Event Log: 12/28/14 - End of an Era

When this year ends, so too will my Event Logs. I've had a good run, but with work, writing, and gaming, I just don't have enough time to talk about every little thing that goes on in my day. I won't get rid of these entirely. I'll probably just turn them into something weekly rather than daily. At the rate I'm pumping these out, they might as well be weekly anyways. I'm pretty strict on myself, so until the New Year, I'll keep it up.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/27/14 - A Minor Blip

Looks like PSN is back up again. Managed to squeeze in a few games, although we lost most of them. Pretty crappy day, to be honest. I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey, and it was so boring, I had to take a nap in the middle of the movie. I'm sorry, but there's nothing to be gained from watching a spaceship trying to land for a full minute. I was struggling to keep my eyes open in every scene. I'll put this one in the disappointing bin.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/26/14 - Work Again

I met my work quota and the company was kind enough to order pizza for us. I am now convinced that the guy behind me is an unproductive buffoon. He spends half the time socializing than working. And we wonder why the department is going to hell.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/25/14 - Christmas

I watched The Interview with my family for FREEDOM. On the low end of expectations for a Seth Rogan comedy. Like it better than Neighbors though.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/24/14 - On the Eve

Thanks, L***** Squad, for nothing. It was a good chance to work out, read some manga, and relax on my day off though.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/23/14 - Lagging Behind

I missed my quota by two. Not a huge loss, but still disappointing. It basically confirms that I have to work full steam with hardly any breaks--either that, or take massive shortcuts in my work. Either option doesn't seem very appealing. It's a work in progress.

I did two raids. I'm the only level 30 in a party of 31's. What can I say? I only play the bare minimum these days. Since I've got an unexpected day off tomorrow, I stayed up later than usual. I've got a tickle in my throat; I hope a good night's sleep can cure it!

With The Interview now available, I must watch it, for freedom's sake.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/22/14 - Return to Form

I went 20-6. That's like my average in Destiny, but in BF4, that's fantastic. Even though we lost a lot tonight, I feel like I've regained my form. There's still some jitters I gotta shake off, but I feel like I'm back to where I was, skill wise, before I stopped playing. Better yet, I didn't rage once. I did encounter some BS moments, but my frame of mind kept me grounded.

I saw one of my co-workers for the first time since our entire department moved into a different area. I'm convinced he doesn't actually do anything and I wonder why he still has a job. He's one of those guys that knows everybody but spends most of time talking instead of working. Chances are, he'll get a promotion before me,= since I'm the type to keep my head down and actually work. Not to brag, but I'm single-handedly holding it down for my department. No idea what the hell everybody else is doing.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/21/14 - Back to Battlefield

Every so often, the call of the Battlefield brings me back. Today was one such day. I couldn't be bothered with sports since my Saints have been officially eliminated from playoff contention, and I couldn't enjoy the overwhelming pounding I gave to my opponent in Fantasy since I'm in the consolation ladder--it doesn't mean anything.Since I feel no desire to play Destiny after missing the raid, me and my friend fired up Final Stand for the first time. It's the last expansion as part of BF4 premium. We went on a good run until I hit a spot where I raged like crazy. I'm a little embarrassed since I haven't raged that hard in months. I have now instituted a 30-second rule. If I'm about to rage, I will stop what I'm doing, wait 30 seconds, and then proceed. I like it so far, even though I have no idea where everything is.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/20/14 - Annual Tradition

I saw the last of the Hobbit Trilogy. It's good, but not great. 48fps makes all the difference though. After the movie, I went to a Christmas dinner that me and my friend planned a couple weeks in advance. We went to Javier's Crystal Cove in Newport. The place was fancy. We got a pitcher of margaritas and I was pretty much done for the night. I can hardly remember how my food tasted. I had a small scare when I thought I lost my keys, but it turns out, it was in my front pocket all along. I even remember standing in front of the mirror, putting the keys in my front pocket, and buttoning it up. I blame my state of drunkenness for that. I wasted ten minutes of my friends' time. I felt so relieved when I found it. It's funny, because I put it in my front pocket so that it would be impossible for me to lose it. Talk about forgetting your glasses on your head.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/19/14 - Threes the Limit

I figured out that three is my limit when it comes to drinks. Any more than that and I'm gonna have a rough night. After work was the company Christmas party. It was held at a night club called Sutra. The place was bigger than the amount of people who showed. It's unfortunate that nobody I knew was actually there. My only goal then was to run through my three drink tickets as fast as possible. I skipped out on a raid for this. I waited for as long as I could and drove home. When I walked up the stairs at my house, I realized I was barely in condition to drive. I won't take that risk next time. I freakin' sideswiped the neighbors garbage bins because of it.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/18/14 - Potential Fulfilled

I finally did it. I reached my work quota for the first time. Sure, I had to work at near full capacity to hit it and required a somewhat alarming email from my supervisor to motivate me, but it can only get easier from here on out.

As long as I get a good night's sleep, I should be able to maintain enough concentration to soldier on through the endless streams of bad writing  I have to edit. My brain's taxed enough as it is, but I tell myself I can only improve from this experience.

Indeed, my ability to edit quickly has increased by about 200%. I don't even bat an eyelash at errors that used to make me tear my hair out, although I occasionally mutter curses under my breath for particularly egregious offenses.

I found a great solution for continuing my fanfiction endeavors. Before I head home, I'll stick around work to write the next piece of my chapter on Tumblr.

The only thing I have to do now is start on my gaming backlog. All of my gaming purchases have been frozen since Destiny. I need that 64 GB Vita memory card already!

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/17/14 - Glimpses of Light

We finished up the raid in quick order.

It's quite telling when the only  thing I have to say about each day involves Destiny. It's how I finish off most of my nights, but it's a symptom of having too many hours earmarked by work and commute. I wake up at 7 to get ready but don't get to work until 9. From that point on, I do the same thing until my 8 hours are up. The only thing I look forward to at work is lunch. Last night's leftovers never tasted so good.

I break up the monotony by texting my friend sometimes, but it just becomes a struggle between work and online distractions. I'm getting there though. Oh yeah, I was obsessively following the story involving The Interview. American theater chains have no guts and literally let the terrorists win. Not a good look.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/16/15 - Blazes

That was easy. After struggling so much in the first week, we totally blew through the raid. We even had enough time left over to reach the boss again on our alts. That's what I call efficiency.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/15/14 - Every Last Moment

The more these days drag on, the more I realize how little time I have left these days. I was expecting a callback from my raid leader but I found out that they started without me. Oh well, it just gives me more time to catch up on my other characters.

I managed to squeeze in my workout early. It's progress. If I can get my exercise under an hour, my routine will really open up in the future.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/14/14 - The Never-ending Struggle

I took it easy and played Destiny until it was raid time. The worst part of it? We didn't even beat it. So much for that run, and to make things worse, I stayed up too late. Next morning is gonna be killer.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/13/14 - The Dark Below

WE FINALLY BEAT THE RAID! It only took us all week.

I spent the whole day playing Destiny. Since The Dark Below came out, I've had a lot of catching up to do. I'm trying not to let it bother me too much because I can't afford to. Between work, going out, and working out, there's only so much time to spare for a broken game.

Although I'm enjoying it, The Dark Below is seriously one of the biggest ripoffs I've paid for. Bungie and Activision needs to be taken to task for such a content-less contemptible content pack that most other games would offer as a free freakin' update.

Once the Expansion Pass is done, I'm out.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/12/14 - Overtime

I did overtime today. Like, legit officially recognized overtime, not, trying-to-catch-up off-the-clock overtime. I figure there's no point in going to work early to do overtime when I can do overtime as part of my waiting for traffic to die down. That sentence was not smooth at all, but the point is, if I go into work early and do overtime, I'll get out during rush hour. If I go late and do overtime, traffic will be done and I've got a smooth ride home. These days, even when I get home early, I don't really do much.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/11/14 - Moving the Goalposts

That was a lot of Event Logs to go through. I've acquired a taste for that brief summary style. May want to keep doing it a bit more.

I worked at full capacity today and was no where near the quota. I really have to alter my workflow. On the way home, I think I came up with a good solution. Will try it tomorrow.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/10/14 - Quotas

Management finally settled on hard quotas for work. Glad to have a goal to work towards, but Monday really screwed me up in terms of production. I tweaked my numbers but that forced me to do overtime for free. Decided to say screw it and let the numbers speak for themselves. I'll do it legit from now on. No more web browsing at work.

Played some Uncharted 2 to refresh my mind. Game looks good and not good at the same time. PS4 has spoiled me. The beginning is horribly boring like always, but I'm finally at the good part. Not sure if I'll resume tomorrow. Snuck in my workout before sleeping.

