The Anti-Election Thread 2008

The Core RPGC Main Forum
1

Am I alone in not caring about American presidential elections?

I’m constantly being barraged by so much hype, you’d think they were electing a new King of Earth or something. And a good number of Americans are probably arrogant enough to believe they are.

But I find myself totally not giving a shit about debating the ins and outs of most of you guyses next dysfunctional leader.

So does anyone wanna talk about something relevant to life? Like books, or workout regimes, or your favourite bands, or that new killer game you discovered that no one knows about, or intriguing works of art? :smiley:

Because I know I have some pretty cool shit to whore out, if anyone’s interested.

2

What about the Canadian election?!

3

We have elections?

4

Well, I care about the election, because frankly, whatever happens here will affect me probly a bit more than you. Still, though, I’ll talk about the other stuff.

Books - I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I’ve been reading Ranma 1/2. I really hated it at first, and only read it cos my girlfriend roped me into it. Eventually, I began to like it because of its slapstick humor. It really feels like the Japanese anime equivalent of Looney Tunes. And if you don’t like Looney Tunes…KILL yourself.

Workout Regimes - I think you meant regimens, or maybe the word doesn’t matter…I can’t help thinking of Mussolini doing pilates when I hear workout regime, though. In any case, I just walk to school and back. It totals an hour of walking; should be fine, five days a week.

Favorite Bands - Well, my favorite band of all time is easily Bad Religion. But, I’ve been listening to a lot of Cake and Gym Class Heroes lately.

Games - Well, I just got Legend of Mana and Castle Crashers, but you already know about that.

On the subject of games no one knows about, I find it hysterical that the most famous ‘game no one knows about’ of our recent generation is Psychonauts. This is mostly because the gameplay is just not-good. No one ever gives good reviews to Okage: Shadow King, an RPG which, like Psychonauts, excels in every aspect but gameplay. So what the fuck? Fuck Psychonauts.

If you want a game that rules at everything but is egregious in gameplay, do Okage: Shadow King instead. Or, if you want a game you’ve never heard of or played that just plain rules in EVERY respect…Chibi Robo.

Art - Not well-versed in art :confused: I’m taking a modern art survey class right now, though. My favorite artist that we’ve looked at so far is Caspar David Friedrich.

5

I don’t know how relevant to life this is, but I started listening to Richard Wagner, in particular “Die Walkuere.” It contains the famous piece, “Ride Of The Valkyries,” so I thought it’d be a good place to start. But I found it somewhat difficult to appreciate opera based on audio recordings alone, so I am thinking to go and see the entire Ring cycle in New York sometime in the spring.

6

But debating stuff is fun, and this election is a good way to get to do it. :frowning:

Well, for books, I’ve been reading a lot of Robin Hobb lately, best author I’ve found in a while. Apart from that I’ve just been reading more comics, Seven Soldiers of Victory is the latest one. Four volumes of awesome. <3

My workout generally consists of walking in and out of college/town and then every wednesday going for three hour weapon training (ye olde weapons, not guns). But now I’m back up I’ll probably start using that gym they have provided us with properly.

Well, my favorite band is still really the Chili peppers. Mmmm, Chilis. But I’ve been listening to more random instrumental/orchestral stuff lately as well, mainly video game stuff but hey, gotta start somewhere. Also more foreign music because words I don’t understand are totally awesome.

About games, I haven’t really bought anything new since the Orange Box, and that was awesome. Don’t have a new system except my DS which has fucking gone missing. :frowning:

Also, I loved Psychonauts. I really did find it fun, with the exception of one part of the very last level (fuck you water). The gameplay never bothered me, except telekinesis which had really annoying controls. The rest was bland to kind of fun, really.

Also: I’ll have to check those other games out before I end up bored. Fucking DS. :frowning:

Well, seeing as I know a few aspiring artists, I won’t really say much besides Deviant Art is bullshit, people who check out art online are all 15 year old fangirls/boys it seems and it’s funny how some things work into a person’s style despite looking odd - like elongonated fingers because that’s just what the person happens to like. I don’t like to plug people though so I’m just complaining because teenagers are stupid and on my lawn again. D:<

Edit: oh, and yeah, Ride of the Valkyries is still awesome.

7

I’ll just copy off SG’s format and go from there. As for the election, as much I could care less about politics, it’s pretty annoying hearing about it every damn day. I figure we’ll be screwed no matter who wins, just because of the crap that entails it.

Books - Haven’t really read anything in a while. Having to learn Java for a class and that’s a lot of reading right there. Marketing too. Not too fun.

