I hardly have time to have thoughts to myself anymore, much less be creative. So when I should be cramming for a German test in the hallway outside my classroom, what do I do? First, I rant on paper for the first time in a while. Also, I draw on paper, something I know for a fact that I haven't done in many, many years. How simple, how refreshing, how... disturbingly enlightening.

Posted at 12:00 AM

Funny Halo Comics. Go see. Laugh much.

Now that I and most of my friends have played through the entire Halo 2 campaign, it's time for us to have a collecting bitching session. Don't misinterpret me, Halo 2 has a great plot. The flavour of the sci-fi is full-bodied. The cutscenes are gorgeous. The problem is that we've only got half a story. There are lots of mysteries that remain unsolved, even to the end. Bungie should know better than to fart in my Scorpion and tell me it's air freshener. Finish the bloody story or announce the sequel, that's all I have to say to them. I've been told by some that there's a "reward" for finishing the game on Heroic. I'll have to find out myself, though.

Posted at 12:00 AM

Down the hallway,
an endless conduit of linoleum and lockers,
she coalesced from the blur of distance.

I shouted her name,
and she turned,
with a curious expression
and then a smile.

How have you been,
these two years that you've been completely non-existent in my life?
I'm fine, of course. How are you?

She'd only grown more beautiful
during that long time.
I said too little.

For two minutes she existed in my universe.
Then she said,
"I'm late for class."
and with a gorgeous smile
vanished again
into the blur of fluorescent lights
and glossy linoleum.

Now I sit here
eyeing the corridor every few minutes,
waiting for her to reappear
like a phantom ship.

But let's face it:
you rarely get third chances.

Posted at 12:00 AM

It's HERE.

After waiting in a 20-30 person long line with an odd collection of young businessmen and shabbily-dressed geeks at 10AM at the Electronics Boutique in downtown Vancouver, I have it: my very own copy of Halo 2. Luckily work is dead today, so I was able to jaunt downstairs for about 20 minutes to pick up my pre-order from back in August. While I waited I heard the already-frazzled sales personnel answer the phone four or five times, telling people: "No, we don't have any copies left, unless you pre-ordered. No, we don't know when we'll get the next shipment in. No, I won't exchange sexual favours from you for a copy of Halo 2..."

It's sitting here on my desk, waiting to be played; its virgin code just waiting to be executed for the first time. The manual has already made me drool with anticipation, without giving away any hint of the plot. However, the back cover promises "unexpected allies and a secret so incredible, it will change the galaxy forever." Yeah, suddenly I'm now jealous of my boss who's home sick with some horrible flu. Patience, Precious. Patience...

Posted at 12:00 AM

Hi America, it's us: the rest of the world, and we're not very pleased with you right now.

As you go through this life, you learn that you have to respect the opinions of other people, even if they differ vastly from your own. You have to be polite and know that not everyone thinks the same way you do. Eventually, though, you have to stop being polite. You have to stand up for your principles and the rights of people who can't stand up for themselves.

That's what Matt Good did on his blog, and he got flamed for it. John Lennon is rolling in his grave, I think. Ironic that A Perfect Circle just did a depressed, disillusioned sounding cover of his grand statement Imagine. What happened to the lessons we learned from Vietnam and the Cold War? Why did all the hippies abandon their principles when they turned 40?

So I give you my latest rant, with no apologies now or in the future: The Rise of Unamerica.

God help us all.

Posted at 12:00 AM

Because of the debacle of vote tabulation in Florida during the 2000 American federal election, the state of Florida has introduced an new, electronic voting system. As shown to us by Dutch Comedy team Boom Chicago, this new system has really improved the way voters make their selection.

Posted at 12:00 AM

So Hallowe'en has come and gone. For those of you who didn't come to my partay, I was a Communist. A Soviet officer, to be precise. Chris W. made two costumes for me and him last year. But I was too chicken to wear it because at the time I was dating an anally-retentive closet conservative (no names are necessary).

To go with the costume, I made some mock propaganda posters. Lots were very quick cut and paste jobs. I used the Soviet Thong over at SplitReason (sexiest undergarment, EVAR) with the Worker Poster font to make "Socialist Girls Turn Me On"; and one of the Red Son pictures made a convincing argument. This one actually took some effort, and naturally turned out best.

Posted at 12:00 AM