... in which the Fool makes another post to test his new record

I just want to see what happens as soon as I post something new. Will I finally have the comments section? Or am I stuck with using simple stuff?

So, what do you guys think of the new look?

... in which the Fool almost drools in anticipation of an upcoming game

I've always been a fan of Super Robot Wars, a turn-based strategy game involving a ton of robots from different robot anime series. My brothers and my cousin got me hooked into it, especially when I saw the joy in their eyes as the shows they've watched when they were children came back to life through the Super NES system. I was more interested in the gundams back then, as I wasn't old enough to have seen Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, and the other older robots. But it was great seeing my brother change from semi-drooling fanboy to a dead-serious tactician as soon as one of his robots got destroyed. I'd tease for a bit back then, saying his robots aren't really as good as he thinks they are. And then suddenly, when I thought the odds were heavily against him, he'd turn defeat into glorious victory.

To this day, after I learned how to read katakana, some hiragana, and a lot of kanji, I still can't match my brother's tactics in Super Robot Wars. Even with my more OC-style of positioning and grouping and matching unit for unit, despite the more in-depth techniques that I use to finish a particular mission, I can't match my brother's knack for the game -- and that's him playing almost without understanding what in the world is happening to the story or the characters or whatever (of course, he cheats by having me around when he's playing, which means that I'll read what he doesn't understand, and I'll have to explain what he has to do). He can stay in front of the screen for an entire day, going through multiple stages in a single day, without even tiring from all that thinking as he positions each unit the way he intends them to be positioned. I don't know how he does it really...

And come July, we'll be playing the newest installment of Super Robot Wars for the PS2! I mean, I almost can't contain my fanboyism here! As of the moment, I'm looking at the new scans for the new main characters for the game while trying simultaneously to blog. Its not really awkward, but its preventing my brain from forming any coherent sentence.

Well, I'm pretty sure my brother will again be drooling like a fanboy when the game comes out, and he'll be bugging me to buy the game with him as soon as its available. I don't blame him though. I also do the same thing when some games that I like come out. But at least I know I can wait for a little more time... Which means I won't be telling my brother this news... yet.

I'm looking forward to the original characters. I've always been ever since Super Robot Wars Alpha. Because I've found that Banpresto (the company that made the game) can mix a lot of stories together, and still have time to include character development into their games. Add that to the fact that Banpresto has made a lot of original characters for each SRW game they've made, and well... They can make their own anime of their own characters. Banpresto has actually made a Super Robot Wars game that's included only their original characters. Its entitled Super Robot Wars Original Generation (and I was very glad when the 2nd installment came out last year) and it has the stories and mechs and character development that they've made for each character (and then some! They've added a few for that game alone) that they created over the years. I'm waiting for the next installment (which I guess will be out in the next two years) which looks to be the conclusion of the series. And there'll be a huge bang! Just like in Super Robot Wars Alpha 3. See, SRW Alpha 3 is the third and last installment of the Alpha series, it brings the story to a conclusion, as they take the fight directly to the aliens this time, and that means going to their home planets. It feels like a huge epic game at this point (here's to hoping that the feeling doesn't diminish as I play through the game) and the ending feels likewise.

Dammit, I'm itching from ant bites in this seat. The keyboard seems to be crawling with ants (I don't know if the previous user ate here or what) and they keep going to my arms and neck trying to turn me into food for ant larvae probably... It's itchy here. And my discomfort right now only adds to my anticipation of the game...

Actually, its not only this game that I'm anticipating. Come this August (one month after Super Robot Wars, oh bliss!!!) the Avengers expansion for the VS card game is coming out! Now granted, I don't really like Marvel, but this is the one expansion that would actually make me excited to play Marvel. I mean, its the Avengers! How can I not be excited to play as the most powerful super team in Marvel makes its appearance? This marks the first time in DC that I'm not interested much at the bad guy teams. In fact, I think I'm subconsciously blocking the idea of other teams in this expansion. I'm just imagining which characters would be included, and which ones I'd be using. The X-guys would always have a place in my heart, but once Avengers comes out, well.. The mutants automatically take a backseat to them. I can barely close my mouth in anticipation... (shame, shame)

I don't think I'll be attending hands-on classes today. Maybe I'll just browse, browse, browse, browse... today. See what else I can see. I'm not in the mood to take an online exam today, simply because there's no point, as this weekends exam will cover the same things again.

Wow, those designs are really cool. I'll be providing the links later.