Workout Regimes - I have a decent regimen of working out. I find it’s the only way for me to just be alone and relax and think to myself. But my workouts mostly involve lots of weightlifting and an ab workout (it’s a core workout kinda thing). On that note, I really need to start running again.

Favorite Bands - Differs from month to month, but I really like Gorillaz and Avenged Sevenfold. Beyond that, I listen to a wide array of stuff.

Games - Well, I’m still playing DQIV. Need to finish up FFTA2 and FF4 (probably won’t finish FF4). Been messing around with Kirby Super Star Ultra, it’s kinda fun. Also, I’ve been playing around with Tales of Destiny II (PSX). Can’t hardly stand the voices in that game…

As for a game that nobody really knows about…Cliffhanger for SNES. Whoever came up with that game should be shot. One of the few games I’ve owned, but never beaten just because it’s so damn evil and hard. In order to beat the game, you pretty much have to memorize every level. Plus, dying comes way too easy in that game. (Seriously?! I died from falling in a gap running from bats that also insta-kill while trying to jump said gaps.)

TV- Well, I’d been watching Code Geass, but AS has pretty well screwed it to hell. So I watched the last few episodes of Season 1 last night (subbed). Also watched the first two episodes of R2 this morning. I was pretty well surprised by everything.

8

Books: Wanna get my hands on the rest of the Vampire Hunter D novels, and I’m thinking about picking up Guin Saga at some point. But lately I’ve been finishing up the Dark Tower series. Next up I’m gonna try to read the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes.

Workout: I was doing this every 2-3 days, til college started. Gonna pick this back up first thing tomorrow morning though. 20 minutes to an hour (if I have the time) on an elliptical set to maximum resistance, 100-200 push ups, 100-220 45lbs curls, 300 crunches.

Band: I dunno. Every time I turn around I’ve got a new favorite. Lately I’ve went back and listened to some Trivium, Bullet, Satriani, Slipknot, Stonesour, Yngwie, OAR, Megadeth, In Flames, Bodom, Matchbox 20, Third Eye Blind, Maiden… you get the idea.

Games: I don’t have a 360/PS3 :frowning: The last good game I played was MGS4 (Thanks to Ori) on my friend’s PS3. Gonna pick up TWEWY with my next paycheck however :smiley:

9

I stopped caring about the election at about the time I started my WWIII plans, which was in 2007.

Anyways, on the subject of everything else more important:

Games-Well, we recently got the Zelda Collection game and I tried out Legend of Zelda. It’s hard, but it’s probably because the controls are a little choppy for me. On unknown, but good, games; I would have to say I find the Illusion of Gaia series(you may or may not know of it) to be particularly good.

Art-I got nothing on art as I have horrible memory for all those names.

Bands-I FRAGGING LOVE FIVE FOR FIGHTING AND THE BEATLES!!! XD Both bands I have memorized multiple songs for; such as 100 Years, Nobody, All My Loving and (almost) Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

Workout Regime-Walking around my school for at least 1 1/2 hours a day(spent double that yesterday at my school’s fair).

Books-My family just got Brisingr, and I AM FREAKING PUMPED FOR WHEN I CAN READ IT!!! :smiley: Currently my older brother is reading it, and he should be done with it soon. So my turn soon!

10

I’m of the opinion that Wagner is all the mediocre failings of all opera composers before him distilled into one man, without any room for the parts they all excelled at.

11

Arac: Fuck you. >:(

Cro: How good are the novels? I’ve seen the movies (Bloodlust = better) but I haven’t ever seen one of the novels around the place.

12

Books - Currently reading The Bell Jar and Sula for a test this friday. Don’t like either of them, and don’t particularily care about expressions of feminist individualism in a male-dominated world. See, I’m a guy, I’m at best required to respect this shit, but I’m not under any obligation to give a fucking damn, least of all read several hundred pages on the subject.

Games - Finally got around to playing Dragon Quarter. Took me ten minutes to figure our how to break the shit out of this thing. Currently about 1/4 of the game in with my three characters at like Lv 40 :stuck_out_tongue:

Workout Regime - Nah. Wait till spring.

13

Interesting. Any particular reason? I haven’t heard all of his work.

14

The election is fun to follow precisely because of all the ridiculous drama. Its like watching a soap opera, except the antics are real, not scripted. That being said, I really want Obama to win because I can’t stand the thought of watching McCain on the TV screen for at least the next 4 years.

