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T-Hybrid

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  1. T-Hybrid
    It's unfortunate. I knew they were coming, I just sorta let it slip my mind that it'd be this soon. Needless to say, I'm buying the Inika.
     
    The last three or four years have been especially difficult financially, with a college education being a much bigger drain on my assests than even the most cynical of graudates could've preparred me for. To get to the point, thanks to student loans, I'm currently $10k in debt.
     
    This will not, however, distract me from my usual Bionicle tradition of tracking down and aquiring the newest Toa sets as soon as humanly possible. If these means shelling out $60+ for a set of Inika at release, than that's going to be the final say on that.
     
    I really shouldn't, goodness knows there are enough things in the fall coming out (2 DS games, the final Xenosaga game, Twilight Princess) that I shouldn't add one more purchase to what is slowly becoming just like every other summer. "Oh, this year I'll cut back. I won't spend as much as I did last year."
     
    Of course, then the Inika come out. And these sets look awesome. Each new Toa cycle, LEGO seriously outdoes themselves. Looking back on the original 6 Toa, it's amazing that Bionicle has evolved into the sets we have today. I feel that I have to pick up these sets, to encourage LEGO to continue this franchise until I'm able to get back into it with the resources I once had available to me (namely my parent's income...and the lack of any significant out-come)
     
    I've already made a few sacrifies to the Great Beast that is higher education (heretofore known as Käreti). Mostly noteably are Axxon (who will maybe find his way into my home when he drops down in price) and the Nintendo Wii (this one hurt a lot saying no to).
     
    But these Inika will be mine. And they will be mine soon. The next step (as is further part of the tradition) will be to build my two Pa-Tahi MOCs of this generation. More on that in a later blog.
     
    It also kind of answers another question. I've been trying to figure out what from my room at home will come with me to the new apartment. There's already a few Twins things, as well as some family pictures. But to make it feel more like home (which is what it'll be for at least a year), I've got to bring a few more things that make me who I am.
     
    One is probably going to be Johan (which is another item I've actually got to buy first), and the other will probably be my centaur MOC once I've landed my set of Inika.
     
    Of course...then I've got to track down replacement Inika figures. The other part of the tradition is that I display all 6 current-gen Toa plus my two MOCs. That's a financial set back for another day.
     
    The moral of today's blog, kids: Take advantage of your parents generocity...and save whatever you're able to. College works-out the pocketbook almost as much as your brain.
  2. T-Hybrid
    In the comments for yesterday's entry, I recieved an unusual suggestion from one Pohatu: Toa Of Electronics. Being the kind of guy I am, I decided I'd follow this advice for today's entry.
     
    Personally, I can't stand sour cream...or mayo for that matter...there's something about the texture that just doesn't sit with me when I'm trying to enjoy my food. This is probably also caused by the fact that no restaurant is able to include this type of condiment without lathering it on as though it were some kind of meal in itself. There's something so wrong about biting into a sandwhich, burrito, or taco and feeling the innards slide out on a bed of white dressing. Because of this, not a fan of those. However, Cream Cheese (as used in cheesecakes) is alright in my book.
     
    And, oh boy, fruit-filled pastries. I have to tell you, the highlight of my school lunch at least twice a week was the little pocket-pie that they included as a dessert. There was a light glaze, and usually they had strawberry or blueberry inside. Those of course are my two favorite berries. I wish I knew what they were actually called, as then maybe I'd be able to buy a few to include with my meals at home. Other fairly delicious fruit-filled delights would include strudel (not to be confused with strussel as I came to understand), actual fruit-pies, and jelly doughnuts.
     
    Well, that about wraps up today's entry. Sort of an interesting aside into an otherwise pretty casual blog. Maybe I should do stuff like this more often.
  3. T-Hybrid
    This is a dual topic today. First off, I was going to discuss the new Wii game: "No More Heroes". It's rated M, so I have to keep talks fairly limited. In fact I'm always sorta fuzzy on what kind of discussion is allowed. Basically, the game is awesome. It's also quite violent (with some swearing...or lots I guess). The title for today's entry comes from one of the main characters Devil Modes (I think that's what they're called). He's got different ones, each with it's own advantages. This specific ones lets him move lightening fast and gives one hit finishes. His hair turns blonde (which I'm thinking is a DBZ reference...as he's also an anime fan) when he goes into this mode, and he actually does yell "Strawberry on the shortcake!" Which makes it all the more entertaining.
     
    Get your parents permission before buying. Though I guess it doesn't matter since the rating is what it is. The game is fun, and is a welcome addition to my surprisingly limited collection (can you believe it's been a year and I've only got 6 games for the Wii?)
     
    On the other hand, Strawberry Shortcake is my all-time favorite desert (followed closely by cheesecake, mmmm). I don't think I've actually had it in years, as it was something my mom would make and I haven't lived there in the last five years. Whipped cream, that strawberry surgery mixture thing, and the shortcake. I should take my shot at making some of that now that I've got a place of my own.
     
    Playing this game has gotten me in the mood for some fancy deserts. Hopefully I didn't make you hungry as well.
  4. T-Hybrid

    Inuva. Still Interested?

    By T-Hybrid,

    I've been wondering. Is anybody still interested if I were to try and get Rebirth going again? I was reminded today why it's been slacking off in updates when I went to write this entry the first time and had it get blocked by a Board Error. I back up Chapters when I can. But sometimes I try to post them and they just get wiped by Board Errors.
     
