Thoughts and What Not

December 27 Social web moment. Did you meet someone you used to only know from her blog? Did you discover Twitter?

Hehe, this one I got in the bag. I, like many others, am a big fan of the Nostalgia Critic from "That Guy With The Glasses". I was lucky enough to be honored with an invitation to dine with a large group of my friends... with The Critic as the guest of honor! It was the best night of the year in my humble opinion. I have not had such fun in ages.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

December 26 Insight or aha! moment. What was your epiphany of the year?

My Epiphany was that you don't need to have an Epiphany to have a good year ^_^.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

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In other words I didn't have one and I am trying to make it seem not sad ;.;

December 25 - Gift. What's a gift that you gave yourself this year that has kept on giving?

Love.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

December 22 - Startup. What's a business that you found this year that you love? Who thought it up? What makes it special?

Uh, I would have to say Hulu fits the bill the best for this. It lets poor punks like me enjoy watching relatively current TV, with a decent selection even, without having to do more then have the internet (which is vital, I will never part with it). I can live without TV, but it was nice to get to enjoy TV shows from time to time, without doing something illegal to do so.

December 23 - Web tool. It came into your work flow this year and now you couldn't live without it. It has simplified or improved your online experience.

I would have to say Twitter is the best new web tool for my year. I do have GoogleWave, but as I currently know only a smattering of people who also have it, I have not really been able to make good use of it yet. Twitter has let me stay in contact with people more, and shown me more of what other people are like even If I don't actually know them in real life, I now have a bit better understanding of them.

December 24 - Learning experience. What was a lesson you learned this year that changed you?

Sadly enough I learned that hard work and perseverance do not always protect you and help you advance. I was the Head Cashier for a retail store, and I did the best damn job I could, I worked hard, and I kept at it, always trying to improve upon what we had. I will admit I probably was not the best, but damned if I didn't put forth my best. When my store changed management in the switch from TigerDirect.com to CompUSA (which TigerDirect.com's parent company Systemax had acquired) I did not really feel much in the way of worry, at least, not so far as my job was concerned. When I was told that I was being moved back down to cashier, and that there was nothing I could do about (no trying to improve, no chance to change their minds) it devastated me. I won't blame them, they were just doing their job. Some people would say that they were just getting me out of the way for their on person to take the spot, and to a small point I think it might be true, but I will be honest, I know that If I had truly been the best for the spot they would have kept me. The fact of the matter was they had someone better for the job and that was that. No matter how hard you try, sometimes life just isn't fair. The important thing is to not give up. Life has to give in and do something nice for you someday, just keeping plowing along until that day comes.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

December 19 - Car ride. What did you see? How did it smell? Did you eat anything as you drove there? Who were you with?

The car trip with my Mother to Montana. I know I have already mentioned this once, but to be fair it is the only major trip I went on, so I have to mention it again lol. The sights were quite nice in certain areas, but to be frank a lot of the trip was boring flat lands. I can't say we ate anything new or interesting, but I can say that I rediscovered why I hate McDonald's hehe.

December 20 - New person. She came into your life and turned it upside down. He went out of his way to provide incredible customer service. Who is your unsung hero of 2009?

That's easy, I met the Nostalgia Critic this year. I had dinner with him, I got to joke around and just hang out with him. It was the best time I have had in a long time, and it will take a lot to top it... Like say a trip to Canada to meet my favorite comedians? One can dream right?

December 21 - Project. What did you start this year that you're proud of?

I would have to say that this blog is the personal project I am most proud of. I think it is a great place to express ones self and to get emotional baggage out in the air and to deal with it. I think that if I actually keep up with this, and I think I can this time, then it will really be a boon to me in the long run. Here's to personal achievement! On a side note I am also happy to announce that I am not only back in school, but I am actually doing better now. If this were something that was solely my choice and not partially a decision of necessity I would choose it, but at least in part it is a choice made by the pressure of society to have a stupid little piece of paper before you can get a decent job.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

December 16 - Tea of the year. I can taste my favorite tea right now. What's yours?

Peach Tea. Absolutely delicious.

December 17 - Word or phrase. A word that encapsulates your year.

"2009 was very appoint!" (credit to desert bus for the phrase ^_^y)

December 18 - Online or offline, where did you spend most of your mad money this year?

Combination of TigerDirect.com for PC components and Games Workshop for 40k Army models.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

December 13 - What's the best change you made to the place you live?

I am actually working on that change right now, I am getting all of my books reorganized and setting up my shelves properly. I am also getting all of my boxes of misc. crap sorted so that when it comes time to move again I am not bringing along a bunch of junk that is not really necessary.

December 14 - When did you get your best rush of the year?

Uh, hmmm. Probably when I was driving with my mother to Montana. It was kinda of doing a drizzle/snow at the top of the mountain that we had to cross and going down the mountain in that was a serious rush... not one that I am to eager to repeat any time soon.

December 15- Best packaging. Did your headphones come in a sweet case? See a bottle of tea in another country that stood off the shelves?

The new packages for some of the MTG sets that are coming out are pretty damn sweet. Especially for the special decks like From the Vault. Can not wait to get more of them.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

December 10 - Album of the year

Ok, I'm cheating a little bit on this one, but only because I suck at really keeping up with the music "scene". My Album of the year was from 2 years ago. Dark Passion Play by Nightwish. The thing that made it so awesome? Before I found that album I was certain that I would never hear a new nightwish album after they kicked their singer, and then BAM! ^-^

December 11 - The Best Place

Gonna have to go with the one of the big squishie chairs at the Borders with a good book and something sippable to keep calm.

