tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53482498023270992312024-03-15T08:30:32.108-05:00J. Michael Shearer's Passing ThoughtsThe random passing thoughts and weird ideas of Jesse Shearer. Content will range from essays to observations to art, and just about anything one can think of to put in a blog.Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.comBlogger1471125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-7510827383056873322024-03-15T08:30:00.001-05:002024-03-15T08:30:00.139-05:00TEXT PLAY: Final Fantasy IX (PlayStation, 2000, Square-Enix): Issue #088: Lore Dump, Part 5<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I just may start doing this more
consistently again, if things keep up like this.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I just hope I don't wind up jinxing
myself somehow here.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At any rate, we're coming up on the end
of the game here. I knew we'd make it eventually. It's simultaneously
longer and sooner than I had expected.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Before we get there, though, we've got
one more bit of lore to get through, and a fight with Lich. On the
way to the fight, I got Vivi's final weapon, the Mace of Zeus, which
teaches him Doomsday. On the one hand, it seems like a good spell,
but it takes 150 AP to learn, like Dagger's Curaga spell, which makes
me wonder if I wasn't supposed to get this earlier.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Just before we get to the fight with
Lich, Garland shows us the birth of Gaia, saying that it was part of
his purpose. He then sends us up a ladder, telling us to just go and
see what was up there.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Turns out, it was the weapon for Vivi
and the fight wit Lich. The actual fight itself was the hardest of
this batch of Elementals, but it was still easier than I had
expected. I think most of the difficulty I had with it was
self-inflicted because I just kept forgetting to use Dagger's Float
spell, so I had to keep reviving characters. The good news is that I
stole the Genji Gloves and Siren's Flute from it, so there is that. I
missed the third item, a Black Robe, but that's been par for the
course for most of the game.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Once Lich is taken out, the party gets
to take a leap of faith into what seems to be open space. It took me
awhile to get through this section because I wasn't sure how much
control I had over the party. Once I did get to the end, there was
one last bit of lore from Garland, explaining that the reason the
party suddenly had access to everyone's memories is because all life
is connected through something called the Crystal, and that just
sticking to one's own memories from within their own lifetime is to
be limited and scared, and that the only way to move on is to accept
that everything is one.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After that story, it's time to jump into
a glowing bit and go through something called the Crystal World,
where everything is all shiny and made of crystal. There's even
crystal versions of the Elementals we just fought. I kind of rushed
through all that because, in another fairly standard thing for me, I
was doing all this way late at night, so I think I missed the
Excalibur for Steiner, assuming I didn't already get it someplace
before.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At any rate, there was a handy save
point that I took advantage of before we get to the real end of the
game. I'll have to intentionally set aside time for that, since I
suspect that's going to take some time, and it's just not going to
happen between like 11 PM and 1 AM like this has. When I finally get
to that, I'll probably find out just how hard all this will really
be, because so far, this part of the game has been a good deal easier
than I was expecting. Once I get into that, I suspect I'll have
several decisions to make regardless of how it all goes.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">But, as always, it's getting late as I
write this, so I'm going to wrap this up with another Twitch link to
the streamer I had on while I was writing. In this case, it was
<a href="https://www.twitch.tv/noxyvr">NoxyVR</a>, who was doing an
art stream at the time. Maybe one of these times I'll actually put on
one of the ones doing a Final Fantasy game, but this is where I am
for now.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Like I said, though, it's time to wrap
up and get to bed. <span style="font-style: normal;">Until next time,
stay safe, have fun, keep gaming, and DFTBA.</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">See you soon.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-37068633658512279452024-03-11T08:30:00.001-05:002024-03-11T08:30:00.136-05:00TEXT PLAY: Final Fantasy IX (PlayStation, 2000, Square-Enix): Issue #087: Lore Dump, Part Four<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm back at this after just shy of a
month this time.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This time around, we get to go after
Kracken. It was easy enough to figure out because there was an
underwater scene in the first half of the lead-in area. When the
party first enters, we see Quina trying to swim in the water we find
ourselves in, and eventually they start to drown a little bit. This
all ends when Zidane explains that they're not actually underwater.
Quina stops floating and can breath normally again after. I
apologize for the unmarked spoiler here, but I can't think of any
way to describe this bit without it. The whole sequence reminds me of
a scene in an anime called <i>Digimon: Tamers</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
where a pair of the heroes wind up in a similar situation and figure
out that the water's only a simulation of the world they're in, so
they'll be alright to breathe and move normally in because their
electronics still worked normally in spite of seeming to get drenched
in the water. How Zidane seemed to just know that, I'm not entirely
sure. Granted, quite a lot of the environments in this part of the
game have been advanced simulations, so I guess that might explain
it.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Before
going forward to the next section, I went back to the previous save
point and swapped Steiner for Quina in the party so I could at least
try to eat some of the monsters in the area. No luck, unfortunately.
