Made it!

Monday, May 5, 2008

The End of an Age

Thursday, April 24, 2008

"A beginning is only the start of a journey to another beginning."
- Unknown origin

Well, I'm here trying to get all my stuff packed up, get my living arrangements for next year figured out, and getting ready for Calgary Trip 2.0. I'm really excited about this trip - first, there's a pretty good chance I'll be workin at the casino, like I wanted. Second, I'll be seeing some of my sisters and brothers for the summer. Third, at the end of the summer I'm doing a Canada-wide visit-spree, visiting people I met in Japan as well as people who graduated from Acadia this year. Lastly, and probably most importantly, I'm getting away from Nova Scotia again.

The more you live in a place, the more you become accustomed to it, and that is something I've learned I'm not overly fond of. This past year has given me a new outlook on things in general - I can continue on my previous path of becoming a stay-at-home gamer, or I can mix it up by going to new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new things.

Calgary this time around will be different - I'm there for the summer, and there'll be the stampede. One of my sisters has since moved away from Calgary, but one of my brothers moved in close by. Sure, the casino will technically be the same, but I can handle that - working at the casino was one of the best jobs I've ever had.

I talked to my mother about going to China and Japan next year, and I was expecting a lecture on how I should be frugal and not waste my money on extravagent trips. I was surprised when she told me that its a good idea! I think she wants me to do these things while I still have the chance, and I won't be interrupting my degree this way. Also, I'll be teaching in Japan, so it will give me a bit of experience in the classroom.

Overall, this coming year has me pretty excited. And the one after that will hopefully be an amazing one. That's it for today. Have a good one all.

Life's Curve Balls - They Never End

Monday, April 21, 2008

"As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do."
- Zachary Scott

Sometimes, things are going so great that you think they'll never end. Sometimes, things are just going, and nothing surprises. Most of the time, though, life is unforgiving and relentless. Nothing really good has been happening lately - mind you, things have been worse, so I shouldn't complain.

Just recently, a neighbor of mine from back home passed away. He was only 23 years old, and one of the nicest guys you could meet. I only found out the news today, and it really has me out of it. I had only met Matthew this past year, so I wasn't particularly close to him, but the times I had been around him, he was a genuinely nice guy.

It is extremely painful to see someone so nice and so young to die, especially when you are around the same age. I am only one year younger - to think that in a year I might be dead is unsettling, to say the least. I send my condolences to Matthew's family - he didn't deserve such a fate. But I will not come away unchanged. My plans recently to visit China and live in Japan next year were not much more than vague possibilities just a few hours ago - now, I intend to put my best effort into being able to go on these trips.

Sure, I could stay home, get my Education degree one year earlier, and save a whole lot of money. But if there's even the chance I won't be around in 2 years, 4 years, whatever, I want to have taken these trips.

Thanks, Matthew, for being such a nice guy, and may you find peace wherever you are.

- Terry

2/3 the way there!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

So, 2 out of 6 exams left. That's not so bad. Biochem looms on the horizon, but its the last one I'm really worried about - my last exam will be a joke. Nothing else has really been happening, honestly.

However, two exciting prospects for next year! Firstly, me and a friend plan on going to study in China on a 2-week summer program next summer. If we get to go, it will be amazingly awesome! After that, I'm actually thinking about going back to Japan to teach English for a year. I'll have finished my first degree, and it seems like it would be a good time to do something like that, just before I go get my Education degree.

So that's the plans that are a brewin right now. I have no idea of the feasibility of them, but hey, they sound real fancy! Alright, have a good one all.

Let the Exams Begin.... Again

Friday, April 11, 2008

The End... and a comment!

Monday, March 31, 2008

"It's weird... you know the end of something great is coming, but you want to hold on, just for one more second... just so it can hurt a little more.”

- Unknown origin

Complication. It seems to be the only constant in life. This is why I'm hoping that this summer, being on a total disconnect, will bring things back into a better focus. And if not, blah, I'm gettin a bunny next year. Buying a pet should fix all my problems, right? Haha.

On an entirely different subject, I found a very interesting thing today, and despite the content of it, it makes me happy to see it regardless. Someone on MySpace apparently found my review of Magic: the Gathering, and found it to be not very good. I applaud this person for putting his views out there - in fact, I'm sure in many ways he's probably right.

