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Dr. Bionicle

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  1. Dr. Bionicle
    Nurse: Code red! Code red! We've got a dying blog here! Life functions are dropping!
     
    Intern: Get him to Dr. Bionicle immediately!
     
    Dr. B: Oh, this doesn't look good. This guy's been having trouble for months. We need a transfusion and fast!
     
    Nurse: Get me a quart of Premier Year on the double!
     
    Intern: Got it! Here's the IV.
     
    Dr. B: It's helping, but we've lost its entry rate. Hand me the entry shocks.
     
    Intern: Here.
     
    Dr. B: Clear!
     
    *FIZZ*
     
    Intern: It's not working!
     
    Dr. B: Clear!
     
    *FIZZ*
     
    Nurse: It's starting to work...we're getting blips...
     
    Dr. B: Clear!
     
    *FIZZ*
     
    Intern: It's alive!
     
     
    ---
     
     
    Yes, so I finally renewed my Premier membership. So now you've got me back for a year! I'll get to updating my content blocks today, hopefully.
     
    I've got some new ideas which you'll see popping up here and there eventually. New Content Blocks, themes, the like.
     
    So hopefully, this new blog should be up and kicking by tomorrow.
     
    Till then,
    Dr. Bionicle
  2. Dr. Bionicle

    Moooooooovies...

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    I don't consider this a great year for movies. I admit it. Hardly anything PG or below has really impressed me (save Ratatouille) and most everything PG13 or above is too disgusting, too gory, too sketchy, too controversial, too weird, or too stupid. Throughout the course of the year, I've watched quite a number of movies (some at the theaters, some not) and I've got to say that each one left me with a pretty strong opinion.
     
    So, in case you're thinking of hitting your local movie theater (or video rental store), then I'm going to be posting quite a few little entry reviews. I don't know how great they are, but anyway, let's begin.
     
     
    The Fountain
    Rating: PG13
    This one sprung to mind first because I had seen a preview for this and understood absolutely nothing about it. Something like a year later, my buddy Ryan got some people together to watch it. Let me just say that this movie is utterly confusing beyond belief.
     
    As it turns out, the main character is a guy named Tommy (Hugh Jackman) who in the "real world" (you may or may not understand why I make that clear in a moment) is a doctor in search of a cure for brain tumors. At a point in the story, there is a formula he throws together which restores the test subject (a monkey) to a perfectly healthy state and (although over a great course of time) causes the tumor to dissipate. However, since the tumor healing doesn't happen immediately, he gives up the formula and turns to other things.
     
    He has a wife, Isabel, who is very carefree (and if I may say so, odd) that is a writer. She is extremely interested in the culture of, I believe, the Aztecs, which compels her to write a book called The Fountain.
     
    This book (and whatever else is going on inside that weird little head of hers) has caused her to greatly contemplate the concept of death, which is the basic idea behind her book. Interestingly enough, as she develops this fascination, she suddenly starts to experience symptoms of some sort (loss of temperature sense, for instance) and eventually is rushed to the ER, where she is diagnosed with a brain tumor.
     
    This is the part where you might want to be careful...
     

    » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «Tommy does intense study and research to attempt to find a cure for his wife's tumor, but she ends up dying. To his dismay, the tumor of the monkey begins to shrink only a little after his wife's death, which means he could've saved his wife's life.  
    Two other weird little subplots run beneath this. One is the plot of Isabel's book, where Hugh Jackman and Racheal Weisz (Isabel) are portrayed as a Spanish knight and the Queen of Spain. Jackman is sent out on a quest to find the Fountain of Youth among a nation of Aztecs.
     

    » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «When the Spanish knight does find the Tree of Life (why do they call it The Fountain, anyway?), he immediately sticks it with his sword and begins to drink its sap, hoping to become immortal. He does, but not in the way he expects. There is a fairly grotesque scene where flowers suddenly begin to sprout from his body and he becomes a part of the ground around the Tree. 
    Another is particularly odd. Some guy (Hugh Jackman again) is floating through this bubble traveling through space that suspends the Tree of Life in it. The two appear to be in harmony with one another, the man drinking the tree's sap, and the Tree patiently waiting to reach their destination. However, the Tree keeps giving him these hallucinations of Tommy's life.
     

    » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «Eventually, the two reach a dying star, which becomes a point of rebirth in both their lives. 
     
    If this was the worst plot summary you've ever read, there's a very good reason for that: this movie is so darned confusing that you can hardly summarize it. While the novel and reality plots run together fairly smoothly, the third of these stories is just downright confusing, despite any and all efforts to explain it within the movie.
     
    The movie starts with the second story, with the knight battling Aztecs. We reach a point of climax in the second story, within the first fifteen minutes, where the Aztec "chief" is about to sacrifice the knight. It is then that the third Hugh Jackman (in the bubble) "wakes up from his "dream" and gives us no explanation of the connection. Next we suddenly go to a flashback of Tommy's life. The procedure of moving from the abstract story to Tommy's life is one that is well-done and nicely timed, but it quickly becomes confused by the flashes to the book and the third story.
     
    In my opinion, the third story is completely unnecessary, and if it were ditched the whole film would be better off for it. It confuses the audience, which is intriguing at first, but quickly becomes stale as we keep anticipating an explanation. When the movie ends, the plot hole that is left behind is big enough to drive a truck through. While it may bring about some stimulating conversation, it's any wonder this movie ever got picked up.
     
    I will say that Jackman does a handsome job of portraying the knight and Tommy in this movie. It's challenging for any actor to play different roles, especially with lapses of difference that large, but Jackman pulls it off quite well. The Spanish Knight and Tommy are two very different characters, and they are made to seem that way. Only by comparing the two do you realize it is meant to be the same person. The third person (bubble man) is done as nicely as I think it could be. With the complexity of the other two characters, the third is disappointing in Jackman's performance, simply because it's not a believable or interesting character.
     
    Weisz really dwarfs beneath Jackman's performance. Her portrayal of the Queen is well-done, but the way she represents Isabel puts me off because she was simply so strange. Much of this had to do with the character itself, but Weisz just seems to distance the audience, like she doesn't want you to know what's going on inside her head (meanwhile, Jackman is opening up his noggin and turning on a floodlight).
     
    Overall, this movie is far too abstract for its own good. Jackman does what he can with his roles, but the story simply suffers because it is not well-thought out, or so it seems. As far as cinematography goes, it was a fair movie, with some great audio effects. However, it simply doesn't have any clicking or "Aha!" moments that make movies of this sort satisfying. It's a story that appears to be written without a conclusion.
     
     
    (Side note: There is a sketchy, sketchy scene that basically hits the PG13 rating for the movie somewhere near the beginning. Just be warned.)
     
     
    Anyway, that's it.
     
     
    Critically,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
     
  3. Dr. Bionicle
    School started up about a week ago, so I know you're all dying to hear what I've got for a schedule...
     
    Zero Hour: Chorale (Auditioned choir). I don't care for zero hours, period, but I like the choir. We get to do lots of fun stuff and get some good literature. Plus we have a spring rock show at the end of the year. And as a freshman this year, that means I can audition for SOLOS!
     
    1st-2nd Period/Day 1: Civics. I've been looking forward to this subject. It's bound to bring about some good discussion (although I wish I saw more faces from my 7th Grade English class, as we had some remarkably mature debate for kids our age). The teacher's pretty awesome, too. He plays rock music while we do classwork, and he's in a band himself.
     
    1st-2nd Period/Day 2: Advanced English. This class I'm excited for, because "class pass" is coming up. This is where each of us writes down a controversial statement (boring example: Red is a weird color) and the rest of the class has to write down their responses. And it finally provoked me to read The Silmarillion. Whoo! English!
     
    3rd Period: Aide. I aide for the band director at my school. Not the most thrilling period, but I do get to have some interesting conversations with the choir director, who comes in every other day.
     
    4th Period: Symphonic Band. This class is going to be pretty sweet. Sadly, we only have five French Horns, but we have three tubas, a bari sax, two tenor saxes, and the players are pretty awesome. The 8th Graders are having a little catching up with the freshmen on skill, but it ought to be a pretty sweet group.
     
    5th-6th Period/Day 1: Biology. Last lunch. Bleh.
     
    5th-6th Period/Day 2: Geometry. First lunch. Sweet!
     
    7th Period: Yearbook. I'm excited for this class. It's taught by the same teacher I've had for English two years in a row, and the people in there are awesome. It's going a little slow at the beginning of the year, with everyone learning equipment and logistics, but it ought to get up and running soon enough. We've almost selected a theme.
     
    8th Period: PE. Freshman. Prisonball. Awesome.
     
     
    So yeah, that's basically my school day.
     
     
    Educated,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
     
  4. Dr. Bionicle
    There's something you guys may not know about me. I have a...problem. I get certain urges, things I feel I can't control. I'll act on impulse, without thinking. It's been an addiction for years. I've tried to stop, but my desire has gotten in the way of my common sense.
     
    What is this that I speak of?
     
    Guys...
     
    I'm a compulsive fingernail biter.
     
    Now that half of you have probably breathed a massive sigh of relief, I guess we can move on.
     
    You may be wondering what numerous other people wonder about us nail-biters: Why do it? I mean, think about it, it's pretty darn disgusting. Your fingers touch a wide variety of things throughout the day, and guess where all the dirt and germs get built up to where you can't reach? That's right. Right under the fingernail.
     
    Well, to understand that, you have to understand what leads to nail-biting. In my loose study of this, I've rounded it off to a few common causes...
     

    Influence. In other words, they picked it up from another biter or person biting their nails (there is a difference, I'll get to that). This is probably the most common and the longest-lasting, because it usually starts at an impressionable age, where it begins to stick. Nervousness. People get restless when they're nervous. We drum our fingers, tap our foot, and, yes, bite our fingernails. Don't care to clip fingernails. Some kids just won't use those clippers. I mean, why would you when your teeth are always on hand? Hunger. Yeah, gross, but when you're hungry you want to at least simulate some part of that process. Just like chewing gum, only your nails are always there.  
    Now, there are two different kinds of biting. There's occasional biting and then there's compulsive biting. The former I refer to as simply 'a person that has bitten their fingernails'. The latter is what I define as 'nail-biters'. What's the difference?
     
