of “Motivational Monday: Pinky Pie”»

Sunday, February 20, 2011

«Watson on Jeopardy!»

The computer overlords are near. Perhaps December 21st, 2012 will be Judgment Day1.

IBM Watson: Final Jeopardy! and the Future of Watson


Just like the other contestants, Watson did not have internet access. Watson even had to physically push the buzzer button like everyone else. It had the entirety of Wikipedia and 12 encyclopedias, as well as a movie database on its hard drives. But that's no different than the people memorizing stuff.

Are we really this close to a true AI? I don't think a computer AI will be hostile like the movies portray it as. Watson is an experiment in the understanding of language. As evidenced by its answer that George Eyser's leg was the oddity, not his missing leg, it does have a bit left to learn.

When computers can take the available information and use it to come up with new ideas, then I'll be impressed.

1: In a classic Terminator movie style.

See the rest of “Watson on Jeopardy!”»

Saturday, February 19, 2011

«Caturday: Potato Ice Terminator»

Computers can play Jeopardy!, why not cats?

Wut is potatoe?

"Dis cold substince is wut has landed on dis cat's hed." / ICE CREAM! / No, you idiot! it's "Wut IS Ice Cream?"
Terminator Catz is not's amused

See the rest of “Caturday: Potato Ice Terminator”»

Friday, February 18, 2011

«Golden Creepers»

The very important feature that was missing from my temple before was the 2 golden creeper statues.

Minecraft Creeper Temple

Click image to view full.

See the rest of “Golden Creepers”»

Thursday, February 17, 2011

«Bout of Insanity»

It figures that the day after I praise having a mild winter the weather goes batshit insane. Yesterday the sun was peaking through the clouds, and while not as warm as the day before it wasn't a bad day. But then...

4:08 PM - I hear thunder in the distance. I decide to get up from my computer and investigate. I like thunderstorms.

4:09 PM - I get outside and see a flash in the sky, followed by loud thunder. There is a dark cloud moving my way. I decide to check the mail while I'm out.

4:10 PM - No mail, I'm returning to my door when shit hits the fan. The wind instantly picks up, temperature plummets, hail starts to fall. More thunder and lightning. At this point I'm standing outside my door in awe of how quick and violently the weather is changing.

4:13 PM - The ground is white with hail and snow, wind is strong, thunder is growing more distant. Dark grey cloud overhead.

4:20 PM - Wind is calming back down, snow is getting harder, hail has subsided.

4:35 PM - No wind. Snow is only a light flurry now, blue skies overhead and the sun is back out.

4:43 PM - Snow has stopped, what's on the ground has started to melt, everything's calm again and I'm left wondering "What the hell just happened!?"

See the rest of “Bout of Insanity”»

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

«What is This "Outside" You Speak of?»

It reached 65 degrees yesterday... in mid February. Add that to the list of reasons I'm glad I don't live in Alaska anymore. It was partly overcast and a little windy, about like a summer day back in Ketchikan.

I actually got outside and did stuff. I rode my bicycle and went for a walk. It was nice not to get the runny nose and earache I get from riding in cold weather. Lately I've been inside more than I should be. I'm just not a cold weather kind of guy.

I think I've lost a lot of the endurance I had built up last summer. That was to be expected over the winter. I think I'll gain it back fairly quickly.

I think the worst part of winter is behind me. It snowed once maybe 6 inches, dropped into single digits a couple times. Rained more than I expected, although not in any way comparable to what I'm use to. I can put up with winters like that for the nice long summer ahead.

See the rest of “What is This "Outside" You Speak of?”»

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

«Portal 2 Valentine's Day»

Valentine's Day Gift Buying


All those facts are just made up like most statistics. However the last one is correct: I have indeed pre-ordered Portal 2.

See the rest of “Portal 2 Valentine's Day”»

Monday, February 14, 2011

«Motivational Monday: Valentine's Day»

Yet Another Valentine's Day. Haven't I had enough of these alone?

While this is now the 4th year I've blogged about it, it's actually my 24th Valentine's Day alone. Admittedly the first years of my life don't really count because I was too young anyway. But really? I'm 24 and still don't have anyone to properly enjoy Valentine's Day with? Sad but true.

Valentine's Day / making single people feel like shit since 496 AD

At least my utter hatred of this day has subsided into bitter apathy.

See the rest of “Motivational Monday: Valentine's Day”»

Sunday, February 13, 2011

«Towers Done, Temple Built»

I suppose I should give an update to what I've been doing on the Minecraft server.

My mob grinder is done. I think it's currently the largest one on the server. Since it's multiplayer, its performance varies greatly. Things like the number of people on and server lag affect the output. From what I've read, grinders always have a lower output in multiplayer when compared to singleplayer. Still; 7,500 items/hour isn't anything to scoff at. Click an image to view full.