    So I store them away, but they're unfinished...and I never get back to them. I can't put all the blame on the board itself, some of it is because I've written myself out of the original outline. I'm sorta at a point where I have to deviate to a point where I need to take some time to figure out if I want to roll with it or try and direct it back where I want it to go.
     
    I've missed a few opportunities with it, and though I'm not disappointed...I'm a bit let down with how it's felt. Te Mutunga and even The Alliance felt fun to write, but Rebirth seems like something where I had a spark but got delayed beyond when it stuck around.
     
    If people are interested, I'll get back into it. But I don't want to keep writing a fic if nobody's reading it. I liked the concept, and think it can go over well if I can find that place where the writing comes easier. I jsut needs to figure out where that is.
  5. T-Hybrid

    The Magic Hour

    By T-Hybrid,

    So another Brawl delay. I hadn't planned on having to cover another month of suspense, but I think I've got a couple more draft choices up my sleeve. This week's entry once again steps into the realm of third parties. But I think it'd be a perfect.
     


    Black Mage
    Franchise: Final Fantasy
    First Appearance: Final Fantasy I (NES)
    Why?: Final Fantasy started on the original Nintendo, and since then has seen many of the older FF's come back on the GBA and DS. And through it all, no one class has stood out more than the Black Mage. With it's distinct hat and glowing yellow eyes, to me there is no more recognizable character. Forget Sephiroth and Cloud, or Tidus...or Squall...or any of the modern FFs, this is the guy who's been with the franchise since day 1.
    Appearance: The above picture isn't the "original" Black Mage, but rather Vivi from Final Fantasy IX. I couldn't find a good pic of the 8-bit original, so I went with this instead. Game & Watch has the market covered on 2-d characters, and its what sets him apart. So Black Mage would be similiar to the above picture, minus the split in the cap.
    Moveset: Black Mage would go into battle with a wide array of magic based attacks. To simulate the different levels of spells (ex: Fire/Fira/Firaga), all of this spells would be chargable by performing the button combination and holding down the attack button. His standard B would launch a ball of Fire. Up+B would use Aero to recover when knocked off (high charges would also temporarily deflect attacks and do more damage if it hits an opponent). Down+B would cast a Thunder attack similar to Pikachu's Thunderbolt. His Up smash attack would cast Blizzard to launch foes upwards with sudden ice growths, while his Down smash would make us of his Gravity spell to slam enemies to the ground. His side Smash would cast Water, shooting a jet of water out in front of him. His throw...I dunno. I think it would be interesting if it was a different spell every time, but that would likely be too much work for one character.
    Final Smash: Ultima. It's been around in one form or another since the beginning, and has always been one of the most powerful black magic spells in the game. Black Mage's would be no different, filling the screen with bursts of magical energy. Difficult to avoid, but not impossible.
     
    There are a lot of people clamoring for a Final Fantasy character to enter the Brawl, but the typical requests have been Cloud and Sephiroth (who honestly have been in EVERY game for as long as Create-A-Character has been around). Black Mage showed up on the original NES, and has also made appearances on the DS (shooting hoops in Mario Basketball).
     
    This will probably be the last choice until the new release date gets closer. I've got one last character...and I have one last character I'd introduce...and I want to save it for a bit.
  6. T-Hybrid

    It's Happening Again

    By T-Hybrid,

    I'm watching Fox Sports North, in hopes of catching a glimpse of some Wild hockey before I go to bed. The Wolves game hadn't finished yet, just unde a minute to go.
     
    That minute took four. I kid you not. Furthermore, there was 0.0 on the game clock and the ref called a timeout because nobody touched the ball to officially end the game. And they took a commerical break. They took a commercial break with 0.0 left on the clock! I just died a little inside, as I think I've discovered the 2nd sign of the apocalypse. The other having been spotted earlier this year.
     
    To make a long story short, I wouldn't worry to much about your New Years resolution.
  7. T-Hybrid
    In the time I've been writing entries here in the Haven, you've probably noticed that I haven't said much about sports. In the past few years, some have probably come to know me as a pretty dedicated Twins fan. So, with football season right around the corner (as the Vikings don't play until tomorrow), it shouldn't be shocking that my focus is still on the MLB.
     
    And why is that? Well, because in the past few months, the Minnesota Twins have been on fire. And not the bad kind of fire that burns and causes suffering (you know, the Kyle Lohse kind), but the good kind that involves wins and lots of pretty runs.
     
    What seemed impossible back in April and May has now become a surprising possibility. The Twins are in the playoff hunt, and are currently controlling their own destiny at the moment. To paint a more accurate picture of the complete 180 that they pulled, take a look at this graphic:
     

    I figured June 17th would be a good date to use as a starting point, since it was also the first day I started blogging. On the right is the standings as of the end of today's games. The Twins have surged to within striking distance of the Divison Title, and are currently in the driver's seat of the Wild Card. I don't know what to expect in the next few weeks. Detroit and Chicago still have four games left against each other, while the Twins play Chicago in the final three games of the year. This adds up to create one heck of a conclusion to what originally was a yawner of a season.
     
    Can Joe Mauer finish the season as the league's leading hitter, or will Derek Jeter's recent streak be enough to put him at the top? Will Johan Santana claim his second Cy Young award? Who is going to be the league MVP...Jermaine Dye, Justin Morneau?
     
    There are a ton of stories building up, and though I may not like how things wind up in October...I'm still going to thank the team for putting on a show in the closing months of what started as a fiasco.
     
