Da Octopusss

I stumbled upon them, thanks to my friend and fellow Vlogger xXAnthonyBaelXx. He was blasting their music in his car and I immediately loved their sound. Their music totally belongs in an underground nightclub full of werewolves, vampires, zombies, demons, and goths, like in Blade (the first movie) or in Constantine. Or this would be a perfect fit in DMC: Devil May Cry, if the soundtrack wasn't composed by CombiChrist and Noisia (in my humble opinion). It's dark, somewhat gothic, and noisy as all hell. I would put this in my Life post under the "Currently Listening To" list, but at this point all I can do is stream their music online when I'm home (which hasn't been that often lately). So I can't really put it on my list since I'm not listening to their music consistently. I'm going to try to find their CD if I can, but they're really obscure, so if push comes to shove, it looks like I might have to buy a digital copy from Amazon or the iTunes Store (and you guys know I'm reluctant to purchase digital copies of anything). There's also finding links to download the music, so that option is there. But I'll first go to my usual places before I begin to look online. 

Anyhow, let me know what you think of the music and if you have recommendations/suggestions - the more Indie, the better! Just kidding. Finally, here is a video showcasing one of their songs, Time. 

ULTRA COMBO!!!

Killer Instinct (or many fans prefer to call it, Killer Instinct 3) is coming exclusively to an XBox One near you. 

However, my experiences with the fighting game go way back to its SNES port of the original arcade game. But as a 6-year-old kid, I had no idea how to play the game. Even now, at 23, I still don't know! If anything, the only thing I could do that was anything remotely advanced was Cinder's Master/Blaster Combo (7/9 hits respectively, depending on the initial Rush Attack's strength). I had a friend who once performed Riptor and Chief Thunder's Ultra Combo (a 20+ hit finisher). It blew my mind and my jaw dropped. The Announcer's echoing chant of "Ultra! Ultra! Ultra!" (the Announcer chants "Ultra!" in the SNES port, but will yell "Ultra Combo!" in the original Arcade version) seemed ingrained into my memory, and ever since then, I've always wanted to perform an Ultra Combo of my own. 

If you want to know what an Ultra Combo looks like: 

However, thanks to the modern Internet Age, I managed to find a decent tutorial (I say decent, since this specific tutorial doesn't cover some of the more advanced techniques. Also, the tutorial will be at the bottom of this paragraph.). This makes playing KI all over again much more desirable. That elusive combo won't be elusive any longer. More importantly, I can finally play the game without having to rely on button-mashing or endlessly spam the one combo I know how to perform. This breakthrough is just as tantamount as learning how to properly play Street Fighter and Marvel Vs. Capcom. I'm getting edgy just even thinking about playing KI - I can't wait to play as Cinder, Orchid, Glacius, and Riptor. 

Here is the tutorial video that I found:

Speaking of the characters, one of the things I had a hard time understanding was the plot of the game. Some characters were easy to understand: 

• Jago wants defeat the supernatural evil behind Ultratech. 
• Riptor is a Dino-Human hybrid because of Ultratech (and it's in the tournament for Ultratech to test Riptor's abilities).  
• Fulgore is a cybernetic prototype from Ultratech (and if Fulgore wins, it becomes mass-produced). 
• Cinder is an experiment gone wrong, imprisoned against his will. He is promised freedom, if he can defeat Glacius in the tournament. 
• Glacius is an extraterrestrial captured and forced to fight for its life in Ultratech's tournament. 
• Orchid is a spy, hoping to expose and defunct the company behind the Killer Instinct Tournament.
• T.J. Combo fights to reclaim his lost fame after being exposed for using cybernetic arms (which had initially allowed him be a great boxer). 

Other characters, such as Chief Thunder, Spinal, and Sabrewulf, were a bit farfetched, but they are unique and memorable characters nonetheless. 

But here is where I get lost in the plot. According to killerinstinctonline.net, certain characters have been defeated or victorious. For instance:

• Jago successfully defeated Fulgore. 
• Chief Thunder defeated Spinal.
• Glacius defeated Cinder and was able to go home. 
• Sabrewulf was severely injured in the tournament. As a result, Ultratech recaptured Sabrewulf and gave it cybernetic implants to enhance its strength. 
• T.J. Combo successfully defeated Riptor, but not before losing his right eye in the bout. 
• It is revealed that Orchid and Jago are siblings, separated at birth and reunited at the tournament.
• Also, I think Orchid was officially the winner of the KI tournament, since the sequel takes place 2000 years in the past as a result of Eyedol's defeat (though this is entirely my opinion). 

