The little Inn by the wayside

[eMTe]

Funny that you wrote the post which pretty much explains everyday life of modern human (forgetting your illness of course - we all wish you the best). Uneventful, nothing substantial, things plod along, bit dull etc etc. Interestingly, we people in overdeveloped countries as I like to say, reached the state where literally whatever's interesting or purposeful happens solely in one's head. Bodies are pleased and fulfilled, only brains constantly seek adventure. It's fun, but as every adventure it's also probably very dangerous.

Here in Cracow, nothing really happens. I mean, in the "body" department. Cracow is known as a city where never anything happens, sort like in Talking Heads' song "Heaven". Time flies, relationships begin and end, people are born and die, in the meantime they drink ocean of alcohol and philosophize about practically everything, but it doesn't seem to push the world forward. The famous joke about Cracow is that half of its citizens live off of the other half without working or any other source of income, but everything neatly comes together and nobody really knows how it happens.

Me, I'll be selling my house next year, most likely. At least I made the decision to kill the ghosts at last. This, in turn, will result in buying flat in Cracow - a decision that I always wanted to postpone for times when I'll be buying it for myself, the wife and planned kids, but as it frequently happens - life doesnt go as planned and you have to deal with things you never dreamed of (in my case - state of semi-depression and semi-alcoholism). I am also thinking about quitting job - it's surprisingly well paid for its kind and because of it it makes one lazy, but it is also perfectly cracovian - it puts you into the state of nothingness where you are someone only by what you create with your brains, socially it's deteriorating.

I also plan to begin writing PROPERLY. I am not dreaming about JK Rowling kind career, but I reached the period where I have too many ideas worthy spreading to be left forgotten. The problem is they are never nice and social (in fact - quite the contrary) and writing about them may prove to be literally deadly for the author. This is where art meets social compromise and there's no solution for the dilemma - humans are only humans and it will stay like this.

Well, time will tell.

[Railwaymodeler]

I've thought about writing. I was good at it when I was younger. I think I have a great novel from the past six years.

On that note, I turn 30 in a couple weeks. Going to spend the day with Maria, Skoda, and all our close friends. Been thinking a lot lately about the adventure the past six years have been. Maybe it was seven years. Either way, I think it started the minute Maria and I started dating.

Funny how certain things get stuck in one's memory, like our first date, first kiss, first trip together, her first suspension at Pace, when she got her apartment in the far south suburbs, when I proposed to her, the arrival of Skoda, and that moment when the judge ruled against Pace on all counts.

Tell the truth though, raising Skoda has been like a second adventure for us. Though it is a peaceful one. Wisconsin has been quite beautiful lately, we've taken long walks along the harbor and lakefront, sometimes take a break by riding the streetcar line here.

I haven't had much time for gaming though. A while back I downloaded a Tetris game here that has become addicting though.

[eMTe]

Well, one problem with writing is that you learn with time that you ought to write. It's called the writer paradox.

It doesn't matter anymore whether you old enough or you experienced enough, you just begin to write and you fiercely pursue your urge to write.

It's somehow related to the number 33, Wittgenstein and Jesus. Everything's related, at one point you just know that your tears, your memories, sunsets, your life experiences are not enough to be experienced only by yourself. Even the drunk spam is not enough. You learn that you must write or communicate otherwise, no matter what. Let others nail you to their imaginary heaven.

It's disgusting, tiresome, it puts you in the limelight. But it's the way you live your life. People begin to hate you, people begin to love you, people begin to leave you. After a short while you begin your new life as a flower, a skyview, even as a musical chord. Practically nobody knows, few share the knowledge. It's inevitable anyway.

Learn to be, never learn to escape.

[jayenkai]

I've learned that writing isn't for me.
Writing games, maybe, but general everyday writing. Not so much.
My odd method of adding far too much punctuation, terribly formatted none-paragraphs, and other grammar issues are one thing..

But then..
Then you get to my habit of swearing and ranting, and generally acting like a psychotically deranged lunatic!
..
When I'm writing games, that comes out as "odd" and "quirky", and is normally acceptable in the crazy world of AGameAWeek.
..
but in a standard written form, it's far from normality.