Oh yeah, as to the thread:

Books: stupid shit for school that’s painful to read

Band: uh…

videogames: I don’t play videogames anymore…

Wow, I just realized I don’t even have enough of a life to have interests anymore o_O

15

Castle Crashers is fuckin sweet. So fun

16

I’m seriously jaded about the Canadian election. All of the candidates have some good points and some bad ones… other than the NDP, which I’d never touch, I don’t see any clear winner for me in the other three parties. I dunno, I’ll do more research I guess, but this is the first election I can remember in which I’m seriously thinking of not bothering to vote.

Books - Just finished a satire called Towing Jehovah, which was sort of interesting but not particularly entertaining. I’m re-reading Tom Holt now - Expecting Someone Taller and Ye Gods!, which are two of his least manic works and hence more enjoyable. I also read a sort-of-sci-fi called Outrageous Fortune, which I was disappointed in, and a few books by Christopher Moore (the American version of Tom Holt, with more plot and sex and less nonsense). I highly recommend Lamb, the Gospel According To Jesus’ Childhood Friend Biff.

(I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately, so getting a lot of reading done.)

Workout - for the last 2 years I’ve been doing a 30-minute stint 3 times a week on an elliptical machine followed by 25 situps and 30 pushups. Just trying to stay healthy, not do anything with my weight or strength.

Bands - the Wild ARMs 3 soundtrack remains absolutely awesome. I just downloaded Wild ARMs 4 and am going to listen to it even though I’ve never played the game. Also re-listening to Great Big Sea, Barenaked Ladies, and Evanescence.

Games - I started TWEWY and after a rough patch with the learning curve, I’m hooked. I have to use entirely different physical and mental muscles to get past this one. Unfortunately I started it 3/4 of the way through FF4DS, and I have a sneaky feeling I may never get around to finishing the latter since Star Ocean 1 and the new DS Castlevania are coming out in 3 weeks…

17

I had the same experience. At first, I found it impossible to control the top screen, and I never touched it until the very end of the game. But eventually, I found myself using it, to my surprise. The last games that I enjoyed as much as TWEWY were made years ago.

18

WEWY really is a spectacular game. I hope it signifies that Square-Enix is going to try and start trying crazy things again. The sheer amount of variety you can find in their PSX repertoire is amazing, and WEWY is proof enough to me that they can still do it. I just hope that WEWY was a signal of change, and not just a random aberration.

19

I do care about the election, but it’s getting difficult to sift through all the crap news around it.

Books - I just started reading Brisingr (young adult fantasy literature is a weakness of mine).

Games - I’m already at Mamon Mine in Chapter 5 of DQIV. I love love love this game, I’ve barely put it down outside of work. Maybe I’ll pick up TWEWY again once I’m done with this one.

Fitness - I just started with a new trainer since my old one doesn’t have time for me or anyone else this semester, and I think it’s going to be even more awesome. He’s great; the workouts he plans are well-structured that push me really hard without totally ruining me for the next exercise.

Music - I can’t stop listening to my Estelle CD. I wish I could go to the House of Blues next weekend to see her, The Roots, and Gym Class Heroes.

Other news - I’m working on a new job prospect since my current company has reached new levels of suckiness, and I’m also working on planning a second date with a guy who seems really nice so far. It doesn’t hurt that he’s pretty hot, too. :smiley:

edit - Yay for someone else playing Dragon Quarter!

20

I’ve been reading books on intellectual property, truly mind-blowing, for a 25-page paper on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. It’s the law that prohibits decrypting DVDs (among many other things).

My daily workout is running west from mid-Greenwich Village, north along the Hudson River, and cutting back through Chelsea. Probably four miles. As for games, I’m still living in 2005 and playing Guild Wars on and off. Lack of time has made me too picky to pick up random games and try them out.

I’m appreciating Led Zeppelin more by the day: the combination of depth and dynamic masculinity that (in my opinion) really thrived in the late sixties-seventies, and has given way to a kind of suave femininity since then.

Not as much classical lately. Again, it takes time to appreciate a classical work, which I currently lack. Regarding Wagner, he believed music should be seamlessly integrated with drama. He would probably agree that his music flops without a dramatic performance. But his overtures, and often the endings of his operas, are more melodic. I recommend the overtures from Tristan und Isolde, Tannhauser, Meistersinger, and Eine Faust; the Love-Death, from Tristan und Isolde; the Pilgrim’s Chorus, from Tannhauser; and the ending of Meistersinger. I also love performances on video, when I can find them.