Another late night.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/9/14 - New Raid

The Dark Below came out. Beat one story mission and went out on the raid. We played until 4 in the morning but didn't beat it. Crap. Hardly any sleep for tomorrow. I'll deal with it somehow.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/8/14 - Save the Reps

I could not concentrate at all at work. Too much leftover hype in my system from PSX. Blew the whole day on NeoGAF. Went home and did the same thing. Had to finish my workout in the middle of the night. Went to bed around 2.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/7/14 - Coming Back

We woke up and hit up the expo again. I wanted to play The Order and waited about two hours. Beat the demo in twenty minutes. Cautiously excited for next year. That was all we had time to do. I wanted to play Drawn to Death but had to go home. Next time, definitely considering flying. Those drives sap me of too much energy. Had my friend drive my car home. He drives like a maniac. More reason to fly next time. Saints lost. Whatever. Hit up NeoGAF to see what people thought of PSX and went to sleep.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/6/14 - PSX Day One

I drove for three straight. No downtime. Went straight to the Sands Expo center in the Venetian. Waited in line for a couple hours and finally got into the conference floor. Too tired to get hyped at any of the announcments, but the best one for me was the localization of Yakuza 5. Hell yeah. FFVII troll was the worst and Uncharted 4 looks out of this world. Couldn't get to try the Morpheus, only games I could play was Bloodborne, Until Dawn, and some indies. Checked into the Stratosphere, marveled at the sight from above, and then hit up the Mandarin Bar. I don't know why, but the Mandarin always completes the night for me in Vegas.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/5/14 - Going V

The plan doesn't always work out. I went to work super early so that I can leave early and get some sleep before heading out to Vegas at night. Unfortunately, the Video Game Awards kept me up and I only got three hours of sleep before I had to get up again. I made four peanut butter sandwiches and packed three bananas for the drive. I picked up my friend and we sailed across the Californian desert until morning.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/4/14 - Seven Days

It's been exactly one week since my last Event Log. I can't remember that far back. All I know is that I didn't work out and I probably read some manga before going to bed. Oh yeah. I was obsessively reading over the PSX hype thread because I was going the next day. I think I received some clothes that day too.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/3/14 - Critical Decisions

I'm seriously contemplating attending PSX, but that means I'm gonna have to make a long trek to Vegas. I don't know if I can handle that, and my budget is tight this month, especially after Black Friday, not to mention, there's my upcoming Christmas dinner, but...

20 year anniversaries only come around so often.

I'm gonna have to think about this.

Done thinking. Let's do this. It's a once in a lifetime event. No regrets, baby!

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/2/14 - Hype Train

Hype for the Playstation Experience event in Vegas has picked up a lot of steam. Speculation is running rampant, and when FFVII remake gets mentioned not in jest, but in all seriousness, that's when you know that expectations are getting way too big. Whatever. I'm just gonna sit back and ride the hype train!

Oh, and I played the raid...again.

And I finished up the midseason finale. Not as bad as most people make it out to be. I need to stop listening to the internet. It's making me hate things I don't even hate!

I stayed up to watch the Playstation awards late at night...and got absolutely nothing out of it.

/eventlog

Event Log: 12/1/14 - Fresh Slate

I was getting tired of seeing red bars on my Mint budget. Glad to see I'm under my spending limit again. Now I just have to stay there.

I accidentally spoiled myself looking up reviews for the midseason finale of The Walking Dead. Thanks a lot, random reviewer on RottenTomatoes. That's the last time I'll ever look up reviews on TV episodes.

I did the raid again. I am so over this game.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/30/14 - Cats and Dogs

It's the start of the rainy season. It's about time we've got water on the streets. There was a flash rain where it just started pouring like crazy. It's been a long, dry year, aside from a morning shower here and there.

Saints won unexpectedly. My friend was pissed because they beat his team, the Steelers. Sorry mate, but we've been sucking all year. We've gotta win some time, and that includes my fantasy matchup. Time to make my comeback in fantasy football.

I raided again tonight. I'm over it.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/29/14 - Leap to the Forefront

It has come to my attention that Naruto is over. The ending was whatever. I wish more works would adopt the Return of the King strategy of having an arc dedicated to life after climax. You have 699 chapters dedicated to blood, action, sweat, tears, and death, but only one for peace. Life don't work that way, and neither should fiction.

I'm just a greedy content consumer. My appetite is insatiable. Give me more!

I got into Naruto in high school. I feel like a chapter of my life has concluded. It's nice to close loose threads from childhood. The best thing about an ending is starting something new. Adventure lies beyond every tomorrow. Onward to better and brighter things!

I caught up on all my other manga. I don't know what it is about One Piece, but I love it. It makes me tear up every time.

It's been a great holiday. Much needed after starting work. Getting back to the grind is gonna be tough.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/28/14 - A Stroll on Luxury Lane

My friends and I went out to visit the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel. We drank at Raya, the hotel's bar. The place sure is fancy, but the Mandarin is still a step above. It was a nice glimpse into the high life. Afterwards, we went to Dave and Buster's. I got three drinks for the price of one. Talk about a value discrepancy. At least the ambiance tax makes a lot more sense at the Ritz Carlton than the obscene markup you see in clubs.

The damage to my wallet from Black Friday was bigger than I expected since I wasn't planning on buying anything. My wardrobe needed new additions though, and it's not like Black Friday comes around every month. In exchange for the next couple months of my shopping budget, I semi-splurged. I'm not allowed to buy anything until next year.

When I got home, a relative snuck in with me. He was showing off a new DSLR he nabbed on BF. I don't know how a high school junior like him has enough cash to be buying $500 cameras.

I've realized the need to adapt to my present circumstances. Changes must be made to accommodate my schedule. That's why my Event Logs are becoming shorter. I'd rather not cut my activities entirely, but if it becomes too challenging, I'll simply change the end product to something more suitable.

Brevity, as they say, is the soul of wit.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/27/14 - Give Thanks to the Fam in November

What else should I say but Happy Thanksgiving? I ate turkey with mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, biscuits, and gravy. I also collected a bunch of materials in Destiny. So nice to have a day off.

Thanks everybody!

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/26/14 - Lock It Down

I spent the night doing my budget. I haven't touched it since June, so I had to sift through five months of purchases and transactions. I knew it wasn't going to an easy task, but I didn't expect it to take so long. Accuracy is more important than being quick anyways. I took my time, stayed patient, and got it done. I found no discrepancies.

Once my records were in order, I looked towards the future. Assuming a flat income rate and no unexpected expenses, I've got a solid road map to the future. The fact that I have no debt is encouraging and gives me a lot of leeway. The damage wasn't too bad. Things could be better, but that's why I got a job. The road to recovery starts now.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/25/14 - Like a Pro

Tuesdays feel like work. If I'm not earning money, then I'm doing the raid. Fortunately, we beat it in record time today. That's what happens when you've got four level 30's. With the extra time, I tried to do some bounties and Nightfalls for my characters. I know I won't have time to do anything until Friday, so I might as well put my work in early. I got too greedy and wasted an hour on a Nightfall since I died, prompting a rather loud expletive from mouth. I went to bed later than usual when all was said and done.

On the way home, I almost got into a car accident. I switched lanes and the dude in front of me was braking. I had to swerve around to avoid a bad collision. Scary stuff, man.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/24/14 - The Show

Today is a test case for my ability to keep up with TV shows. It's not so bad right now since I'm only following one show, but things can get crazy once Game of Thrones is back. I might pick up some old shows like The Sopranos and I frequently plow through anime when the mood strikes me. TV content is a big of my entertainment diet.

If I give up one or hours a day, I can get through a lot of great stories. Currently, I'm on The Walking Dead. I dig it so far, which is why I'm surprised at the vehement criticism on message boards. This is why I distance myself from online discussion. It is poisonous. I'd rather enjoy the show with its caveats than obsess about every "failing." This has been the strongest season in a long time, or maybe my expectations are so low that just about anything halfway decent is an upgrade over previous seasons.

Speaking of anime, I'm watching A Certain Magical Index since the manga got me interested. The introduction is a slog. If I didn't already know what was going to happen, I would've dropped it right then and there. Honestly, the whole show is kind of weird. I don't know why I'm watching it when the story doesn't grip me. It's just barely interesting enough to keep me watching.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/23/14 - Mockingjay

Mockingjay Part 1 wasn't as bad as I thought. I mean, it's the weakest in the trilogy for sure, but I was expecting all build up and no payoff. There was at least some action to redeem the movie from becoming a total slog. The quality of a movie is measured by how much my friend and I talk about it after walking out of the theater, which in this case, wasn't very much.

Since the evening was still  young, we went to the Haven Gastropub at the circle. It had a nice ambiance but it was undone by middling food. I had French onion soup because my throat was feeling scratchy and I didn't want to eat something heavy in preparation for dinner at home. Considering what I had for dinner tonight, I made the right choice.

I don't know if my taste buds are messed up, but I'm frequently appalled by the the price to taste ratio disparity at these places. I don't think I'll ever find an appreciation for fine dining. I'm paying two to three times more for marginally better tasting food. Say what you want about fast food, but at least I don't feel guilty about it.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/22/14 - Total Refund

I bought some clothes last week online. When they finally arrived, I found out that they didn't fit me. The perils of online shopping for clothes. I went to the UPS store today and sent it all back--except for the boxers. They were only things that fit. I was originally supposed to see a movie today but my movie buddy had impromptu plans with the family. I decided to catch up on Destiny. I watched a couple movies and went to bed. It was a great, relaxing day. The entire week, I've been driving around and doing stuff. It's great to settle down and be unproductive. It's only when you're doing something, does doing nothing feel so good.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/21/14 - Fortune Cookies

I don't believe in fate in the traditional sense. I believe that all possibilities have already occurred and this present timeline is merely a navigation in accordance to our one-dimensional perception. That's why I take a great deal in pleasure from experiencing that cosmic phenomenon known as "coincidence."

I cracked open a fortune cookie and it told me that I'll be seeing someone I haven't seen in a long time. Today, I met my friend from San Diego during lunch. It's been months since we last saw each other. He's been going through a period of rapid development. Life is certainly spinning on its gears for him. I won't say anymore for the purposes of privacy.

For some reason, I could not concentrate at all today. I was working at 50% capacity. I think I've already arrived at the point where I just don't care anymore. That was faster than expected. What can I do? Other than refocusing and put more effort in?

This weekend couldn't come fast enough.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/20/14 - Super Mornings

Since I can count the number of days that I've woken up at five in the morning on one hand, I can remember this one vividly. Instead of taking the highway, I took the streets since traffic has got to be lighter at this time, right? Nope. Traffic lights be cramping my style, even at five in the morning. It didn't matter since I'm limited by the first man at work who has the keys. He's the gatekeeper. I can't go inside until he opens the door, so I chilled in the car.

Despite the amazingly early morning, I managed to get all my work in on time (courtesy of a fifteen minute lunch) and set out to take the Eligibility Technician test for the county. The test location was smack dab in downtown, which meant a lot of one-way streets and parking hassle.