See the post here

For example, the post says "Additionally, the game MANDATES that a third of your deck be from a certain set of the same 5 cards: Land!", and this is entirely true. Land has been one of the problems Magic has always had, but I have seen plenty of games that suffer from the same problems - the integration of a resource system into a TCG is one of the hardest, yet most fundamentally important steps, and nearly every game has one. A resource, such as Magic's land, allows the game to be balanced because cards are restricted by cost, and though Magic's can seem to be very bland, it is tied into the core story of Magic and explains how the players conjure up their spells. As far as resources go, I've seen some much worse ones, and indeed some better ones.

I think the most interesting part of this person's post is "...the guy made his own scale of criterion (mistake number one) which he failed to define (mistake number two)...". It is true I use my own scale of criterion, but I disagree with the person saying that it is a mistake. My reason: there is no review in existence that will be entirely impartial - I try to make mine as much as possible, but I am writing the review, and thus my opinion will affect the score. What is claimed as my second mistake is not, though it could be overlooked. I posted the definition of my criteria shortly before I wrote my review of Magic, but they are separate, and so it could be easily missed.

The last point I'd like to bring up from this person's post is: "Magic the Gathering getting 15/15 points in customizability? There are only 2-4 deck constructions that are on top at any given time, and sometimes, for longer than the 3-4 months between set releases." I would argue that what he is talking about, in the terms of my rating, would be more about balance than customizability. Magic is an extremely customizable game, but certainly there are combinations that are pretty dominant. As far as this person feels the game is unbalanced, I agree with him, especially in the last few years of Magic. However, a game as long-running as Magic is almost inevitably extremely customizable.

This is exactly what I wanted to see when I made this blog - I know I'm not definitely right, and I am open to people questioning my views. This post makes good points, and perhaps my view is too biased. I hope that things like this come up more, it really made my day to find this. Thanks, Screaming Vermillian!

I apologize again for not having much in the way of CCG/TCG stuff on here lately, but I'll have more time after exams are over next month. Have a good one, all!

Essays... Bane of my Existence

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

"A courtyard common to all will be swept by none."
- Chinese proverb

Nothing can possibly explain better communal living than this proverb. As much as you divide up the duties and try to keep a schedule, the chores just don't get done. It's not necessarily anyone's fault (though sometimes it is, and I take a lot of blame in this category), but it is indeed a pain. Which is why I'm looking forward to living on my own next year - there won't be anyone I can conceivably even come up with as at fault except me.

So, I have a presentation on the Nazi Party tomorrow, an essay due Thursday, and more essays in the coming weeks. Its gonna be a whole lot of work, and I look forward to the glorious day where I am finished this semester. It will be... well, glorious.

Have a good one, all!

Midterms, Assignments, and Essays oh my!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”
- Socrates

Yep, its that time of year again. Essays are piling up, midterms are upon me, and the assignments just don't stop getting assigned. That's part of the reason I haven't been around lately. And lemme tell you, Socrates had it right on the money - when you're damn busy, life is damn boring! Not only that, it goes by faster, and so it feels like you're being gyped on all sides. That's why I can't wait for this semester to be over and done with - and I'm hoping my marks are still decent.

So, on that note, I think I'm going to start using quotes like this one (and the last, from a movie) when I begin my posts. They might be relevant to what I'm posting about, or just something I think is pretty cool.

Anyway, not much has happened lately, mainly due to the workload. St. Paddy's came and went, I got a care parcel in the mail (yay!), and my biochemistry midterm is in 45 minutes. Woo.

That's about it. Have a good one, all!

What if...?

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

"You're a man haunted by those two most terrible words, What If?"

This is a quote from the movie The Time Machine, based on H.G.Wells' novel by the same name. I watched it just last night, and after thinking about it today, that statement is a powerful one.

I didn't realize how different my life could be if things had happened differently at given points in my life. What if dad hadn't died? What if I had decided to stay with Canadian Otaku? What if I hadn't gone to Calgary that summer? What if I had decided against going to university? What if I hadn't come to Acadia? What if I hadn't gone to Japan? Most recently, what if a certain someone had the time?

Things could be really different. If dad hadn't died when I was in junior high, I might be a more emotionally-capable person. I am a happy guy, and I rarely let on that I'm depressed or down. But I can't deal with emotions very well now, and looking back, I didn't learn to deal with them correctly - I shrugged them off and kept on going.