There was one called Iron Man, that I think I've mentioned before,
that couldn't be eaten; another called Stilva that I may already have
gotten the Blue Magic from; and Kracken couldn't be eaten because it
was the boss.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">In the
second half of the area, all the playable characters get to put in an
appearance, and several of them note that they seem to know that
Terra was once completely covered in water, in spite of many of them
having been born on Gaia instead. They speculate that maybe there was
a common source for life in this game.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
fight with Kracken wasn't as difficult as I'd feared it might be
because I'd decided to just forge on ahead with Quina still in
Steiner's spot because Quina needed the experience. I managed to
steal a couple things from this boss: I know I got a Wizard Staff
from it, and I think I got another Genji Helm as well. Beyond that,
the fight was relatively easy. Quina's Mighty Guard spell came in
handy, as did getting limit breaks for pretty much everybody. Being
able to spam Vivi's strongest lightning spell really helped, in no
small part because this boss has two minions with it, also weak to
lightning. Caves of Narshe says that Flare's another good spell to
use, but I'm not sure I've got that yet, or if I ever will.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">There
were a couple “Of Course...” moments in this fight, as well. The
first was that of course Quina wound up dead at the end of the fight,
since I needed to get experience for them. I guess it's a good thing
we don't get that from bosses, and I think I have all the abilities I
can get for them.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
second was that Wizard Staff, or “Rod” as the game calls it.
It's a weapon for Dagger that teaches her Curaga, the highest level
curative spell I think the game has. Of course, she gets that </span><i>now</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
right near the end of the game. Makes me think I missed something on
the previous disk, because that would have come in handy before.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
room after the boss fight is a clock room sort of thing with a hidden
save point in it that I just happened to find without really thinking
about it. That's where I decided to stop for the night because I
needed to get myself some dinner and I still had some chores to do
and need to start getting to bed at a somewhat more reasonable time
than I have been lately.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I'm
going to wrap this up with a link to the Twitch channel I had on
while I was writing this: <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/koboldsprigg">KoboldSprigg</a>.
She tends to do various sorts of RPGs, usually ones with team play
involved. It's a nice vibe, if you're into the sort of “cute” the
group seems to have going on. Worth checking out, just to see.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Anwyway,
hopefully, I'll be back sooner than I was this time. I'm still
enjoying this, and I think knowing that I'm getting closer to the end
is really helping with that. Until next time, stay safe, have fun,
keep gaming, and DFTBA.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">See
you soon.</span></p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-30659514937709374232024-03-09T17:00:00.001-06:002024-03-09T17:00:00.142-06:00MiSTing: GOOD NEWS YOUR URGENT RESPONSE IS NEEDED<p> Here's a quick "bandwidth waster" Mystery Science Theater thing I did recently, based on a piece of junk email I got towards the end of last year. Like I have my character say right at the start, there's not much to this, but it is good for filler, if nothing else.</p><p>And before we get to the actual thing,<a href="https://youtu.be/CePxtB_DGWI?si=hBmodKDP3ivL1o9F"> here's a link</a> to a YouTube video with all the Brad quotes from Grand Theft Auto 3, for a bit of context.</p><p>++++++++ ===== +++++ ========= ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Title: GOOD NEWS YOUR URGENT RESPONSE
IS NEEDED</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Category: SPAM</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Era: Nonstandard</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MiSTing Author: Jesse Shearer (email:
<a href="mailto:jmichaelshearer21@gmail.com">jmichaelshearer21@gmail.com</a>
)</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">[SCENE: Webcam view of Jesse's home
office. JESSE is dressed as the Brad NPC from Grand Theft Auto 3
(blue checker pattern shirt, sunglasses)]</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: [Brad, GTA3] My name is Jesse,
but I guess you knew that. [normal] Well, maybe not. It's been awhile
since I've done one of these. This is a shortie that showed up in my
junk mail awhile back. Not much to it, but I thought it was funny, so
I thought I'd have a go at it.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">[scene shifts to standard MST3k view,
with Jesse's silouhet in lower right corner]</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">>From: Douglas Frank</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: Hi, Doug!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">>
<officeoffic44@gmail.com><br />>Sent: Wednesday, November
1, 2023 1:47 AM</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: Only five months old at this
point...</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />>Subject: GOOD NEWS YOUR
URGENT RESPONSE IS NEEDED</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: That's good news?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div dir="LTR" id="divRplyFwdMsg">
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">> </p>
</div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">>Dear,</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: Is it?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />><br />>FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE
CONSIDERATION:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: Well, if five months is
immediate...</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />><br />>I am counsel to the
late Brad who died on the 20th of February 2018</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: What, not the on-time Brad,
who's still alive now?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">>with his immediate family in a car
accident. Before his death he had a deposit of over US$60,000, 000,
00 million
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: [Slimer, Real Ghostbusters]