Once I got inside, the familiar feeling of taking a test returned to me. Funnily enough, the only part I'm absolutely confident on is the math portion, but that's primarily because the level of arithmetic is grade school level. Kind of makes you think about the competency of government employees. I won't know my results until December, and they probably won't be hiring until fall of next year. All the qualifications in the world don't matter against the ironclad obstacle known as government bureaucracy.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/19/14 - Filler Day

Is it just me, or is Wednesday perpetually doomed to be a filler day? It's smack dab in the middle of the week. I can't remember that far back. I assume I went to work, with minor deviations in how I handled lunch, and then went home to work out and go to sleep. Boom. I've accurately summarized 90% of my current schedule. A quick glance through my browsing history reveals that I've read threads on NeoGAF about the terrible state of the Master Chief Collection for the Xbox One. Broken games seems to be a running theme this year.

I went to sleep early (earlier than usual anyways) to prepare for tomorrow's schedule crunch. It's gonna be another super morning.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/18/14 - The Long Raid

The raid took a lot longer than it should have. Heck, this whole session of Destiny went two hours overboard. I wanted to jump in and get out, but liabilities be liabilities.

I managed to finish an episode of The Walking Dead somehow. Having fun shouldn't be a chore. I guess I can't complain. There's a these new games coming out like Dragon Age and Far Cry, but when I look at my backlog, I return to earth. Until I beat all these games, there's absolutely no point in buy anything new.

Gotta squeeze value from old investments, baby.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/17/14 - Staying Open

I woke up at 5 and went to work super early. Why would I get up at such a godforsaken hour? Because I had an interview that afternoon. If I wanted to get there, I'd have to get out early.

It was an interesting drive. I've only driven this early about a couple times in my life. The last time I could remember was for my final. I think it was for... Japanese? No, it couldn't be. Well... Maybe. Crap. I don't even remember anymore.

It was early enough that the sun was barely coming up. It felt like dusk, but in reverse. It felt strange since it was so dark. I'd like to try driving out into the open and watch the sun rise like they do in those car commercials. They might be on to something.

It was nice to get off work with daylight outside. I got home, changed my clothes, and went to the interview. I think I did alright. Since I have a job in my back pocket, I'm not too fussed about it. If I get an offer, I'm gonna have to weigh the pros and cons. While I'd like to make more money, I like how flexible and easygoing my current job is too.

Decisions, decisions...

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/16/14 - Old Guys Doin' Work

I watched a lot of movies today. I saw The Equalizer, Taken 2, and A Walk Among the Tombstones. I'm sure you've noticed a consistent theme here. I was just in one of those moods to see old guys kick ass.

I also wanted to prepare myself in case Tak3n is awesome, but considering Megaton is helming again, I don't have my hopes up. His scenes usually have three cuts too many. There's no reason to switch between the front, back, and side when Liam Neeson is walking through a hallway. It's annoyingly disorientating. As much crap as I give Greengrass, at least he has a consistent vision.

Saints with another unceremonious loss and my slide in fantasy football continues. Is it a coincidence that I start losing after I get my job? Probably not. The demands of time sure are harsh.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/15/14 - Absorption

I can't see quality at a glance. This usually happens with highly regarded movies that don't blow me away with sheer awesome, but the more I think about it, the better it becomes in my head until finally... I see the light.

I saw Birdman today and while it is a technical masterpiece, I left the theater feeling lukewarm. But now that I've had the time to about it, I recognize its brilliance.

One of its defining features is the extended cut concept. Aside from the beginning and end, the movie is one long continuous shot that transitions cleverly through time and space. It's reminiscent of the final sequence in Children of Men.

I don't know what it is about Mexican directors and long shots, but I love it. Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro Iñárritu are technical masters of cinematography.

I got home and watched School of Rock. Richard Linklater seems to be severely underrated, considering his excellent filmography. He's on my radar now, and I can't wait to see what he's done.

I've been in a movie mood lately. Time to watch some more.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/14/4 - Deliberate Delay

Since it was Friday, I knew going home would be a hassle. I stayed behind later than usual to avoid the brunt of rush hour. It was only a marginal improvement. Don't get me wrong, it could've been a lot worse, but "marginally better" was not what I was expecting when "silky smooth" was my goal. I have to adjust my schedule for each day, it seems. No two days are the same. Some are lighter than others, and others are heavy as hell.

Got home in time to do the raid. It was smooth sailing until I screwed up and made us all wipe at the end. Just a minor setback though. We beat it quickly enough, and I received enough resources to get all my characters to level 30. I am now done with this game. There's nothing more I have to do except raids.

Destiny took up a lot of time, which forced me to rush through my workout. This was a good thing because it showed me how much time I was wasting between reps. I got everything under an hour.

All of a sudden, I feel like I've got more time in the day. Gotta take advantage of this development next week.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/13/14 - System Persistence

It's when I've already accepted a job offer do other opportunities come knocking on my door. It would be a dick move to quit when I've just started, but depending on how these other opportunities pan out, I may have to do exactly just that. At least this time, if I fail the interview, I lose nothing but a bit of time--but considering how scarce that has been, maybe I have more to lose than I thought.

It's funny that all the applications I sent out in a flurry are still doing work for me. It's just floating through the system, waiting for keen eyes to pick me up. I'll expect firms to be contacting me up until the new year.

It's nice to feel wanted.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/12/14 - Stacked Evenings

I was totally out of it today. It must've been the raid. I went to bed at the usual time, but I think it was an accumulation of late nights, and the raid was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Work was a real slog. Normally, I devote 100% of my attention to the task at hand, but now that I'm familiar with the workflow, I'm starting to sneak in those moments of slacking off. I'm slipping already.

My friend invited me to Starbucks after work. It was a prelude to a house visit. Our plans to move out together had culminated into a condo with four bedrooms for $2200 a month. By any stretch of the imagination, that was a steal. We couldn't move forward without the okay from one of our prospective housemates, but he was suspiciously absent from the tour.

I hardly had a moment's rest from the moment I woke up. Eight straight hours of work, hit up Starbucks and Flame Broiler, discuss terms at a Japanese restaurant, check out the condo, and get home only to eat melon slices for dessert. My stomach didn't have room for dinner and I was too lazy to reheat the meat.

The one thing I regret was not working out. I skipped it because it was such a busy day, but I could've gone through with it had I foregone Destiny. As much I say I'm going to drop it, I'm still playing it. It's only because I'm really close to getting all characters to 30. Once I do that, I'm done...

Until the expansion comes out in December anyways.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/11/14 - Thank the Veterans

I didn't have the day off, but all the people who normally clog the highway did. For the first time, I was able to use the freeway to go to work.

Holiday or not, those freeway interchanges always slow to a crawl. I think I prefer the surface roads. The lights may troll me all the time, but at least I don't have idiots up against my bumper. I got to work thirty minutes early and left by the same margin. I actually got home at a reasonable time.

Since it was Tuesday, I pulled down a double raid in Destiny. I ran my two level 29's. All my characters officially have the gear to turn 30. It's just a matter of grinding for XP and materials now.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/10/14 - Can't Think That Far Back

Ever since establishing a degree of regularity with work, the only thing I can say definitively is that I went to work. Everything else is a blur.

I've been experimenting with my allotted lunch time. I can take lunch whenever I want, so I've been trying to do it off peak hours. I'm starting to get a feel for the flow of traffic around this area. It might take a couple more weeks, but I'll be a pro in no time.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/9/14 - The Scramble

My time has been getting squeezed. I tell myself that I'll do all these things but they take much longer than I expect. Those wasted minutes accumulate into hours and before I know it, it's nightfall. This must be the so-called working life.

My uncles came over on an unexpected visit bearing tidings from Pizza Hut. That was my breakfast and lunch. The Saints game was still in the first half but I had to go to church. They were down by a lot. By the time I came back, they were tied and in overtime. The Saints had a chance to win it, but that BS fumble at the end was a sign that I was going to lose my fantasy match up. That's two losses in a row. Since I've got this job, I couldn't care less about football, but still...nobody likes to lose.

I went with a friend to check out an apartment. It was a nice place, but we quickly realized that we were too hasty and excited about the idea of moving out. It isn't exactly the season for moving. For the best deal, we decided to put the search on hold until next year. I've got all the time in the world. No need to rush. I'd like to build up some capital and spend some time with the niece.

I caught up on The Walking Dead but didn't have enough time to watch the latest episode. Like I said, time is a premium. My sleep was more important. I can always watch TV later.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/8/14 - Interstellar Pressure

Although I got more sleep than I would during the weekdays, I still woke up early. I expected to be up around noon. I was off by a couple hours. I'll take this as a good sign. It means my sleep schedule is normalizing.

I squeezed in a Nightfall before I headed out to see Interstellar. We were late. The only seats left were the front row. We decided to wait for a later showing. It wasn't a long wait--only about thirty minutes since one of our friends came late anyways.

Interstellar was quite a journey. It made me go back to this one manga called Murasakiiro no Qualia that applied quantum theory as a form of superpower. It's definitely one of the more thought provoking works I've read.

After the movie, we went to the Tilted Kilt and had some Happy Hour specials. I went to my friends house afterward and we just talked about stuff. Somehow, the idea of moving out and living together came up. All of a sudden, we're looking for a new place to move into.

How the hell did this happen?

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/7/14 - A Heady Day

I've got a good idea of how my weeks will go from now on. I've already experienced mournful Mondays to fidgety Fridays in my first week. I'm synchronized, baby.

I was less focused than usual today. It's that weekend anticipation. I can't wait to see Interstellar tomorrow.

I've got a handle on what I'm supposed to do, so my goal for next week is to be more outgoing. I have some rapport with the guy works across from me but I'm isolated from everybody else. That's what happens when you work in an office and not a cubicle. I'll just introduce myself to everybody around me. Who knows? Maybe I'll stick to someone.