What I'm worried about is what will keep me sane between August and November (which coincidentally is also the date from which I'll have coaching and refresher classes in preparation for exams) -- between the release of Avengers and the JLA expansion. I have two months of playing Marvel Modern Age (using Marvel Knights and Avengers cards to make decks) while at the same time thinking of what cards will be coming out for the next expansion. I mean, if I don't have anything to keep me sane during those two months, well, nothing. Maybe I'll go on dates instead. Hehe... I think that would be best. Yes.

Of course, George R. R. Martin's fourth installment of "A Game of Thrones" will also be coming out around that time. I don't know if I'll be buying a copy for myself. But I'm definitely sure that I'll be reading it as soon as possible. I'll think of it when the time comes.

As promised, here are the links to the pics that I've been staring over for the past few minutes. Enjoy.

i2.photobucket.com/ albums/y6/Nabeshin_III/53d56123.jpg

i2.photobucket.com/ albums/y6/Nabeshin_III/06c5fb02.jpg

i2.photobucket.com/ albums/y6/Nabeshin_III/b9875bf0.jpg

take out the space between "/" and "albums" (thanks go out to weich for giving out this site)

... in which the Fool answers a few questions

The five questions and answers that will appear after my ramblings came from Elbert. These five questions are things that well, upon reception, make you think back, and wonder. I say should, because some questions may be just too easy for a reader. The questions of course, aren't always the same. Further information is included at the end of this post.

1. Look back on your student life! What is the one thing you wish you could have done more of, and what is the one thing you wish you could have done less of?

This question is easier in hindsight, rather than being asked while I was a student. First things first, I would have wanted to review my lessons more, rather than cramming everything all at once during examination days. I learned now the power of studying bit by bit every day, while attending my review classes. And that a little bit of studying can go a long way, instead of a lot of cramming. I don't regret cramming. Ever. I've always been proud of my ability to cram, to still pass despite looking at notes 2 hours before the exam. I regret not studying before that, and having lousy grades to prove it.

I wish I'd been less reliant on other people. I could have gone to school and gone home by myself. But a lot of times, I changed my schedule into something else just so I could go home with Joseph. A lot of times, I was too lazy to go home by myself that I had to stop whatever I was doing so I can go with Joseph. I blame myself for that, as well as the amount of headaches I gave him just waiting for me every morning. I wish I'd done what was needed on most major projects earlier, instead of waiting for everyone to be in the mood for it. I'd have finished a lot of stuff for it earlier rather than later. I don't regret spending too much time on my games, only that my time management sucks.

2. What are you most looking forward to doing now that you've graduated?

Er, I don't think I've graduated yet. I still have my licensure exams to take care of.

But what I'm really looking forward to is earning my own money, and to spend nights out on the town without parents screaming down my neck so I'd come home early. Hey, that also means that I'd have a constant influx of money to spend on parties, food, games, and dates. Er, moving on...

3. Santa loves you! He gives you the one (material) thing you've always wanted since, well, forever! What is that one thing, and why?

The one material thing that I could ask from Santa is a limitless bank account. Let me pick my own presents so that I won't get disappointed. Let me but other people buy presents too, because its one thing I've always wanted to do.

But the question is about something I've always wanted... and that's immaterial. I've always wanted to get artistic skill, or to become more industrious, that sort of thing. Anything material that I might have wanted in the past was probably a toy or a set of toys that I wasn't able to get. Like for example, the set of Transformers produced from 1980's up to the present. I've always liked those toys that could change from vehicles or animals to robots. Those were cool, and they were smart too! Of course, I could ask for a complete set of techno-gadgets for the more, adult side of me...

But I really want that endless bank account, I get that, its just like getting all the toys and techno-gadgets that I want! Hey Santa, if ever you're reading this, and I'm nice? Well, you know what you're getting me already, right? *wink!wink!*

4. What do you feel is the one big achievement of yours that you wish more people took notice of or acknowledged?

Er, I don't think I have any big achievements yet. Sorry, I don't think I'm too successful yet in my life to have a huge achievement (or rather, I don't think I have any achievement worth noting). Cramming my way through college, or not studying my way through might be cool, but that's not exactly an achievement.

There are two things that I'd like other people to take notice of though. a) I'm not the jerk that everyone might paint me to be, and b) I'm sensitive too. I might not show that I get hurt, but I do. Of course, it would be better to have my friends tell you about these things than to have myself ramble about them.

5. In literature, it is often the fool who speaks most wise. Share with us then, o self-proclaimed "great fool," the one nugget of wisdom that you feel nobody should be without.

Wisdom... I know that I'm smart, but I don't think that I'm wise at all. I don't think I can answer this question at all.

What I have learned though, is that its great to talk to yourself every now and then, but nothing beats having to talk with other people. It not only gives you another perspective, but it also helps you grow.

I think the world needs fools. If for no other reason than to serve as record of consequences of foolish actions. At least other people would have an idea of what happens if they ever plan on doing something idiotic in their lives.