    Go Twins!
  8. T-Hybrid
    Olda, Nuva, Metru, Hordika, Hagah...
     
    Since 2001, we Bionicle fans have been introduced to five generations of heroes. Each with their own quirks, designs, and stories. And now, in 2006, we're introduced to the future of Bionicle: The Inika.
     
    But with so many heroes, and so many designs, just where do the Inika fit into the grand history of the toyline? Well, many who have recieved their Inika over the past few weeks have taken to ranking, and though I usually don't like actually trying to rank my favorites of various things (just look over my posts in any "Top #" discussion to see what I'm talking about), I felt it would be a great blogging exercise to actually try and do a Countdown.
     
    So, without further ado, I present:
     
    Torhu's Toa Countdown
     
    #6: The Nuva
    If the Nuva had been introduced during the 2006 storyline, it's quite possible they'd have been built just like the Inika we have today. Instead, we saw the classic Olda sets transformed into these armored heros. But why would I rank the Nuva at the bottom, below even the designs they replaced? Because looking back, it was the Nuva that began the trend of reducing the unique elements between canister figures. The Nuva each had the same armor, and essentially identical designs. Yes, we had to suffer through the Bohrok, but it takes a second go to actually begin a trend. And that's why I put the Nuva at the bottom of the Toa hierarchy.
     
    #5: The Metru
    Holy cow, what a difference time makes! I remember seeing pictures of these and thinking LEGO had done it. They had brought Bionicle into the era of action figures. With articulation at every major joint (except the waist, but I'm not complaining), the Metru were able to stand in every pose I could think up. And with a variety of weapons (including a clever Kanoka launcher/jetpack), the characters promised a new direction in the storyline. However, they were about as identical as two sets could be. Take off the Kanohi and the weapons...and which Toa are you looking at? I had no idea, and it quickly turned me off of the sets.
     
    #4: The Hordika
    Okay, I have a feeling this one is going to draw some questions. When looking at people's rankings, I usually see the Hordika ranked dead last. I don't see them that way. The Hordika were an interesting experiement from the designers of LEGO. The first (and so far only) Toa to not wear Kanohi, the Hordika also incorporated the gear gimmick into the arm. Combined with the Rhotuka launcher, these were also the first Toa to boast two action features. However, the Hordika once again suffered from the lack of individuality that plauged both the Metru and Nuva. On top of that, the concept of being part-Animal was lost in the details. The Hordika had very mechanical looking feet, and their faces (though unusual) didn't draw any particular animals to mind. But I liked the action features enough to look past the similarities, and the posebility was on par with the Metru. This to me puts them above their predecessors. Well, except for one group.
     
    #3: The Olda
    With my comments regarding the Metru and Nuva, you must be curious why I'd rank the Olda over either of them. Let alone both... I'll admit when I started writing this, I had the Olda ranked dead last, with the Nuva up in this posistion. But as I wrote my explanations, I came to realize something about the Olda. As it stands, the original Toa were basic figures. Featuring no elbow, knee, or neck articulation, the Olda were more showy then functional. However, the upside of these sets were their indivduality. From Tahu's chest ball and Gali's little blue chest bump to Pohatu's upside-down torso. Every Toa had something unique about their design that helped them stand out when together on a shelf. This made the character's (and figures) memorable. And it's why I place them near the top, above even their evolved form.
     
    #2: The Inika
    This one took a lot of deliberation in my head before I was able to make an honest choice. I've already written a review of the sets, so hopefully that will help you get a feel for what I think of them on the whole. The Inika are a step back towards individuality that I hope to see continued as the generations of Toa continue to come forth from the LEGO creative team. Each Inika has the same 13 points of articulation that the Metru featured, while also going back to adding unique elements between sets. Nuparu's shoudler-mounted Zamor launcher and Hewkii's chain are the most prevalent. However, the Inika feature two different types of chest armor and two different foot designs. It's a small difference, but each Toa makes use of these pieces to bring their own style to the set. This was something that hadn't been seen in any of the regular Toa releases. It was, however, seen in a pair of very special Toa.
     
    #1: The Hagah
    Bionicle fans in the US were lucky to get their hands on both of these sets, and it's a shame that the full squad wasn't released. I have heard rumblings about the original intent for these two sets (Norik's resemblance to a certain Turaga of questionable allegiance should be mention enough of this) that explain why this was not the case, but I can't help but feel slighted. The Hagah had it all, poseability, playability, and personality. Using slightly modified Metru designs, the Hagah were also given the Rhotuka shield, which allowed the focus of the set to remain on the figure itself. Meanwhile, the two Toa were given distinct design differences. Iruini wore Metru shoulder pads and a Bohrok claw, while Norik sported a silver Dume chest plate and Nuva shoulder armor. With the clever use of previous sets to fill out the armor, I'm left wondering what LEGO designers could've done if given an opportunity to build the full team. It's this perfect blend of form and function that should earn the Hagah a special place in the collection of any Bionicle fan. And it's why they take home the #1 spot, only in my opinion of course.
     
    Though our opinions may differ when it comes to exact rankings, I'm sure one thing can be agreed upon. In the last few years, LEGO has taken big steps in the design of the Toa. With the release of the Inika behind us, and the initial feedback coming through...it's clear that they've struck gold with these new heroes. I can only look at the current generation of Toa and wonder what LEGO has in store for the future years. And I truthfully have no idea what to expect.
  9. T-Hybrid
    The summer days are flying by at too quick a pace to even realize what's going on around me. In a few weeks, I'll be in my apartment preparing to graduate from college. I'll be on the job hunt, and quite possibly moving to some new state. But through all the changes that have come in my life...there has remained one constant.
     