    Occasional biters really have no habit or have a very minor one. A single situation, perhaps nervously waiting for a job interview, drove them to bite their fingernails. Perhaps they needed to clip their nails fast and had no clippers on hand. But the thing is that it rarely occurs and is generally for special occasions.
     
    Compulsive biters are those who have developed a habit and will do it without thinking. There may be no need or drive to bite the nail, but the biter does it anyway, without a second thought. Often, the biter doesn't realize what he's doing until someone puts it out to him.
     
    With that defined, then you may wonder now why would biters want to stop? Let's go back to one of our lists...
     

    It's kind of disgusting. Regardless of whether you spit the nail out or *shudder* swallow it, it's still extremely unattractive to those around you. No fingernails. Your nails are the little catches on your finger that help you maneuver. Your nail provides a thin attachment that slides easily into a place for leverage. Without them, all you've got is your chubby fingers, which generally are no good on their own. Bad looking nails. That area for your nail gets real torn up while you're biting down there, and people do notice. Hangnails. Nail biting is the most common cause of a hangnail. While hangnails are generally nothing severe, that doesn't make them any more fun to have around. Germs, dirt, and worms. Guys, you have no idea what crust is building up under your nail. Germs, dirt, dust, and even the ever-popular tapeworm. If a tapeworm gets under or on your nail and you bite it, you've just given it a one-way ticket to your stomach. Blech. Start another habit. A person I know that bit her fingernails for a long time grew accustomed to biting the skin around it as well, which makes that area vulnerable for infection. Cut too short! A lot of nail biters have had this experience, where you bite your nails too short. You don't want to press up against it, or it will feel irritated. Then you're at the mercy of your fingernails growth cycle to relive yourself. Doesn't taste good. Yeah, I know, gross, but there's nothing appetizing about the taste of a fingernail.  
    Not too nice, huh? A lot of nail biters will say that it's not as bad as it appears, but that really doesn't make it any better. Sure, fingernail biting isn't a terminal condition, but it sure is a stinky habit to have.
     
    Those of you that may be nail biters, I would recommend you stop. If you haven't been convinced it's not a great habit by now, then you'll come to see that eventually, I guarantee.
     
    Some of you may have tried and know it's not easy. Contrary to things like substance addictions, your nails are always around 24/7 to tempt you. They're a part of your body. So yeah, it's hard.
     
    Some tips on how to deal with this...
     

    Willpower. Make a mental note. Make a New Year's Resolution. Whatever it takes, you are in control of your brainwaves, and you can tell your fingers to stay away from those teeth of yours. Ultimately, every method requires this, but for some, this is all they need. Remind yourself. Put a note on your mirror, in your locker, maybe even on your hands. I know one guy who put marker on all his fingernails to remind him to stop. Maybe it's an object near your fingers (like a wristband or a ring) that will there simply for the purpose of being a reminder. Whatever will make you remember you want to stop. Get a partner. When I broke the habit of biting my nails, I did it at the same time as my girlfriend, who was dealing with the same problem. We constantly were reminding and asking each other. A living, breathing reminder can sometimes be more effective than inanimates. Motivate yourself. Reward yourself. Go 28 days without biting your nails and treat yourself to an ice cream or something. It doesn't need to be huge, just something exclusive and satisfying enough that it will keep you wanting to stop. REALLY motivate yourself. When rewards don't work, pull out the punishment. When I was breaking my habit, my girlfriend persuaded me to make a deal with her. If I bit my nails a certain number of times, she would paint the last finger I bit with nail polish. Risky, eh? But how's that for motivation?  
    (I'm happy to say that I never got a whiff of that nail polish, and only bit my nails twice within the time it took to break the habit.)
     
    Why do I make a big deal out of this? 'Cause it's a very common habit that gets so overlooked that nobody ever deals with it. Now, like I said, I don't think biting your fingernails is capable of ultimately killing you, but it's called a bad habit for a reason. By the way, once you conquer biting your fingernails, you'll start getting more confident about other habits you may need to break (or form).
     
    Anyway, that's just my random rant for the day. Bet you guys enjoyed reading a whole entry devoted to fingernails, huh?
     
     
    Freely,
    Dr. Bionicle
  5. Dr. Bionicle
    I think I have a new theme. When I feel up to it, I'll put a little link to a totally awesome BZP-appropriate song at the beginning of my entry with which you can serinade the entry. Most everything I put up will be found via Dogpile's Audio Search.
     
    So anyway, for a starter, here is Flight of the Thunderbird.
     
    The background for this little ditty goes back to 7th Grade. At that time, our little band was under the direction of a brilliant man named Mr. Kelly. While 7th Grade bands are usually aimed to simply improve from the loathed 6th Grade bands (shudder), our band went above and beyond. I'm not one to usually gloat about my own band, but 7th Grade was pretty awesome. For my fellow band geeks, I'm going to detail each section to you. For my unfellow not-band-geeks...well...you might want to wait for my next entry, because this will probably bore you.
     
    Trumpets: THE most nefarious section of ANY Junior High Band. There are so many reasons that Trumpets tend to sound bad. One, in 7th Grade Band, there is no auditioning for a higher or lower band. Two, Trumpet is the instrument a majority of kids take up when their parents force them to play an instrument (besides clarinet). And third, there's a freakin' LOT of 'em. We had a total of fourteen trumpets, about six of which were actually dedicated to the band and the music.
     
    Now, being the largest section, there are a few things bound to come up. Trumpets are ALWAYS...
    The loudest The blattiest The most out-of-tune (save Low Brass) The worst-sounding section This is no offense to any trumpets, as I am only observing my own band, and it isn't totally their fault. There were some golden trumpets in that group. But there were a lot of burlap trumpets too. This group didn't suffer from talent, it suffered from a lack of work ethic. A great amount of trumpets never practiced or ever put forth any effort at all.  
    Suffice to say, only the gold nuggets made it to the Symphonic Band next year and outplayed the 9th Graders by chairs.
     
     
    Trombones: Put a big instrument with a slide in a 4th Grader's hand, tell him to blow, and move the slide up and down randomly. That is your average 7th Grade Trombone in the 2005-2006 7th Grade Band. Honestly, a good deal of these people were not the kind of people you want to be put on such a specific instrument. The trombones were of about eight, and only two or three made the sound.
     
    Our trombone section was unique in that instead of us always telling them to back off (like the Trumpets), we always had to tell them to play out. We had a remarkable first chair who could belt like nobody's business, and he was the trombone section in and of himself. Tell the section to play, then tell Mitch to play, and you don't get a whole lot of difference. He reigned over the Trombones, and not surprisingly, he was the only one that advanced into Symphonic Band.
     
    I'm happy to say that everyone in that group improved drastically. People who were pulling their slides out could articulate a scale and play through a piece fairly well. Still, improvement is a gradual thing, and if you aren't there, then you just aren't there yet.
     
     
    Tubas: There's very little that I can say about them because there were only two and you could never hear them. Tubas are hard enough to hear when they have their notes down, but our Tubas had the chronic problem of not knowing your fingerings. Really, this was a lost section, and it might've been a good thing that nobody ever heard them. Still, one's in Symphonic Band, and he's getting much, much better now.
     
    And for those of you that scorn Tubas, try to play a scale on one of those things. That's a lot of tube for one breath.
     
     
    Baritones: Now if there was any section that was on top of their game, it was the Euphoniums. Two players, two, and they powered the Low Brass. And they could cover for each other. If one was gone, you hardly even noticed. These two were the ultimate rivals as far as chairs go, and it was always the question of the week who would come out on top. Really, these people have got good hope for a career (or at least a profitable hobby) if they keep it up.
     
     
    French Horns: It's so hard to stay objective about your own section. I'd love to tell you that we were the most amazing horns you've heard since Dennis Braun, but that would be untrue. Truth is, at the beginning of the year, we were all pretty horrible. Like most horn sections I hear, we faced some of the common horn problems:
    You could never hear us in full band Problem with close notes High notes  
    Needless to say, we were pretty bad. Then my friend Ian and I discovered something called 'breathing'. This changed our whole way of playing. Finally, Mr. Kelly was telling us to tone it down instead of bring it out. Unfortunately, the three other horns never fully discovered this technique (though the one that is still playing certainly is getting there). I'm happy to say that the Horns were one of the more appreciated sections of the 7th Grade (particularly on the song you are/were/didn't bother listening to) and Mr. Kelly loved us.
     
    In 8th Grade, Ian and I advanced. The third chair converted to Percussion, the fourth chair moved on to be the first chair of the Concert Band, and the fifth chair decided to use Choir as her fine arts requirement instead. We still have a killer Horn section, though, and I can say that with no guilt.
     
     
    Percussion: The remarkable thing about this percussion section is that, at the beginning of the year, only two of them could actually count. This is actually a pretty chronic problem among 7th Grade Bands. Of course, they knew their quarters and their half notes and their eighths, but get into sixteenths and you're in a whole new world. I have a good deal of appreciation and pity for percussionists, who have to drill themselves on rhythm day in and day out. If I get a rhythm wrong, but still play the right notes, it still sounds fairly decent. You can't really do that in Percussion.
     
    We had some amazing snare drum players, some sturdy bass drum players, and some good bell players. The real problem was the Timpani. You couldn't get the thing loud enough. And when you're playing something like Duel of the Fates, you really need that thing to boom.
     
    Overall, they definitely got drilled their 7th Grade year, and those who deserved it got into Symphonic Band. And we love 'em for it.
     
     
    Saxaphones: This, without any doubt whatsoever, was the best woodwind section, and possibly the best section in the whole band. They knew their stuff. Rhythms, down, notes, down, everything. The last chair was insanely good, and the other two were constantly battling over first. There isn't much I can say about this group except that Symphonic Band wouldn't be the same without them.
     
     
    Clarinets: Oi. Much like trumpets, this was the biggest group and the most hazardous. Clarinets have a great potential to not get their notes right. We did have some great players in there, but we also had some not-so-great. Unfortunately, I can't exactly say that they improved very much because only those who had been good at the beginning of the year went onto Symphonic Band while the others either dropped out or went to Concert Band (where, actually, a few of them are starting to sound really good).
     