Now, here are the rules. (People who would like to join in, feel free to do so):

1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person’s will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

If you don’t have a blog, I will still ask you 5 unique questions and you can post your answers here.

Some of these answers were supposed to be longer, but then, my unit died out suddenly, so well, I got stuck with an earlier version..

... in which the Fool celebrates Independence Day

Or... rather, what's left of it.

Technically, Independence Day for us was yesterday, Sunday June 12. The only reason that I'm celebrating it today, is because our current leader of the state tends to announce some days to be "non-working holidays" so that "people can spend more time with their loved ones". In general, if a regular holiday falls on a weekend, you can expect either the Friday preceding it, or the Monday succeeding it will become a holiday.

Sure its a neat way of giving quality holidays to people. And personally, I don't complain about the policy. Except today feels, strange. We have review classes, and the Canon people have work. Its a holiday, why would people have work? But I guess, companies can decide if they want to have work or not, so long as they pay their employees for it.

As usual, I'm in a net cafe, that means there are all sorts of people just beside me doing their stuff. This time though, I'm in Greenhills (with their ungodly net cafe costs, 50php or so an hour???) and people around me are playing online games like NBA 2005, and Mu (as compared to chatting on ym with a webcam, or in one instance, browsing porn). I get distracted by the people as they play (one of the kids actually poked his head into my cubicle just to ask which key was missing from his keyboard, the windows key) and sometimes, I tend to watch them play too. This is more interesting than trying to peek at other people as they chat away with people.

Yes, I do peek over other people's shoulders. Its not my fault if I can peek over your shoulder, because well, I have sharp eyes (yeah right). I don't really mind what in the world the person beside me is doing. I just can't stop my curiosity sometimes, and I really need to see what's happening.

Right now for example, someone is playing Gunbound (an online game similar to Worms) beside me. He's using a weapon that I haven't seen before, something that looks like an ice missile, and sad to say, well, he's being clobbered. But I don't say anything to him, I just keep that stuff to myself, I'm just an observer after all. The other guys beside me are playing Mu (an online game not dissimilar to RO) and well, they're trying to level up by killing monsters all around them. Except that they're mobbing the monsters, and some players either misinterpret it as monsters trying to mob him, or its an easy opportunity to level up.

And I just keep on peeking every now and then. Its not really a bad habit. Its something to do as well. Like, um, immersing myself in a culture. Yeah, thats it.

Well, speaking of playing online, I tend to notice that a lot of online players I've observed have this "mob" mentality. Where they either mob all the monsters towards them without telling other players onscreen what they're doing (hence thinking that if other players shoot at the monsters following them, that they're being greedy for kills), or they tend to make jerks of themselves by attacking monsters that are being attacked by other people. I don't know why, but there's nothing difficult with typing a question and asking if they need help, right? The greediness of such players just... disgusts me.

Because when I was playing such games, I was never as greedy as they were. The games for me were just a pastime, and whether I could level up fast enough was never a problem. I didn't care (much) that I was gaining levels at a much slower rate than my friends. It was all a pastime for me, because at those times, I would rather write and browse than play (and besides, playing RO at those times were a nightmare, with all the lag back then). I never got to understand why people would need to steal your kills because I never had to do it.

I guess some people are either just that desperate, or just big jerks. Whatever.

Anyway, I made a Sinister Syndicate (Spider-man enemies) and an Emerald Enemies (Green Lantern enemies) deck last Saturday. The idea was to kill the opponent either on the fifth or the sixth turn. With mass damage capabilities from both teams, it was a hoot to play, regularly bringning oppnonents down to less than 20 life. The problem was finishing it. Because it was team-up deck, there are some problems with having to team up the teams before finishing up the job on turn 5. Sometimes, I would not be able to hit my curve (missing my key characters on each turn), other times, I would just not be able to kill my oppnonet quickly because I lack fire power. But just seeing the expression on my opponent's face as they think whether they'd die or live after the turn was priceless (except for Dan Jacobsen). I myself didn't know if I was going to last past the turn or not. It was a really fun deck, but I don't think it would be good to use in serious competitions yet.

And I haven't watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith yet, as I said I would. Still haven't found the time, but I think I won't be missing Batman Begins this week... hopefully. I could've watched last Saturday, when I spent some time in WalterMart, Makati. Instead, I played Exalted with some other RPG guys then. I didn't even know (yeah right) that there was a movie theater there. When I saw the theater (it was, um, just behind me), I was already midway through my game and I didn't find the time to watch it anymore.

Oh well, maybe next time.

Anyway, I'm going back to browsing for the next few minutes.