quicksilver moments

ive got just one more episode to go in this latest gainax masterpiece, which by the way is freely available for viewing in high definition on hulu.com. check it out, fool. its worth it.

also, BLATANT END OF EVA REFERENCE ALERT
episode 24, at about 18:10

this is mostly for your benefit, miguel.

i had yangs teriyaki for lunch, today

my world is full of sunshine and butterflies

YES

SAKURA MADE IT INTO STREET FIGHTER IV

i can now officially have hope for this game being awesome

So, korgan, your LiveJournal reveals...

You are... 0% unique and 17% herdlike (partly because you, like everyone else, enjoy yellowcard). When it comes to friends you are normal. In terms of the way you relate to people, you are wary of trusting strangers. Your writing style (based on a recent public entry) is conventional.

Your overall weirdness is: 16

(The average level of weirdness is: 27.
You are weirder than 32% of other LJers.)

Find out what your weirdness level is!

for anyone who is wondering
things at work have been going well

im doing desktop support work for the city of stayton
as well as the monmouth/independence school district
and its really not bad... in fact, its quite fulfilling

im learning a lot and i feel generally useful and appreciated
and while it can be quite stressful
in general, i work with really cool people
who are always willing to help me out
whenever i am feeling confused or overwhelmed by something

yeah... i think this really is the kinda work
that i would want to make a career out of

i know its not what youd consider glamourous
at least as far as IT work goes
but i dont care... i like it




i also really dont mind living in salem

ive got my own one bedroom apartment
and most of my neighbors seem to be pretty chill

i dont have a lot of free time to do stuff
but i live near dustin, vanessa, chadwick, and carole
so whenever i start to crave human contact
i can usually go hang out with one of them




i cant really think of anything more to say
even though i know theres a lot to talk about

i do have a question for anyone who is reading this
even though i doubt i will actually receive any real input

my immediate goal, as of late
has been to save up money for a new tv

i have done a fair amount of research on the subject
but i am still not sure what sort of tv i really want

i mean, i think the best technology is probably LCD
but it is also the most expensive

my budget is around $1500
and i wont settle for anything less than a 50 inch
so that almost completely rules out LCD technology

plasma technology seems like its not that bad
but seeing as how it will be used as a second computer monitor
i am wondering if burn in is going to be an issue

anyway, any suggestions reguarding technology, brand, or model
or even just any personal insights or experiences
would be very much appreciated

just beat bioshock

got the bad ending

apparently, you cant get the good ending
if you kill more than one little sister

i think thats a bit extreme... but whatever

sweet game, none the less

a few things...

i recently finished halo 3
and, as expected, it was the shit

cant wait until it comes out for pc
so i can play it without feeling like a retarded monkey

also recently started playing crysis
which, in comparison, is terribly mediocre
mostly because of the awful hit detection
which is at its worst at close range

obviously, that should never be the case
especially when im using a freakin shotgun
or trying to grapple and melee with an enemy

it makes for a frustrating experience
consisting of me yelling at my computer a whole lot
even though i know its not her fault

still havent finished bioshock...
but still loving the hell out of it
when i do get around to playing it

the new alkaline trio album is even more mediocre than crysis
but for totally different reasons... obviously
so yeah... avoid that stinker




as for whats really going on in my life
well, i officially have a new job
which i am scheduled to start on monday

i am going to be a desktop support technician
at the willamette education service district
so basically, i will be taking phone calls all day
from various educational facilities in salem
documenting and attempting to resolve computer issues

i sort of know what to expect... but not really
and im pretty nervous about it, as i hate phone jobs
but this is the best opportunity i am going to get
to get some real experience in the IT field
so hopefully it will turn out to be a decent job

tomorrow (or later today, i guess), i am moving to salem
even though i dont technically have an apartment, yet

im applying for a one bedroom place in southeast salem
and i think i have a pretty good chance of getting in
but until i find something for sure
i am going to be staying with dustin and vanessa

im hoping i wont have to rely on them for too long
but at least i will be making money
so i can easily help with rent, food, or whatever else

this transitional period has been very exhausting
and it feels like its far from over
but i am really looking forward to everything working out
and being able to settle into a new life

as much as id like to think that things will get easier
the fact is that stress is unavoidable
especially for someone like me
but i will be able to handle it a lot better
when i feel like i can just be myself
and spend my free time doing whatever the hell i want




its so weird... im actually gonna have spending money

its been so long, i wont know what to do with it

guess i will probably start by upgrading my pc, again

sure could use a new hard drive or two
as well as an upgrade to a 64-bit operating system
and now that i am officially an "IT professional"
its all a tax write-off!

if only i knew how to do taxes...