     
    Oboe: I'm sorry, but I have this thing against oboes. Nothing against oboe players, I have the utmost respect for you picking such a difficult instrument, but I can't stand the sound of those things. The reason why? I'm used to hearing Junior High Oboe. The definition of a Junior High oboe (here, anyway) is most commonly "out-of-tune". This guy knew his notes and his rhythms, but he was out-of-tune.
     
    And I can't say I care all too much for the sound of the things at any length. That's just my opinion there, so feel free to hit me in the face with an Italian Pie if you want.
     
     
    Bassoon: This guy has the loudest foot tap you will ever hear in your entire life. He wears sandals that are amazingly thick and make such a noise on the floor of a band room that you wouldn't believe. Unfortunately, for someone with such a monstrous foot tap, he has trouble with rhythm. He knows his notes and is good at fingerings, but rhythms are confusing to him, and he's actually capable of throwing off a whole woodwind section when he's tapping out of rhythm.
     
    He's in Symphonic Band and he's much better now, but he's still got that Godzilla foot tap.
     
     
    Flutes: Well, flutes are a lot like trumpets. There are some extremely amazing and gifted people...and then the rest are kind of bleh. The flutes were a good section last year, but it took a lot of hard work to get them there. And I'm not surprised, flute is hard. It takes twice as much air, it has a difficult mouthpiece, and there's a lot of fingerings. We were lucky in the fact that our flutes weren't overly dominant, but weren't background noise either. We had a good, strong flute section.
     
    Our Symphonic Band flute section is amazing, hands down, and the others that are still doing it are probably the most amazing section if Concert Band. So rock on, flutists.
     
     
    Bass Clarinets: I could never hear these guys, I'm afraid. They're rocking this year, but I just couldn't hear them in 7th Grade.
     
     
     
    So yeah, that's just an overview of my band. I know, you're probably thinking "Why'd he have to tell us all that?!" Well...it's a blog. And I'm trying to get this thing active again, so you might have to wade through some entries like this. Sorry.
     
    Band Geeks forever.
     
    Dr. B
  6. Dr. Bionicle
    Those of you who are BZPRPers, you know that I've been talking about a group known as the Six. I know that a number you have been wishing for background information. So...before they reveal themselves in Le-Metru, let me introduce to you...
     
     
    The Six ...the first Toa that Zyrul ever transformed (successfully, anyway). All six took under his private teaching, where each seemed to excel in one particular category. These formed the first Elite when The Academy took shape, and were used for all special tasks. When the official Elite were introduced, the Six were first considered figureheads, but then were determined to be on too great of a level for even the Elite, and were made into their own special task force known simply as the Six. The supposed significance behind the Six is their attempt to revive the ancient Toa teams of the past. Each representing one basic element, Zyrul had once hoped for them to be like the Nuva and Inika, a team which he could bend to his own will. However, with the creation of The Academy, the Six were all but forgotten, and Zyrul's attention turned to other things.
     
     
    Rashnan ... Toa of Fire... Master of the Element: Rashnan has no remarkable history that is known. There have been rumors of his affiliation that range from gang leader to former advisor to one of the *Turaga. Regardless, he was the first Toa to ever be successfully transformed by Toa Metamorphosis. Under Zyrul's training he took particular interest in the concept of elemental power, believing that it is the very essence of a Toa. In such, he trained vigorously to improve his fire abilities, and his mastery of flames is beyond that even of Zyrul's.
     
    Rashnan is the unsaid leader of the Six, his natural take to leadership and essence of authority earning him the position almost instantly. He has his own personal philosophies, most of which are in idolization of Toa Tahu. He views the Fire Toa not as a knight, but as a warlord, and in such pertains to that aspect of his Toa identity. He has drifted away from Zyrul's loyalty, though he still remains by his Master's side, he stays at a distance, not wanting to cross himself with someone who had once promised him greatness and has now pushed him aside.
     
     
    Tseero ... Toa of Air ... Master of the Arts: Tseero is a newer addition to the Six. He was transformed significantly later than the other Toa, only a few years before the Academy Era. He was not officially a member of the Six until Air Toa Chyanthra, who held the Right Hand position, attempted to betray Zyrul and was killed. Tseero readily accepted the new position offered. Even in his historical tardiness, he was a quick learner, and became Zyrul's personal student in the martial arts of both sword and body. His knowledge ranges from the aggressive strikes of the Hordika to the solid defense of Zyrul's people. He is virtually impervious with a blade, and only Zyrul rivals his skill.
     
    Tseero is still not fully accepted by Rashnan, who saw Tseero's acceptance into the Six as a sign of the end of all hope for the group. Still, he has proved himself time and time again to be a formidable warrior, having saved Rashnan's life on more than one occasion. He is still considered the youngling of the group, and his sole intent is to prove himself to the rest of the Six.
     
     
    Nysan ... Toa of Stone ... Master of the Body: Nysan was originally a protodermis miner, giving him an uncanny knack for survival, and when he was transformed by Zyrul, that knack was only enhanced. While Nysan was an exceptional student in elements and mask handling, he kept his focus on something he knew he could very easily control: his body. Nysan had speed, agility, and strength difficult to match before the Academy Era, and by the time The Academy came into being, he was indisputed. Even though he keeps his sword on hand and his powers of stone in tune, he does not resist to deliver the first blow with his fist.
     
    Nysan is headstrong, but has a willingness to help that makes him a vital asset to the Six. While his performance is impressive alone, he is nearly impervious when tag teaming with someone else. He has a sort of compassion for Tseero, and works as his sort of personal shield against Rashnan's spite. Nysan is perhaps the most virtuous of all the Six, and even his leader's darkness fails to waver that.
     
     
    Nuala ... Toa of Water ... Master of the Mind: Found on the streets, she was barely capable of speech when she was transformed. At length, she has become the very brain of the Six, her remarkable ability to compute and figure making her a key asset to planning and battle. She calculates accurately, using minimum effort for maximum results, and she has a sense of timing that makes her impenetrable on the battlefield. There is hardly a situation she cannot find a solution to or at least the odds for, and this gives her the position of authority more than occasionally.
     
    Rashnan has a certain spite of Nuala, who has none in return for him. He at first saw her as a viable threat to his leadership position, but gradually accepted the fact that he must step down periodically to let her take over, even if he does so reluctantly. Nuala's real intent in the Six is to prove to herself that she is the warrior she set out to be, and so far, she has done that more than adequately.
     
     
    Vorsc ... Toa of Earth ... Master of the Senses: While he is criticized to be the weakest link of the Six, Vorsc is perhaps the one thing that has held them all together over the years. He is a sort of conciliator, carrying a sixth sense which he also holds mastery of, giving him an unsaid ability to predict people's thoughts and actions. He credits his found abilities to his previous occupation as a savage hunter, where he learned to find peace within himself to take in the world around him. There is virtually nothing that Vorsc cannot see coming, whether it comes from above, below, around, or simply out of thin air.
     
    Vorsc is a philosopher of sorts. Several years of silence as a hunter in primitive locations gave him a chance to contemplate, and even as a member of the Six, he remains commonly silent. He only speaks when needed, and when he does speak, it has viable purpose. It is arguable that while Nuala may be the most intelligent of the Six, Vorsc is perhaps the wisest of them all.
     
     
    Quann ... Toa of Ice ... Master of the Mask: Quann always had an interest in collecting things, and when he realized the full extent of Kanohi power in his transformation, he took to seeking out the other Kanohi. His methods are varying, from the black market to intrepid quests, but his collection is one worthy of envy. Tuned perfectly to each mask, Quann has the rare ability to use two masks at once with no special equipment, and in this, he is a figure to be feared and respected.
     
    Quann is absorbed in power and quantity. Even while he values the Six, he values it for power. His actions are sometimes questionable, and more than once has he gone behind Zyrul's back for a few extra widgets. Even with this weakness, he is still a remarkable warrior with a good perception of logical reasoning that makes him an accepted addition to the Six.
     
     
     
    Those are the Six, the likes of which you'll see spring into action eventually at Suva Nui. These characters will be at the forefront for some time, so I'd be wary if I were you. It might not be long before you're sword-to-sword with one of them.
     
     
    Informatively,
    Dr. Bionicle
  7. Dr. Bionicle
    Music stimulus.
     
    ^ To those of you unfortunate enough to not know what that song is, that is "Carry On My Wayward Son" by KANSAS.
     
    This song has been kind of my theme lately for a number of reasons. One, this song was done by KANSAS, which is totally the name of my state. Two, the bass player went to my Junior High, so it's kind of the school's rock theme. And three, Life's taken a few interesting turns.
     
    For a longated period of my life, I faced a lot of confusion. 8th Grade doesn't seem at an eye's glance to be a conflicting period, and I'm probably going to laugh at my evaluation of it in coming years, but confusion and conflict are still confusing and conflicting.
     
    I've gone through a somewhat self-conscious period of my life. I was always constantly evaluating how I was acting and always ridiculing myself for different reasons. Trying too hard to be funny or killing conversation too often or simply not portraying a good attitude. I always found some kind of flaw with myself. I'm not sure what brought it on, just a click in my brain.
     
    Granted, we all feel this way at times, whether we realize it or not. We're always just a little concerned whether we pushed a subject too hard or if we weren't social enough or whatever. I think a problem that a lot of us face is that we know people who have great, bright personalities and we always find ourselves comparing ourselves to that. That just brings us down.
     
    There's always room for improvement, of course, but sometimes we just set the bar too high. Sprinters can't compare themselves to long-distance runners and high jumpers can't compare themselves to pole vaulters.
     
    Another thing that stressed on me was my pathetic attempt at a relationship. I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I began it, and I'm glad that it's over. I finally got my head past the fact that 8th Grade relationships are usually just to say that you've had a relationship, and usually just spawn into awkwardness by the end. Of course, they don't all work out this way, but most of them do.
     
    I sure didn't help my end either. I was remarkably shy during the whole experience, a characteristic I never knew I really had. I've heard a lot of talk from friends talking about having a relationship, one of the worst critics being my best friend. To my satisfaction, he got into his own relationship, so to speak, and he suffers the same problems (although his efforts still dwarf my own).
     
    I'm not going to say that Junior High relationships are bad. I've only had one. What do I know? I will say, though, that they certainly are harder. Especially when your only transportation is via your parents. There's no reason for it to not be a healthy experience, but the odds of it growing into anything really vital? Slim, I'm afraid. Which is why I'm holding back till I think I'm actually ready.
     