I got home in time to squeeze in two raids. Compared to past attempts, it went by like clockwork. We got this down to a science--at least until the next patch.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/6/14 - The Cart Before the Horse

When I was still awake at 3 in the morning, I knew I was in for a world of hurt. I've been running on fumes lately. I'm averaging about five hours of sleep a night. Despite the creaking protests of my body, I was able to get up.

My dreams act as a sort of internal alarm clock. When I know I have to get up early, I usually dream about something dangerous like getting fired. The outcome is so shocking and undesirable, I snap myself awake. First comes the relief, then the despair of knowing that I have a full day ahead of me.

When I got home this evening, I laid in bed and almost fell asleep. My little brother prevented me from dozing off when he walked in. I suddenly realized that I had to take a shower. I can tell the exhaustion is already catching up to me. Heck, at this rate, it's in front of me. I might as well check out in advance.

During lunch, I explored the area around my workplace for future reference. It's the case where things look convenient on paper but in reality, there's so much traffic everywhere that it takes forever to do anything. Half my lunch was probably wasted in traffic, waiting in line, and trying to get around in a parking lot. I need to take earlier or later lunches because this ain't working for me.

After work, I hit up a nearby Starbucks to gauge its potential as a hangout spot. The WiFi didn't work on my phone and my Green Tea Frap might as well have been a lump of green-colored ice. Disappointed but now enlightened, I hit up the Subway across the way. They're usually my go-to for something light and easy. I wouldn't exactly call their food healthy but compared to other options, it's probably my best bet.

Unfortunately, it was the most stale sandwich I've had from Subway in a long time. Are you noticing a trend here? I think every restaurant, cafe, and fast food joint put their B-team out during the evenings, because service was dreadfully slow and the final product uncharacteristically awful. Maybe it's just one of those days where all the bad coincidences line up in perfect fashion.

At least I've gotten to know the area a little better. Slowly, but surely, I'm figuring out the best tricks and shortcuts. Just gotta keep hacking it.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/5/14 - Hell Ride

It took me an entire hour to get home.

If I had made that statement during the drive, there wouldn't be enough #*%&#'s to contain my displeasure. I've determined that going home "early," if it's not before 4:00, is a complete and utter waste of time. Whoever's in charge of infrastructure needs to be sacked immediately. There's absolutely no reason for the county to start construction on all major streets from Lincoln to Grand at the same time.

The worst thing about all this? The roadwork started on the very first day of my job. What kind of awful timing is this? I seriously feel the urge to kill something because of all this latent rage that's been building up. I'm not even gonna go home anymore. What's the point?

I'm a man of solutions and that means I won't be jumping into this nonsense again. I think it's time to dust off the Vita and do some gaming on the go. I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to whip it out because I sure as hell ain't playing it when the PS4 is next to me.

I've been listening to a lot of Christian rock lately. I tend to tune out the copious mentions of God and Jesus and focus on the music. Since I've been going to church every Sunday for the last twenty years of my life, my affinity for gospel sound shouldn't be surprising. I find a lot of it catchy, and more importantly, there's a distinct absence of club influence or dubstep. I guess autotune and religion don't mix well. That's fine by me. I always prefer legit instruments to whatever synthesized sound is popular these days.

There's still too many things I need to figure out, like the most optimal route to work and back. I'm playing it by ear. I've found a good solution for the moment, but I want to lock it down. I also need a go-to for lunch, because I'm not eating Panda Express every day. I need variety, cheaper options, and healthier choices.

I'll probably take hour long lunches from now on because I hate rushing through my meal and leaving thirty minutes earlier doesn't mean much when traffic is crap for two straight hours. My workplace doesn't have wi-fi so chilling around there doesn't make sense either. I spotted a Starbucks in the plaza near my workplace. Perhaps I should hang out there after work from now on?

I don't know. I probably won't lock anything down until after a month, and by then, I'll be too busy eating turkey for Thanksgiving to care. As long I've got enough time to ramble on in these Event Logs, I should be in good shape.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/4/14 - Sitting in the Dark

If any of you care to look at my post dates, you can see that I have no set time for publishing. I write whenever I get the chance, or when I can gather up enough motivation to pump out what has increasingly become busywork.

Here I am, sitting in the dark at 1:30 in the morning, my fingers pecking away at the keyboard as my mind struggles to remember the delirious daze that transpired in the last couple hours. I gotta wonder, what have I become?

I'd like to think that in the far flung future, when aliens examine the remnants of the once great human civilization, they'll come across my dingy online journal and use it as a prime example of life on earth. It's a fun thought. While I often imagine ambitious outcomes for my future, I'm a realist at heart.

That doesn't mean I'll stop trying to become the best writer I can be. Where there's a will, there's definitely a way. My cushy new job is proof of that. In those gray months of unemployment, the idea of working was unfathomable. I couldn't imagine it. Now I don't have to. Somehow, I galvanized enough of my hidden potential, natural charisma, and clever ingenuity to get what I wanted. If I can do that on a consistent basis, I'll be invincible.

I visited my friend after work. We went to Rubio's for fish taco Tuesdays and hit up Starbucks afterward. I talked a lot about my work but the main topic of our discussion was tentative plans for a trip to Tokyo, Japan next year. The trip hinges entirely on taking advantage of credit card sign up bonuses and using those points to travel for "free." Otherwise, I'd be down several thousand dollars doing it legit through good old fashioned saving. Anything to grease the wheels is welcome in my book.

Never in my life have I traveled out of the country, so it's with a small envy that I look upon photos of people that I used to know in foreign countries on Facebook. My first thought is how do they afford this? The only way I can make myself feel better is to assume that they're using student loan money to travel. In which case, y'all screwing up big time!

I can only hope that they're dumb enough to do so. It's not fair that they get to travel all over the world while I'm here begging for scraps. Not anymore. I'm gonna save up and make a Facebook post so epic, everyone will feel compelled to comment--even those who aren't even my friends.

Jomatto's Greatest Adventure...

Coming 2015.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/3/14 - First Day Again

It's not very often to have a first day. Whether it's for school, a new job, or anything, those first days can really leave an impression. It hit me while I was sitting in my new office that I'm finally back on the grind. I've been grinding for the last couple months, but now I'm getting paid for it.

I'm thinking about starting a separate log for my work activities. Since I'm not an idiot, I'll make it private so I won't accidentally divulge company secrets or draw undue interest from vigilant eyes, possibly leading to a cataclysmic chain of events culminating in my firing. Sorry, but I won't say much about work. It's boring. You don't want to hear about it anyways.

Since work now comprises 70% of my day, with the other 20% devoted to working out, that leaves me with just 10% for Event Logs. Forget about watching movies or playing games anymore. My time has disappeared in a flash. I can understand why my friend is in a perpetual state of "busy," but I'm gonna try my hardest to stay true to my style. Just because I'm making bank doesn't mean I have to let go of the things I love. Trust me, I'll get around to updating my fanfiction someday.

Just not today.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/2/14 - Sliding Off the Cliff

In the summers of my long lost adolescence, the last day of summer vacation carried the weight of grand expectations. I should go out with a bang, right? But without fail, the last day passed like any other without pomp and circumstance.

While a big bang is appealing in theory, in practice, I'm much more likely to let change come as it may. No flash, but a quiet transition. I don't need trumpets announcing every stage of my life. Thus, my last Sunday of unemployment passed peacefully.

I have no idea what to expect tomorrow. I have a vague idea but there's nothing like jumping headfirst into the unknown. Before I submit myself to the clutches of my employer's design, I wanted to finish off my Halloween movie marathon.

The first movie was a black comedy featuring Tom Hanks called The 'Burbs. Charismatic as he may be, he alone can't save a bog standard, paranoia-fueled, slapstick comedy about suspicious neighbors who may or may not be killers. Thanks to this movie, I discovered that Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher are the same age. This reaffirms my belief that women don't age as gracefully as men--at least in Hollywood.

The second film is a classic from Hitchcock, The Birds. I found myself smiling the entire way through. The sinister birds in question act as a mere backdrop for a pair of neurotic lovers. I found their hijinks highly amusing. My favorite scene takes place in a diner where the townspeople begin to speculate about the reason behind the bird attacks. You have the doomsday prophet, the expert skeptic, and the hysterical lady, all classic character archetypes. The scene eventually culminates in a car explosion. How can you not like that?

I finished the night late since I'm still in the process of pulling out Destiny's hooks. It'll take me a while before I can normalize my sleep schedule.

/eventlog

Event Log: 11/1/14 - Refresh

It's a new month, a new week, and a whole new routine from now on. This will be my last weekend of complete and total freedom. What do I do? The same thing I always do. Play games.

I've been going to the theaters a lot. The latest addition to my collection is Nightcrawler, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal. It's probably the best movie I've seen in theaters all year. I'd rank it above Gone Girl and possibly Interstellar.

You'd have to excuse my premature declaration, I'm still reeling from the movie's amazingness. That's subject to change other movies pending--I haven't seen the other contenders yet, such as Foxcatcher and Birdman. They might give Nightcrawler a run for its money, but it's sitting pretty at the top right now.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/31/14 - Halloween

I didn't do anything special. I neither got candy or gave it out. I stayed in my room and played Destiny all day. I guess it's a matter of overcompensating. When the end is nigh, I double down and try to get through one last hurrah before the next chapter of my life unfolds. It's a shame because I really wanted to post my new horror  on FF.net. I don't know if I've got the juice to pump out stories anymore. What am I saying? Of course I do. It's a matter of effort and energy, and since I'll be directing those into my new job, that doesn't leave a lot on the table for extracurricular activities.

