Event Log: 9/5/14 - Deepening Bonds

Today, I deepened my longstanding relationship with professional American football by jumping into America's biggest obsession since sports--and that's fantasy sports. It was just a matter of time before I joined in because of my affinity for stats; I didn't run 60+ years of MyGM in NBA 2K14 for nothing.

Besides, a friend of mine was playing, and I couldn't allow his knowledge of the game to eclipse mine. It was a small matter of pride. I want to be on top of things. This was an opportunity to look beyond my favorite team and appreciate these athletes for what they do in every position.

I signed up for an account on ESPN and joined a random public 10-team league. I did a ton of research before the draft, looking up drafting strategies, poring over rankings and expert analysis, and when the clock finally chimed, I think I did decent, all things considered. Here's a look at my team:

My strategy was to get the best running backs off the board, attack the best wide receivers available, and fill in the depth chart. I did this at the cost of an elite quarterback but that was my game plan and I was sticking to it no matter what. On paper, I have the best team in the league, but football is one of the more unpredictable sports. The studs of yesteryear may be the duds of today, and they might encounter serious injuries, and you'll never know who'll have a breakout season. That's just part of the excitement of fantasy sports. I can't wait for Sunday.

For a friend's belated birthday celebration, we ventured out to this packed place appropriately named the Packing House. It's this plantation-looking building with various restaurants and markets inside, the most intriguing of which, was a bar called the Blind Rabbit. Just outside the place was an indie band doing covers in addition to their own stuff, I assume--only because I haven't heard it before. The Blind Rabbit resembled a prohibition-era speakeasy, complete with a shelf of sake barrels as a disguised entrance. 

We went inside and it was cramped. Our corner was quickly crowded with another party of four next to us. Despite our close proximity, there wasn't much crossover in conversation aside from a few recommendations to a place called The Playground and Father's Office, the latter of which, apparently has the best burger ever.  

It was clear the main allure of this place was its sense of exclusivity and the ambiance, although the illusion was somewhat spoiled by the AC unit directly above us and the computer screen across the way. You can't be 100% authentic without losing some conveniences. 

Service was slow, but when I eventually got my pear blossom, it wasn't bad. One of my friends bought an $18 burger that I knew wasn't worth $18, while another friend got duck and mac and cheese. I had some of it. It got cold pretty quick, courtesy of the AC. I didn't talk much until the alcohol was flowing. I was tired from my workout earlier and I hadn't eaten so the effect was quick. I couldn't shut up.

In apology for their slow service, one of the bartenders bought us a round of complimentary whiskey shots. It was a nice gesture. Then I finished off the birthday boy's beer because he wasn't a fan of its earthly taste. Considering the amount of alcohol I imbibed at the cost of one drink, I felt good about that night. The only thing I regret was not eating dinner. My brother once said that alcohol makes you heavy, and since I lost four pounds seemingly overnight (did I piss it all away?), I'm inclined to agree.

I didn't complete my goals for the day, which was to apply to jobs and add another entry to my personal resume site. Since I was too drunk to do otherwise (I drank a protein shake and I couldn't close the cap--until I realized I was twisting it the wrong way), I went to bed early. 

It didn't work. My tinnitus kicked into overdrive and I stayed up until 6 in the morning with a low pitch in my ear the entire night. This thing's a real vibe killer. 

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Event Log: 9/4/14 - Nothing Stops This Train

Football is back. The recent spate of Madden videos has reignited my interest in football. I typically don't tune into season openers. I normally get into the groove a few games in the season, but thanks to Madden, I was fully prepared for tonight's game. I predicted that the Seahawks would win despite the Superbowl champions losing in the season opener for the last 8 years. I was right. The Seahawks dismantled the Packer's defense. They're clearly the team to beat this year. Their defense is just too strong.

I skipped out on my run partly because of the game, and because I didn't want to aggravate my shin splits further. I went for a fifteen-minute jog during halftime, just to stay spry. In the past, I've spread out my weight training through the week, but now that I've concentrated everything into Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, my body has to adjust, and like any adjustment period, it's quite difficult and a little painful. Hopefully, after this week, my body will get used to it like it did when I started running again.

My day was dedicated to heaping another 2k words on the next chapter of my side story. I'm four words shy of 5k. I've reached the length that I've wanted but there's still a lot of development left in the scenes. I've got one...two...three major scenes left, each probably requiring at least 500 to 1000 words each. Sometimes, I wonder why I'm working on this when nobody has acknowledged my effort. That's a lie. My effort's been acknowledged, just not in a satisfactory and visible way.