    Needless to say, I learned much through the three-fourths of the semester that this lasted. I'm happy to say that it didn't end as awkwardly as some Junior High relationships do. We're still good friends and have both gotten over the experience with no hard feelings.
     
    I learned something else too, and that was about how to be a friend. Through my whole experience, the harsh criticism and mockery of my own friends was really something that only stressed me more. I advise all of you, if you ever have a friend going through a rocky relationship or a pathetic excuse for one, keep your criticism friendly and considerate, and don't make fun of them. It can be tough.
     
    However, that bit of overplayed drama (hey, it's the 8th Grade) wasn't my only concern. I've been suffering something I had only heard about for a semester. Kiddos, there's a nasty little thing called an ingrown toenail. Don't know what that is? Neither did I. Here's the lowdown:
     
    Your nails go at a gradual rate and they keep growing unless clipped. That said, if anything should get in the way of that, like a bandage or skin, some remarkable things are going to happen. When your skin gets in the way of your toenail, it's usually just brushed aside. That...or it grows into that skin. Disgusting? Yes. Painful? Yes. Unreal? No.
     
    I discovered this occurence at the beginning of the semester. I thought nothing of it. These things usually on go on one side, and if it grows long enough, you can get somewhat used to it. Then there's the case where it grows on both sides. Yup. Double-sided.
     
    Here's the fun part. Whenever you press on something or make contact with your skin, it pushes the skin back. There are nerves in that skin that send flares of pain to the brain. That means kick a soccerball, ouch. Trip the wrong way, ouch. Have someone step on your foot, REALLY ouch.
     
    This problem has been causing me a lot of stress. I didn't truly realize what I had till a month or so ago when I spied an article in an open Reader's Digest. On further research, I realized fully what was going on. Still, I was ashamed of it for some reason. You usually don't think of your feet, much less your toes, as a vital part of your body, but when your big toe is in pain, your whole body is in pain.
     
    For those of you suffering from this problem, here's some comfort and advice:
    Fact: Ingrown toenails are a common foot problem in teens. They are not irreversible. However, if you let them go for too long without telling anyway, you may become infected and in need of surgery. The best thing you can do is see a doctor. It doesn't help to try and do it yourself. Believe me, I've tried and it's nothing but pain. No matter how much progress you think you're making, it's not going to change. Ingrown toenails are commonly caused by some sort of trauma to the foot, wearing too tight of socks/shoes, or simply clipping your nails unevenly. Very rarely is it a disease or oddity of any sort. It's not going to get any better if you wait. It only gets worse!  
    I didn't know any of these things until I was informed. I finally realized that I needed to see a doctor and will be seeing one very soon. Treatment beyond that has yet to be set. I definitely feel reassured, though, knowing that my pain can be corrected soon.
     
    There's been so much going on beyond this, but these are the repercussions that commonly go back into my thinking when I consider that conflicted time. I'm happy to say that the period appears to have passed through some real emotional digging and thinking and with a little help from others.
     
    Initially, this song is really inspiring for me, mainly because of the second line of the chorus. "There'll be peace when you are done." That has such a big effect on me now.
     
    Life is hard. Coming out of this point in my life, I'm just a little bit wiser. That's just how life works, I guess.
     
    Kudos to those of you who didn't lose interest by the worthy-of-an-eye-roll section about relationship and the gah-that's-disgusting portion.
     
    Thoughtfully,
    Dr. Bionicle
  8. Dr. Bionicle
    I've always been fascinated by the concept that 'angst' in and of itself is cool.
     
    It's not.
     
    If your first reaction is "I don't care", then that's part of the reason. If you're so self-absorbed that your opinion is the one and only important one, and that everyone else that fails to "meet your intellectual standard" is a complete bozo, then I'm sorry. Sorry for you. Because this is the kind of attitude that no one cares for or respects.
     
    Again you react. "I don't care."
     
    Well, congrats. But guys, it gets to the point where nobody cares that you don't care.
     
    This appears to be more common in the older BZPers here. I get that part of the reason for this is elitism. Since other members are so apparently "inferior" to them, the oldies feel no need to "stoop" to their level. While I realize that with age, you guys are generally more intelligent in a lot of areas than a lot of BZPers here, that doesn't just grant you the automatic right to treat them like garbage.
     
    Maturity does not grant immaturity. To go around like that is to only stoop to the level of immaturity that you seem to despise.
     
    I hate to quote Disney rodents at you guys, but if I may recall the words of the great philosopher, Thumper's father, "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."
     
    I'm not going to elaborate, since I think that about says it all. I'd just like to leave you guys with those thoughts.
     
    To those of you that are already accepting and have a good attitude, I implore you. You're the people that make BZPower such a nice place to be.
     
    To those of you that aren't, perhaps you should step back and examine what exactly about angst makes it so darn appealing.
     
     
    Blahfully,
    Dr. Bionicle
  11. Dr. Bionicle

    Drifting

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    Yeah, so those of you who stalk may have noticed that I haven't been on very frequently and haven't posted very much. A few people have been inquiring as to the cause of my inactivity now that band camp is over and my summer is pretty much open.
     
    Well, you want the answer?
     
    Guys, at this point in my life, I am just not very big with BZPower or Bionicle right now.
     
    Before some of you kill me or start bombarding me with "Why?!"s, let me continue.
     
    The fact is, when I joined BZPower, I had basically nothing to worry about. I chilled here because it was one of the ways to fill up all my free time. I didn't have much of anything to worry about or to be concerned about. I basically needed BZPower to save me from boredom.
     
    It's been a few years since then...
     
    And, well, number one, I don't have as much time as I used to. But that's not the big issue.
     
    Quite simply, BZPower is no longer a comfort zone of mine. I mean, I love this place and all, and I think the people here are awesome, but I don't "need" it anymore. I've been taking a much more active role in my real life, one that not only overshadows this one, but just about makes this place unnecessary.
     
    Now, before you guys all start freaking out, since I obviously haven't made this any better, let me just say that "No, I'm not planning to leave BZPower any time soon." I have commitments here, and I still enjoy being here. I've got this blog and the BZPRPG and Staff and all that jazz. I'm not going anywhere.
     
    At one point, this place was a great little social pillow. If I was bored or lonely or angry or whatever, I could get on here. I wasn't Ben anymore, I was Dr. Bionicle. I didn't have to face anyone from real life here, and in the very least, the amount of people I could talk to wouldn't be scarce. But now, with a lot of my relational foundations solidifying, that need has all but drifted away.
     
    Now, I know that within the next few months, I'll probably have surges of activity. I'll be really active in BZPRPG or as a Staffer or whatever, and then I'll slip back into dull activity again. That's going to happen. I guarantee it.
     
    But anyway, this is a totally muddled mess of writing, but I just wanted to explain a little bit.
     
    Yeah, it's not like I think Bionicle or BZPower is horrible, I've just lost some interest.
     
     
    Explanatory...ingly...,
    Dr. Bionicle
  12. Dr. Bionicle
    Arghleman.
     
    Turns out my money for Premier Membership got sent back.
     
    Why?
     
    Well, since Doc was kind of lacking crisp bills at the time of sending, he decided to rid himself of some of the five pounds of his change. An entire bag full of $6 worth of quarters (plus a $5 bill) was put into the envelope. And then, being the stupid-head that I am, I sent it out. I didn't remember that extra weight = extra postage.
     
    Argh.
     
    So I'm just gonna Paypal it. It's faster, quicker, and more convenient.
     
    It's possible (LE GASP) that I might miss a blog entry or two for the Premier Membership to process after the Anniversary week. I know you're all just crying your hearts out right now.
     
    What happened today?
     
    Oh, not much.
     
    Except that it's possible my Mom might have diabetes. She's going to take some more tests to make sure, but it looks like it.
     
    *sigh*
     
    Such is Life.
     
    Oh, and my graduated sister is going to take her driver's test some time this week. I'm not sure when. She's already looking for a car. Maybe a Cougar.
     
    Of course, she hasn't moved out of the house yet...so I still have to share a room with my brother. >.>
     
    But Life is changing, what can I say. I'm going into 8th Grade, my sister's entering Junior High, my sister's gonna be a Junior, and my brother's going into 3rd Grade. Oh yeah, and my sister's going to start attending a beauty school nearby now that she's graduated.
     
    *sigh*
     
    And August is almost here.
     
    Which means Christmas is practically around the corner, according to the Advertising World.
     
    Oh yeah. And me birthday's in two months.
     
    Which means V&F will hopefully be mine. =D
     
    Anyhow, guys, I'll check ya later.
     
    Yearghly,
    Dr. Bionicle
  14. Dr. Bionicle
    As many of you may have seen or experienced, when certain members feel a certain need to leave BZPower and let everyone know why, they tend to do something extreme to do so, or "renegades". While it's always nice to see the reaction we get from members, who for the most part see that this is clearly not the right thing to do, there is sometimes confusion as to what to do.
     
    This is a serious entry, speaking as both a Forum Assistant and as a member.
     
     
    First of all, if you...
     
     
    ...get a PM with an inappropriate message/image.
    A very common response is to post something in New Member Q&A asking "What's up?" I do not recommend this, for two reasons. Number one, what the person wants is attention, so creating a topic will only give him that reward. And number two, I've seen on more than one occasion where members feel that they must see what they did or that you do not have sufficient proof, the reposting of which would not be appropriate.
     
    The best thing to do is to PM a Staff Member you see that is active, showing them what you have received and giving them the name of the member who did it and a link to their profile. The best member to PM would be an Administrator of some sort, if one is on, but if not, you can also PM another Staff Member. Even if you can only PM an FA, they're capable of making the rest of the Staff aware. The important thing is that the issue gets dealt with quickly and, what's best, quietly.
     
     
    ...see a topic with an inappropriate message/image.
    Most people see a need to post that it is against the rules and the following member will get in trouble. To be honest, the posts are quite pointless, due to the fact that the member probably doesn't care all too much about the rules. There are also the members who feel the need to say "DON'T POST HERE", which are also fairly pointless. The best post you can make in a topic of this nature is no post.
     
    Your best method of action? Report the topic immediately, and if possible, PM an active Staff Member who can deal with the topic.
     