[eMTe]

to my habit of swearing and ranting, and generally acting like a psychotically deranged lunatic

You summed up internet. But internet is just a period in humane development. Everything that happens in internet either already happened, happens at the moment or will happen soon. IN WORDS AND THOUGHTS. Internet only symbolically narrows humane activity, but it doesn't narrow biological activity in general. Internet is heavily focused on symbols, images and sounds, but as a medium it's blind and stupid - it leaves as much space for originality, creativity and personality as real life does and did for ages. And this tide - I strongly believe it as an optimist - will turn and will kick us high enough to be entertained for further centuries.

So guys, return to CWF, please.

[Railwaymodeler]

I'm here still, but with nice weather and Skoda old enough to actually enjoy it now (And in a nicer town where we all can enjoy it too!), I haven't been logging in as much. On sunny days I take my old Lionel trains (Some of them my dad's old Lionel, and some of them also grandpa's old Lionel) out on the patio. I figure in a few more years when Skoda is a little older, we'll bring my great-grandfather's old trains over here from my dad's house. She'll have four previous generations of trains to run, and as excited as she is running the trains now, she'll be the first female family member to really get into it. My sister did, but only to an extent.

Funny enough, out of all the male cousins around my age (My dad's brother, my uncle has three boys), I am the only non-biological member of the family. That is, adopted. But I'm the only one to get into railroading, and the only one to carry on the "Old world German craftsman" tradition. And I am the youngest male of this generation. Funny how that works. Now Skoda looks like she will carry it forth, and she is not only female, but half Hispanic.

Some things just defy logical explanation.

Life has been very good lately.

[eMTe]

Blood relations are one of the few things I would erase from the old world. They're prime example of granfalloon. People should roam the Earth freely and enter whatever relationships they please - I do believe in emotional bonds only. I hope institutions like adoption understood as something stigmatizing will disappear in future and adoption will become just one of many relationships, neither better nor worse from others.

Btw, one of the few things I like about teenagers (female) that they add on Facebook their friends as imaginary mothers, fathers, sisters, uncles because they feel enough close to them to call them so. And even if there's element of joke in this activity I like it - it breaks artificial social bonds that make more harm than good. (on unrelated note - my friend who is gay added his friend as a girlfriend; his mother lives in small village and is devout catholic and she still doesn't know [neither his father] that he's gay and he's afraid to come out; but she has Facebook account and believes her son really has a girlfriend)

You haven't mentioned Loki the Viking God cat. My friend's cat recently jumped from seventh floor (in US that would be eighth floor - or was it the other way around?) and, surprisingly, is still alive. He didn't even broke a leg - he had only small concussions and abrasions here and there. And he landed on concrete pavement!

[eMTe]

Hmm...

[Railwaymodeler]

Loki and Skoda have a kind of special bond. When Skoda was a little baby, she would scream and cry until Loki curled up with her for a while. Those two are best friends in a funny way. Considering how skittish Loki is, that a baby cry wouldn't make her run and hide is very unusual.

Now that Skoda is a little older, she sleeps best with Loki nearby, but it isn't as "Manditory" as it was. Some nights Loki curls up between me and Maria near our shoulders.

[eMTe]

I think it's a good place to put it.

Whoever recognizes the guy to your right gets free beer.

Whoever recognizes the guy to your left gets two free beers.

[Drasir-Vel]

Sorry, i recognize none of them. But i guess i don't drink anyway.

[eMTe]

Oh, you probably don't remember the days when war has been so much fun.

Btw, on this photo I am trying (well, I'm in the process of beginning of trying ) to explain to Jops the basics of philosophy of language. Or maybe we were talking about Amiga music? I don't really remember. What's the difference anyway?

[eMTe]

Since this piece of news already reached offline Universe it's time to announce it officially online in my favourite empty dusty corner of the online side of reality.

I bought myself a smartphone.

Well, not actually bought, I had shopping coupons (or how they are called) and I had no idea how to spend them. Except new vacuum cleaner, but this can wait. Dust doesn't kill.

Now, after this, revolutionary for my oldschool persona, madness, I wonder what other miracles await me.

[Railwaymodeler]

For what it is worth, I still do not own a cell phone of any kind. I have my landline. Maria has a cell phone, but she rarely uses it. The way I see it, the world got on for countless centuries without them. We had an industrial revolution, opened 2,000 miles of American frontier, had two World Wars, the Manhattan Project, and put a man on the Moon all without cell phones.