That's a lot!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">>in a bank which by law would revert
to an established next of kin in the event of his death.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: Makes sense.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />>I seek your consent to present
you as the next of kin of the deceased seeing as you both bear the
same >surname.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: Which is what, exactly?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">>This gives you right to claim
the proceeds of this account and then we can both share it on agreed
>terms. Reply if you wish to continue and also kindly send your
number so we can discuss privately for >further deliberation.<br /><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: I'll pass, thanks.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />>SEND YOUR REPLY TO (
df1234k6@gmail.com )<br />>Respectfully,<br />>Douglas Frank</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: I can think of a few
disrespectful things to send Mr. Frank at that address, but I'll
leave that to others.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">[scene shifts back to webcam view]</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JESSE: Like I said, not much to it. I
just needed a quick space filler that wasn't me overthinking
something. See you soon.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">[outro: Harvey the Wonder Hamster by
Weird Al Yankovic]</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">CREDITS</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">GTA 3: Rockstar Games</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Real Ghostbusters: Columbia Pictures,
DIC</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Harvey the Wonder Hamster: Weird Al
Yankovic</p><br /><p></p><p>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p>So yeah, that's that for that, really. If anybody's interested in seeing what GTA3 is like and about, <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV3ehmasPr5-14W5QJjURBSoL__zZ1oT-&si=4ZT1wUtUJB_PfdTF">here's a link</a> to a Let's Play by a dude called Seraph, who went by AppleGodZMG at the time.</p><p>See you soon, folks.</p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-21025200506892918522024-03-08T08:30:00.001-06:002024-03-08T08:30:00.143-06:00Getting Ahead Of Myself<p>I keep thinking I've got plans for what
I want to do when I'm done with some of my current projects.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I think I'm getting ahead of myself on
that because I'm having a little trouble actually finishing the
current projects. The last thing I need right now is more projects to
not work on.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What I really need to do is set aside
some time to work on some of the ones I've got going on so I can say
I'm still at least making some progress on them. I'm going to try to
make that happen here in the next couple days.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm not really going to commit to much
more than that because I've had trouble with making those things
happen when I do. Part of it is that I've been having health issues
for quite awhile now. For the moment, they do seem to be clearing up,
but I don't want to jinx myself by being too positive.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At any rate, I've got plans for the
near future. The first things first bit is to get on with the things
I need to finish before I start the new stuff. With any luck, I'll be
on that soon, but for now, I'd best get on with getting on with this
stuff. See you soon.</p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-13121882876533802942024-02-29T08:30:00.001-06:002024-02-29T08:30:00.145-06:00Another Leap Day<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Every four years.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I haven't been writing as much as I'd
like lately, but I just haven't felt up to it. I know I've been
saying that a lot lately. The unfortunate thing is that it keeps
being true. One of the biggest things holding me back right now is
that there's been a lot of <a href="https://youtu.be/Wlf-ScyqcGM?si=RMkAdUqkOOoCa9lr">this</a>
going on in my head lately.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The good news is that I did manage to
dig up a hand-written draft of something I'd intended to have done by
the end of the year but didn't get to before it fell behind my desk.
I'll try to get to that soon.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">For now, though, it's time for me to
finish up writing and get to bed.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">See you soon.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-32111682180910176052024-02-22T08:30:00.001-06:002024-02-22T08:30:00.125-06:00Going For One A Week<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'd like to do more than that going
forward, but this month, it looks like one post a week is all I'm
going to manage.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'd like to say it isn't for lack of
ideas, but this last month or so, it kind of has been. I've got the
projects I've been working on for ages now, of course. Not having the
ambition to work on them the way I'd like to be would be bad enough
if I'd at least had other ideas in mind, but I haven't had that
either.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This month in particular has been kind
of a rough one for me. There are a few reasons, most of which I won't
get into here. The big one is that my dad's birthday was this month,
and it got to me this year moreso than it did last year because I was
still trying to process having lost him last year, and I've got the
idea clearer in my head this year.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's been other stuff going on as
well, but like I said before, this really isn't the time or place for
it. For now, all the more I'll say about it is that it's really piled
up on me and is another part of why things just haven't been as much
fun for me lately, as I was saying in the first post I made this
month. The stress and, quite frankly, bit of guilt I've had over a
lot of this stuff has caused me to cut way back on the good things
I've been trying to keep up on and fall back on some of the worst
habits that have gotten me into the mess I've been in for pretty much
the whole of my adult life, at least.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The good news is that we're just about
done with winter here, which means the weather will be improving to
something I'm a little more fond of before too terribly long.