On the other hand, with this infusion of stability into my schedule, it might make my writing easier. I was never as productive with my writing than when I was working. Funny how that works.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/30/14 - Taking It Easy

I'm taking it way too easy right now. Ever since I accepted that job offer, it's like nothing matters anymore. I'm set. There's no reason to do additional work. Everything on my plate amounts to a vanity project. I can just as easily ignore everything and sleep away the days. It's gonna be a sad goodbye.

I spent all of today on Destiny, but it's really a final parting session. I won't be able to play as much anymore, and I've just about wrapped up all my goals in the game. It only took me a couple hundred hours, but I've accomplished what I needed to. It's time to realign my budgets, set financial goals, get the ball rolling on some longstanding planned purchases, and hell, maybe get a girlfriend. Who knows. Tomorrow will be the last weekend of freedom.

On the bright side, the Saints vaulted back to the top of the abysmal NFC South. We back in the race, boys. Yeah!

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/29/14 - Project Intialized

I'm supposed to be writing a horror story right now but it's tough to get the ball rolling. Considering Halloween is just around the corner, I really gotta focus. I was able to make some progress but it's far from finished. I whittled away the time by watching Ninja's Destiny stream.

My friend unexpectedly invited me out for coffee at a new Starbucks that recently opened. It was a chance for me to share the good news. Now that we're all gainfully employed, the possibilities are unfolding before our very eyes. The future looks very exciting right now.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/28/14 - Destiny Tuesdays

I started the day off with Tenebre, another of Dario Argento's giallo classics from the 80's. I can't believe Argento is still alive. Prolific directors from that era have mostly expired, but he's still trucking on. His recent work leaves a lot to be desired. For some reason, the older a director gets, the worst they become, and this is why Tarantino intends to retire before he starts making movies nobody cares about.

Tenebre threw a few unexpected twists in the end. It's a good watch, but only for fans of the genre. T

The rest of the day was spent on completing weekly activities in Destiny. Not much else to say.

/eventlog

When It Rains...

I'm in the midst of a downpour. Fresh off the heels of my job offer, I got the results from my Store Clerk county exam. I was convinced I bombed it because I took it blind. Contrary to my fears, I scored in the A-category--the highest group. There's good, and then there's good without a conscience. Whatever challenges may come my way, I say "Bring it on!"

Event Log: 10/27/14 - Inevitable

I had an interview at a major medical device firm in Irvine. The preliminary process was all very professional. It took place in a neat building with keypad protected doors. Heck, on the way out, the receptionist even held the door out for me.

The actual interview itself, however, was conducted with all the flair of an amateur. I had instructions in my email to phone someone's cell phone so that I could be allowed onto the floor. It was suggested that I use the phone available outside the elevator, but for whatever reason, I couldn't get it to work.

It might've been one of those internal company phones that required a special code to call outside. In hindsight, I should've used the operator, but it didn't matter, because the person I was trying to call was in a conference anyways. That's the first sign of what I like to call "unprofessional conduct."

My interview was penciled at 3:45 sharp. I couldn't get into the floor until 4:00. I had to call the company that set up the interview to grease my way through. I was escorted to an empty room with blank monitors and carelessly strewn boxes. What am I, leftovers? There were long desks that lined the walls. It's a little hard to describe, but imagine an interview being conducted at a bar. The desk was the "counter top," and we faced each other on swivel chairs. It was a little awkward.

I had written previously that a good interview is a two-way street, but this street was strictly one-way. My interviewers (there were four of them) were all bored, reading from a dry script, with a completely disinterested demeanor. Their speech lacked any kind of enthusiasm. I've never felt more unwanted than the day I was left at the doorstep of an orphanage (fictional story).

I'm of the mind that I can only give what I'm given, but if I'm gonna be successful in the future, it doesn't matter how much the other side blows it. I just have to be strong enough to carry on for the both of us, and I'll drag them into a good interview regardless of their intentions or ability.

Funnily enough, it was during this interview that I got a call from the company I interviewed for last week. It was a bona fide job offer. I can't believe it. It's done. I'll have to say goodbye to my Long Vacation. No more late nights doing nothing but having fun. All of a sudden, I see nothing but possibilities in the future. Vegas 2.0 is on. I'll be joining the PC master race. It's time to get some new clothes. Etc, etc, etc.

To celebrate, I watched Psycho 2. It's well documented that Tarantino prefers the sequel over the original, but I'm gonna have to disagree. You can't topple the classics, although I think Psycho 2 is one of the better sequels in the genre.

Watching old movies is a bit tragic, especially when you like the actors. Chances are, they're already dead, irrelevant, or just plain old. It's a bigger shame for actresses since they were beautiful in their time. When I look up photos from today, it's disheartening to see why father time is undefeated. On the flipside, Barbara Crampton, of Stuart Gordon B-movie fame, has aged remarkably well. This scream queen is still looking good, even in her 50's.

It just goes to show that those who remain stars throughout their lives are a rare breed. Too many careers sputter out before they truly have a chance to shine. Hollywood ain't no place for the faint of spirit.

I'll be starting next week, which means I'll have to make some crucial decisions regarding my ongoing projects. I don't want to abandon them, but they have certainly plummeted in priority. Why do more work when I'm gonna be making money?

All aboard the gravy train, baby!

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/26/14 - Changing Tides

I can sense a change in the air. I already know what it is since I'm writing this from tomorrow, but even then, something felt different when I woke up this Sunday morning. Maybe it's because I watched my horror movie early for once, or maybe it's because the Saints won by an overwhelming margin over the Packers, or maybe it's because the parking lot at church is finally done--whatever the case, it signaled a clear change of direction in my life.

Speaking of horror, I watched V/H/S 2, which is clearly the best installment in the series--but that isn't saying much. A lot of people seem high on Gareth Evans' short and the one with the zombies in the woods, but since I'm tired of zombies lately, I like the first short the best even though most thought it was mediocre. I'm a sucker for cheap scares, and when it comes to the supernatural, nothing gets me like peeking through a doorway in first-person only to have a face pop up out of nowhere. It loses steam in the end like all ghost stories but at least the lead up was fun.

When you watch a lot of horror, you notice a lot of overlap and influences. The genre is notorious for recycling, so I couldn't help but notice the trend of "dejawing." In the Orphanage, old lady is missing a jaw; in V/H/S 2, the guy's missing a jaw; even in Hannibal, dead guy is missing a jaw. I'd mention Braindead too, but Braindead has everything so it doesn't count. Next to eye gouging, a dejawing is probably the most horrific example of facial disfigurement--aside from a complete cranial explosion anyways. It's unsettling to see a tongue hang out where a jaw should be, but missing any part of the body is cause for concern.

For the rest of the day, I watched Gotham up to the current episode. It's got an interesting parallel structure where Gordon's rise in the ranks is mirrored by Penguin's similar trajectory in the underworld. They both have to defer to the powers that be until their time comes to shine.

The set design has remained consistent and the city feels more like Gotham than it does in The Dark Knight where it might as well be called Chicago. I'm not too fond of Jada Pinkett Smith or Detective Angel Batista (from Dexter) as an Italian mob boss, but I give a lot of credit to the guy who plays Penguin since he's the perfect scumbag.

Jim Gordon is solid but nothing special. That's typically what happens when you play a straight-laced guy. Alfred is played interestingly, perhaps more like his counterpart in Earth One than the traditionally wry sarcastic butler we've come to appreciate. He's a bit abrasive, but a lot nicer than the special ops version of Alfred in the aforementioned Earth One.

As the series goes on, the plot has gotten more and more "cartoony," so to speak. The villains are becoming more colorful and I'm surprised by the level of violence on display. You got dudes getting their eyes poked out by metal spikes and contract killers running around burning councilmen in open oil drums. The onslaught of corruption and mayhem sort of reminds me of The Shield, but with flavor.

Watching all this Gotham got me curious about the comics. I read Batman: Year One, The Court of Owls, and Earth One. Earth One is a reboot of the series that hasn't had a followup since it was released in 2012. Year One, of course, is the definitive origin story. I had watched the cartoon movie that's based on Year One so I was already familiar with the plot. The movie featured Ben McKenzie (the guy who plays Gordon in Gotham) as Bruce Wayne, and Bryan Cranston lent his voice talents as Gordon. Funny how that works out. In Year One, Gordon is a real badass.

After exhausting the Batman issues, I felt like reading some more comics and put a few more Spider-Man issues under my belt. I like Batman as much as the next guy, but the web crawler will always be my favorite superhero.

I guess I relate more than a down on his luck Peter Parker than a billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/25/14 - Dip in the Water

I woke up early for my niece's baptism. We got a little lost when we arrived, accidentally wandering into a wedding before we found the place. We were wondering why everyone was dressed so formally. Funny mistake. The ceremony proceeded smoothly for the most part. When it was time for the babies to get baptized, one of the ladies in charge tried fruitlessly to quiet down the crowd. Everybody decided it was the perfect chance to make small talk. It's baffling how a group of adults could be so disrespectful in a time of sacred silence.

After the ceremony, we went out for Korean BBQ. Why are all KBBQ places sticky? It's kind of disgusting. I ate until I was full, but not to the point of bursting like I tend to do at these places. I even had room for ice cream--the cone was stale though. It tasted like cardboard. I guess that's why the ice cream is free as part of the all you can eat package.

Bulgogi is my go-to, so I was disappointed that the place served incredibly chewy pieces. I had to swallow some whole because of how tough it was to break down. My brother-in-law kept talking about how the place uses better quality meat than others, but I'm thinking that Gen is superior in every way. If you wanna hit up a good KBBQ joint, that's where you go.

My little brother dropped me off at the movie theater to watch John Wick with my friends. I like the movie. It's got influences from Johnny To, Michael Mann, and Equilibrium. It's got some of the best shootouts I've seen since...I don't even know. It's unique, fluid, and great fun, and reminiscent of the heroic bloodshed Hong Kong style, but a lot more steady and stylish.