Here's my completed sandstone mob grinding towers.
Minecraft sandstone towers
The collection room, deep underground. The floor of this room is 1 level above bedrock. The items drop out of the creeper's mouth.
Creeper themed mob grinder collection room
Here's the temple I've built on the surface above the collection room access. There's one very important feature missing still, and I don't yet have the materials required to build it.
Creeper themed mob grinder collection room

See the rest of “Towers Done, Temple Built”»

Saturday, February 12, 2011

«Caturday: i are cute kitten»

Over 20 million views on this video. It's the stuff YouTube was made of.

i are cute kitten

See the rest of “Caturday: i are cute kitten”»

Friday, February 11, 2011

«Seven»

I bet this was thought up by the same people that subscribe to the 911 truthers... And those that try to read too much into the Nostradamus "predictions".

THE AMAZING FIRST VERSE OF THE BIBLE - You MUST see this film!

See the rest of “Seven”»

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

«Concert Sheltered»

Sometimes I don't realize how sheltered of a life I've lived in Ketchikan. I was at another atheist meeting last night and the topic of music concerts came up. Everyone there was talking about their 4th and 5th concert they've seen. I've never been to one. They were surprised to hear this.

I was surprised that everyone else had been to one, let alone multiple concerts. It's the little things like that I've missed out on. It's the little things that cause me to have nothing interesting to talk to anyone about.

See the rest of “Concert Sheltered”»

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

«Happy Shapes»

Was shopping in a WinCo Foods store the other day and saw this. What is this I don't even...

Happy Shapes cereal

Click image to view full.

Happy Shapes won the "Best cereal name" award of the week.

See the rest of “Happy Shapes”»

Monday, February 7, 2011

«Motivational Monday: Stop Time»

Things you never knew your household microwave could do...

Stop Time / It is possible

See the rest of “Motivational Monday: Stop Time”»

Sunday, February 6, 2011

«YouTube of the Worst Kind»

The other night I got sucked down a YouTube black hole of the worst kind: related videos of related videos of related videos of TF2 Garry's mod videos. I think I've said before that I would not allow such a thing would not happen to me.

It Hungers

I believe the proper term for this sort of thing is "YouTube Poop".

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Saturday, February 5, 2011

«Caturday: Food Away Sweet»

Sigh. It's not only cats that need pesky food to survive.

Its called Food I need it to live.
This doesn't concern you... Walk away...
sweet jesus.

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Friday, February 4, 2011

«Tales of the Nice Day»

"My Nice Nice Day" Tales Of Mere Existence


As one of the comments on YouTube said, I think I died a little inside watching that. This shows better than any description could have why talking about nice things is so boring.

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Thursday, February 3, 2011

«Doomsday is Back on Track»

The Large Hadron Collider's planned downtime for the entire year of 2012 has been postponed. The LHC once again is on track to be the Doomsday machine of 2012. They're so happy with its performance so far, they don't want to shut it down so soon to upgrade it.

This means current plans have it operational on December 21st, 2012. Doomsday. Will the LHC be the cause? Only time will tell...

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Wednesday, February 2, 2011

«Howard Bloom on Egypt»

Howard Bloom is an interesting guy to listen to. He brings light to a few interesting perspectives.

Egypt's Revolt and America's Vision Quest - Howard The Humongous


Don't let the length of the video discourage you. You don't have to watch it so much as just listen to it. Put it in the background and just listen while you do other things.

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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

«Internet Shutdown»

I think the Egyptian government's use of an internet "kill switch" is a prime example of why any government shouldn't have the power to shut down the internet. Keep in mind, there's a bill in the US that they're trying to pass that would give the US a "kill switch" for the internet. In case of a "cyber emergency", whatever that is. Something tells me it's whatever the government would want it to be.

If your government shuts down the internet, shut down your government.

Click image to view full.

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Monday, January 31, 2011

«Motivational Monday: Coincidence»

Northern Africa has been in the news lately... Tunisia and Egypt especially.

Coincidence / Because you couldn't have planned it any better.

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Sunday, January 30, 2011

«Rally Yesterday»

Yesterday I attended the Safe Schools & Fair Employment Rally here in Boise, Idaho. I didn't realize that sexual orientation wasn't protected under discrimination laws in Idaho. Someone that is an otherwise upstanding employee could be fired from their job just for being gay, and have no legal recourse. The rally was to get this changed by Idaho legislation.

I didn't take my main camera, but I got a couple pictures with my iPhone 4... The best camera is the one you have with you.

Here's half the crowd on the steps of the Idaho State Capitol Building.
Rally on state Capitol steps

Click image to view full.

I really am glad that I live in US sometimes, I have 1st Amendment rights and I just had to join the people on the steps. Made me feel more like an American somehow. Here's the other half of the crowd.
Rally on state Capitol sidewalk
Click image to view full.

I think it would be redundant to say I hope the bill passes.

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Saturday, January 29, 2011

«Caturday: Achoo Dogs Bowling»

It seems like a lot of the people I've been talking to online lately have been sick.

*achoo*
Make ready my ship General it is time to show those dogs what we are made of
Kitteh: 1 / Bowlin Ball: 0

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Friday, January 28, 2011

«Grinders, Trees, and Pyramids Oh My!»

It seems that the Minecraft server I'm playing on is marked with 3 distinct types of structures this time around.

First are the monster grinders. I'm guilty of this one. Everyone found out on the old map how useful they are, so now everyone wants their own on the new map. Not all of them are as elaborate as the one I'm building. Most are just a single-level dark room that directs monsters into lava. This greatly devalues the loot that monsters drop.

Speaking of loot monsters drop, one of the new game patches made it so skeletons drop bones. Bones can be crafted into bone meal. Bone meal can be used to fertilize trees or crops, making them grow instantly. This has given rise to the second type of structures dominating the server: giant trees. By growing many trees next to and on top of each other, one can make a giant tree. There are at least 4-5 such trees so far.

The third type are pyramids. I'm not sure if people like them because they are not just rectangular boxes or they just can't think of anything else to build. They're not the most space efficient thing to live in, that's for sure.

The sad thing is, I might end up building all 3 at some point.

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Thursday, January 27, 2011

«Zero Punctuation: Minecraft»

Zero Punctuation: Minecraft


I take it he liked the game. The only review by him I've seen where he gave a more positive review was Portal.

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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

«Building a Trap»

It's such a pain building large projects in Minecraft when I don't have a huge stockpile of supplies. I'm building a giant monster grinder. Basically it's a big multi-level dark tower. Monsters spawn in darkness, then fall down to the bottom of the tower and either die from the fall, or in a lava trap. Their loot is then carried by water to a collection point where I can stand. This is my first major construction on the new server map.

I'm making the effort to build the exterior out of sandstone, so it's taking a while to get the materials for it. It will be much taller than this.
Mob grinder under construction

Click image to view full.
It actually extends further underground than it is tall right now. That other one is going to be a second tower connected to the first one.

See the rest of “Building a Trap”»

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

«Motivational Tuesday: Late Again»

Because we'll say I meant to post it late. Why? Because it's different.

Late Again / Excellent! We're on short-time anyway..

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Monday, January 24, 2011

«Derpcraft Becomes CraftVille»

The multiplayer Minecraft server I play on has been reset. New land to conquer and build monuments to myself on.

Yesterday was the last day with the old map. Demolition derby! About every major building was blown up with T&T. So much T&T that it routinely crashed everyone watching, but what a hole some of them left!

On the new map I've went Northeast and laid claim to a large desert. My plans involve a lot of sand, sandstone, and glass. My first order of business is to decide where I want to build 2 giant silos that will become mob traps. Basically a multi-level dark room that monsters spawn in, then automatically die in such a way that I can collect their loot.

After that, I'm going to build expansive semi-Egyptian style ruins throughout the desert. Some will be built in-tact, others will appear in disrepair.

See the rest of “Derpcraft Becomes CraftVille”»

Sunday, January 23, 2011

«Medic Jetpack»

I wish you could actually do this in-game (Team Fortress 2). I would so do it, even if it killed us both.

HEAVY IS JETPACK(Source Filmmaker version)

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Friday, January 21, 2011

«Don't Talk to Police»

If you ever have an encounter with the police, and you're a US citizen, you need to know this. It could seriously save your way of life.

Dont Talk to Police


I wounder, are you even required to tell them your name if they ask? Anything you say can and will be used against you. It can never be used in your favor. At time index 27:17 the police officer has his say in the matter.

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Thursday, January 20, 2011

«Tales of a Mere Rut»

Caution; the f-bomb is dropped a few times in the video. So if you've totally against strong language, you may not want to watch the video.

"How To Get Out Of A Rut" Tales Of Mere Existence

This blog counts as "artsie fartsie" right? I've been actually thinking about Minecraft all the time, yet I've been trying to limit the number of posts I do about it. The result? Less than ideal blog posts.

See the rest of “Tales of a Mere Rut”»

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

«Minecraft Reset»

So they're going to reset the Minecraft server I've been playing on the 23rd. All that work... Gone.

But I guess the fun is in building something, not letting it sit around after. I don't know. I'm the type that would build something out of Legos and then not tear it apart until I needed the pieces to build something else.

I'm trying to mentally detach myself from what I've built.

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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

«Cop Stories»

Cop Stories


I have not had many encounters with the police. I've had 2 encounters, maybe I'll tell their story in a later post. I think a 30 minute video is enough for now.

See the rest of “Cop Stories”»

Monday, January 17, 2011

Sunday, January 16, 2011

«Hollow Mountain»

I stumbled across this cavern in Minecraft. It's a naturally hollow mountain. I should do something with it later...

Naturally hollow mountain

Click image to view full.

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Saturday, January 15, 2011

«Caturday: Pew Stare Charging»

This cat is armed, but only mildly dangerous.

Pew Pew pew
*stares*
This cat is not charging its lasers.

See the rest of “Caturday: Pew Stare Charging”»

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