So yeah, it's hard to discern what are the true endings for each character, especially when each character can win the tournament and each character has their respective endings that may (or may not) corroborate with the overall plot of the game. 

Nonetheless, Killer Instinct is an amazing fighting game series, offering gameplay mechanics unique to its games. I can't wait to see more of the upcoming Killer Instinct game! Finally...

Life

Life, by The Cardigans, is a great album, actually. I prefer the Minty Fresh Records re-release (the US edition) over the original European LP, but that's just my preference. 

Anyhow, I figured I should post a new entry, seeing that I haven't done so in a good while. I was thinking of putting myself on the spot and assess myself earnestly and introspectively, if that can be done. My life, in short, still feels pretty incomplete, but I'm striving to accept that reality and learning to create new, refreshing goals that build happiness, knowledge, and life experiences to create a better, happier me. (How am I doing so far?)

I was in a bit of a bad spell recently, meaning that I wasn't really motivated to do things, create things, or even learn (which is why I have been absent digitally lately)! Even now, I still have that "It's too much work!" mentality, but there's nothing to do but to get up and move onward (even if my feet are dragging a bit...)! :-)

And now, without Much Ado (About Nothing, that is ;D), here is a quick summary of my life thus far:

Currently Waiting: 

• For the Fall semester to start (fingers are crossed!) 
• For a girlfriend (fingers not-so-crossed Xp lol)
• For my doctor's appointment (for a physical/assessment of my health and body)
• To begin my training regimen (after said appointment, first)

Currently Listening To: 

• Sunburn & Something Like Human by Fuel
• Showbiz by Muse
• Vol. 1 by She & Him
• The Blessed Unrest by Sara Bareilles
• Also occasionally The Strokes, Coldplay, and Muse (Non-Showbiz, I mean)

Soon After: 

• Vol. 2 by She & Him
• Natural Selection by Fuel
• Origin of Symmetry by Muse
• Hesitation Marks by Nine Inch Nails

Currently Reading: The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks 

Soon After: 

• Ender's Game
• Jurassic Park
• The Fault In Our Stars

The Last of Us & The Zombie Survival Guide

Such an amazing game! I finished it a while back and now I'm almost done with the game a second time, on the Survivor difficulty, trying to collect everything. It's such a surprise to see how much I have missed on my second run (and I thought I was thorough my first time around). Survivor, in short, is a rage-quit festival. Be prepared to die. Like, a lot. It's a miracle I've come so far on so little (I'm at the Fireflies laboratory), and once this adventure's over, I'll probably jump over to the Wii and replay Zelda's Twilight Princess and play Skyward Sword for the first time (I can hear your exasperations already :P). 

Enduring the harrowing dangers of The Last of Us's post-apocalyptic world has got me reflecting about my physical abilities, firearms experiences, and wilderness survival training. Or rather the lack thereof. If the end of the world as we know it ended today (here's hoping it doesn't), I don't think I'd have what it takes to survive. My chances would be astronomically low. Of course, nobody can really prepare for the end of the modern world, but some chance of survival is much better than not having any at all. 

And that's where Max Brooks' The Zombie Survival Guide comes in. Half-humorous and half-serious (in my humble opinion), it provides an overview of effective combat tactics for fighting or running away from the walking dead, assessing one's environment/situation, and even providing suggestions to the most ideal weaponry/armor of any class (short-range/long-range/silent/hand-to-hand, etc.) It's quite in-depth, but not overwhelmingly so. I've been taking extensive notes (hi-lighting, underlining, and even writing) all over the book, and from all of these marks I'm making, it's helping me forge out an ideal plan of attack - my weapon of choice, what to stock up on, learning new skills (especially ones I should know by now!), and motivating me to be more shape (fear of death is a great motivator!). Reading the book and taking notes is giving me inspiration to learn more skills and try new experiences, all the while giving me some hope that I won't be the first to die. As you can see, I've been taking the book quite seriously, perhaps more than I should, but I'm not bothered by it - the note-taking process is preparing me for the upcoming school fall semester! 

                                   

This Is A Story 'Bout A Girl...

Who cried a river and drowned the whole world... [again, kudos if you got this reference :P - hey, you know what? Let me know what you thought the song was (this a hint!), but no Googling the lyrics! lol]

In all seriousness, there's a girl in my life (I know, I know - I can hear your groans already, but hear me out, will you?) and I am in love with her, or at least on the verge of being so (perhaps that would be the most accurate at this point). She is, in short, beautiful. Absolutely astounding. I find her optimistic, hopeful, generous, happy - possessing characteristics not naturally my own. She's the kind of girl who just wants to fall in love: deeply, madly in love. And she does...but with the wrong guys...