Although I've become more consistent in my content production, I really gotta start working on these much earlier in the day. It's usually hard for me to fall asleep, but I'm feeling a bit drowsy at the moment. This fogs up the mind and I can't work at peak efficiency. If I can slide my schedule a bit, I think I can really start building on my potential. The last three days have been great in terms of acquiring more confidence. It's not an issue of ability, but mental toughness. I gotta stick with it until its embedded in my routine.

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Event Log: 9/3/14 - Video Production

I woke up today and decided that I was going to make some videos. I turned on my PS4, renamed all my clips, trimmed them, and put together a couple nice montages. I like to go without music since it would be a shame to cover up the sounds of battle with a horribly inappropriate song.

This first montage is an extension of my EOD Shenanigans video. I take out more unsuspecting fools with one of the least used gadgets in the game--at least in my experience. It takes skill to be this deadly with the little cart of death on four wheels.

This second video is a collection of funny little moments that either make me chuckle or rage. I ended it on a series of BS deaths because they're funnier than the little moments when enemies walk right into my hands. 

I think I've got a case of shin splits since my legs cramped up yesterday. My recent routine change is probably responsible. I might have to take it easy on tomorrow's run and just walk the whole way. Since I'm trying to gain weight, it's not like running is critical to my goals. It's more of a stamina maintenance thing. These rest days between weight training have definitely become more valuable since I increased my workout load.

I put in about 2k words on the next chapter of my side story. Since today has arrived, I'm ready to declare for flop status. I did gain an additional Favorite and Follow, but other than that, not a single review. What kind of community allows a writer to produce 15k words of quality across four chapters with nothing to show for it? A toxic one, that's what. Okay, it's not toxic, but it's depressingly apathetic, which is worse, since toxicity offers acknowledgement at least, even if it's negative. Why do you think trolls troll? It ain't because they're liked, that's for sure.

At least someone in Barbados and Venezuela likes it. I love the global audience. Hollywood agrees with me. Domestic box office receipts are declining. It's all about that China cash. We going overseas, baby!

Although I can't blame the consumer for not buying my product, I could blame myself for getting into the wrong market. It is with supreme confidence that I say, "Y'all don't deserve me." Other fandoms deserve a better class of writer, and if this one doesn't want me, then I'll gladly take my talents elsewhere. This be The Decision 2.0.

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Event Log: 9/2/14 - One of Those Days

I had a bad day. I dropped (or flipped) a plateful of chicken because a broom fell in my kitchen. I was apparently so startled by the broom falling down, I wasted several ounces of hot chicken meat that I spent thirty minutes trying to debone. This has been my greatest shame since jumping in front of my friend because a little zergling showed up in StarCraft. With a start like this, my day could only get worse.

Things didn't take a complete nosedive, but the day went by with several inconveniences. For one, during my usual Tuesday walk, my legs cramped like crazy. I was feeling like Lebron in the NBA finals. This hasn't happened before and I wondered if it was related to my increased workout load from yesterday? I was much forced to walk the entire way when I usually intersperse some light jogs in there.

On the way home, I was walking on the sidewalk when this car pulled up beside me and the girl in the passenger side joked out loud, saying, "Get in!" like it was funny. That wouldn't even make a five-year old laugh. Then, after drinking some protein, I tried to pour some water through the cap but instead whiffed and got my shorts wet. When it rains, it pours.

Much of my day was devoted to updating a story on an alt account, and like I expected, absolutely zero response. I'll give it a day before declaring it a total flop, but producing 15k words without so much as a peep confirms that I'm certifiably insane or committed to getting some sort of reaction from a community that wouldn't know quality if it slapped them in the face.

It's very humbling, I admit. I fully understand why newcomers would throw their hands up and give up entirely on the idea. The community is not kind to those without the skills and ideas. Conventional business wisdom states that you never blame the customer for not buying your product. Since I'm not selling anything, I guess what makes me most disappointed is that nobody shares my vision of a good story. I try to offer something different from rehashed romance and adventure plots and receive nothing in return.

My story's probably just garbage. The simplest explanation is often the best one. It's probably because I'm writing a story that nobody wants to read. More accurately, I'm writing a story that nobody knows they want to read until they read it. Yeah, that sounds about right. I have no choice but to finish what I started. I always clean up my plate. I'm just that kind of guy.