Hopefully, that'll do something to improve my mood and ambition to do
more of this kind of thing going forward. It's too soon to say if it
will or not, but that's the hope, anyway.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I might try to do a video version of
this thing at some point. It might not be until early March at this
point, but it's an idea, anyway. There's at least one JM Tries thing
I want to do before then, and hopefully, I'll get to that before the
end of the month. We'll see, of course.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So anyway, that's kind of where I am
right now. See you soon.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-46842349764595208892024-02-15T08:30:00.001-06:002024-02-15T08:30:00.136-06:00TEXT PLAY: Final Fantasy IX (PlayStation, 2000, Square-Enix): Issue #086: Lore Dump, Part Three<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After another month and a half, I'm
back at this again.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I started this session by getting back
to where I was at the end of the last one, and in the process, I
think I figured something out along the way. I'll get to that in a
minute, though.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At the top of the steps leading up to
that portal thing I mentioned at the end of the last issue, there's a
fight with Tiamat that I either didn't realize was there or had
forgotten about after reading about it on <a href="https://www.cavesofnarshe.com/">Caves
of Narshe</a> <a href="https://www.cavesofnarshe.com/ff9/walkthrough.php?chapter=4-2">(current
chapter)</a> at the time. The good news is that I had my party set up
well enough to get through it alright. The bad news is that in the
course of the thing, Tiamat did this attack that put the “burn”
status on the whole party at once and I lost three of my four
characters, because it causes them to burn to death if they move
before it wears off. At least Vivi the Black Mage lived, which let me
bring Eiko back to use her Life spell on the others. I also got the
Feather Boots and Blood Sword off it, but missed the Grand Helm.
Towards the end of the fight, Tiamat also used an attack called Snort
to blow Eiko out of the fight, but fortunately, it was late enough in
the battle that I got through it OK.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On the way to the next save point,
there's another scene where Zidane looks around like he sees
something up ahead, just like in a previous section. What he was
seeing was the next bit where Garland explains a bit of the lore to
the party, and therefore, the player. In this case, Garland explains
that when he started all this, life on Terra was coming to an end,
and the only thing the people living there could think to do was
merge with another planet, in this case Gaia. The process went bad
because Gaia was already inhabited and Terra was too far gone to do
any merging anyway, but by the time the folks on Terra figured all
that out, it was too late to keep things from going pear shaped on
them. That going pear shaped wiped out the civilizations on Terra, so
Garland made the Ilfa Tree to bring souls from Gaia to Terra to
repopulate the latter with, if I understand correctly.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The scene where this takes place looks
like an abstract space kind of thing, possibly influenced by MC Escher
or one of those fantasy posters I remember seeing all over the place
in the late 90s and early 2000s. I'm not really sure which came
first, but that may be because this was going on 25 years ago now,
and I'm anything but young nowadays, so my memory isn't what it used
to be.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When I came to the save point, I
decided to give this a rest because it was all coming at the end of
what had been a relatively busy day for me, all things considered.
The good news is that I did get most of what I wanted to do done. But
even this was a bit much for where I am right now, so this seems like
a good place as any to stop.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If I understand correctly, there's an
optional boss fight coming up, but my plan for now is to skip it,
since I'm only barely prepared for what the game has going on in the
main plot anyway.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And that's going to be a cause for
concern going forward. I know I'm only just prepared for what's going
on here, and the last two mandatory boss fights have been easier than
expected. This makes me worried that I might not be able to handle
the final boss when I get there eventually. And I do intend to get
there eventually. I've put too much time into this to give up so
easily now. Not without seeing how well I actually do, considering
how I've played.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">But that's for the future, and
hopefully not too far in the future. We're on our way there, for
better or worse.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Until next time, <span style="font-style: normal;">stay
safe, have fun, keep gaming, and DFTBA.</span></p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-79647097995208972582024-02-14T04:00:00.001-06:002024-02-14T04:00:00.129-06:00Sick Again<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On top of having been busier than I
really wanted to be the last couple weeks..</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Whatever it is I've got has probably
been coming on for awhile, but didn't really get bad until the last
couple days.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Alongside the coming down with
something again, I've been rather busy at my day job, trying to get
some new equipment in to try to figure out on top of everything else.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With all that going on, I haven't been
sleeping so well. That's actually been true since I had the last bout
of whatever it was I had in November and December and may have again.