December 12 - New Food

To be honest the only "new" thing I ate this year was a stromboli from sbarro. Ill try harder next year.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

December 7 - Blog find of the year

This one has actually changed. Just last night as I was working on my PC I found the Studio Ghibli blog! Being a huge fan of Miyazaki this was a great find. In addition it alerted me to the fact that a new Studio Ghibli film is coming out next year. YATTA!

December 8 - Moment of Peace

This one is a bit painful, and to be honest, I am certain it will be the same next year for this topic.

Several years ago I lost to suicide the young man whom had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. Each year on the anniversery of his death I kinda break down, but at the end of the day I feel a moment of peace as I come to terms with my loss. I know that someday I will be able to get through that day and think of only the good times, but for now ill take my moment pain followed by a moment of peace.

December 9 - Challenge

The biggest and most enjoyable challenge was when I became Head Cashier for the Naperville TigerDirect.com computer outlet store. Those three months were awesome.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

December 4 - What Book touched you?

I didn't read anywhere near as many novels this year as I would have liked, but there were a couple of them that really stood out. One of those was the first novel of the Horus Heresy series (Warhammer 40k) Horus Rising. For people who love the 40k franchise for its lore above all else, these books are a starving mans manna from the God Emperor himself. What makes the first novel so potent and in my opinoin so heart wrenching is that it tells the start of a tale that we know ends in horror. We see these men, these brothers, and we know that even as we read the seeds of the worst tragedy since the age of strife are being sown. And not even the Emperor himself can stop it.

December 5 - Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your World? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?

The midnight showing of Nine (not the musical). The movie was good, if not quite as epic as I had made it seem in my mind, but that's not what made it awesome. What made that night awesome was the hour or more after the movie let out that we just spent chatting and having a good time right there in the theatre parking lot. Friends make anything awesome.

December 6 - Was there a conference or workshop that you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?

Earlier in the year I went to a workshop for aspiring writers. It was awesome and it was epic. Sadly I still havenlt written anything worth printing. Still it was fun.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

December 1 - What was your best trip in 2009?

I would have to say that the best trip I had this year would also be my only major trip of the year, and that would be my trip to my Mother's new home in Montana. She now lives in Whitefish, MT which is absolutely gorgeous. It is surrounded by mountains and it has a peaceful feel to it that Chicago is most definitely lacking. That being said, I am glad it was just that, a trip. I can not really see myself living there, as it is just too slow paced.

December 2 - Share the best restaurant experience you had this year.

Hard to say, nothing really stands out about any of my dinners out that really would give any one dinner the title of "Best Restaurant Experience" so I will go with something a smidge more generic. Any time, that I went out to eat at Cracker Barrel with either my Mother, or my two roommates Chris and Tex. I don't get to see my Mother often anymore, which makes those rare opportunities that we get to share a meal very special. I also am something of a recluse, so when I actually do get to go out and eat with my roommates and just socialize it really makes me feel like my life has more value to it then just sitting in front of a monitor all day long.

December 3 - What's an article that you read that blew you away?

I don't remember where this article was, but it was definitely one that really made me think about our way of life and how everyone thinks its there god given right to decide whats right and whats wrong, and that shunning or punishing someone who did something we don't like is perfectly alright.

This girl, in her early teens, decided to send a photo of her breasts to her boyfriend over her phone. Somehow, I don't recall if it was an accident or on purpose, the photo got out and the school authorities and her parents found out about it. The kids from her school and another high school nearby ridiculed her and made fun of her for it. The school punished her for it as well, suspension of some kind I think. Through all of this she had her friends there to support her and help her, but then her parents decided that since this act of "sexting" was so horrible that they felt the need to ground her from her friends and the things she liked to do. With all of this pressing down on her, and no one on her side, save for people she was forbidden from interacting with, is it any wonder that she took her life?

The kicker of it all, was that no one blamed the school for over reacting in punishing a student for something that wasn't really under their authority. No one blamed her parents for both not supporting her in her time of need, and cutting her off from the only support she had. No, the authorities and the media all blamed the "dangerous" act of "sexting" for this horrible tragedy. This is no different from when people blame video games as being the cause of violence in our youth. People need to start taking responsibility for what they have done, or our world is gonna get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better.... If it ever does get better.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

So, I first heard about this December Challenge for Bloggers from James of Loading Ready Run fame, and I really liked the idea of it. Mainly because I could do this again next year, and really get a good feel for what was different and great about one year compared to another. This is something that I don't really think about often, as my brain likes to only recollect the last few months at best.

Anyways, I have been meaning to do this since I heard about it, and as such have been thinking up posts for each of the days so far, and then failing miserably to ever getting around to doing anything about it. This stops here :P

Welcome to Phillip's response to the December Challenge.

This time, I'm not going to bail out!

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind

W00t! The Final Fantasy XIV Beta is now open to the public for sign up, YATTA! To sign up for the BETA, you need to first create an account here at Square Enix and then you need to sign up for the actual BETA here: NA BETA Application

Best of luck to all of you BETA hopefuls, unless it comes down to between you and me, then the gloves are off hehe.

-Phil

Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind