Last Free man

The Pichu Quest...

Being a 30 year old Japanese game fanatic is difficult, shameful and just wrong at times.  Yes I am a 30+ year old Pokemon trainer; I have been playing since release, and make no apologies for my absolutely deadly battling style.  Yes that's my attraction: the elemental, turn-based strategy that is wifi enabled Pokemon fights.  With over 493 different varieties comes a lot of diversity in party and stratagem.  The problem is being a Japanese company, Nintendo makes you jump through all sorts of "public" hoops to obtain the really rare legendaries we all like to call each other names over.  This presents a problem for the thirty year old crowd, Hell the twenty year olds too.  Without some kid to borrow I am often seen as a creep or weirdo hanging around these events building my rares.  Luckily the process to speed distribution up has also provided a loop hole for us closeted, battle hardened, pokemon trainers, enter the Mystery Gift system!

Yes!  A wireless transport protocol that Nintendo now rolls out to events so that all rare trading/obtainment is done via wireless, in-game NPCs!  Now us creeps, to whom could care less about the cute factor, can build our deadly parties remotely from the parking lots of event sites like the one starting today at GameStop!  Thank you Nintendo from all of us too old to play your offerings, for providing us with alternative capture methods!  So to all of you either too old, or not fit for society trainers, drive near the proposed event locations and the Mystery Gift will be like a beacon of hope for all!  My video of remote pokemon grabbing follows, further proof of the raw awesomeness that is wireless Pokemon hacking.  Yes I'm telling the truth because who would make up something this un-street-credful?

Event details:

Between January 30th and February 14th, head to participating GameStop locations in the United States to receive a unique Shiny Pichu. This Shiny Pichu is a deeper yellow color than most Pichu, and it has bright red cheeks, much like its famous evolved form, Pikachu!

This Shiny Pichu has four awesome moves, including one that a typical Pichu can’t learn. The Charge move boosts the power of of the Electric move it uses next. Volt Tackle is a powerful Electric-type strike that also causes 1/3 the damage to Pichu as the foe received. Endure braces Pichu against a knock-out attack, leaving it with 1 HP. And Endeavor, which is not available to typical Pichu, does enough damage to the opponent to give it and Pichu the same number of HP. It’s a very powerful move, especially when combined with Endure to bring your opponent down to 1 HP! Pichu is also carrying an Everstone to prevent it from evolving.

Shiny Pichu holds even more secrets if you transfer the Pokémon to either Pokémon™ HeartGold or SoulSilver Version, launching March 14th. Once you’ve traded Shiny Pichu, take it to Ilex Forest to meet Spiky-eared Pichu, the one featured in the recent movie, Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life!

Be sure to visit your local GameStop store between January 30th and February 14th to get this one-of-a-kind Pichu!

Pants on the ground.

  As if turning 35 wasn't enough of a wake up call that life is quickly ticking away, and way too short, imagine meeting your doppelgänger on the same day...  Please keep in mind I live deep in the green valley of reality.  I do however love conspiracy and extreme coincidence, such as my friend to the left here. So let us explore and imagine the possibility that I was perhaps made aware of at least a mega case of deja-vu.

(Original package)

Traditionally a doppelgänger was an ill omen, that would present itself in times of dire anguish or extreme stress.  The doppelgänger was sometimes thought to be a bringer of death a warning from the shadowrealm (#SMR 4 Life) that one had been chosen for the crossing.  Other myths seem to suggest the doppelgänger was more of an imp or naughty spirit that would haunt the host with little more than base indignity.  Still more norse mythology often represents the doppelgänger as a dark, sinister being only vapidly available in ones periphery.

My poor fellow here meets none of these requirements, or perhaps we could really wax paranoid and further develop a theory.  Is it possible that all the old school doppelgängers only had base technology to haunt through?  I mean come on...  Evil spirits and ghosts nowadays have a host of IP based solutions for taunting a damned soul into the hellfire that surely awaits.  With the growth of IP enabled just about everything, (my light switches have mac addresses)  a crafty doppelgänger should be able to drop itself into 4 tidy little octets and mask itself right into the ether.  Of course these harbingers of sorrow really should try and develop an IPv6 haunting solution soon due to the 2012 exhaustion, but I'm not the standards guy for the undead.

I will continue to monitor my local technologies and screens for further haunts, but in the meantime I am calling you out "current Wii nunchuk controller packaging model guy!" if you are out there enjoying all the pimpin' and ho'ing that comes from being such a great "action" model for "generic guy with 90's hair" backgrounds, I implore you to come forward, make yourself known, let us settle this here and now as mortals!  Let us fight like men with sword and bone not ether and tricks, make yourself ready! Paladin!! Oh oops I mean hey FB me or something...

...because the reality is you are the fresh faced 90's version of me, full of hopes and dreams.  I am the 35 year old, angry and grizzled Dr. House version of you, think about it, with all your youthful abandon and wavy hair, I may actually be the doppelgänger for you...

They're coming for you Margaret...

 

I'm quite sure my Alex Jones end-times paranoia is the reason for this but, as of late the crows wait for my daily return.  A quick nod follows and he flies away: Quoth the raven, nevermore...  Oh yeah this cat too:

 

Like the driven snow...

The first snow of 2010 has arrived and promises an icy night, took the old D90 along today to watch as the snow went from a dramatic squall line to the flurries late afternoon.  Also found the need to get bread and milk itching at my craw.  Why do we need bread and cows milk so bad when it snows, what is the secret link?  What am I missing, they are both white, and carby, I am at a loss...  Numerous photos as usual: Jan 7 2010 Snow Atlanta

If Johnny Castaway can do it...