After the movie, we went on a wild goose chase to find the perfect place to drink. We even hit up a bar rescue bar, but the endeavor involved more driving than drinking. I didn't think it was possible to do so much for it to mean so little in the end.

To cap the night, I watched V/H/S Viral, the third in the horror anthology series. It's available as a VOD (similar release strategy as Snowpiercer), but its theatrical release is in November. It's a surefire shoe-in for omega bomba status because it sucks.

The found-footage genre reached its peak with REC and it's been downhill ever since. It's a dead end. Horror is an incredibly contrived genre, and to bring the contrivance of people carrying cameras even in the most terrifying situations is adding contrivance on top of contrivance. It's contrived to the point of pure distraction. I can't take what I'm seeing seriously if all I'm thinking is why these morons don't just toss the damn camera already. "Bonestorm" is probably the dumbest short of them all.

I consider this another shameful addition to "mumblegore," For all the hoopla about Hollywood's creative bankruptcy in horror, The Conjuring is still one of the best ones in recent memory, and that's totally a high-budget studio production. Unless these dudes can produce something on the level of Evil Dead, I'm just gonna forget about them.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/24/14 - Phenomenal

I cashed in on an interview that was set up on short notice yesterday. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it went well. I'll know by next week whether I'll get it or not. Afternoon interviews are always killer on my schedule. It's not early enough that I have time to spare and it's not late enough that I can squeeze in my obligations beforehand. As soon as I went home, it was almost all Destiny. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to squeeze in Dario Argento's Phenomena, featuring the young Jennifer Connelly.

Phenomena easily wins the award for best twist ending, handily snatching it from Sleepaway Camp. Even for people who never intend to see the movie, I hesitate to reveal what actually happens. I suggest you look it up on YouTube if you're really curious and don't care about spoilers.

Because I'm lazy (and the fact that it's Friday), I didn't get to my workout until 1 in the morning. I finished at around 3. I could've skipped my last post on JomattoPro, but I didn't want to let it pass. If I make a habit of it, I'll let too many things escape. Even if things get away from me, I can always catch it back. I just need to make an effort.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/23/14 - Marathons of Marathons

Today was an avalanche of movies and TV. I don't what got into me. I felt like kicking back and turning my brain off. All I had to do was keep my eyes peeled and my ears open. As much as I love gaming, I need some passive activity to numb my hyperactive mind.

Since I skipped out on movies for the last two days, I wanted to catch up in one fell swoop. I started off with a strange one called Society. It's about a kid who feels isolated from his rich family. He eventually discovers that his family and all of high society are of a different species that literally suck the life out of the poor. I'm sure it's supposed to be a metaphor for the class struggle, but it devolves into prosthetic effects overload in the end where the final confrontation has the main character turn the antagonist literally inside out. Who knew the rich were rotten and full of maggots inside?

I dug deeper into Peter Jackon's library with Bad Taste. The premise is simple: aliens have attacked small towns in New Zealand. A small group of badasses move in to solve the problem, which involves copious amounts of gunfire, stabbings, chainsaws, and rocket launchers. It's very dated. YouTube videos have better production values than this, but I suppose it was original and well done for its time, especially with its shoestring budget. To see the progression from Bad Taste to Braindead in terms of directorial skill is quite remarkable. PJ definitely got better with age, although some may argue a regression in recent times.

To round out the cinematic trifecta, I watched "House," a 1977 Japanese film about high school girls being eaten by a house in the countryside. It's a surreal experience that's very much a product of its time, chock full of hand-animated effects, painted backgrounds, and experimental green screen usage. It's briskly paced with all sorts of wipes, transitions, overlays, and a cacophonous audio mix with songs overlapping each other. It is the very definition of a psychedelic trip. Epileptics beware.

I was still hungry for more, so I finished the second season of Hannibal. I chewed through the last four episodes and I can't wait for next season. I've seen all the Hannibal Lecter movies and even read Red Dragon, so I, more or less, know what's going to happen, which is why it's exciting to see the writers throw wrenches into my expectations. Nobody is truly safe. Hannibal remains the most stylish show on TV right now. The cinematography is off the charts. More people need to watch this.

My new show for the season is Gotham. It wasn't the greatest pilot but the foundation is solid enough. It feels like they're really shoehorning in those character cameos though. I like the actor who plays Gordon. He's real solid. It's a standard detective show with corruption as the primary focus. The only other feature of note is the set design. They really went out out of their way to make Gotham a living, breathing, and believable alternate metropolis. The small flashes of the cityscape almost redeems the show for me. I just love the aesthetic.

To close the night, I watched the most recent two episodes of The Walking Dead. I have to say, I already like this season a lot more than the past, although the writers have a bad tendency to press the reset button between seasons.

[Spoiler alert] After all that buildup to get to Terminus at the end of last season, it gets destroyed in one episode. But they remedy this quickly with the second episode, when it turns out, those Terminus folk are still alive. Even more exciting, it seems like they're setting up the "Butcher" as the new villain, who sound suspiciously like Negan from the comics. Speaking of the recent episode, Bob is totally infected and those fools just ate tainted meat. I wonder if they're gonna have Rick kill people by pointing at them like in the comics? Obviously, he didn't kill them with his pointing power, it's because Andrea was sniping (yes, she's still alive in the comics). [End spoiler alert]

There's some solid continuity in this season and they have a concrete goal. My problem with previous seasons is that they're always waffling around in one place, so it might be good to have them be constantly on the move and hunted. On the other hand, they might make it to Washington in one episode. You never know with these writers. Either way, it's a strong start. I might not be ashamed to say I like this year.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/22/14 - Overtake

The problem with sacrificing days is that it forces me to catch up tomorrow. In some ways, I'm sacrificing two for the sake of one.

I doubled my workload and slogged through my self-assigned proceedings. That means double Event Logs, double Tumblr posts, and double JomattoPro entries. Speaking of JomattoPro, I've garnered more likes than usual for my first foray into fashion. It's a bit gratifying to see my projects panning out, and since I'm on a roll, I'll have to stay committed. I wonder if I'll have enough time to do everything I want.

Because of all this activity, I'm scheduling a triple header for tomorrow. I caught a little bit of the Lakers-Blazers game and saw flashes of potential from our rookie corps. I'm a fan of Lin, so it's good to see him get some burn too. We finished up the hard raid and then went through it on normal on our alts. Easy breezy. What took us an entire week last time only took us two nights. There's the value in experience, and I suppose that's why it's the most sought after commodity from prospective employees. You can't teach experience.  

I think it's funny that the more I do, the less I have to talk about in Event Logs. It's because what I "do" is create content similar to this, in which case, my works speak for themselves.

I've only heard of John Wick today, but since it's 90+ on RT and features Keanu Reeves, it's become an instant watch. The reviews seem positively glowing too. I could use a good action flick with all the horror I've been watching lately.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/21/14 - Location Not Found

I had another interview today but I couldn't find the place and missed out. From the look of things, I won't be getting a second chance. I don't feel too bad about it because I got sketchy vibes from the whole ordeal.

The entire affair was conducted with amateur finesse. Key information was not communicated and I was left with no lifeline to hold on to in case of emergency. Rather than be miserable about it, I'll take it as a life lesson and move on to brighter and more competent endeavors. The faster I could put this nonsense behind me, the better.

It's an extreme overreaction on my part because of the frustration, but I sacrificed my entire day to Destiny. I resigned myself to catching up on all my tasks tomorrow, including another horror double header.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/20/14 - Whatever Happened

I had an interview in the morning. I didn't have much time to prepare, so I tried to relax as much as possible. It didn't go amazing, but it didn't go terrible. I really do need to draft a personal template for interviews. I know I can be polished, but given the time between interviews and the particular differences in their needs, I need a template that can be tweaked to specific situations on demand.

For today's selection, I watched Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? This is probably my new favorite from the black and white "classic" era. Baby Jane has got to be one of the most despicable onscreen villains I've had the pleasure of watching in a long time. She's heinous because of how real her brand of familial maliciousness is. I don't doubt that there siblings out there with a similar level of enmity towards each other, and it's kind of sad to think about. It takes all kinds, I tell you.

We beat the final boss in the hard raid just in time for the weekly refresh. It only took us about six tries. It was a quick fight compared to our struggles in the past week. All I got out of it was a legendary sparrow.

Not there was any question, but my win in fantasy was confirmed once Monday Night Football ended. It's impossible to make up a 50 point deficit with one player.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/19/14 - A Quiet Sunday

Today should've been preparation for tomorrow's interview, but I'm always getting sidetracked by something. It took us three days, but we finally got past the Gatekeeper in the hard raid. Now we just have to beat the final boss.

When I woke up, I looked up the scoreboard for the NFL. Saints lose by one point. This season's a lost cause. At least I'm winning in fantasy.

I watched You're Next on Netflix. It's apparently part of a new wave of indie horror dubbed "mumblegore." I'm not impressed. It's lacking the energy that characterized the previous generation of horror filmmakers, which includes trailblazers like Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi. Their work is classic. This stuff? Just feels like low-rent wannabe high concept.

You're Next is actually pretty good in terms of suspense, but the twist does not redeem a bad intro or the fizzing out in the final act. It's one of those movies that, when you think about it, is fundamentally flawed at the premise. It's a shame since the moment-to-moment suspense is good. If it had a stronger plot, I wouldn't be so annoyed.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/18/14 - Weekly Outings

I got up early so I could cash in on my double header. I started The Innocents, a black and white Victorian horror from Britain. It wasn't as mesmerizing as other movies I've seen from the era. A large part of my lukewarm reception has to do with the lead. She's naive to a fault and has no idea what she's doing, but halfway through, she starts making illogical leaps in thinking. It tows that line that makes us wonder, is she going crazy or is there really a ghost? I like that type of questionable horror but it really depends on the lead. She became irrational much too quickly for my taste.