     
    ...see multiple topics massed with similar/multiple inappropriate messages/images.
    First check to see if a Global Moderator or Administrator is on. If they are, PM them immediately and inform them of the situation. If they are not, report the topics, and get the word out to other Staff Members capable of closing the topics.
     
     
    ...see a renegade planning (whether in a chatroom or IM or whatever) his attack.
    Inform a Staff Member, preferably an Administrator, of the situation and give them some sort of physical proof of the incident (chat logs, emails, etc.). You can attempt to dissuade the member before doing so, but if they fail to listen to you, the best thing you can do is help prevent it from happening.
     
     
    ...see a renegade with an inappropriate avatar/signature.
    Do not PM them, as it will generally get you nowhere fast. The best thing to do is PM a Staff Member of some sort who is active and inform them of the situation.
     
     
    Do you see a pattern here? Whenever a renegade goes on a "frenzy" of some sort, it's always best to let the Staff know. It's part of our job to deal with things of this nature, and commonly taking the matter into your own hands will do very little. Do the right thing and get it dealt with efficiently. Report and Inform.
     
    This is a shorter, very Staffesque entry, I know, but I think that it needs to be confronted more than it is at the moment. Please consider what you've just read.
     
     
    With Regards,
    Dr. Bionicle
  15. Dr. Bionicle
    What's up guys. It's been a while. So let me give you the update on things going on...
     
    For all my Students: Yes, I re-entered The Academy into the current RPG Contest. I said I wouldn't but you guys got me all sappy and wishy-washy. So I fell through. We're going to do it again. Whether you like it or not.
     
    As it is, the current plans are we're going to have a giant battle outside The Academy's walls. Everybody's going to be busy. Let me give you just a few spoilers and quotes from pending posts...
     
     
    ZYRUL/MYTHIAS DUEL: We'll learn something new about Zyrul's past. And we'll get a slight hint towards Mythias's plans. Not only that, we'll realize something about their partnership. Not only that, but there's something about Toa Metamorphosis we don't know about.
     
    QUOTE: Mythias laughed mockingly at his opponent. "Do you really think that once I defeat you I'll take your Academy and steal your scheme?" He knocked Zyrul's blade off his own.
     
    "This Academy of yours is nothing but a pathetic ploy of yours. You have no idea what waste you are putting the secret of Toa Metamorphosis to. You don't even know the full extent of its power."
     
    Zyrul scoffed at this. "You made clear, precise notes on your study, Mythias. You wrote the whole thing out for me on a page. I understand it completely."
     
    "Oh yes," Mythias said as he dodged a swing, "All my notes were very precise and specific. But were they ALL my notes, Zyrul?"
     
    The eyes met. Zyrul's rage began to grow. Mythias's grin grew wider.
     
    "Yes, there is a secret you have yet to unlock. One that, once in my hands, will let me go much farther than your excuse for a master plan."
     
    He blocked a blow and sent Zyrul spinning back with a wind blast. Zyrul smashed against a rock, but quickly regained himself. The two clashed swords and held them there in a lock of turmoil.
     
    "Zyrul, if you knew the secrets of Toa Metamorphosis...you wouldn't have wasted your time with The Academy."
     
    He laughed.
     
    "You'd be dominating the world."
     
     
    KYSHIM/K-1 BATTLE: This is going to be a good one. One of them will die. I will not reveal which one, though. You'll have to wait that one out.
     
    QUOTE: K-1 snarled at his opponent.
     
    "Traitor. Nothing but a traitor."
     
    Kyshim glared at him as the two worked their swords against each other. The clang of the metal pierced their ears. The blades threatened to tear apart whatever it came in contact with, whether it be armor or fur.
     
    "It's all in the line of power and survival," Kyshim responded, dodging a jab from K-1's blade.
     
    K-1 snapped his jaw towards Kyshim's throat, but he was rapped with an iron fist.
     
    "You know, we Kohm have some tradition in our species, being an intelligent sort."
     
    He leapt over a sweeping blade and brought his sword down on it.
     
    "And we have a very specific proverb about treachery."
     
    He snarled as Kyshim's fiery eyes glared at him.
     
    "If your brother claws you in the leg..."
     
    He slid Kyshim's sword smoothly out of the way and got a nice scratch across Kyshim's stomach, causing him to wince.
     
    "...turn and bite his neck."
     
     
    THUNDERBIRD: Not much will be happening yet. I have to deal with Tommi temporarily. Then we'll have a large showdown between Tawke and Gukko. No quotes.
     
     
    DYRON: We'll see some of his skills coming into play, especially in vehicle use. He will soon be entering the battlefield on a vehicle that will greatly benefit his side. It won't happen for quite some time though. No quotes.
     
     
    As it is, I've decided to turn this blog into an Academy Blog, because I figure it'd be a nice way to hear it from my point of view.
     
    Anyhow, I'll see you all later.
     
    Dr. B
  16. Dr. Bionicle
    Guys, just as a heads-up, you've probably heard this from your parents before. Now, whether you've heard the simplified version or had some sort of discussion or whatever, this really is an important issue for everyone.
     
    In our society, we're all about minimizing our workload. Don't think so? We have automatic dishwashers, clothes dryers, cars that work with a push of the pedal, and heck, we don't even have to waste effort switching CDs on our players, we just press a button and an mp3 pops up. Today's society wants you to do as little work as possible. Why? Because they want you to feel like you need to be convenienced.
     
    Let's face it, the human race is basically lazy. I know few people who would rather move a piano than sit on the couch reading a book/watching TV/whatever. We want our lives to be as easy and care-free as possible.
     
    Because of this effect that the media gives us, we get into this cycle in our brains. So long as there isn't any job being offered to us, it's OK to lie around doing nothing. Now, this isn't wrong... but consider these scenarios...
    You just got back home from whatever you were doing prior, and you sit down to see what's on TV. Your mom's busy working on the paperwork so that you can go on that trip with your friends. Meanwhile, the kitchen is a wreck. The dishwasher hasn't been emptied, so the sink's overflowing, the counters are a mess, and the remains of today's lunch are still left all over the stove. Your mom's already swamped, and someone's got to get that clean.  

    You're bored out of your mind, so you decide to call up your friends to see if they want to get together at the park. You plow through all the junk on your floor to reach the door, and with some effort, shove it open. You see a remarkable difference as you step from your room into the hallway.  

    You're logging onto BZPower and you notice that your sister's busy trying to throw the family room into shape. She has a group of friends coming over, and your younger siblings already trashed the room on one of their "space missions", and they're gone at a friend's house. You weren't involved in the mess, but all the same, your sister's hard-pressed for time, and she doesn't want her friends to think she's a total slob.  
    Yeah, I kinda bludgeoned you over the head with those, huh? But you'd be amazed at how obvious these situations are. Imagine watching your life as if it were a TV show. Picture yourself in the foreground playing Halo 2 while your mom's in a frenzy trying to put lunch together for your grandparents who are coming over. What would your opinions of yourself be at that point in time? Probably not too high, huh?
     
    Now, guys, I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm not going to rant on the fact that "Oh, the children of America might as well have electric outlets in their heads" or whatever. Really, I enjoy a good TV show just as much as the next guy, and I obviously enjoy my time on the computer. And I totally love just killing time doing nothing.
     
    But...
     
    There is opportunity.
     
    That's a funny word, isn't it? Opportunity. Usually when we think of that word, it has a positive connotation. That is, it makes us feel good. To assume that there is an opportunity is to assume that you have a chance at something, the likes of which probably isn't offered to some other people, giving a sort of special feeling. When we think of opportunity, we like to think of our friends asking us if we'd like to go see the concert of the year with them or the girl/guy of our dreams asking if we're available to go to the dance on Friday.
     
    And quite often, we think of aggressive opportunity. In other words, someone shoves it towards us and says "You want some?"
     
    But there is initiative opportunity.
     
    That is where we see an opportunity and we seize it, without someone telling us or asking us to. That's knowing that your crush doesn't have a date to the dance, and asking them out. It's taking the initiative.
     
    And sure, we do this on a daily basis. We see that there's a seat open next to our best bud at the lunch table, so we plop ourselves down there. We see that the band teacher's not looking and take that opportunity to toss out our chewing gum. But these initiative opportunities that we do daily all have a common theme: We're keeping ourselves completely in mind.
     
    Why do you want to sit next to your friend? So that you'll have an enjoyable lunch. Why do you want to spit out that gum? So that the band teacher doesn't harp on you about it again. You're looking out for #1.
     
    This, also, is not a bad thing. It is your life that you're living, and there's nothing wrong with making it an enjoyable one.
     
    But we tend to ignore other initiative opportunities.
     
    Let's go back to Scenario Numero Uno.
     
    Now, even though the new episode of Monk is on, and the recliner feels nice and cozy, let's look at that kitchen. Do you really think your mom's going to have time to do a good job cleaning it up and still have time for herself afterwards? Would it be that hard to go in there and even just empty the dishwasher?
     
    Hey, I'm not asking for anything profound. I'm not saying hire yourself out to a charity. But it's the subtle things that really count to a lot of people. Taking out the trash when you see it's full instead of waiting for your Dad to nag you about it or do it himself. Wiping down the counter when you see that the kitchen is a mess. Heck, even opening a door for someone. These all mean a little something to those who would've had to do it if you hadn't.
     
    And guys, here's a little secret: you can cheat. That's right, you can trick yourself, and think about it and how it applies to you. I mean, if you don't help Mom with the kitchen, what's going to become of your dinner? Do you really want to ask her to write you that note for tomorrow when she's been flustered all night?
     
    But really, I think that everyone is capable of looking beyond themselves, even for brief periods. Just thinking about other people and what could help them.
     
    And hey, all you men out there, here's another secret: girls totally dig it. That's not to say that this should be your intention, but you'll notice it. Girls, even girls that are just your friends, will think a little more highly of you if you perhaps hold the door, help someone in line loading up their groceries on the conveyor belt, or even just asking them if they'd like you to refill their glass.
     
    In the experience of having two sisters on the dating scene, I always hear about dates afterwards. And guys, it's not the quality of the restraunt I hear about, it's little things. Things like the guy picking up something they dropped or helping them put on their coat or even just making friendly conversation to the waiter. The guys I hear the best things about are those who take the initiative opportunity when it rules in the favor of others. Believe me, girls are perfectly capable of seeing through phony behavior, so if you're just acting to get her impressed, she'll know.
     