If I had stayed with Canadian Otaku, I might still be working at the anime/gaming shop with my brother, I would never have gone to Calgary and grown up so much, and university would be the last thing on my mind.

If I hadn't come to Acadia, I wouldn't have been with my best friends from high school, and I wouldn't have met such awesome people as Tara and Matt, Ben K, Chris, Alex Bissel, Amy, Brendon and Vanessa, Adam B, Lou and everyone else here. I would have had a whole different set of friends at another university altogether.

If I hadn't gone to Japan, I would never have been able to expand my horizons. I would never have met people like Henley, Reece, Jason, Yuichi, Gareth, Yuka, Noriko, Ayano, Elise, Joe, and everyone else that made this past summer one of my best yet. And if I hadn't gone, I might not be single right now.

And now, this year, I'm going back to Calgary - but this time it will be different. I won't see the people I met a few years ago - they'll have moved on in their lives. I'll make new friends, new co-workers, and live a new Calgary experience. And now it has me wondering - what if I don't go to Calgary? What if I stay here? What if I go abroad again? What if...?

These words are gonna haunt me for a long time. I don't regret the choices I've made - to do so would only make living with them pointlessly hard. I'm glad I went to Calgary, I'm glad I came to Acadia, and I'm glad I went to Japan.

Would I like to know how things would have been different? Of course - who wouldn't? But, thanks to the movie last night, I realized that nothing will change what's happened so far; I have to live with it. So, I might as well be happy where I am, and keep on going.

Sorry for the sentimental-ish post, but I needed to get it off my mind. Have a good one all.

More Movies! And a Road Test.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Yep, I've been watching more movies. A couple more since last time - Interview with the Vampire was a really good one, as was Juno. I highly recommend both. I'm almost caught up on my Terminator, and I've been playing a heck of a lot of Rock Band since yesterday too. I've upgraded officially to a player of Hard mode on guitaring - I am proud.

I also passed my second attempt at a road test! I apparently did quite a bit better. Now I get to have a license without a car for quite a while. Insurance costs too much, I say.

Other than that, more movies tomorrow, and I gotta get back into some RPG gaming, somehow. It will be great. That's it for today, peoples. Have a good one.

MOVIES!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Well, this is the nth day of Spring Break, and I've done very little. I took my road test, which I failed, got some dental work done, and partied with Chris up in Wolfville (not in that order, however).

I'd say the main accomplishment of my break so far has been watching movies. And OH the movies I've watched! Some were good, some were not so much.

Ok, first and foremost, I watched Casshern. Its a Japanese movie made very recently based on an old anime by the same name. I went in thinkin it would be a decent sci-fi action flick with nothing else really going for it. Well, let me tell you that what I got shattered everything I ever thought a movie could be. The plot was crazy-amazing (I coin the term now "acrazing"), the action scenes were frickin sweet, and the movie overall is probably the best I've seen in many years. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to see it in theatres - and that would have just blown my mind.

Alright, the other movies I've been watching - Charlie Wilson's War, Clockwork Orange, The Golden Compass. Many more are planned to be watched in the coming days, too. Plus, I'll be catching up on some TV shows - Terminator, and a new one for me called The IT Crowd. Hilarity, I dare say.

Well, that's it for today, people. More movies will be watched. That much I promise.

EDIT: Ok, so I finished watching Golden Compass (I missed a tiny bit at the end last night, and so I finished it today. Overall, the main girl was annoying in the movie, and the ending left more than just a little bit to be desired. I assume it was left open for a sequel, which is fine, but honestly, it felt like very little was accomplished.

Freaking Busy

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Ok, so who knew that leaving work for a while lets it pile up? As a procrastinator, I should be well aware of this mathematically-proven principle, and under normal circumstances, I am. This coming week, however, is a new level of busy, even for me.

Monday I have nothing due specifically, but I do have Star Wars D&D that night, which means I'll have little time that night to work on Tuesday assignments.

Tuesday I have a book report due - thankfully I got a bit of a headstart on it a couple days ago, when I realized what this week is gonna be like.

Wednesday I have a biochemistry midterm, for which I am absolutely unprepared. I also have an academic advising meeting in between my classes, and then a major presentation for one of my history classes.

Thursday I have a history midterm, and a biochemistry lab due. This also happens to be Valentine's Day, but I think that will prove to be irrelevent this year.

Friday, I *think* is fine. However, I'm not positive - it seems to me I might have a midterm here, too.