    BZP has marched on.
     
    2001 seems so very long ago, but I remember the first day I joined a little community out in the middle of no-web. It was Bionicle Zone at the time, and only had 20 or 30 members tops. I remember following a chain of links...starting at what was a downed Xitan's, to a rival site which shall remain nameless. I followed a random link, and found myself here.
     
    I was 16 at the time, and had never been a member of an online community before. But something about BZ felt right. It was just getting started, had a small group, and everybody seemed nice. Heck, it was linked off of a site called RedDimension...and the topic of the day was a slide puzzle of the creator and his daughter (I really hope I remembered that correctly).
     
    There were a few threads on custom designs people had built. Proudly I started a thread displaying Whiringa Toa, my first MOC. Being the newbie I was, I tried to link the pictures from my home computer. Thankfully the one and only Staffer at the time helped me out, and in time I was posting pictures of all my creations. And though I've matured over the years...my MOC skills seem to have stuck at the point I was all those years ago.
     
    Thankfully though, I can credit BZP with helping me develope my netiquette. There are a few other forums I visit. BZP is without a doubt the largest, but out of all of them it's also the friendliest. Though one would expect a forum based on a toy would have such a community...I could easily show you examples where that isn't the case. And all of that can be attributed to the staff members that have come, gone, or stayed throughout BZP's history.
     
    I remember when I was offered a posistion on the staff as moderator of General Discussion. I remember being put on the staff in charge of the growing Completely Off Topic (which at one point was home to "Bionicle After Hours"...BZP's once and former Nightclub). Ah yes, Rahi Master. One of my best buddies on this forum. The two of us cause quite a it of havoc in our day....quite possibly being part of the reason that CoT no longer counts towards post counts. Anybody who was around in those days can tell you about "Word Association" in all it's glory.
     
    Rahi Master and I were also behind the Follower Fiasco. What started as a joke between a handful of users expanded into one of BZP's first big fads. Soon the Staff made special accomidations and rules to allow for people to be Leaders and Followers. Then just as quickly as it had taken off, it was ended...and we were shown what should've been viewed as a warning of things to come.
     
    I was on the Staff assigned to the Clubs Forum, too. Anybody remember that? I don't remember how long it lasted...but similar to Leaders and Followers...the Clubs only seemed to seperate and isolate members from one another more and more. I don't recall the details, but I remember the headache. And soon, Clubs went the way of Followers.
     
    There was the DTotA (Dark Toa of the Apocalypse), one of BZ's first group projects. In it's early days, the members of the time combined their writing, building, and creative processes to name, design, and assign powers to a team of Toa based on the Four Horsemen. It was honored during BBC's 7th Contest
     
    From it's early days on BZ...to BZC...and then BZP, this forum has evolved into the cornerstone of the Bionicle universe. It was the fans of this forum that got the Vahi back into the story. We've even witnessed as our fellow members have gone on to become staff on the actual Bionicle team.
     
    The names and faces may change throughout the years, but the constants will always be there. The sets, the story, and the overall creative spark that the toyline and this forum have seemed to bring about are noticeable. Compare MOCs today to those in BZ's early days. It's almost impossible to think that something like this could've happened.
     
    When I first learned of Bionicle, I expected it to eventually wind up like the Throwbots and the Roboriders. But something went differently with LEGO's third try. And I'd like to think that we here at BZP were part of that something.
     
    So to all the members, young and old, Staff or otherwise, veteran or newbie....congratulations all. It's been five great years. And with the Inika trickling into stores...and teases of what lay ahead, it looks as though LEGO and Bionicle are giving us enough to keep on trucking for years to come.
     
    On a more personal note: to LtJ, melvin, Matoro, and RM. The Alliance may have long since faded from the forum...and who knows how many of you I'll hear from again. But I want you to know that I'll never forget the fun times we had.
     
    And because I'm old enough now, here's a toast to the good ol' days. Along with it, a moment of silence for BAH.
     
    ....
     
    Somewhere out there, there are pixie sticks being eaten...and the DJ is playing on.
  10. T-Hybrid

    The Waiting Game

    By T-Hybrid,

    The Barakki continue to tempt me when I walk through the LEGO Aisle at various stores. I'm waiting for the Mahri to start trickling out so I can decide which canister sets are more worth picking up. Because with the way I go about collecting, I won't be able to just buy one Barakki. And I know that if I buy the Mahri I'm going to want to buy spares to make Puhi and Mahi Mahri.
     
    Why can't it be July already? Or is it June? Whatever the case, the Mahri need to come out already.
  11. T-Hybrid
    My boss was kind enough to pick up dinner for us guys at the office today. The meal of choice today was a quick pickup of a burger and fries from a nearby coffee shop. I had to fly, so in my haste to get everybody their food I neglected to grab enough condiments to go around. Since that was supposed to have been my job, I left what I had brought and ran back over to get some ketchup and whatnot for myself.
     
    In my haste, I neglected to realize that the shaker next to the salt and pepper was something other than seasoned salt. That was until I sprinkled it onto my fries. Well..."poured" would be more accurate. I had grabbed what I believe to have been the cinnamon shaker. I still don't quite know, mostly because I pumped my ketchup and walked back to the office, laughing at my carelessness.
     