    And anyway, moving off of that, it says a lot more about your character. People notice this, both important and unimportant. And can be anywhere from the stranger that glanced at you from a distance to the boss considering giving you a promotion. While it may not fully benefit you directly, it will certainly speak volumes about who you are as a person, and people will have more respect for you.
     
    Kind of funny that stooping to help someone else gives people a higher view of you, doesn't it?
     
    But guys, it does.
     
    It's taking the initiative. It's doing it without being asked, without being begged, without being forced, without being threatened, without even being implied. It's being willing to do it, even when no one else is around to give you praise. That's taking the initiative.
     
    And it's a darn good quality for any person to have.
     
     
    Rantingfuliciously,
    Dr. Bionicle
  17. Dr. Bionicle
    So here I am, fourteen, and this is about the time of year where stores and restaraunts start offering jobs to the youth. I'm now legally allowed to work part-time. As I search for such a job, I have to consider whether or not to give up the newspaper route that I have painstakingly stuck to since I was only a single decade old. My newspaper route is not completely my own and is a pretty pathetic excuse for a paper route. I basically deliver the alternate paper, which means I deliver once a week whenever I want on Tuesday or Wednesday. Once a month I've got to take up what is known as 'saturation' where I have to deliver little coupon packets to every house on my route. Oh yes, and I have my sister who shares this job with me, which means we splits the profit.
     
    Sounds easy, doesn't it?
     
    Now, to those who are full-time, early morning newspaper boys, I salute you, as you are much more willing and persevering than I. However, this job is much more difficult than it appears. Rather than throwing the paper at the step, we must hang it on the door. Also, we don't have a lot of loyal newspaper receivers on our route. We have about 216 papers on our route, about 170 of which receive the regular paper. So yeah, it's not fun. And while early-morning newspaper boys have to put up with ice and darkness, I have to put up with slush, blaring heat, and rain. Oh yes, and let's not forget the sadistic dogs that enjoy running me down.
     
    Not to mention, I don't get paid once a week. I get paid biweekly, the likes of which I have to split with my sister. The fruits of my labor usually result in about $20-$30 (depends on if it's saturation or not). Yeah, people at McDonalds make more money in three days than I do.
     
    As con-filled as this sounds, there are some perks. I don't have to put up with a lot of thing part-timers do:
    Shifts Set schedule Overtime Unexpected changes in schedule Ornery co-workers  
    Also, the deal is that we also get our satellite network 50% off. Pretty sweet.
     
    However, that doesn't cut out all the cons.
     
    So now we just have to think over my route experiences. Let's thing back to my very first route when I worked substitution duty...
     
    I've been running the streets, finally getting the hang of slinging the bags onto the knobs. At this point, I was getting comfortable, and the weather was perfect. The job felt like a breeze and I thought for sure this was easy money.
     
    Then...I met my first dog.
     
    Luckily, I was too tired at this point to run up to the door, so I start walking up the driveway. The garage door was open, but I thought nothing of it. I traipsed up to the walkway that led to the door when I heard a rumbling from the garage. There was a clinking of metal and I saw a golden blur shoot out from the garage. I leapt backwards, feeling something slam into the tip of my shoe. I looked up and saw a dog, fighting against his stretched chain, to get at me. I ran for my life as it snarled at me, making it so that I never looked at an open garage door without careful examination ever again.
     
    So much for easy money.
     
    That was one of many dogs to cause me stress. Luckily, that's the closest I've ever come to being bitten. I have been nipped by a small puppy, but it was nothing. And believe it or not, cats are much worse. For some reason, the cats are especially bold on my route. I have been scratched, pounced on, and tripped.
     
    Animals are always a problem on a route. I've been attacked by a kamikaze squirrel (I swear, it was aiming for my head when it jumped out of that tree), lunged at by dogs, scratched by cats, tripped by bunnies, and even scratched by a very large lizard. Animals are the most hazardous part of the job.
     
    People aren't completely innocent, though.
     
    I've delivered to many queer people. One old man I delivered to seemed a little too happy and a little too smelly to be in his right state of mind when I handed him the paper. I've been severely creeped out by a number of shady characters I've delivered to. Some people are simply ornery, and then there are people who are too nice and want to have a conversation with you while your mother's burning gasoline at the end of the street.
     
    There were also the instants where my mother's car broke down, one of the papers caught on fire from a lit tiki torch, my sister broke a flower pot, and I've been yelled at for hitting an attacking cat with a paper.
     
    I would say more, but I have a deadline for my sleep tonight.
     
    Basically, I would think that these kind of things would throw me off, but I think these kind of things have really helped me in developing as a person (whether you find defending yourself a cat and facing down a dog very life-changing or not).
     
    So I don't know.
     
    We'll just have to see.
     
    Reminiscently,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
  18. Dr. Bionicle
    I haven't posted a new entry as of recent because of a few items coming up (mainly my trip to Kentucky, which has nothing but dial-up).
     
    At the moment, though, I've got something I want to vent about.
     
    I read comic strips. Cartoonists can be real comical geniuses in comparison with the cheesy shows that now spawn on Disneychannel and Cartoon Network, which for some reason sends a good deal of my age range into laughing fits. What's so funny about The Suite Life of Zack and Cody or Dexter's Laboratory, I'll never know.
     
    Granted, I find that once again the old surpasses the new, both in television and comic strips. Because I'm just thinking over the subject due to reading over some old comic strip collections, I'm going to give a full evaluation of my newspaper's comic selection.
     
    Non Sequitor: It used to be I would find this occasionally humorous, when it wasn't throwing out political wisecracks I didn't understand. Now that they've tossed in that disturbing girl and her horse, its basically for the birds now.
     
    Pluggers: I never found this strip constantly funny. It irks me that the writer can't come up with his own ideas, and I'm thinking that the lack of selection he must get is what lends the one-panel to its common mediocrity. I've only seen two strips that have actually resulted in a positive reaction, and neither of them actually made me laugh.
     
    Family Circus: I still admire this cartoon in its older aspects, and I imagine that someday when I'm a parent and I look back on the strip, I'll laugh more than I do now. While the strip is a family-type sort of comedy, it seems more like the cutesy humor that appeals more to parents and grandparents now than it does to people of my age range. I love the writer's perspective on things, but currently, it doesn't strike me too often anymore.
     
    Off the Mark: The best improvement our newspaper ever made. This strip replaced the comic Marmaduke, which I despised due to its repetitive nature and lack of good timing. Off the Mark has a Far Side spin to it which I love seeing in present-day one-panels. I admire this strip for its clever outside-the-box thinking and the way it shifts perspectives, and I really think it's probably one of the better strips out there.
     
    Opus: I hate this strip, basically because it bludgeons the reader over the head with political humor and exaggerated stereotypes. The artwork looks stale, like lumpy dough, and the quality of the humor doesn't give me the idea that the writer puts a whole lot of effort into to it. Opus has only made me laugh once, and that was due to the fact that the strip turned on itself and actually made itself look stupid. Otherwise, it's pretty bad.
     
    Pickles: I like this strip to an extent because it reminds me of my own grandparents. Seniors have a great potential to be funny and the strip does utilize that fairly well. It's odd, though, that most of the really exceptional humor I get from it is what comes from the pets' own thoughts. In my opinion, while the writer handles grandparents fairly well, I think he would be much better off writing an animal strip.
     
    Beetle Bailey: This strip is really pretty bland. It doesn't make any real use of the setting, it's just constantly emphasizing how Sarge always gets mad and how Beetle dodges work. It's just not that good.
     
    Garfield: This strip used to be funny, but its humor has declined in the coming years. Its rarely more than Garfield firing some smart-aleck one-liner with those typical half-open eyes. I think that the writer must not be very heavily inspired by the strip anymore or else he's simply trudging through it. Either way, I think it's gone downhill since the older days.
     
    Peanuts: I've always admired Peanuts for its juvenile, yet philosophical humor. We often forget that these are kids speaking to us until they get into their tantrums. The character of Snoopy, probably the most famous cartoon character of all time, is in a world completely by himself, reflecting some of the more adult humor of the strip, though keeping it in a child's range of humor with the fact that he's really just a dog flying a doghouse. Peanuts has a great range of quality humor.
     
    Foxtrot: I really enjoy the book collections more than the daily strips themselves. Sadly, even Foxtrot has begun to fall into more of the stereotypical brands of family humor. The personalities have sort of derived into just people with punchlines. Foxtrot was brilliant in its earlier years, and it still makes me laugh, but its take a few steps backward.
     
    Get Fuzzy: Reading this strip feels like trudging through water. The ways its drawn doesn't give a lot of desire to look at what's happening, and the humor is often weak sarcasm. It doesn't take a lot of the creative liberties that it could take with a dog and a cat in the same house, it simply shows the cat abusing the dog and getting sarcastic commentary from his owner. It's just bland.
     
    For Better or For Worse: I'm not sure how to judge this strip because it relies so greatly on actually staying in touch with the comic. It's hard to simply jump in and get going. This storyline has been developing for a long time, it's obvious. It does have its moments, but so often I just don't understand because it's so much of an actual plot than it is simply a comic strip.
     
    Blondie: I do not like this strip very much.. The characters have no real depth and it relies on a routine humor. The arrogant boss, the mother that's always right, the constantly napping father, etc. Most comics end up with Dagwood simply falling asleep on the couch, and while I might've gone with that the first few strips, I think it's time to move past that joke and try something different, introduce some actual issues. It's pretty one-dimensional.
     
    Doonesbury: I despise political comics like this. Period.
     
    BC: This strip was never all that brilliant beyond sarcastic comebacks and slapstick. A good deal of the humor sounds like something you'd find on the inside of a Laffy Taffy wrapper. It really doesn't have any depth, any situations. It's just a joke book with illustrations.
     
    Baby Blues: I still like this strip. While a lot of the humor is aimed at parents, it has a nice homey feel that I enjoy. It works at a great range, from one-liners, to long diaglogues, to a single panel. Unlike so many strips that take on older kids, this focuses on raising younger kids, which I think is a great source for comedy.
     
    Hi and Lois: Stereotypical and cliche. Golf-playing dads, hard-working mothers, annoying next door neighbors, rebellious sons, etc. I don't think I've ever laughed at this strip due to its lack of real originality.
     