today was a good day

i got up at the ass crack of dawn
and drove all the way to portland for a job interview

ive always feared driving in portland
not just because its a big, busy city
but because the streets just dont make a lick of sense
and getting where you want to go is near impossible
especially if you arent really familiar with the place
but i knew i would have to do it eventually
and it really wasnt all that bad... i guess

i made it to the interview on time
and i didnt even get lost on the way
so that alone was a load of stress off my shoulders

the interview was completely different than i expected

the guy i met with was actually pretty cool

hes a gamer, so we had that in common
and he wasnt opposed to just chatting and being friendly
rather than being completely focused on business

hes also a very outspoken, no bs kinda guy
and completely unafraid of offending people with the truth

i can appreciate that

so he asked me a lot of questions
that i doubt any of you really care about
but that wasnt really the cool part, anyway

the cool part was all the great info and advice he gave me
about revising my resume, focusing my career goals
and just generally how to be successful in info tech

before the interview was over
i felt like even if i didnt get the job
i would be leaving a better person than when i arrived
or... at least a more well informed person

after the interview, he had me take a test/simulation
in which i had to answer a bunch of questions
about microsoft office and windows xp troubleshooting

i figured i did pretty well on the office part of the test
but i was sure i did poorly on the xp toubleshooting

there were some seriously obscure questions on there
and i probably only got half of them right
but it turns out its all good

apparently i scored "off the charts" on both tests
and he pretty much guaranteed me the job
so all i need to do is revise my resume
and find some good professional references
and i will be golden

of course, those two things wont be terribly easy
but i will give it my best shot
and hopefully everything works out

anyway, enough of that boring stuff

while trying to find my way out of portland
i got seriously lost and ended up on the wrong side of town

it was a frustrating experience, to say the least
but when i finally found my way back to the freeway
it was time to go visit my favorite asian, ana

been a while since i even got to really talk to her
but i talked to her plenty today, even before i saw her
because the directions she gave me to her place were crap
so once again, i was lost, confused, and alone...
except not alone, cause i got her on the phone with me
and she went and got on google maps
and after a whole lot of trial and error
i managed to make it there alive and in once piece

these days, shes busy being all pregnant and stuff
which is actually pretty funny looking, in a cute way
but other than that, shes the same old ana i know and love

i was kinda worried we wouldnt have much to do or say
but once we started talking and catching up on stuff
we just never ran out of things to say to each other

i forgot how nice it is just to be in her company
and now i miss all the good times
from back when we used to hang out all the time

anyhow, we talked about new music we've been listening to
mutual friends who we havent been able to see for a while
and all the fun we used to have with everyone else

we went to have lunch at some chinese place
and could barely stop chatting long enough
to do stuff like order food or eat it when it came

later, brad (her significant other) got home from work
and he and i started chatting it up about computers
and the jobs we were applying for, and stuff like that
and he ended up letting my try out crysis on his new pc
which is actually pretty nice, for an intel based system

well, not only did he let me try it out
but he ended up downloading a no cd crack for it
so he could just give me the game disc

he sure is a good guy

so after playing a little hacky sack
it was about time for me to head back home
and so ends this chapter in the life of john

yup... today was a good day

guess its about time i made an update...

so the good news is that the new weezer album rocks

its no pinkerton, but its miles beyond their last effort
and definitely way different from all their previous work
so good job guys, and keep bringing the rock




the bad news is that i got fired from my job

hopefully i can find another job, soon
but its probably going to be another crap job
because i still cant find any career type jobs
that i am actually qualified to do

its so fucked up, but ive got to pay off those debts
which i aquired due to my desire for a higher education
which ended up being completely fucking useless
when it came to finding a good job and making money

i sure hope theres something i can do
to dig myself out of this god damned hole
but everything just seems so hopeless now

im trying to go back to school
and take a few more classes on networking type stuff
but thats just going to cost me even more money
and theres no guarantee it will help me get a job

i just dont know what else i can do

it seems like my only hope is to bag a tech support job
and then try to move up from that position
in whatever company i end up working for
assuming that moving up is even an option

also, tech support sucks...
but its better than flipping burgers

anyway, i need a stronger foundation in networking
if i hope to get any tech support type jobs

if im lucky, i might even be able to nab a certification
but as expensive as those tests are, its not very likely




so in conclusion, go pick up the new weezer album
and while you are rocking out, be sure to think of me

just send me all of the positive energy you can spare
and maybe, just maybe things will work out for the best

thanks

traveled across oregon yesterday
to see death cab for cutie play in bend

i actually could have waited for them to play nearby
but then they wouldnt have been playing
with mates of state and the decemberists

well, it was a long drive through the snowy mountains
and there was lightning, thunder, and rain in bend
and it just happened to be a large outdoor venue
and i didnt even bring a coat :/

fortunately, it never rained too hard
and by the time the decemberists were done playing
the sky had cleared up real nicely
so everything worked out ok