Next up on the plate was Dead Alive, also known as Braindead, by Peter Jackson. It's funny to see this movie, which probably represents the height of practical gore effects, in the filmography of today's most excessive employer of CG. Budget really does make a difference. One of the things that stand out are the abundance of close ups in B-movie fashion.

It takes place in New Zealand, so everybody speaks with that quirky accent. The plot deals with a rat monkey whose bite turns people into zombies. Someone on IMDB once said it was a reverse zombified version of Norman Bates story in Psycho; it's quite an apt description. In typical Peter Jackson fashion, the movie drags near the end with obscene excess, but every frame is filled with such energy that it's hard to fault him for it. This is probably one of, if not, the most gory movie I have ever seen.

Most gore movies restrict themselves in some way, either because of budget or limitations on creativity. You might get a decapitation here, a dismemberment there, and some intestinal play, but I've never seen a movie go the full nine yards in terms of gore. Dead Alive is the first movie to go the distance. The entire human body is subject to evisceration. You've got splitting faces, rib cage removals, spinal extractions, head blenders, facial peeling, and even crawling organ monsters. The sheer creativity and inventiveness makes me wish Peter Jackson would go back and make a horror comedy with his new CG toys. I can't even imagine how that insanity would look like on screen.

Dead Alive is a new inductee in my zombie movie hall of fame. It's disgustingly brilliant.

With all my movies finished, it was time to go drinking with friends. It started out with dinner at Twin Dragon, a Chinese fast food joint. I got an orange chicken bowl. Having satisfied my appetite, we went to Cafe Tu Tu Tango for drinks. There were four of us in total. We hung out and drank outside to the tune of weird "Moroccan" music, complete with a roaming belly dancer. She tried to get a gentleman to dance with her, but he didn't seem to have any idea of what was going on or what to do. Don't you hate it when people can't let loose and have a little fun at their own expense?

We tried to hit up Dave and Busters but the overpriced three dollar cover put the kibosh on that plan. We went to El Torito instead, which was nice, since they offered complimentary salsa chips. I had the mango mojito which wasn't too bad. It's unfortunate we started the night so early because I missed out on meeting another friend who couldn't come because he got off work late.

I went home and played Destiny as I listened to my friends chat over Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. I got a little carried away in PVP and didn't get to sleep until 5. Since I've got interviews on Monday and Tuesday, I only have Sunday to prepare for everything. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/17/14 - ROI

The battery ran out on my phone, which made me get up later than expected. The secret to my recent success has been an early rising--at least that's what I thought. Perhaps because I was short on time, I went on a tear today. I've secured two job interviews for next week, which means my hard work is paying off. This is no time to relax though. Just because I get one or two hits doesn't mean I can be smug. I still gotta stay on my toes.

I've been getting better at finishing my work early. Destiny is still drawing too much attention, but between job hunting, horror movie watching, and my writing, I'm doing an admirable job juggling everything. My only caveat is that I need to focus on each individual task more often. I keep jumping from assignment to assignment like I'm "multitasking," the very thing I blasted in my latest entry on JomattoPro. It's a symptom of my inability to focus. I admit, I eventually get things done, but I wonder if I'm doing it inefficiently.

Today's movies were The Orphanage, a Spanish film produced by Guillermo del Toro, and The Devil's Rejects, written and directed by Rob Zombie. From the very beginning of The Orphanage, I felt that it was something special. Once the end credits rolled, my initial assumption was correct.

Out of all the modern horror movies I've seen this month, this is probably my favorite. I got very strong vibes similar to The Others, which is another Spanish film production. There must be something in the water over in Spain that helps them create some really good ghost stories.

What I like most about The Orphanage is the strong emotional core. It also has the del Toro fairy tale quality where the afterlife is simply a continuation of existence where love triumphs above all. I've never been a fan of following loved ones into the void. I like to stay firmly on the side of the living for as long as I can.

Despite how well I like the film, it falls into the same traps that annoy me in every other supernatural thriller, and that is the nonsensical nature of "hauntings." Even if I were to believe that ghosts exist, there is no logical reason for them to screw around with the living for no other purpose than to freak them out. It's a movie contrivance meant to scare the characters onscreen and the audience, but in terms of plot, there's no reason for them to be playing around. If you were a ghost looking for revenge, I don't see why you can't show up without the creepy mist and nonsense and straight up tell the living person, "Yo, I got unfairly killed by such and such. Tell the police for me, kay?"

This is part of the reason why I love The Others. It completely subverts this aspect of supernatural horror and incorporates it very cleverly into its narrative.

I feel that the sudden death by car accident scene is becoming a trope in horror movies, because the same thing happens in both The Orphanage and The Devil's Rejects. It's becoming less shocking and more of a "okay, got it," type moment.

The Devil's Rejects is a rather irritating movie that somehow manages to redeem itself by the end, but not by much. It depends on your tolerance for watching depraved individuals indulge in depravity and getting away with it until they meet their comeuppance. Before I watched the movie, I read a review that remarked on how "brilliantly" Rob Zombie gets the audience to sympathize with his merry band of murderers, rapists, and general scum of society. That review couldn't be farther from the truth. This is one of those movies that I wish ended with a nuke killing everybody because there's not a single sympathetic character besides the poor victims.

The movie also affirms my stance on torture. It is not acceptable in any shape or form, even if the subject himself is Hitler. If you have to kill someone, at least make it quick and painless. No need to be monstrous about it and torture the poor fools before taking their life.

/eventlog

Event Lot: 10/16/14 - Lag

The raid dominated my night again. I couldn't, in good conscience, go off to sleep without doing something, so with a good faith effort, I managed to salvage the day in the wee hours of night. If I could finish up an article and apply to several jobs in thirty minutes, why couldn't I do that earlier? Sometimes, it takes these kinds of situations to reveal to us to true limit of our capabilities.

For a Thursday though, I didn't get as much done as I would've liked. I mentioned earlier that I should get into the habit of closing activities, but my horror movie schedule is something that requires me to be like gum. I gotta stick to it. I didn't do a double or triple header, but I at least kept myself from falling behind.

I watched Diabolique, a French suspense-thriller in the vein of Hitchcock. It's a black and white foreign language film, the kind you'd expect to find in the collection of a snooty film connoisseur. It's quite well regarded and I could see why. It's unfortunate then that I compromised my own viewing experience by watching the film in broken spurts over two days. I have a good memory so it's not a problem for me to string the scenes together, but movies weren't meant to be watched like this. Next time, I just gotta bunker down and focus.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/15/14 - Another Miss

For the second day in a row, I missed my opportunity to watch a horror movie. I'll either have to do a triple header or a double header for two consecutive days, neither of which are appealing prospects. If only the hard raid didn't take up so much time. We're running into walls. Thanks to the patch, it's much harder to cheese our way through. It doesn't help that it's my first time on hard.

I started my workout early and trimmed a couple minutes off the running time. I'm still idling too much between reps but I'm getting better. It definitely felt good to get it out of the way early. I didn't get to do as much as I wanted since I woke up later than usual, but I tried my best to "multitask."

There was a period of time that was lost when I was watching videos of The Evil Within. It's a Shinji Mikami game, the same guy who made RE4, and I'm seriously considering picking it up. By all accounts, The Evil Within is RE4 2.0.

It's funny how, once I made the decision to look ahead, I've lost a lot of things to say about the past. I think it's important to dedicate a part of the day to reflection. My mind is always running towards something or another. I should take a break and let the rest of my body catch up.

Because I don't wanna miss a thing.

/eventlog

A Real Test

I woke up late. This cuts down on my available time significantly. I have an entire schedule ahead of me and I gotta figure out the best way to order things. I recently wrote about multitasking and how I'm good at it in the sense that I can queue up task effectively. I suppose now is a good time to test my mettle. Gotta stay consistent. I can't lapse at this crucial moment.

Event Log: 10/14/14

Tuesdays have become my unofficial Destiny day because of the weekly refresh. There are tasks in the game that hand out rewards, but only once a week. That's why I try to do everything in a single day.

While I devoted a large chunk of time to the game, I was only able to do so because I put my work in early. My "From the Top" series might be having an effect. I wouldn't call it placebo since it's entirely designed as mental reinforcement.

I reeled off five straight job applications in a variety of positions. As long as I keep it up, I'm bound to get a hit. It's all about volume. I'm going with a combination of precise surgical strikes and cluster bombing for maximum coverage and effectiveness. Sooner or later, I'm gonna have to go with guaranteed but low payouts as a freelancer, but I'm working my way up to that point in JomattoPro. I'm planning on dipping my toes into the fashion industry.

I jumped in on a Hard Mode Raid and missed out on my 14th horror movie of the month. This means more work for me tomorrow. It's not a good thing since tomorrow's my workout day. I'm gonna be pressed for time, especially since we didn't get to beat it tonight. Just gotta get my priorities in order.

/eventlog

Close It

"If I don't get it done today, then I'll do it later."

How many times have we told ourselves this? I have a bad habit of pushing things back. When it comes to any task, significant or not, I'm all about delays. But rather than delay, I'll employ a different tactic--I'll close it. If I don't get it done today, then I'll forget about it.

Stress is the ultimate enemy. If I keep breaking promises to myself, I'm only putting on more pressure. Ideally, I wouldn't be in this position, but since my tasks are personal at the moment, it's best to close assignments than leave them open.

Simplicity is the best way to approach life. Keeping a list of everything is like taking stock of the anchor around my neck. I can't focus on that. I have to keep moving. Deal with it, come up with something new, and venture forth into the future.

I won't be held back.

Event Log: 10/13/14 - Practice Makes Perfect

I started the day with a declaration of intent. I'd say it was about 20% effective in changing my habits. I'll have to accept that these things take time to implement successfully. I can't expect miraculous turnarounds just because I say so. But that doesn't mean I can stop trying. The more I do things, the more I can produce at a moment's notice. When it comes to my end goal, that's really it--the ability to do something with minimal thought and planning. I psych myself out of doing most things when I shouldn't have to think that hard about it. Fixing this trait of mine will go a long way in improving myself.