It's just that I'm really feeling it now.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As I write this, I probably should have
been in bed awhile ago. I really need to get some decent sleep. The
good news is that I've arranged my day so I can at least try to do
that, since I usually have Wednesdays off from my day job.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Before I do that, though I want to get
a quick note up here saying that I'm still around and still making
something like an effort to get somewhere with all the little
projects I've got going on in my spare time. I just haven't felt
terribly up to working on them lately. I'm hoping that having a
little time to rest, and maybe even work on them a little bit will
help with that.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The plan for now is to get this posted
and shared straight away and then get some of the sleep I need, and
then maybe get on with some of the other stuff I want to get done
here. Right now, that involves a video version of something like this
where I talk about it a little more as best I can, and then, maybe
another chapter of the Final Fantasy 9 Text Play I've been doing for
way longer than I had anticipated.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So to wrap this up, here's a link to
the playlist for a Let's Play of a game called <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV3ehmasPr5_vD9Vin8d9t_M56DXnm1us&si=AjKbejATeHp1rHLr">Dragon
Quest Builders</a> that a guy called AppleGodZMG, who goes by Serpah
on YouTube now, did five, six years ago now. I'm sharing it because
I've liked the dude's voice for as long as I've been watching his
stuff, and it's been a big help lately.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">But anyway, I'm going to wrap this up
now and try to get some sleep. See you soon, folks.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-43869046162839430172024-02-03T08:30:00.001-06:002024-02-03T08:30:00.143-06:00Not So Fun Anymore<p>This isn't as much fun as it used to
be.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Back when I started doin this whole
blogging thing it was as much because I enjoyed writing as anything.
It was something I'd enjoyed doing for a long time. Still do, really.
Wouldn't have stuck with it for nearly as long as I have if that
wasn't the case.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Lately, though, I haven't gotten as
much out of it as I used to; as much as I'd like to. I'm not sure why
that is, which makes it hard to keep at it and come up with ideas to
work with. I'm sure I've said several times before, both here and on
my YouTube channel, that I don't really like repeating things in
quick succession because I get bored with it, and I'm pretty sure that
comes through in what I'm putting out, making the people who read
and/or watch these things bored, too, and I'd rather not have that.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's kind of how it's been with the
video game stuff, too. For a while now, I've found myself getting
bored with it lately, which is unfortunate, because I've still got
Final Fantasy 9 to finish, and I don't want to leave it undone after
all the time I've put into it. I'm sure there are still a few folks
out there who've put as much time into reading that as well, and I'd
like to give them their ending.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The good news on that front is that the
slow pace the last few years has come as much from my not having
quite as much time to put into it as I'd like as anything. I still
have a good amount of fun doing it. I've just been having a hard time
setting aside enough time for it lately, especially if I'm going to
write about the experience, too</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm still looking for ways to make all
this fun for myself, and hopefully for everybody who reads these
things, too. I know I've been having trouble doing that for myself
lately, which makes me think I've been failing to do it for my
audience as well.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It might be interesting to hear what
kind of content whatever audience I've got would be interested in
seeing. If it's something I think I can do, I'll certainly have a go
at it if and when I can.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's kind of where I am now. See you
soon, I hope.</p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-58619531989658634852024-01-28T08:30:00.001-06:002024-01-28T08:30:00.315-06:00Most Recent DeviantART Uploads<p>Yeah, I still do that every so often.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Not sure why, exactly. Just a way of keeping myself busy, I suppose.