so anyway, the mates of state were alright
but they didnt play the one song i really like
so i was pretty disappointed about that

the decemberists were freaking awesome

they were the real reason i went to this show
and they certainly did not disappoint

they played the one song i was really hoping they would
as well as a bunch of other great ones
including some new stuff i had never heard before

if its any indication, the new cd will rock

one of the great things about the show they put on
was that it was part rock show, part comedy act

i love bands that can make you laugh in between
or even in the middle of their songs

they would crack jokes about death cab for cutie
and put on impromptu plays with members of the audience
and all sorts of cool/silly stuff

im really glad i went out of my way to see them




death cab for cutie was definitely a mixed bag

i never really liked any of their older music
and they played quite a bit of that
so i had a hard time being into a lot of the performance
but they also played most every song i wanted to hear
as well as some brand new stuff that really rocked

overall, id say it was a good performance
and a nice way to finish off the evening

i picked up a copy of the new cd before heading home

i havent had a chance to listen to all of it, yet
but so far its very lovely, much like the last album




in other news, lots of drama, bullshit
and soul-crushingly stressful situations
while i escape into more anime and video games
in an attempt to ignore it all for just a little longer

speaking of anime, im currently watching infinite ryvius

its a sci-fi show where a bunch of students
accidentally end up hijacking a top secret space craft
(thats an over-simplification, but whatever)
and get labeled as terrorists for defending themselves
against the government thats trying to reclaim the ship

in reality, they hijacked the ship as a last resort
because they all would have died otherwise
and all they want is to be rescued
but the government thinks thats all just a bluff

exactly whats happening is a little bit confusing
but i think thats the gist of it

anyway, the main draw of the show is the characters
because most of them are just plain weird and interesting

every time i think i have one of them figured out
they will do or say something that makes me go "wtf?"
and its not like they are suddenly out of character

they are just really good at making you realize
that you dont understand this persons motivations
nearly as well as you thought you did

its a bit hard to express what its like
but infinite ryvius is definitely worth a watch
especially if youre into character driven shows
along the lines of evangelion or something like that

honestly, the main character does remind me of shinji
if shinji actually had balls, that is

mostly he just dresses and screams like shinji

anyway, watch it... its good

4/20 was full of halo 3 goodness




i hate everyone who plays burnout paradise

that should be me!




i have found tati's doppelganger

just got back from jimmy eat world
not to mention dear and the headlights and paramore

dear and the headlights were freakin awesome

i bought the cd and i am a fan
and i recommend everyone check them out

paramore was pretty good, too

not really my kinda music, especially the singing
but they put on a good show
and had some good rockin guitar riffs and stuff

of course, jimmy eat world put on an amazing show

its hard to think of songs that i would want to see live
because they have so much really good music
but it seemed like everytime i would think
"hey, i really hope they play that one song"
a couple songs later, they would play it
and that made me a very happy john

so yeah... good times

too bad i am once again sick

seems like once a week, these days

blah...

my friends page hasnt updated in like a week

either everyones dead or lj is broken




so i went to monmouth on saturday
and hung out with brandon for a while

always good to know i can still kick his butt at doa
though he put up a good fight, as usual
and won more of the matches than he normally does

kudos




after chillin with brandon, i went to chads place
and hung out with him, carol, mike
and a few other people i may or may not have met before

good smokes and drinks and all that
but the best part was chads xbox 360 and halo 3

he only recently got the 360
and he was nice enough to give me full rights to it
for pretty much the entire night

i got lost in the goodness that is halo
and before i knew it it was like 4am

so yeah... cant wait to do that again
cause it will be like 2 years
before us pc gamers get our own halo 3 :P

stupid microsoft

didnt have to make a loan payment last month
due to my recent loan consolidation
so i used the money to buy an amd64 x2 6400+ processor
to replace my old single core cpu

now i can finally say my machine is complete

cpu: amd64 x2 6400+
gpu: nvidia geforce 7950gt
ram: 2gb ddr2 800
hd: 160gb 7200rpm sata x2

it is screaming fast, to say the least

every game runs silky smooth at max settings

this is the first time in my life
i can say im truely happy with my pc

i finally have a true gaming machine :)




on that note, heres what ive been playing...