[eMTe]

Well, mobile is just a tool. It all depends on the way and situation you use it, it's not evil per se. It may happen that cell phone would save yours or somebody's life. But of course, in everyday life it's pretty useless. Any kind of humane communication that is not made face vs face and body vs body is pretty useless and ultimately futile.

I bought smartphone primarily for camera. I do have large and heavy one, but it's very uncomfortable in rugged terrain or during bad weather, so I needed pocket one for making quick low-res photos when something interesting happens. And lousiest smartphone is still cheaper than lousiest camera. But I keep my old Nokia and I even plan to switch back to 33 branch, the best cell phones ever created by humankind. The only problem is that it may be hard to buy batteries in future. Unless somebody will decide to counterfeit them.

The problem with gadgets is that big business has become friends with psychomanipulation and forces people to buy more and more things they don't need, but are announced as groundbreaking and necessary. So you buy yourself new mobile, new computer, new car, because your neighbours or friends did and you can't stay out of current. Otherwise you may be considered asocial and it's worse than death. All you need is to learn to show them your middle finger and live with it. It's hard, but doable.

[jayenkai]

*pokes head in*
Hi, sorry, haven't visited for a while.

I bought a smartphone for the camera, too, except I went a bit nutso with my purchase. Bought a Lumia 1020 with a 41 megapixel camera, since I don't actually own a "proper" camera, and figured I might as well go for something that does both jobs.
More than anything, it has Optical Image Stabilisation, which given how shaky my hands are, is a bloomin' godsend.
As for it being a phone..
.. It's a good camera! Flickr
I'm not a very good "talky" person, and since never go anywhere, anyway, the whole "Phone" aspect is nothing more than an operating system for the nice camera.

Haven't been coding many games, lately. Not sure why, just seem to be in a bit of a lull. Odd.
Homelife, things are starting to settle down, with all the health-sickness pay finally starting to come in (Only took 'em 2 years to decide I'm "unfit for work".. grrr) so bills are finally getting paid, and life isn't as panicy as it was for a wee while, there.
I'm still not back to normal, can barely walk any decent amount without assistance, and am still occasionally being sick, but I'm happy to be here, and really that's all that matters.

.. Life goes on..

[eMTe]

Life goes on, but, unfortunately, it's never straight line, always sinusoid. Just when I thought my self-proclaimed depression and alcoholism will take over me and I will burst with literary ideas *bump* they abruptly ended, because I am in new relationship. All those miracles happening in my head suddenly disappeared and were replaced with dusters and pink slippers. Shit happens.

Well, at least it's a movie-like relationship, so I hope it won't be less interesting (and less troubling) than the dark years. Especially that I already plan to twist it even more.

As for coding, I'm afraid that traditional games are nearing death as there's nothing more to express with them. Next step is integration of human bodies with electronics and drugs. You already have (had?) pipes sticking from your head and you're on medicines, so with your creative abilities you may find yourself one of the leaders of the new paradigm.

Me, as a luddist I still believe this whole cyberfraud will go to hell quickly and people on mass scale will begin hugging trees and tasting the wind.

[Pater Alf]

*sneaks into the bar*

Wasn't here for some time. How's everyone doing?

[jayenkai]

I've been so bored, I started making odd little papercraft arcade machines!!


Want your own?
You can find the printer ready images under the "bonus assets" in these games
...because that's just how bored I get, when I'm not focused on AGameAWeek!!

I'm currently trying to come up with a lazy way to make solid 3D models out of Pixelart, so's I can run them through the papercraft tool (Pepakura) and get things output fairly rapidly.
.. I might have to give up on that, since everything I've created thus far, has generally resulted in nothing more than a page full of cubes that all need glued together!!!

[Tormuse]

Hi all, just poking my head in to say I'm still alive and stuff.

Currently still working at Wal-Mart and hoping to get back into massage therapy, but procrastinating about restoring my license. (It's actually a lot more expensive to get back to working as a massage therapist than I thought!) It doesn't help that I sprained my finger a few weeks ago and it's taking a long time to heal.

Other than that, just spending time with friends and spending time playing games. How is everyone else doing?

@Jayenkai, that's a really neat Blockman arcade machine! I wonder how hard it would be to design a program that generates the form for paper crafts like that. Hmm...