</p><p>So anyway, here's my two most recent uploads from dA:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivN6-MWeldc5w5pS12PlET2lOEuZRWNzzwC-yfg6HqaVJUvkXhr_uY1HnTjrKSaN-5-34RAppjklGbg9LKuH0IFY7VHDx0lOxPjtY0oy35L76jQ8kwmyybRXdasr_36PsSfD46vecZ6He2GmFBiOxzzF04OGL5bHTY9AMggKPLzvL54bCt85giWqrmRB93/s1280/jansunnydayaopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1280" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivN6-MWeldc5w5pS12PlET2lOEuZRWNzzwC-yfg6HqaVJUvkXhr_uY1HnTjrKSaN-5-34RAppjklGbg9LKuH0IFY7VHDx0lOxPjtY0oy35L76jQ8kwmyybRXdasr_36PsSfD46vecZ6He2GmFBiOxzzF04OGL5bHTY9AMggKPLzvL54bCt85giWqrmRB93/s320/jansunnydayaopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sLESHIiNtW7O34SZrkDSLX6aWiUq_wSrKpDmFGi_-H8Tz6jPDxWCq6US4yOUAQWBXMv-UZ3R482pUXHvyEHd8i4L5ik92iOBFbTNwOUIrESwKUTEcQ3I5vRhGo9ALj6DbVjIu2dcSTs-eG-TzgwQr_wfvepxGxDSH4DOFc0qinSoS8gUEZq898ugf3js/s1280/jansunnydaybopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1280" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sLESHIiNtW7O34SZrkDSLX6aWiUq_wSrKpDmFGi_-H8Tz6jPDxWCq6US4yOUAQWBXMv-UZ3R482pUXHvyEHd8i4L5ik92iOBFbTNwOUIrESwKUTEcQ3I5vRhGo9ALj6DbVjIu2dcSTs-eG-TzgwQr_wfvepxGxDSH4DOFc0qinSoS8gUEZq898ugf3js/s320/jansunnydaybopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I figure I should still share them here every so often, too.</p><p>Until next time.</p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-60423053164018370092024-01-27T08:30:00.001-06:002024-01-27T08:30:00.255-06:00End Of Notebook<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Or yellow pad, in this case.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's taken me awhile to get through
this one because I hardly ever do hand-written drafts any more. I
think that may be part of why I've been a bit lax in my writing
lately. Putting pen to paper as part of the process for these things
somehow, and I haven't been doing that so much lately.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The good news is that I've still got a
few more of thesee to work with, so maybe I'll be doing it more going
forward. It might help with this random stuff, anyway.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">My excuse for not doing video game
stuff lately is that I needed a new controller for my Switch, but
that only affected that one system and not the PlayStation 2 I'm
using for what I'm actually putting up here. And even that's not so
much an excuse any more, either, because the replacement I ordered
came in a couple weeks ago as of this writing.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Maybe getting more things like this up
will help with that as well. Wish me luck.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">End of entry.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Meow.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-75476517814368489662024-01-26T08:30:00.001-06:002024-01-26T08:30:00.280-06:00But Where To Begin...?<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's the question, as always.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The abundance of ideas I've claimed to
have in the past hasn't been such a problem since I had whatever it
was I had back in November and December. Just not to the extent I
used to, and I'm not sure that's good or bad.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The problem of late has been working up
the ambition to actually do something with any of them. I'm sure I've
actually got the time to do it. I just haven't felt up to it after
work a lot of days. I'm not entirely sure of why that is, which makes
solving the problem just that much more difficult to solve. The only
thing I can think to do about it is to try making more little posts
like this one and see where things go from there.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So that's kind of where I am right now.
We'll see how things go from here. See you soon, folks.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-85420808025197149372024-01-18T08:30:00.002-06:002024-01-18T08:30:00.243-06:00Still Recovering, I Guess<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I guess I'm still recovering from
whatever it was I had the last half of November and most, if not all,
of December.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There may be other things going on
here, too, but it's hard to get it all figured out with as much as
has been going on lately.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">One of the biggest things has been the
just awful weather we've been having in my area lately, and from the
sounds of things, are likely to keep having for awhile yet. We've
gone the better part of a week with temperatures and wind chills well
below zero. Even the over-day highs were sub zero, and the wind chill
could cause frostbite or even kill in minutes. Worse yet is that
we've got a little more snow and possibly some rain coming up in the
next week or so, and I'm not looking forward to that.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As a result of the weather stuff, I've
still got some of that whatever crud I mentioned at the top of the
post going on. It's not nearly as bad as it was when it was in full
swing, but it's still something. The worst part of it now is that I'm
not sleeping so well right now. I've got a doctor appointment in a
couple weeks, so maybe that'll get somewhere.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's mostly why I haven't done any
writing or much gaming the last couple weeks. I haven't been able to
get my mind around what I've wanted to do even when I haven't felt to
physically wiped out to do it.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On the plus side, I did get two <a href="https://youtu.be/UbG6fx3UtFY?si=53G1v_bIy6-mNfCl">JM
Tries</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/B-I_CM1TNuw?si=beJBl3TbvU1M7Unb">videos</a>
done in that time, anyway, so it wasn't a complete loss. I'm hoping I
can keep that going, anyway, and maybe get more done going forward.