    A few of the guys joked about how weird my fries looked, but after I dipped the first one in and took a bite, I realized something. They tasted pretty good. Curious, a few of them tried one, and said the same thing. Proud of my discovery, I happily finished my meal and documented the findings.
     
    This is the second unusual food stuff I have enjoyed in my 22 years here on Earth. The original being a bizarre "goulash" consisting of baked beans, ketchup, and cottage cheese. Yeah, looking back I have no idea how I ate that (my family actually humored me once by trying it for themselves), but I think this fry thing may actually be for real.
     
    So if you ever have the chance, try it out and get back to me!
  12. T-Hybrid

    Return To Normalcy

    By T-Hybrid,

    My "replacement" piece (since it really was never there in the first place) arrived in the mail yesterday. So my Lesohvikk set is complete. Don't worry, I'll eventually get that name right.
     
    In the meantime, I took advantage of the BOGO at TRU last week and grabbed spare Toa. One each of Matoro, Hewkii, and Nuparu. Combined with the spare parts I finally remembered to grab from my dad's place, I was able to start building my annual Pa-Tahi Toa. Khultak and Rangi (both Olda and Nuva), Tohru and Mihini (Metru and Hordika), and now Puhi and Mahi (Inika and Mahri). Like the original Toa, they've followed themes...until I got to building the Mahri versions. Khultak, Tohru, and Puhi were traditionally centaur, while Rangi, Mihini, and Mahi were built to be the shortest Toa, and all had some form of wings or hover unit attached to their backs.
     
    I don't know how well I can describe how Puhi and Mahi Mahri turned out. Puhi still has centaurish elements, while Mahi comes off looking rather regal with his (or is he and she after all this time) back-mounted unit now looks like a cape of sorts. Both still carry some elements that can be attributed to the original design patterns, but have also stayed true to the Mahri's uniqueness. I'm still tweaking Mahi so (s)he doesn't look as much like Matoro Mahri as (s)he currently does.
     
    I'll see if I can find a way to get some pictures up soon to share. Puhi is definately doon, and I really like how he turned out.
  13. T-Hybrid

    Snakes On A Haven

    By T-Hybrid,

    My friends and I literally just got back from the first showing here in town. And I'll let you know there's no point to stay after for the credits, except for the music video. The song is catchy, but aside from that there's none of that extra scene stuff that movies have liked to do lately.

    I don't know to what extent I'd be allowed to discuss the movie here, so I'll just make it quick....it's a classic. If you're able to see it (as in, of age) then do it. It's hilarious. The story takes itself serious, and the biggest surprise involves one of the flight attendants. But otherwise it's just one of those movies that'll go down in legend.

    SoaP is going to be our generation's Rocky Horror...without all that other stuff that goes with that movie. But I can't get over how hilarious the whole event was. The crowd was into it, and the overall attitude made the movie that much more enjoyable. To those who honestly want to see this, go soon. Otherwise the crowds will shift to those that are going expecting to see an actual movie, and they're not going to be like the ones I saw this with.

    SoaP is going to be a financial success...and I have a feeling it's going to be number one for at least it's opening weekend. It's just that kinda movie. And who knows what to expect come the DVD release. This is already a cult classic.

    One minor nitpick. Technically, there are no snakes on the plane. They are all in the plane. But to paraphrase a certain comedian...forget getting on the plane, I'm getting in the plane. Let Evil Kineval get on the plane. Besides that, I've got no complaints.

    Now, the after party was another story. After getting back to the Haven, we found a few pinatas had been delivered to the doors. Now, HGM was supposedly in charge of checking them out, but from the looks of things that wasn't what happened. I guess there was an advance screening of the movie in the Digital World. So go figure he left his post just long enough for these to get dropped off by an unknown caller.

    But you know, we were pumped up from the movie. So we brought them in, hung them up, and started fooling around. Well, wouldn't you know...the first one gets busted open and out falls this big snake thing. Well naturally, the guests start freaking out. And since I don't have Sammy J's number (at least not handy) I do the only thing I can think of and call out HGM. One thing needs to another, and the next thing you know there's a full on Digimon assault in the lounge of the Haven.

    An hour later, I'm still cleaning up. I didn't bother breaking open the second pinata, but that's mostly because it was obliterated in the brawl. If you haven't seen to Perfect Level Digimon duke it out in person, you haven't lived. But that's another story, and to sum it up quickly I'll say Sandiramon is still out there. And really, that's all I need right now. I've got classes, a job, finances, and now two rival Digimon who have their eyes on moving in.

    But really, all that's not so bad. Because I saw Snakes On A Plane, and nothing can take that away.
  14. T-Hybrid

    All Good Things...?

    By T-Hybrid,

    I haven't been following Bionicle that closely the past few years, but I guess I wasn't really shocked to learn that things are wrapping up for now. It was one of those inevitabilities that had always lingered in the backs of people's minds...and now it's a reality.
     
    I'm not exactly sure what to say here. I remember when Bionicle was first getting started, and I was just getting a feel for what could be done with the sets. And soon they became just another of my hobbies along with other action figures and gaming. It's been what...8 years now? That's amazing when you get right down to it. Look at all the things that have come and gone in that time, such as Galidor *chuckle*, and compare Bionicle to it's predecessors Slizer and Throwbots. Who'd a thunk that this line would have taken off as amazingly as it has.
     