I got a decent amount of writing done and finally updated my professional blog. That's only the beginning. I want to get to the point where I can queue up posts instead of leaving a bunch of drafts in the box. With all my writing tasks finished, I decided to watch the next movie early.

It's called Manichithrathazhu, an Indian "ghost" movie that turns to be an elaborate episode of Scooby Doo with a psychiatric twist. I'm sure you got the gist of it. You got backward villagers scaring themselves silly when an outside professional (from America, naturally) comes in, observes the situation, and solves the issue with flashy theatrics. In Bollywood tradition, there are musical numbers to break up the arcs. I don't watch a lot of Indian movies, but the style reminds me of 90's Hong Kong flicks. There's a dance sequence in particular that shows off some great traditional Indian dance.

My only issue with the film is that it has no business being as long as it was. It was two and half hours long, give or take. I had to impose my own intermissions with naps, which wasn't a good idea in hindsight. Naps are like quick sand. Once you start, it's hard to get out. I probably lost two hours nodding in and out of consciousness.

It was another long workout. I need to condense it. In terms of volume, I'm good, but I have to make it more high intensity. It shouldn't be taking up as much time as it does right now. If I can trim it down, I can add more reps.

I capped the night off with Destiny. I should really get my gameplay in early because I have the tendency to drag it out late in the night.

/eventlog

From the Top

This isn't an Event Log. This is a declaration of intent. Since I've started Event Logs in the beginning of this year, I have rarely missed a beat and proved to myself that I have the capability to create content daily. I started the endeavor as writing practice. It's now become routine, and like any routine, it's time to add to it.

If Event Logs are an account of what I did for that day, then this would be a statement of what I would like to accomplish before it starts. Writing has always been a form of accountability for me. If I say I'm going to do something on paper, I'm beholden to it. I'm not going to promise a bunch of grandiose and ambitious things on my first statement of intent, but I will have to impose new discipline on myself. Times are getting desperate, and desperation has a way of making men fly.

It's all about effort and time management. Too many minutes and hours leak out of my day. I have to take advantage of those cycles. I can't let them go to waste. It starts with discipline. I have to reign myself and keep my passions from taking over. I've tried a bunch of different strategies, but sometimes, the best way to do things is headfirst.

Event Log: 10/12/14 - Offbeat

Happy Birthday, brother. I didn't get a chance to say this to him since he was on a trip, but at least it's on record now.

Today, I racked up another easy win in fantasy football with a score of 113-60. It feels like half the players in my league don't even care, which is disappointing. It makes my wins feel empty. Since it's my first time playing though, I'll take whatever breaks I can get.

For this week, I employed the whoever defense on the Jags and it worked out splendidly. Had I gone with the Bengals, I would've been in a world of mild hurt. I might have to drop them with their back-to-back abysmal defensive efforts.

I finished up the rest of Boku wa Tomodachi Sukunai Next and I can't wait for the next season, and I'm only assuming there will be another because it ends on a semi-cliff hanger. I know it's based on a series of light novels but it seems to be a successful anime. Yozora's my main girl. Things got pretty heavy in the end for such a lighthearted show. The lighter the atmosphere, the more effective the heavy stuff is when it hits. I can dig it.

My horror selection for today was an obscure film (at least to American audiences) from Yugoslavia called Davitelj protiv Davitelja, or "Strangler vs Strangler." It was released in 1984. It's a dark comedy about a serial killer in the city of Belgrade. I can't really describe it. It's one of those movies you have to watch for yourself.

What defines a film connoisseur isn't their watching history, but rather, a willingness to watch anything. This is my first foreign selection for the month and it was good, at least for satisfying an academic curiosity. I pulled the title from IMDB's list of top horror movies, but since the minimum necessary to get on the board was 1000 votes, there are quite a few obscure titles in the top spots. There's no way I'd rank this above The Thing, but the voting setup favors the minority.

For the next couple days, it's nothing but foreign titles. Ain't a problem for me. I'm a subtitle reading master.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/11/14 - The Day Undone

I watched Dracula Untold. I jokingly referred to it as "Dracula Undone" because I had a suspicion that it would "undo" everything about the character. It didn't, but at the same time, it didn't add anything either. It's just kind of...there.

It's a limp, uninspiring, and relatively inoffensive work. I'd make more puns about its general lifelessness (because vampires are dead), but I'll spare you the shenanigans. I have an appreciation for movies that are neither good nor bad. It takes a great combination of lost ambition and narrow avoidance of being terrible to arrive at that middle ground. I can't pinpoint any mistakes in the movie, and there are a couple of neat sequences, but all in all, it doesn't move the heart.

My friend got confused about the time between XD and regular showings, so we chilled at Starbucks before going in. There was a lot of talk about credit cards, but with my current currency flow, such topics were lost on me. Don't you hate it when you're stuck in a conversation you have no interest in but the wheels keep spinning and spinning regardless? I listened patiently and inserted a remark here and there to maintain presence, but most of my effort went into sucking my green tea frap dry.

There was also talk about getting promotions. If my friend gets a promotion, we're getting treated to a steak dinner (tentative suggestion). We're rooting for you!

After the movie, my friends and I ate at a chicken bowl place and talked about movies. One of them brought up Ultraviolet which I knew starred Milla Jovovich. I only watched it because it was directed by Kurt Wimmer, who did Equilibrium. I think Ultraviolet destroyed his career because it was the last movie he directed. He's still got writing credits on recent releases though. It wasn't until after I got out of the shower that I recalled Aeon Flux with Charlize Theron. My friend confused it with Ultraviolet. Funny how things you can't remember suddenly strike you later in the day.

Once I got home, I watched the original 1931 version of Dracula. It wasn't until after I finished the movie did I realize that I watched it with an alternate soundtrack composed by Philip Glass. I was planning on praising the soundtrack, but in hindsight, I think it ruined a lot of the atmosphere granted by silence. I might have to rewatch it in its original form.

I enjoyed it more than Frankenstein. The primary conflict between Count Dracula and Professor Van Helsing was more interesting than Henry Frankenstein versus the Monster. It's dated and the ending was abrupt, but it's nice to see what the original was like. I view it as an academic exercise rather than a piece of entertainment. It's just too bad that vampires can never be scary again. It's permanently ingrained into pop culture as an icon, and I'm not sure if that icon is even associated with horror anymore. Hollywood needs to come up with some new monsters. I'm tired of the same old same old.

To finish the night, I completed bounties and played PVP in Destiny. In one game, I got 20+ kills with an 11 ratio or something ridiculous. The next game, we spawn on the bad side of the map and I can't get to my sweet spot. I get a .7 something ratio and we lose. Some guy sends me a message on PSN telling me that camping will give me a negative KD and lose the match. I don't think he was on the other team since I didn't recognize his name, so I assume its one of my teammates.

The guy has no idea what he's talking about. Proof? Next match, I get 25 kills with a 12 something ratio. Camping is the best tactic in a game where people's natural instincts tell them to rush with a shotgun in hand. I camp with a sniper rifle. You do the math.

At first, I lamented how the maps encourage shotgun play, but now I'm genuinely thankful for it. There's only a handful of spots in each map where I can actually snipe from, but if I'm there, I essentially remove that entire part of map from enemy play. They can't go there because I'll pop their heads in one shot. It's total map control. My strategy is defend two points and stay back.

Earlier, I played Rumble, which is a free for all mode, and sniping is impossible since people attack from multiple angles all the time. I can't really hold a position on my own without support, at least with a sniper rifle.

That's why I prefer playing Control, a team mode. My camping skills are solid, so I have to learn to be more mobile. Since I don't go out of my way to chase kills, I don't always get first place. The top spot is usually for high volume players. They get more kills but they die a lot too. It's not strange to see the top place guy with 28 kills and a 1.5 ratio while I'm underneath him with 20 kills and a 10 ratio. At least I'm not feeding the other team with easy points.

I deleted the message since I have no plans to reply to him. I'd rather leave him hanging than give him the satisfaction of acknowledgement. I've learned that the best way to deal with such messages is to never reply to them. Ever.

/eventlog

Event Log: 10/10/14 - Testing

I woke up early to take a test for the county to become a store clerk. I thought I could breeze my way through it like I did with the Data Technician test until I realized that I knew nothing about inventory. In the first five minutes, I already decided that I just wasted my time. I took a bath on the questions regarding inventory and safety, but I'm solid I got everything involving basic arithmetic, filing, and grammar correct. What can I do except my best? The drive home was exhausting though. Traffic up the yin yang.

I got home and ate some food, interspersed with a short session of Destiny and episodes of Boku wa Tomodachi Sukunai Next. It took an agonizing 2 hours to get through my workout, but with the help of Youtube videos, I succeeded. Finally, it was time to dine on tonight's main course: Frankenstein. Don't Look Now was an aged film that gave me a taste of old school. I wanted to go older, and besides, classics such as Frankenstein and Dracula should be part and parcel of any self-proclaimed horror aficionado's film history.

While the movie maintains that theatrical quality I love about old films, I confess that it is quite dated. I recognize that it paved way for the mad scientist trope, but it just wasn't as good as I expected. Since I'm familiar with the source material, I'm disappointed in the alterations, especially the change of the lead's name from Victor to Henry for no reason at all (well, the reason was that Henry sounded "nicer," but that's a lame reason). The movie runs about 70 minutes long, so it felt like an episode from a really old horror anthology show, something along the lines of The Twilight Zone.

Speaking of old horror movies, the oldest one I've ever seen is probably Nosferatu, which has straight up subtitles interposed between scenes. It's funny how, now that I'm older, I can watch old films like nothing. As a kid, they seemed very plodding. In actuality, they're usually briskly paced. Then again, the only old films I watch are classics, so that probably has something to do with it.

/eventlog