    Sherman's Lagoon: Funny at times, but not consistently. I like it better when it's more focused on the Shark idea rather than undersea life. It seems to be teetering on the edge of falling into a typical love-hate relationship between the parents. Still, it does lend a few laughs.
     
    Shoe: Not...that great. Basically, it's little more than a news reporter sitting around a bar hearing people bring in punchlines about their life.
     
    Luann: This strip really isn't that great. It seems to be constantly focused on the drudgery of teenage life and takes little focus off of anything else. While to some it may be funny, I simply don't laugh at it because I really can't relate.
     
    Hagar the Horrible: Does this strip really ever get past cranky wives, nights at the bar, and laziness?
     
    Dilbert: I don't know why, but I always make sure to read this strip. It has interesting bits of humor, even though I don't relate to office jobs. The style is interesting, mainly in the cartooning, but though the humor isn't consistent it makes enough turnovers to actually interest me at times.
     
     
    That may seem harsh for the most part, but it's most likely because of my obsession with older comic strips. I read Calvin & Hobbes almost religiously, and I think it would be great if they just reran his old comics like they did with Schultz. The Far Side is an era I'm sad I missed. I admire the humor it brought to one-panels, where otherwise it would seem fairly bland. Foxtrot and it's older book collections still make me laugh, and even Garfield and his older collections still bring about a few laughs.
     
    Ultimately, there are some brilliant writers out there and there are some that just aren't. Unfortunately, we seem to get more of the latter, but the former still does shine through where it lies.
     
     
    Critically,
    Dr. Bionicle
  19. Dr. Bionicle
    Well, I was talking with SPIRIT not too long ago about the next episode of Treespeak on the Air (Yes, it hasn't died!), which has been surprislingy less of a conflict than other episodes, despite the fact we have four people from four different countries on the show (USA, Canada, Australia, and China). Timezones within the USA have been complicating enough, it's surprising to work out international time zones so quickly.
     
    Anyhow, it turns out that the timezone difference results in me getting up at 7:00 AM.
     
    I'm gonna have to be honest. I haven't willingly gotten up at 7:00 or any earlier all summer, which is surprising for me. Usually, I have no problem with getting up early.
     
    But of course, I also have no problem with staying up late.
     
    This combination often leads to a sleep-deprived Doc.
     
    But throughout the summer, I've found myself actually going to bed at times my parents actually agree with. And even when I stay up late, I sleep till ten. I've been sleeping in for a while.
     
    Part of the reason is because I've been having a very packed summer: band camps, church events, mission trips, and the choir tour to Montana. And throughout all that, it's meant getting up early and staying up late. I've been something of a zombie, making me grumpy and a bit unsocial.
     
    And now I'm feeling much better. More cheerful, more energetic, the like.
     
    Buuuuuuuuuuuut...
     
    School's gonna hit me like a brick wall when it starts up again. And that results in another grumpy Doc.
     
    I really need to start getting up early again, but I don't want to set an alarm clock because that'll wake up other people in the house, which is the last thing anyone else needs.
     
    I guess I sound depressed, which I'm not.
     
    Just like any other American.
     
    Wanting to eat, sleep, and have fun.
     
    Wearily,
    Dr. Bionicle
  20. Dr. Bionicle

    Music: Now

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    Musical Stimulus - 100 Years by Five for Fighting.
     
    For those of you who know and love this song like I do, I'm sorry, but it doesn't relate to the deep lyrics of the song. I'm merely using this as an example.
     
    Music is ancient stuff. Depending on what you call music, we've been making it for ages now, from laying down rhythms with clapping to complex symphonies and concertos. Doubtless, music has gone through many different periods and progressions. Compare Renaissance music to that of the All-American Rejects. You'll find some noticeable differences.
     
    Many people will only listen to music of certain genres. I know people who will listen to Jazz intently, but go running for a bathroom as soon as Country kicks in. Hip-hop lovers that make faces when Orchestral takes the stage. I personally am not a fan of this. I think that the frontier of music is virtually the same in every field, and even the commonly mocked genres like Country and Techno are capable of creating great music. After all, great music is defined by the song/piece itself, not its genre.
     
    However, there is one genre I will not touch.
     
    Rap.
     
    Yeah, those of you who love your MC Hammer and P. Diddy (and who will laugh at me for mentioning stereotypical rappers), sorry, but I don't find the classification of music in rap. Rhythms may be unique, though they are commonly run-in-the-mill beatslaps. The actual music behind it is usually just a crutch for the rapper himself. I don't find the art of monologuing to a beat or rhythm enjoyable at all.
     
    While musical aspects are very important to music, the meaning behind them, too, is very important. Personally, while there are a few parts of the song Deathbed by Relient K that don't necessarily impress me, the lyrics and message behind them are powerful. I think some of that has been greatly lost on a very self-centered industry, where rappers talk about how great they are and rock bands talk about their girl.
     
    Ask Paul McCartney or John Lennon what the meaning behind Eleanor Rigby is, and the explanation will presumably detailed and have depth to it. Ask DJ Webstar what the meaning behind Chicken Noodle Soup is and the result will presumably not be so grand. While I don't think all songs have to be "this-is-the-meaning-of-life"esque, I do think that we are losing the number of songs that do this.
     
    Despite the meaning behind songs, sometimes that is sacrificed for music. I think that if you want to write something meaningful and put bad music behind, you might as well make it a poem. Unfortunately, there are lots of burlap bands (or "groups", as those who do not play instruments are called) who write something and slap music onto it (or at least sound that way).
     
    While I think sometimes things compensate, great music with little meaning, okay music with deep meaning, I believe that the real gold nuggets are not those who get the most awards or record deals, but those who have a good balance between the two. And I'm not talking "okay music with okay lyrics". I'm talking "great music with great lyrics".
     
    That's a pretty tall order, and of course, I can't expect every band/artist with an album to have that, but I think it should be strived for.
     
    A really great example of this, in my opinion, is Five for Fighting. As an artist, he's generally known for his deep, emotional songs. At the same time, he has a good mind for music, what with layering, dynamics, and other things. Other various groups, both modern and old, pull this off, but there's such a run-in-the-mill crowd for them to get lost in.
     
    Of course, this changes for everyone. While I may not really like the song "Thank God I'm a Country Boy", others may think of that song as the staple of life. I know it's opinion, but really, I think there is a pretty definitive difference between songs with blended effort, one-sided songs, and songs that are just plain 'bleh'.
     
    There are precious gems out there, some I've heard, many I have yet to hear, and many I will never hear. To them, this is just one who appreciates the musical world saying "Thank you for your effort and for your great music."
     
    And with that, I'm going to get down off my soapbox.
     
     
    Soapily,
    Dr. Bionicle
  21. Dr. Bionicle
    Hey, guys! I'm back from my inactivity slump!
     
    Needless to say, there are enough great members and topics that I haven't posted in to pull me back into my frequent visits. Not to mention, after buying Dekar and Defilak and having them duke it out for a while, I'm looking for the Toa Mahri in my store. Jaller, for the win!
     
    So yeah, needless to say, I've been sort of revived in my interest.
     
    Anyway, updates...
     
    Chaos in the Deep has been a big factor in pulling me back in. My only real RPG experience has been in The Academy (save a few very newby posts in BZPRPG 2004), where I've been the big, bad villain, so RPing in a team environment has been really great for me. Especially that, as much as I love the BZPRPG, it's nice just to get into a new territory with a completely different set of characters and situations.
     
    I remember being incredibly jealous during Staff Survivor and particularly Staff Idol, so actually getting to participate in one of these Staff RPGs is really pretty sweet.
     
    Speaking of the RPGs, some major revelations are going down in the BZPRPG (as I'm sure several of my frustrated Academy Students on AIM have heard over and over ). Suva Nui will be wrapping up fairly soon, just a few things need to be taken care of. Mythias and Kyshim are in captivity, while mutant pirates are now wreaking havoc on the battlefield.
     
    Meanwhile, for those of you who have forgotten all about Mentru Corp. and Tdreeco Nachia, you'll be finding them hitting the spotlight soon. And for those of you still asking the question: "Where the cow is Kriyax?" that too will soon be revealed!
     
    So it looks like we'll be wrapping up the summer with some pretty good stuff, especially with one major revelation that none of you old Academy Students will be expecting, but have been secretly wishing for over the months.
     
    For my compatriots in the BZP Library, I'm in the pre-stages of creating a new epic. I'm taking this one slowly, as I want this to be a quality product, and to actually carry through in writing the whole thing.
     
    The subject?
     
    None other than the origin of the Six! So Academy Students, be on the lookout for some literature.
     
    Last of all, this blog has been getting fairly neglected recently. I swore that I would never promise a rate of activity, and I'm still holding to that pledge, as I hate breaking promises. All the same, I should be giving this a fair amount of entries soon.
     
    As for my personal life, right now, I'm prepping up for a trip to a wonderful camp known as Camp Barnabas, where I will be working as a volunteer. Camp Barnabas is a Christian camp that exists specifically for people with mental or physical disabilities. These range anywhere from impaired vision to autism to cancer victims.
     
    Some of you may have heard about it through an episode of "Extreme Home Makeover", where Ty Pennington and his crew came and gave the house where the family who run this camp lives a much-needed face lift. On top of that, they were gracious enough to give the camp some upgrades.
     
    I'm excited, if a little nervous, to be heading off a week from now out to Purdy, Missouri to be a Barnstormer (AKA a general camp helper). It's my first time going, hopefully the first of many trips. I've heard wonderful things and I have heard horror stories, so we'll see what happens for the week I'm there.
     
    Anyway, that's basically what's up with me right now.
     
    It's good to be back in the groove.
     
     
    Your Friendly Neighborhood,
    Dr. Bionicle

  22. Dr. Bionicle
    Teenagers...we're wackos.
     
    Through much of my own personal observation, I've figured some theories about your common 8th Grade guy. My results have been proven to me time and time again, so I know that this is how at least my friends work. I suppose I will publish these as they finalize themselves, and shall give me a subject with which I can rant on in my blog entries. If your results vary, please comment.
     
     
    Theory One: The Maturity Coil
     
    The overall maturity regarding brain cells, hormones (etc.) in males pertaining to the 8th Grade range goes through a spring tension cycle, whereas the concept starts relaxed and gradually tenses as the day moves on, dropping the maturity levels and densities until the metabolism triggers a recoil.
     