    I can only hope that LEGO goes in the right direction with it's "replacement" line, and I hope that Bionicle fans are willing to accept the line for what it is instead of what it isn't. I also hope that the Bionicle storyline will be able to come to a satisfactory close in the time it has left.
  15. T-Hybrid

    Just A Refresher

    By T-Hybrid,

    Just to clear up the airwaves a bit due to some recent confusion.
     

    Hapori Tohu (not me)
     

    Tohru (also not me....I've lost weight)
     

    Tohru Honda (definately not me...despite April Fool's jokes suggesting otherwise)
     

    Torhu Hybrid (me)
     
    Though I do see that Honda and I share similiar fashion sense (color wise, not the whole...skirt...thing)
  16. T-Hybrid
    All of my finals fell on Wednesday, and were all essay format. Thankfully the Media Ethics paper was assigned prior to finals week, so we only needed to turn the paper by deadline in order to get credit for the appearance. In the meantime, I'm working on finishing up my internship with a "local" software consulting firm. I'm also in the midst of a heated job hunt, which has seen me dressed up in a suit and tie more times than I'll ever care to be again. But let me tell you, as awkward as it feels to get all dressed up like that...there's a certain confidence that comes when you see yourself in the mirror. Vanity? I wouldn't go that far.
     
    I'm looking ahead to my final semester of my undergraduate career, and I couldn't be more excited. I feel like the whole world is opening up to me, and I can't wait to see where it leads me next. But in the meantime, while I have some down time between work and classes...I've had a chance to reaquianted with some old friends. To summarize what I've been researching:
     
    The following games are cool:
    Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
    Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)
    Starfox Command (DS)
    The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii/GC)
     
    The following games will be cool:
    Yoshi's Island DS (DS)
    The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
    Kirby: Squeak Squad (DS)
    Pokemon: Diamond Version (DS)
    Okami (PS2)
    Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
    Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
     
    The following games will hopefully come out:
    Super Paper Mario (Wii?)
  17. T-Hybrid
    The Twins got absolutely stomped by the Yankees today. And of all the times to have it happen, it was while the game was being broadcast on ESPN. *shudders* So I was left with nothing to do except watch 24 and write up this blog entry.
     
    Saw Super Paper Mario at the Target here in Kato, but passed on picking it up because my reserved copy at Gamestop arrives tomorrow. Though recent developements have left me questioning my loyalties to the store. At first it was getting the occasional call reminding me I had purchased a game from them (Twilight Princess six months ago). They asked if I wanted to sell it back. I was mostly bothered because I figured if I wanted to sell it, I'd sell it.
     
    Now it turns out Gamestop is showing the endings of games during their in store promo videos. Sound a little odd to you? Promote the purchase of a game by showing you the thing you're working for? Oddly enough, the game of choice was Twilight Princess. (What is it about TP that this store has it out for people who bought it).
     
    The next logical step, of course, is to combine the whole thing into one streamlined process. That is, once you buy the game you've got a month to beat it. At that time they'll call you up and invite you to sell it back. If you decline they'll tell you the ending, thus negating any reason you'd have to continue playing it.
     
    I like Gamestop. They usually have what I'm looking for, and the people there seem nice enough. I've been going in the same store for four years, so I'd like to think the initial salesmanship angle has since worn to genuine interest in conversing with me. But if stuff like this keeps going on, I'll take off and just go back to buying games at the "regular" stores. Gamestop only guarantees you the game if you reserve it. After that it's no different than any other store. And most of the titles I want are the ones that'll be easy to come by anyway (the aforementioned Super Paper Mario being the prime example).
     
    I move out of my apartment and into a new one in Eagan at the end of May. At that time I'll essentially be "leaving" the current Gamestop. That may be the time when I decide to just jump ship and go back to the old ways. If a game ending gets ruined for me before hand, it'll pretty much seal the transition.
  18. T-Hybrid

    Bouncer, Fighter, Gamer

    By T-Hybrid,

    T-Hybrid is currently taking care of his benefits package, and other growed-up things. In his place, he has again requested the assistance of his guest writer.
     
    Good evening boys and girls, VGM here bringing you the latest updates from the world of Bouncin'. I have to say that it's been a bit frantic this week, with T-Boss gettin his submissions organized in the Master of Bionicle 2 contest (he tried askin me for help but I wouldn't give it, he's on his own!). I do like his ideas so far, only hope Greg sees things the same way. He's admitted to me that even after the two qusetions he's already got a good feeling for what it's like having to make the big decisions. I can't wait till he gets a question about new characters. He's been lookin for an excuse to get Khultak and Rangi into the official storyline for years!
     
    What have I been doin? A lil Guitar Hero there and some DDR there. T invested some of the leftover patio funds to gettin me a custom built guitar controller. And the dance pad is HUGE! So if you're ever in the Twin Cities area and start feeling a termor here or there odds are that's me tryin to clear some of the touger songs. And watch out if I start rockin out too hard during Jessica or Freebird, because I'll really get into it! And the last time I cleared a tough song I launched off a Blue Heaven in celebration. By complete accident. Neighbors weren't too happy, but they weren't home at the time so they shouldn't be complaining. Now the people in the apartments BEHIND us may have a few words, if they ever land.
     
    T and I are gettin pumped for GHIII. Only 6 days away for now. In the meantime we're gonna be rootin for those Rockies in the World Series! So until you hear from me again GO COLOARDO!
     

    ROCKTOBER!
  19. T-Hybrid

    Too...much...awesome!