I'd actually mention what I think I'm going to do, but they never
seem to get done when I do, so I think I'll skip it this time.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With that, I'll just wrap this up here,
since I need to get to bed. See you soon.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-2687573659040288512024-01-04T08:30:00.001-06:002024-01-04T08:30:00.139-06:00Start Of 2024<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's not the best title ever, but it
will serve its intended purpose.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So here we are, at the beginning of
2024. It seems more than a little weird that we're already so close
to a quarter of the way through the 21<sup>st</sup> century. When I
stop to think about it, it seems even weirder that I'm more than
likely going to be here to see it. To be honest, I'm not sure why I
think I wouldn't be. There's no reason I should think otherwise. It
just seems weird, is all.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With that out of the way, it's time to
get on with the point of this post. First, a look back at the end of
last year. As I'm sure you've noticed, I made quite a lot of
references to being unwell the last month and a half or so of the
year. I'm still not quite over it, but the good news is that I'm
mostly over it now. Or at least enough over it to start getting back
at this more regularly than I have been lately.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Since I am finally able to do that
again, what do I have in mind for the year ahead? Well, the big one
is to finally finish the Text Play of Final Fantasy 9, since I've had
that going on for most of the life of the blog. I'm fairly close to
that, as I understand. I've been hoping to actually get it done for
quite some time now, and this may be the year.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As for what I'll play after that, I'm
not entirely sure. I'll figure that out as I go, the way I've been
doing it this whole time. All I can say for sure is that I'll have to
see what I've got for functioning equipment. I've got several options
I've been meaning to get to, and which ones I actually do depends on
what actually works.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">While I don't know exactly what I'll be
playing for the blog, I do know there are a few games I'll be doing
just for fun, on my own. Spiritfarer, Super Mario RPG and Octopath
Traveler are all on that list because my sister-in-law got me all
three of those for Christmas over the years, and I really ought to
play them, or in the case of Spiritfarer, play it a little more, just
so I can say that I have. There are also a few others, as well.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I also have some ideas not related to
video games as well. The one I had in my initial writing session for
this post was to finish off going through my dad's old fishing tackle
boxes to see what I want to keep and what can be donated to various
outdoor-related charities.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I've still got a fairly substantial
backlog of JM Tries videos to make as well. That's been the case for
awhile, and being sick for a month and a half didn't help that any. I
have a couple thumbnails set up, and I'm pretty sure of which one
I'll do first.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I also have a Coffee Time video I want
to do to start the year off as well. That might still be a ways off
because of other things I've got going on right now. I'll try to have
it up soon, though.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's also art in the pipeline, too.
It's the same as what you've seen from me in the past, so it's kind
of a low priority item as far as all this stuff goes.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Beyond that, we'll see. When I started
this blog at the end of 2010, the point was that it would be mostly
for whatever ideas I had that I thought might be interesting to write
about. Unfortunately, I haven't had many of those in a long while,
which is kind of concerning. Hopefully, that will change this year.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'll probably reassess at some point as
the year goes on, because it's usually a good idea to do that. At
least that's what I've heard.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Anyway, have a good year, everybody.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-11673161890253836062024-01-03T08:00:00.001-06:002024-01-03T08:00:00.142-06:00Text Play: EarthBound Beginnings [Mother (Famicom, 1989)/Switch (2022?)] : Issue #006: End-Of-Run Wrap Up<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This is a great game, from what I've
played of it so far. I'm just not going to be able to finish it
properly here.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'd really like to at some point, of
course, and maybe I'll come back and do one of these for it, should I
finally get myself and my time management wrangled in such a way that
I can do it correctly. For now, though, that's just not going to
happen, I'm afraid</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What I've managed to play of this game
really reminds me of other late 80s and early 90s 8-bit games I
played back then. I'm sure it's a great game if I can give it the
attention it deserves. Sadly, I can't right now, especially if I'm
going to try doing these little reports about it as well.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As I've noted in my last couple posts,
I'll probably still play it just for the sake of playing it. If I was
doing a better job of holding the plot than I am, I'd keep at these
little journals for it, but I think I should probably finish it
without first so I at leas have some idea of what's going on and what
I'm doing.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's why I'm having better luck with
FF9. It's like pretty much every other Final Fantasy game I've
played, so I have some idea of what I'm doing and where I need to go.