This is gonna be one hell of a week - add to that a significant amount of stress from a personal issue, and you've got one screwed up Adam. I can't wait to get it over with, so that I can relax during Spring Break. However, I think it is important I mention that the first CCG Design Article I mentioned last summer is almost finished - I have had little oppurtunity to get my head into writing these, but I finally got a rough draft done this past week. Look forward to it!

CCG Authority is Famous!

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Well, not really, but I was pretty shocked when one of my friends pointed out that CCG Authority is apparently a staff favorite here on Clearblogs. I'm not sure what the criteria is to be chosen for staff favorite, but I'd like to think its based solely on the "Awesome Scale". So, that puts my blog up on the Awesome Scale, and that's always good!

Not much else to talk about, mainly because my laptop battery is about to die, and class is about to start. Have a good one all, and keep making CCG Authority more awesome!

Wintersleep Concert

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Alright, I tried to post this once, and Clearblogs is not being very cooperative. So, I'm going to paraphrase the previous attempt. Wintersleep concert last night was kickass. I recommend everyone see them at least once. If they come again, I'll go again.

It was an interesting experience - I had to go at 8:15 last night to grab a ticket for my friend at the door. To my dismay, I found many people in line. However, thanks to two people in front of me not having their school ID, I got the second-to-last ticket! It was great.

Overall, a great night, and a great way to unwind after a week of lots of work and not so much food. Haha.

Have a good one all. I'll add pictures to this post later tonight.

Star Wars | Star Trek

Friday, January 18, 2008

Hello again, everyone!

I'm gonna try to keep this baby updated fairly regularly again. I'm planning on going back and touching up my anime reviews with some nice pics, but that will come later. I also want to do a review of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni seasons 1 and 2, the latter of which I just finished the other night.

Of fairly important accomplishment, or so ALL of my friends have told me, is that I have now officially watched the first of the Original Star Wars Trilogy. Yes, that is correct, I had not seen the movie before last night, or if I had, I was too young to remember / understand. So, ya! It was actually pretty damn good. Our Star Wars D&D group is going to be having a marathon of Star Wars (I'm not sure if its just gonna be original trilogy or if its the whole thing), so then I will finally be able to say that I've seen the movies. I wonder to myself if it will be good enough to say that I will jump sides on the "Star Trek vs. Star Wars" debate. I'm a pretty heavy fan of Star Trek, so I'm not so sure.

On that note, I've got to start planning the Star Trek: TNG marathon a bunch of us might be doing this semester. Just last semester, I finally got the entire series downloaded, and now I've got to get around to watching the whole thing. A lofty goal, I know, but I think I can do it. Someday.

Anyway, I guess that's it for now. I will be marathon-ing an anime this weekend, quite possibly Fruits Basket, so I'll try to get that reviewed eventually too. This weekend is surprisingly unbusy, so it will probably be used to catch up / get ahead on homework, which I sorely need to do.

That's it. Have a good one all.

Wow... Long time no update.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Well, to try to catch you up on everything that's happened would be plain insane. So, I had a good Christmas, good holiday break, rung in the New Year's playing D&D, came back to find myself locked out of the apartment (damn me for losing my key!), spent the next few days playing craptons of Magic and Risk 2210 A.D., got drunk last Saturday (first and last time EVER) and now I'm behind on classes and school work! There are plenty of details missed, but that's not bad, considering.

So ya, I have Magic cards again! :D I thought I could stay away, but honestly, no matter how much I hate the new cards they make (and trust me, I still do), I know that the game is a solid one. I've been on a deck-building spree, trying to revive some of my old ideas, and coming up with some new ones. Its been pretty fun, I gotta say.

As for the academic side this semester, things could definitely have started off better. I started the first week with quite a few skips due to staying up too late and such. This is the second week in, and I went somewhat unprepared to my first lab, and I didn't go to my classes today on account of bad weather. But! I am making myself get my ass into gear for the rest of this - I can't let this get in the way of a good semester. I need to keep my grades up if I'm gonna get teacher. So, to myself I say:

GANBATTE KUDASAI! ("Do your best!" in Japanese)

So, I guess I'll end this one for now. I'll try to pick up on this more often, if time and such allows. Have a good one, all.

One Down, Four to Go

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Nearing the End of Semester 1

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Transition to Classes

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Strike is Over

Monday, November 5, 2007