    AKA
     
    An 8th Grade guy's maturity goes through an effect where we start off as good as gold and gradually get stupider as the day moves on.
     
    Evidence of this theory:
     
    In observation of subjects Nolan, Sebastian, and Christopher (colleagues of mine) during what is generally known as a "sleepover", the maturity level lost ground throughout the day. The rest of my work has been filed into a log going by 60-minute intervals.
     
     
    Arrival Time - 7:03: They were already pretty far gone, dunking on preschool baskets and driving five to one golf cart around a pond with a somewhat visually impaired driver in the front seat. The first hour, there was some slight degrading, although it had a sort of plateau effect. The available resources of bow/arrows and long pieces of rope hanging from trees aided their atrophic actions.
     
    8:03: I have discovered that rises in temperature cause the OML (Overall Maturity Level) to drop rapidly. The subjects began to quicken their downfall after starting a fire with a diameter of about two feet. As the fire rose, their OML dropped. This spurred on a desire for more heat as leaves, soda cans, and wrappers were thrown into the flame. Nothing along the lines of a milestone.
     
    9:03: The first milestone has been reached. Subject Sebastian and his colleague, Steve, took a boat ride and ended up flipping the boat twice. The OML appeared to drop the coordination of subject Sebastian as he accidentally struck Steve with a paddle, whose loss of balance sent them both into the water. After this instance, Steve soon got his vengeance, pushing Sebastian into the water, and in turn, going down with him. The flame has reached a height of around two feet.
     
    10:03: As the night grows darker, the demand for heat escalates. Firewood is thrown onto what now appears to be more of a bonfire, without thought. Colleague, Steve, was especially persistent, whipping off his shirt for a few seconds before others urged him to replace it. Height: 4 feet.
     
    11:03: The fire has died down some and the discussion has now turned to that of the opposite gender. The common sense of the subjects has seemed to lower itself, and the defense levels are remarkably low, spurting out any secrets that come to mind. Half-an-hour later, the fire has been picked up again, now reaching a record height of 5.7 feet.
     
    12:03: The fire is all but dead. Aftereffects weigh in on the others as they indulge in entertainment by sending prank calls to people and food facilities. Colleague, Steve, who seems to have a weaker resistance to OML Depletion, is now walking in the coals. He exits when he feels them start to squish. Parents call in to come inside. There is a reluctance, but the order is followed.
     
    1:03: A creative milestone from 12:03 to 12:30. The three subjects, in their fatigue, have sparked a discussion over relationship standards. The discussion exceeded its life expectancy of 3 minutes, stretching on for about 23. This is the first of many intelligent issues to be presented.
     
    2:03: Subject Nolan has fallen into slumber while Christopher and Sebastian remain awake, in discussion. The subject has turned many times, and few jokes have been cracked. Colleague Steve is also participating, listening and speaking intently.
     
    3:03: Subject Christopher has fallen to fatigue, as has Steve, while Sebastian and I continue our ramble. The subject turns to that of OML and time, where Sebastian fails to realize that I am carefully notating his every word. Verbal records appear to confirm my theory, however, the EGMRS (Eight Grade Males Research Society) has not yet come into existence, so my evidence stays undercover.
     
    4:03: Zzzzzzz...
     
     
    In conclusion, I believe that this applies to most every class of male, except for the rare case of the nocturnal, who have submitted to the process in a reverse order. I think it's safe to say that past the cartilage of fatigue, OML is at its peak extremely early in the morning, and drops during the day. This could benefit the lives of teachers, nagging girlfriends, and random scientists who care everywhere.
     
    Thank you.
     
    Scientifically,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
     
  23. Dr. Bionicle
    Looking for a creative title. Failed.
     
    Well, today was...pretty...boring.
     
    Upon waking up, I looked down at the clock. How lucky, I had woken up just before 6:00. Now I could turn off my alarm and get to eating breakfast.
     
    I switched off my alarm and rolled over into the covers, staying warm for a few minutes before getting up. I rolled over yet again, facing my nightstand, and looked at the clock.
     
    Wait a second...
     
    Were my lacking-of-contacts eyes fooling me or did that say...
     
    ...6:59 AM?! I'd read it wrong!
     
    I leapt out of bed, managing to both bang my head on the ceiling and hit the floor like a pancake in the process (I hate living on the top bunk). I dashed to the bathroom, dipped my finger in my contacts case, and put my finger smack-dab against my pupil.
     
    "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEARGH!!!"
     
    ...with no contact.
     
    After finally putting in both my contacts, I poured myself a glass of water and dashed downstairs. I strapped on my headset, activated Skype, and took a big gulp of water.
     
    To my annoyance, only two others were there: my trusty partner and my good student Mr.E.
     
    And no fourth person.
     
    After about a half-hour of waiting, in which I starved myself, we finally started the show without him.
     
    The show was great. The mic quality was the best we've ever had. No echoes or anything. Great.
     
    Of course, there was the teensy weensy detail of audio questions.
     
    Which Spirit and I had apparently forgotten altogther. (Curse you early morning stupidity!)
     
    After that, the day was pretty slow. I trudged upstairs, worn from lack of food, and began to pour myself some good ol' generic wheat flakes. After I had emptied half the sugar bowl on it, I took a big bite.
     
    You could almost hear the fireworks.
     
    POP! ZOW! WHIZZZZ!
     
    Even with that burst of energy, the day was slow. Most of the time I was busy working on my current real-life project, a novel and watching movies with my graduated sister.
     
    At about 4:00 I got on the computer and began writing some of my Epic Contest entry. This thing is turning out way better than I thought it would. I haven't even gotten to the main battle Sanuri has, and she's already dealing out some major ownage.
     
    And that brings me to now.
     
    Writing my blog.
     
    Hey, because I was bored I updated my Relatives section with an...interesting new relative.
     
    Also, you January and Febuary people can thank SPIRIT for your impending doom in the Blogoscope. He made it up...er...I mean...helped me find the answer.
     
    I'm also thinking of adding yet another custom content block.
     
    So...stay tuned.
     
    Or don't.
     
    Whichever.
     
    So-bored-out-of-his-mind-that-he-can't-even-come-up-with-a-good-sign-off,
    Dr. Bionicle
     
     
  24. Dr. Bionicle

    Hmmm...

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    I wonder what this button does...
     
    Oh. Errr... I guess this is a blog. Heh. Cool.
     
    Well, just poking around. I'm pretty sure I'll be frequently updating this thing...since I don't got much else to do, even with the promotion.
     
    Anyhow, this has been some cruddy introduction.
     
    Stay tuned for further stupidity/genius.
     
    Oo Dr. B oO
  25. Dr. Bionicle

    Memories...

    By Dr. Bionicle,

    Hey guys. Today's entry is going to be pretty specific to what I call my "Students". If you're a veteran of The Academy, you might remember some of what I'm talking about. If not, then hey, you're seeing RPG History.
     
    Well, I was browsing through The Academy when I wanted to find something. Something that had happened before that I might be capable of using now. Unfortunately, I never marked anything or wrote down page numbers, so I was sent through nearly 300 pages of role playing.
     
    Man, I found some cool stuff that I'd forgotten about.
     
    Anyone remember Zyrul's first appearance? Zyrul's first post?
     
    April 8th, 2006, 3:04 PM was the precise date of Zyrul's first true appearance. Toa Kaiden and Toa Kakolo (both of which seemed to have disappeared from the RPG) were having a bit of a dispute. Zyrul, with the image of a corrective teacher, intervened.
     
    Zyrul seemed pretty tame back then.
     
    But then we get to the Armor Group, which I'm sure a good deal of you remember. The battle over a piece of armor that was stolen by Arrahk when Hunter Nuva was attacked by Visorak. Some of you took part in that battle. Alta getting the first real hit on Zyrul, Tommi stealing the armor, Zezak taking a dagger to the leg and getting imprisoned... Zyrul sure did change. But the group did get the armor.
     
    We skip to the Great Barrier Battle which introduced Dyron. Dyron was a lot tougher back then, if anyone remembers where he reveals his head. The part of the story where we see the numerous scars and marks on the back of his head. You might also remember the escort to the prison airship, where a few of you attempted to escape. And one of you got two harpoons to the legs, both which I pushed in. And then when Dyron marked you all, Loyal and Rebel with the 'Dy' symbol, which is still imprinted on your masks.
     
    We reach the Mythias conspiracy, where this mysterious opponent of Zyrul's which was thought of as dead appears to be alive. And then emerges in battle. We remember Zyrul's first real duel with someone of his skill. We remember seeing Mythias's brilliant power in comparison with Zyrul's.
     
    That seems like a long time ago.
     
    In reality, that was mere months ago.
     
    And now, Mythias seems a commonplace enemy. Dyron is all but a military robot. And Zyrul...is dead.
     
    Zyrul's death, I think, was a step in the right direction. There would've been no greater conflict than such happening. This arouses all sorts of different scenarios. Not only that, but we could resurface Dyron's vicious nature, which I really miss in his character. And Mythias is now a major threat.
     
    In fact, the only real downside is that Zyrul's plans will never play into full effect, and we'll never have a true final showdown between Mythias and Zyrul. We'll never find out who's the superior.
     
    I've also seen a good deal of character maturity as I browsed the pages. Characters like Tommi, who used to be very flighty and somewhat teenagerish have gotten to be mature warriors in this game of war.
     
    So much has happened.
     
    And I fear that some of the quality on my part has gone down. It's almost as though I've gotten tired of The Academy.
     
    This ends now.
     
    I focus on doing my best to reincarnate the old characters of K-1, Mythias, Dyron, and the others to a point where it is like it was. To a point where the enemy isn't just a bunch of pompous people with big guns.
     
    If there's anything I'm going to re-employ, it's fear and style.
     
    Fear seems to only be generated by what I'm capable of doing to you, rather than what you see in the characters. This is something I wish to change.
     
    And style? I want to go back to that same, cruel style that Dyron had at the Great Barrier. That K-1 had in his first appearance.
     
    I'm popping this cold pizza back into the oven.
     
    And it's going to come out flaming hot.
     
    Count on it.
     
    Memorabley,
    Dr. Bionicle
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