...and it's not that she makes wrong decisions or has bad taste in men...

...it's more that the men were rotten to begin with...

...and all I can do is watch...

...at a distance...

...and it hurts...

...very much so...

My heart just drowns in a sea of sorrow, dashed and tossed by torrents of silent anger, frustration. She tells us of how she was disappointed in someone, of how guys creepily hit on her, of how people look at her with signs of aberration at her reality that she's still single...and it all messes with her head. She feels like she's not worthy of love, that she's a person not made for this cruel world, and that something will almost always be wrong with her. The truth is, she is nothing like what she thinks she is.

And all this time, all I can be is her friend, her go-to guy, her impromptu confessional. But what I want to do is hold her tight and feel our hearts clash together in our chests. What I want to do is get lost in her flawless hazel eyes. What I want to do is to hold her hand innocently, make her laugh oh so richly, and have her feel appreciated, loved, and complete. I want to protect her, move mountains for her, be strong for her. This is what I want, and this is something I can't have. She keeps her distance from me, selectively choosing when to talk to me. I patiently wait for her, all the while trying to reach out to her. Time and distance threatens to tear us apart and I'm feeling frightened and nervous. 

Even before I developed feelings for her, I admired her. She spoke her mind with me, without restraint. She did her best to help others, to be a part of their daily lives, to be a positive influence to others. She tried to make the best of her situations, despite being constantly troubled by both strangers and familiar faces. She constantly smiles while holding back silent tears of frustration and hurt. 

There is so much I could say, so much I could do, but perhaps it'll never be enough. Even if nothing romantic develops between us, she's still a friend to me...and I miss talking to her on a daily basis.

In some ways, I hope that she doesn't read this and in some ways, I do hope she indeed does read this...

...but one can always hope, right?...

All Work & No Play...

...makes Sebass a dull boy!!!

But seriously, I have work literally every day this week!!! 

Today, rather yesterday (it's 7/2/2013 right now at 0041 hours - yes, I do military time! ^_^), was my first day of the lengthy week. And because I already had worked an intense 48 hours last week (that's divided into one 8-hour graveyard shift and four 10-shifts!), my body hasn't fully recovered at all. I'm used to having 

32-hour weeks, not this overtime stuff of having 6 workdays in a week. But this is just temporary, until our new guy can be completely trained to be self-sufficient at work (he's a quick learner, that new guy!). So until next week, I'm working another 48 hours this week! 

In short, this means:

1: I'm missing our on a good portion of the Anime Expo (did I say I was going?)

2: My July 4th experience is going to be cut short.

3: I won't be having sufficient time to rest.

4... 

I'm gonna be missing out on the Anime Expo!!!  

(...and I paid for the full 4-day experience too...)

I'm trying to be at peace with this, since one of our guys at work was unexpectedly fired (which is why I'm working so much - picking up the slack), so it's more like I'm getting a 2-day experience instead of the full 4-day experience. 

Once the new guy is fully trained, then everything will go back to normal :D

Until then, wish me luck!

Twitter & Instagram

I finally gave in to the masses (I know, I know - I'm such a sellout :P) and got myself a Twitter handle and an Instagram account. I've been spending the majority of today figuring out what to do - how do I introduce myself, how do I interact with other people/groups/brands/bands and the like, and how can I make myself known in the online world. I still don't know what I'm doing, but if you'd like to follow me and my shenanigans on Twitter/Instagram, click here for Twitter and here for Instagram (I'll add links at the end of this post, too).

In other news, nothing much has been happening in my life lately. Though, I have let myself get lazy and not create new vlogs for YouTube, or even write over here. Don't worry - that will change soon! I'll just need a week to make new things to talk and share about soon enough! 

As promised, here are again the links to my Twitter and Instagram accounts, in addition to my other online accounts. I'll see you guys online soon!

Twitter: @sebass_the_kidd

Instagram: dorky_hipster

YouTube: Sebass2021

Serious Writing Blog: Quiet Confessions of Sorts

I'M BACK!!!

Guess who's back? Back again? Sebass is back, Sebass is back, Sebass is back... LOL!
Kudos to you if you got the reference :D

Anyhow, after some time away from the digital world, mostly because of work and I needed some time away from my digital self, I feel ready to immerse myself back into digital world again :D

There's much to say and much to do, but I feel confident that I'll be alright at the end of the day!