    By T-Hybrid,

    So I'm trying to MOC with the Mahri, and it's considerably harder than I thought. There's a lot of variety in the pieces, but without any spare parts it's hard to get anything started without having it slowly turn into just a slightly tweaked existing Mahri.
     
    I'm going to have to go back to my old place and dig up the parts from my other sets and see if that can't help diversify a bit. I've already got a few "ideas" I want to toy with, but need a bit more flexibility in parts before I can go from theory to practice.
     
    Still love the Mahri, just overwhelmed by the available parts!
  20. T-Hybrid
    Here it is, the 3rd day of April and majhost.com continues to suffer some sort of mysteriously non-foolish shutdown. How am I supposed to share pictures of my new cat army with the masses?
     
    I tells ya, there's nothing that ruins a good April Foolin' like your entire collection of images going down for the week. I oughta go over to Maj and give them a piece of my-
     
    Ooooh is that a ball of yarn!
     
    *runs off*
  21. T-Hybrid

    On The Warpath

    By T-Hybrid,

    T-Hybrid has found himself unable to play Twilight Princess. While he battles Best Buy customer service, his guest writer has stepped up to fill in.
     
    Wowza! I gotta say that today would not be a good day to mess with T-Boss. Last night at around midnight he was set up to enter the 6th dungeon and beat the game by the end of the week. But for whatever reason, his game froze and now he's unable to do anything in the way of advancing the storyline.
     
    I have to tell you, if there's one thing that gets on T's bad side in a hurry it's poor customer service. I'm a Perfect level Digimon with a revolver for an arm, and even I don't wanna be anywhere near him today. Supposedly Best Buy isn't gonna exchange his game. Why? I dunno. He's muttering something about a service plan that he didn't buy. Who'd a thunk that only a week into owning a Wii he'd run into a problem such as this?
     
    But lookin back at his last few blogs, I can tell that he's hammered you poor guys with all kinds of Wii talk. So instead, let's talk something cool. Let's talk patio! It's open, it's winter, but it's alright. I've officially paid off my debt for the fight with Santiramon, and now I'm able to hang out with the regulars taking in pixie stixs like they were going out of style. MachGaogamon hasn't shown up in a long while, and I dunno if that's a good or bad thing. I'm just waiting until he pops up with some boss of his own and decides he wants to move in on our newly expanded turf.
     
    I'll also take the time to voice appreciation for T's victory in the Short Story contest. I saw him crack a smile when I told him, and for a moment he was relieved of some of the pressure. Then the guy on the other line said something stupid, and he was back to yelling about service plans and paying to exchange a game.
     
    That's all for me today. I'll throw in a plug for Digimon Savers and be on my way now. Seeya!
  22. T-Hybrid
    With Brawl being pushed back, I'm left having to slow down a bit with the Fantasy Draft. I've got a handful of entries, enough to go for a few more months. Provided I slow it down to a new one every few weeks. But I like this choice, and I'm going with it today.
     


    Joanna Dark
    Franchise: Perfect Dark
    First Appearance: Perfect Dark (N64)
    Why?: Goldeneye brought the first-person shooter to console gamers when it burst onto the scene for the Nintendo64. However, it wasn't until Rare unveiled Perfect Dark later on in the life of the console that people truly came to understand what a console FPS was capable of. With it's intensive stat-tracking, various degrees of bots, and a multitude of bonus modes and weapons, Perfect Dark surpassed Goldeneye as the best FPS of it's generation. Perfect Dark showed that Rare could make something besides fetch-quests, and a sequel was long suspected to be coming until Rare was swooped up by Microsoft. I know I'm dreaming in this one, but Joanna Dark wasn't just a generic spy. She was a strong female lead that could get by with her gear and her brains.
    Appearance: You'll notice I used a picture of Joanna from her 64 days. Perfect Dark Zero (or Perfect Dark In Name Only), turned into a prequel, transforming Joanna into almost an anime styled shell of her former self. Her look on the 64 fit the futuristic spy motif far more than the khaki's a t-shirt look that she sported occasionally, not to mention her look in the 64 would be how Nintendo fans would best remember her.
    Moveset: With her assortment of spy-gear and combat skills, Joanna would come into the Brawl arena on a similiar level as Snake. Her Up + B recovery would summon Dr. Caroll to hover her back to the platform. She'd have grenades she could toss with the her down B attack. There's also her tranquilzer gun (which she could charge using her standard B attack). The higher the dosage, the more the enemy is recoiled/stunned. Her smash attacks would involve kung foo (with that fun swooshy noise her chops made ingame). Unfortunately it's tricky to make a moveset since she'd be under the same rules as Snake, which would mean no guns. This leaves me worried her best moveset may end up being very similar to Snake's.
    Final Smash: There'd be nothing more fun than for Joanna to call down a Mayan invasion with the help of her buddy Elvis. I can picture the spaceship swooping in and firing charged laser blasts from above as Joanna struck her enemies from the ground. Not to mention Elvis was one of the more interesting partners in a shooter.
     
    Joanna Dark is about as likely to make it into Brawl as I am. But that's just what the Fantasy Draft is all about.
  23. T-Hybrid
    "Rock This Town" once again proved to be my downfall. But for an official event held in the Rotunda of the MoA, the GHII Tourney on Saturday sure seemed pretty unprofessional. Since my one and only performance was at 12:15, I was left with quite a bit of time to discuss the merits of the contest with those around me.
     