still playing perfect world, of course

level 55, now, and slowly rising

i dont level nearly as fast as everyone else
but what can i say... ive got shit to do :P

still, it actually is a casual gamer friendly mmo
providing ways to level even if you cant play a lot
and i am enjoying my guild and the people in it
even though we are still at war with other guilds

it actually makes things a little more interesting
never knowing when you could be attacked
by a member of a rival guild
or spotting a member of a rival guild
and sneaking up on him or calling your guildmates
to come over and ambush the unsuspecting player

player killing can be super fun :)

i cant wait until i get to participate
in an actual large scale territorial war

sounds very exciting




recently downloaded and played through portal

very good game, mostly because of the humor
and the theme song really is awesome

i cant wait for the chance to play portal 2

hopefully it will be a longer adventure




still playing halo 2 online
and waiting impatiently for halo 3 pc

i dont care what anyone says, halo is amazing

lots of people say it doesnt hold a candle
to lots of other pc fps games out there
but i say its simply a matter of preference
and halo has everything i love in an fps

ive gotten pretty good at being a flag runner in ctf
and i can hold my own in a deathmatch
but im pretty useless in most of the other modes

i suppose all i need is practice, though




just recently started playing through bioshock

i wasnt sure if i was going to like this one
because i tend not to enjoy scary games
but so far, its actually really fun

its very interesting and intense
and the game play is pretty original and fun
and the overall atmosphere is unlike anything else

thus far it has managed to stay under my threshold for fear
due to the presence of an ally npc
even if his presence is only over a hand radio

also, i like the fact that it doesnt use startle tactics
such as enemies jumping out at you from blind spots

its nice that most of the enemies are humans, too
as monsters tend to be too scary for me :P

anyway, hopefully this trend continues
and id really like to eventually meet up
with a group of sane survivors
cause having some support is always a good thing




well, this post is long enough
and its not like anyone who isnt a nerd like me
will even bother reading past the first couple sentences

one final note, though

i am no longer a linux user :(

dont get me wrong, i still fully support linux
and recommend it to any casual pc user
who only requires the most basic functions of a pc
such as internet, word processing, listening to music
but for me, it just wasnt working out

i love it for all the things i listed above
and for many other reasons i wont go into
but as a gamer, i still rely on windows vista
for games and a few other things
that i could never get to work right in linux

it came to a point where having a dual boot system
was becoming less convenient and more annoying

i can do everything i need to do in windows
and my computer is enough of a beast to handle vista
so it simply came time to bid linux farewell

you will be missed, old friend
at least until i get my own apartment
and dig my old computer out of storage

with linux, that old thing will still run quite nicely
and im sure i could find a few uses for it

anyway......... the end.

last night was good times

me, cameron, mike, and a few other friends
all went down to paintball palace in eugene
to celebrate a few recent birthdays

we all got schooled real bad
by the couple of guys who work at the place
but it was fun, anyway

it had been years and years
since i last went paintballing

i had forgotten how much hard work it was

even though it doesnt seem like youre doing much
you still get winded really fast

i guess its just the pressure
of knowing youre being shot at

its crazy to think that if it were a real war
and we were shooting at each other with real guns
id have been dead and gone so fast

im not sure i even hit anyone else at all
but part of the problem was the face masks

they fog up pretty bad
but the worst part was getting paint splatter on the visor

if that happens, youre pretty much running blind

their equipment was really nice, though

much better than what i was used to back in the day




anyway, after getting all that out of our systems
some of us headed over to the horse head bar
and had a few drinks and laughed it up until last call

i dont think i made it home until somewhere around 6am
and today im totally sore and hungover
but it was worth it cause i had a lot of fun with everyone

times like these are too few and far between

i have some strange dreams when im sick in bed
like last night, i dreamt i was dating michael cera

i know, wtf right?

anyway, it was a happy dream
up until the point where we were about to make love
and i suddenly realized... hey, im not gay!

so then i had to break his heart
but we were still friends, cause hes cool like that

or something

at any rate, i kinda wanted to see that juno movie
but now im not so sure...

kill me.

this = my free time

( if you care... )

well, i got a job

im the tech guy for the boys and girls club

its not glamorous and it doesnt pay much
but its enough to survive on, for now

i wish i had known that a bachelors degree doesnt mean shit
at least not without a few certifications
and several years of professional experience

im not qualified for shit
so i guess ill have to continue my education, eventually

id like to go back to linn-benton community college
and work on getting a couple of certifications
and maybe even another degree

dunno when or how im gonna do that, though




recently, the video card in my computer blew up

it was a semi convenient time for it to happen
as i was planning on upgrading, anyway
so i got myself a geforce 7950gt
and dad got me a new widescreen flatpanel monitor for x-mas

bioshock flows like water on max settings, now
but some games *coughhalo2cough* just refuse to run smoothly

i dont think its a lack of computing power
but i dont know what the problem is

at any rate, the new monitor really makes all the difference

colors are so much richer and brighter, now

after getting it hooked up
i literally spent like a half hour
just sitting and staring at my desktop wallpaper

cant get linux to boot anymore, though

now that ive got a new card
it says that my x-server config is all effed up
and i really dunno what to do about that

oh well... vista = games = entertainment
at least for now




you know... i just dont know what else to say