/eventlog

Event Log: 9/1/14 - Cooling Period

After launching myself towards drama after drama, my enthusiasm has died down significantly. I find myself in that precarious position where I either finish the series or drop it cold turkey. Before, I couldn't stop clicking on the next episode, but now I'm content to watch YouTube videos instead.

I got sidetracked by Madden. If you check my YouTube history, you'll notice that I like watching black people commentate on games. Ignore the racial connotations and take me at my word when I say that these are well spoken and humorous commentators, but I can't ignore the correlation between their skin color and their choice of games which is primarily composed of sports. The reason I know all three of my usual suspects: QJB, Gento, and Chris Smoove, is because of their NBA 2K14 series.

The flavor of the month is Madden, and I love watching these guys play Career mode. Special bonus points to QJB for playing with my Saints. Since the game released a couple weeks ago, there was a significant archive of videos. I watched them all. It's gotten to a point where I'm contemplating on picking up the game myself, but before I can think of buy any new games, I need to sort out my job situation first.

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Event Log: 8/31/14 - Sunday Shenanigans

There's always a guy. You know what I'm talking about. That guy, the guy who always screws up everything because he can't get it together. Constant tardiness is a symptom of a diseased mind. It's forgivable if it's once or twice in a while, but as an MO? That's not a good thing to be known for. It speaks to some sort of mental defect that has somehow eluded diagnosis. For what reason would someone act questionably, shadily, and infrequently in all aspects of life? Is it our fault for enabling? For shrugging off his antics with uncomfortable laughter? Should we not, with the fury of a thousand suns, reprimand him harshly and drill into his head that his behavior is unacceptable on all fronts? There must be consequence lest bad habits continue unabated. I demand an intervention.

Unfortunately, we're too chill to do something like that. From now on, no breaks given. If you can't come, then don't come, and don't whine about it later. Prick.

After watching some City Hunter, I caught last night's Sony's Pre-TGS stream. The sorry state of the Japanese console industry is like watching a loved one in a coma. When practically all the software announced for the PS4 are crossplatform, it shows that the Japanese don't have the technical muscle to create blockbusters on par with the west. The once mighty juggernauts of the industry have been reduced to mere scrappers chasing after mobile money. Gaming has changed. But there was one announcement that redeemed my purchase of the PS4, and it's called Persona 5.

I don't know why people are using crossplatform as an excuse to justify not getting a PS4. I'd like to get the best looking console versions and I get a lot of utility out of the Share function. Perhaps it's redundant if I had a high-powered PC, but since I don't, the PS4 satisfies a lot of my gaming needs. With Destiny, MGSV, Bloodborne, and now Persona 5 coming up, I'm covered for the rest of 2015.

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Event Log: 8/30/14 - City Hunter

I've been trucking along in City Hunter. It started off pretty serious but it got light-hearted pretty quick. These types of shows always have me shaking my head because of the contrivance of convenience required to keep things humming along.

One of the things I appreciated about Breaking Bad was its painstaking dedication to detail. It wasn't afraid to show you every step of the process, no matter how tedious or agonizing it was. Of course, this tapered off near the end when the plot demanded a quicker pace, but it was nice to sit back and watch paint slowly peel in all of its dull glory. My story, Love Sick, is proof of my commitment to minute-to-minute narrative. A day in my head would probably take a year to process.

Since I titled this Event Log "City Hunter," I suppose I should say something about it. It's basically a dark knight wannabe trying to expose corruption in South Korea. The guy's too careless for my liking, but I admire his "no killing" rule since he understands the pain of loss. The whole "push away the ones you love to protect them" shtick is so played out though. I just couldn't wait for the subplot to end. That arc is practically a requirement in every derivative of the superhero genre.

City Hunter was brought to my attention via a recommendation because I was looking for "cool" leading men in kdramas. The main character in City Hunter doesn't quite fit my definition of "cool." I have an old school perspective on the word, so when I think of cool, I imagine Sanjuro from Yojimbo, Blondie from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and Jules from Pulp Fiction. Even a maverick like House fits into that category. I suppose "cool" to me is simply an unwavering commitment to buckling convention.

There are many times when I want to scream at the screen because the characters are helplessly strung along by cliche-ridden plots. Why not throw caution into the world and do what you want? This frustration is especially apparent when it comes to watching works of other cultures. Asia is conservative with its family values. Coming from America, where rebelling against your parents is a rite of passage, their familial live-or-die conundrums seem excessively trivial.

I think that's why Hollywood has such appeal. When you've grown up your entire life bowing your head to everybody, it's refreshing to flip people off and blow stuff up just because that's the American way.

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