 
 

For 16 years now Johnny Castaway has been trapped on a 16-bit deserted island.  I was watching today as I have for the last decade or so for something rare to popup and just as always he constructed a Christmas tree.  In passing I chuckled and walked by but as the day grew long it dawned on me.  These are hard times indeed for most people, and maybe as campy as it sounds this digital survivor is a good lesson for all of us.  Despite losing everything and having crabs attack him daily, Johnny still keeps the traditions alive, he keeps pushing his boulder uphill.  Winston Churchill said, "If you're going through hell keep going.  There is wisdom in the never-ending fight; and I think my Christmas message this year will basically be, If Johnny Castaway can do it for 16 years without crashing, I think we can all get through 1123 more days...

Get Johnny here.

Fall Photo Finals

This has been one busy Fall season, thankfully work has picked up and despite the job killing efforts of the Obama administration business is good. I also have found myself deeply involved with Maple Story, Adventure Quest, and several other quirky Korean mmos... When you factor in the latter, I just don't have the time to write scathing social commentary anymore.  Let’s face it what's to write? We are plunging head long into full socialism via the most Hitlerian leader to emerge since, ...well Hitler.  So being a classically trained comedian I always say: "too easy” I live by this theory that rich comedy comes from difficult targets, not the quite obvious white people FEMA death camp leadership in power at the moment political jabs... So I don't. I have completely withdrawn for the first time in my life. I am sticking my head in the sand, getting out, photographing and fighting dragons all night with people whom refer to me as: "what you like fight red dragon make lot the money” and how…

The result of this rather strange coping mechanism of mine is some great leveling stats, lots of online gold and a seriously bulging flickr account. I have turned into a "good German" pretending not to notice the impending doom all around us. To celebrate the last days of Fall I had my own photography contest. It's easier that way, I judge 20k pictures, I get the prize, no one walks away mad and I can write another meaningful linguistic unit while the results are tabulated. Oh here they are now. I give you the Fall photo finals:

 First category over satched HDR DSLR:

            
 
 

 
Second category Lomography holga awful:

        

 
 Third category drive:

         
 
Fourth category food porn:

     

Final category people:

     

Happy ThxGvng

Backyard cat wrestling

 This Halloween a rather chilling scene erupted as I was sitting back waiting on trick or treaters.  I heard a commotion out front which I assumed was tomfoolery, as I sat my Wii zapper down to take a look I was amazed at what I found.  When I opened the front door I witnessed a full bore cat wrestling match happening between some random cat and my adopted killer Winston.  Apparently what broke out was Winston observed said other kitty lurking about, made chase, and was run back to his safe spot.  On the way tumbles and slashing claws did ensue.  Yes this is a blog about a kitty fight, a real extreme kitty fight though...  The future may hold other blogging intelligence or more kitty videos, such is the randomness of this universe I have encapsulated in.  I was so entertained by the ferocity of this fight I have included a link to the full DMCA banned version here.

Hells Bells

  

After an 8 year hiatus, AC/DC swept through Atlanta with the giant locomotive, hells bells, and the always naked Angus Young.  This is one of those legendary rock acts everyone needs to see just once in your life.  The hard rocking thunder from down under didn't miss a beat with steady sets and fast, loud favorites.  Angus Young completely fulfilled the stage presence that he is famous for with one hand struts, back pedals and stripteases.  Setlist was classics mixed with some new entries from the Black Ice album.  I had a great time and really was brought back by the ancient 80's stuff in the setlist, most pics/videos are of cellphone caliber and don't do Angus justice at all:

      
 
 Smuggled video

01. Rock 'N Roll Train (from Black Ice, 2008) 
02. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be (from Let There Be Rock, 1977) 
03. Back In Black (from Back In Black, 1980) 
04. Stiff Upper Lip (from Stiff Upper Lip, 2000) 
05. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (from Dirty Deeds, 1976) 
06. Thunderstruck (from The Razors Edge, 1990) 
07. Hard As A Rock (from Ballbreaker, 1995) 
08. The Jack (from TNT, 1975) 
09. Hells Bells (from Back In Black, 1980) 
10. Shoot To Thrill (from Back In Black, 1980) 
11. You Shook Me All Night Long (from Back In Black, 1980) 
12. TNT (from TNT, 1975) 
13. Whole Lotta Rosie (from Let There Be Rock, 1977) 
14. Let There Be Rock (from Let There Be Rock, 1977) 
15. Highway To Hell (from Highway To Hell, 1979) 
16. For Those About To Rock (from For Those About To Rock, 1981) 
17. Anything Goes (from Black Ice, 2008) 
18. Big Jack (from Black Ice, 2008) 
19. War Machine (from Black Ice, 2008) 
20. Black Ice (from Black Ice, 2008) 
21. Bad Boy Boogie (from Let There Be Rock, 1977 

Green Tree Frog Flood

I have spent well over 30 years catching bucketful's of tree frogs around NW Georgia.  I grew up steeped in tree frogs around my parent's pool and reveled in their night song on a stormy night.  All this frog study while amateur, has filled me with anecdotal knowledge of their breeding habits, timeframes, feeding, etc.  Throughout all this childhood frog obsession I documented lots of gray tree frogs, bullfrogs, toads, but never once I have I seen the Green variety of tree frog.  Either I have been unlucky for 30 years or they are rare.  Another potential theory is the 500 year flood we just had threw the natural range off in some species.  I have seen more vultures than I can ever recall.  Maybe the additional flying insect surge that comes with high waters is the cause.  Whatever the reason/purpose of the appearance of these emerald green beauties I made a full study as one might expect.  Loads of Green Tree Frog NW Georgia sighting follows: 

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