    For starters, the field was open to over 200 competitors...however, the limited time constraints for the tourney left them able to only take the top 10 scores. 10 out of 200. One song eliminated 190 people. Which means after all the excitement and all the build-up, most everybody who went to the MoA on Saturday ended up being done after only 4 minutes. Hardly exciting.
     
    There were other problems to. The biggest was the apparant inability of the organizers to realize the significance of HD Lag in any sort of gaming. Especially one who's major focus is on timing. Anybody who has an HD TV knows that there is a certain lag associated that doesn't exist in an old school fat TV. So failure to properly calibrate the delay left each player with a different delay, and no opportunity to adjust for it (I've played GHII on a 360, so I've come to realize that if the game isn't properly calibrated for the lag it can take anywhere from two to three songs to get used to the delay). This wasn't helped any bit by the fact that the entire tournament was played on Expert.
     
    That's really my biggest complaint. If MoA and GameStop are supposedly trying to draw a diverse fanbase and make the tourney accessible, why set it at the absolute highest difficulty? There's a big enough cut-off when people transition from Medium to Hard, as there's an extra bit of practice required to start moving your pinky to hit that fifth button. Expert Mode is just that. If you think of Easy as the Tutorial portion of the game, Medium becomes a more standard difficulty. Hard is a good enough difficulty level for an open tournament, as anybody who's good enough to win a tournament on Expert is theoretically good enough to rise to the top of the pack in the Hard setting.
     
    There were other issues. Since this was organized by GameStop, every store in the district was asked to bring their 360 Kiosk to the Rotunda. These were all wired together and hooked into some massive power supply somewhere. Whoever set it all up though didn't realize the kind of juice the whole thing would be pulling though. Throughout the opening rounds of the "tournament", one entire section of 360's would repeatedly power down. Not surprisingly, most of the people who were forced to start over (some people had to restart twice) didn't make it through. Why? Because they were slowly getting adjusted to the Lag, which was then restarted (and never recalibrated by the organizer) when the machine was powered down.
     
    All in all, the whole thing turned into a joke. There were people who I knew could do better who were coming out of it with scores between 50-60%. This is not a game where you can just get "lucky" and get a high score. If you can consistently get a certain range, that's the range you'll get anytime. You're not going to consistently hit 95% in a certain song, then suddenly fall apart and hit only 55%. And when everybody mentioned the lag as they came out of there...yeah.
     
    It's sad when an tourney at a local restuarant is more professional and entertaining than a large-scale public event. And if anybody who was running that tourney is reading this...next time make sure you make that if you're going to set up a website ahead of time, you actually go ahead and put more info on there. Because had I known it was going to be on Expert...and there was a good liklihood I'd only play one song in the whole 4 hour period, I wouldn't have bothered. I'm not good enough on Hard yet to even think about playing on Expert. The whole thing was just a waste of my time. And for shoppers who were watching, it was the same song...over and over again (the first two hours were people playing Rock This Town). Hardly entertaining for them.
     
    I hope they learn from this, and next time have qualifiers at Local Gamestops. That way by the time it gets to the MoA event, they can have a solid bracket already built...and everybody just plays on the same giant TV. That way it's the same lag, and the audience sees a variety of songs.
  24. T-Hybrid
    There's a new Digimon series coming this year. Digimon Around. Not sure what the title means, but the new promo pic is interesting...

    Looks like we're going to get a Digimon meets Power Rangers with a touch of Transformers. Kinda interested in what we're gonna see from this toy wise. I could use an excuse to buy some more transformers!
     
    The only downside...no Blue Digivice. At least not yet. So no opportunity to induct a new member into the Blue Vice. More details as they become available!
  25. T-Hybrid
    What started off as a throwaway comment almost lead to me getting elected to a school office yesterday. And with almost little effort on my part. Yesterday's key election issue was the decision a to whether or not students would allow the school to increase Student Fees to allow for the construction of a series of improved athletic facilities. When I logged in to vote, I noticed that one posistion (Communications Board) was being put up for vote with out any official candidate. The only choices were to Abstain, or Write-In a candidate.
     
    My roomate jokingly voted for me. Not knowing who was actually running, I also voted for myself. Then I started thinking, how fun would it be to get my name listed on the voter results. I didn't want the office, and since I was graduating in May I wouldn't be elligible to hold the office anyway. Worst case scenario (or was it best?) was that I'd get elected and would just have to back out. I got to work, and by the end of the day I estimated that I had recieved 5-6 votes. Hardly enough to get elected right?
     
    Boy was I wrong! You'll note that the winning "candidate" for Communications Board recieved a whopping EIGHT votes. That means if my estimates are accurate, I was only two votes away from a tie, and potential victory. How frightening is that? On a campus of 14000 students, I could've held a Student Government Office simply because me and a handful of friends thought it'd be funny to write me in.
     
    Other scary results: The Crawford Complex representatives each recieved a total of 2 votes. That is, they each voted for themselves and were thusly elected. Not only that, but only around 3000 people voted on the Student Fee referendum. That's not even a third of the campus deciding on something that will effect everybody!
     
    After seeing the results, I emailed the MSSA to ask why my name didn't appear on the results. Apparently they were only showing the winner for some categories in order to keep the document from being too large. I'm going to visit the offices tomorrow and view the official results to see just how close I came to being the Communications Something-Or-Other. I'll report back just how close it actually was.
     
    The lesson you should take away from all this? Get involved in politics...or somebody who may be totally unqualified for the posistion may end up getting it!
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