Plus, this was hardly my first time through the game, either.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Going forward, I think if I'm going to
keep doing these things, I need to take a page from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HCBailly">HCBailly</a>'s
playbook and do at least one test run of the games I want to do here
if I'm going to do ones I haven't played a million times before.
Which would be just about any RPG outside the Final Fantasy series.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Anyway, Earthbound Beginnings looks
like a good game, but I'm going to have to finish it on my own before
trying to do one of these about it. There's a couple other games I'd
like to do here as well that I should probably get on with even if I
never get to covering them here.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I know that's not much to say about the
game, but given how little of it I've actually played so far, there's
really not much more I can say about it. Since I'm not going to be
able to finish it properly at the moment, I'm going to just wrap it
up for now.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">From here, my plan is to do a general
non-gaming “first post of the year” thing so I can talk about
what some of my plans for the year are. That might take a bit,
though, since I need to collect my thoughts on the matter first.
There might be some Final Fantasy 9 beforehand, as well.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Regardless of whatever's next, I'll see
you all soon. Until next time, <span style="font-style: normal;">stay
safe, have fun, keep gaming, and DFTBA.</span></p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-44769711898894024782023-12-30T08:30:00.001-06:002023-12-30T08:30:00.136-06:00TEXT PLAY: Final Fantasy IX (PlayStation, 2000, Square-Enix): Issue #085: Lore Dump, Part Two<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This is long overdue, but that's mostly
because of health issues.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'd intended to get to this in late
November or early December, but a couple days after I made <a href="https://jmshearersthoughts.blogspot.com/2023/11/final-fantasy-tonight-november-13-2023.html">the
post saying as much</a>, I came down with a rather severe respiratory
illness that pretty much put a stop to that idea because I wasn't
well enough to give either of the games I'm doing this for. I'm
really hoping it was just an extremely severe cold, but given the
mess we've had going on the last few years and the kind of luck I'm
prone to, I wouldn't be surprised if it was something worse.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Anyway, as to the game. I did a little
backtracking and got what I think is Zidane's last weapon upgrade.
It's the last one I'm likely to get, anyway, unless I happen across a
synth shop I can use or another one going forward. It was on a
balcony sort of thing on the path that comes into where the save
point I've been using is.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Going forward though the door to the
right, there's a curving staircase that leads through a room full of
floating stuff. Past that, there's a room with a big, raging storm in
it. There's a point where Zidane can look up at something, but I'm
not sure if it's a thing we need or can get. I'll try to find out
before I have another pass through the area.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As the party passes over a bridge,
Zidane sees a pair of cloaked figures getting ready to sail away in
the storm. He tries to tell them not to go, but they don't react.
Dagger tells him that this was actually her memory of her birth
mother taking her out of Madain Sari, which is something we saw part
of at the beginning of the game. Zidane asks Garland why he saw that
if it was Dagger's memory, and Garland says he'll understand soon
enough.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Further ahead still, Garland says he
was trying to pull the same sort of crap as the supposed King of
Baron at the start of Final Fantasy 4 because he was just that scared
of the eidolons on Gaia, or whichever one it was he was trying to
destroy. He also says something about a jewel that was split into
four parts and hidden away with hopes of them never being seen again.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Since that last bit took place in a
room with a staircase that leads up to a gateway or portal sort of
thing that looks like that giant red Eye of Sauron thing that's been
showing up throughout the game, I turned around and went back to that
same save point I started from. I made the decision based on the idea
that I need to get on a better sleep cycle than I have been for far
too long now. That's probably why my health has been in the toilet
for awhile, and why all this stuff has been less fun than I'd like.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With that in mind, I think my plan
going forward will be kind of what I said in my <a href="https://jmshearersthoughts.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-less-than-stellar-ending.html">end-of-year
post</a> the other day, in that I'll try to finish this game and do
Earthbound Beginnings just for funsies if I continue with it. I'll
try to have a wrap-up post for that up soon, but as I was saying,
that's not likely to happen until after the first of the year at this
point.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Until then, <span style="font-style: normal;">stay
safe, have fun, keep gaming, and DFTBA.</span></p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-85992509664133860402023-12-28T08:30:00.001-06:002023-12-28T08:30:00.138-06:00A Less-Than-Stellar Ending<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Just a couple last notes on 2023.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This is more likely to be my last post
of the year than the one I was making last week at this time. As
always, I'd hoped to get more done than I have, but it just wasn't to
be.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">From the looks of things, the year is
ending kind of the same way it began: with winter shenanigans from
good old Mother Nature. Around the first of the year, we had multiple
storms that dropped ten-plus inches of snow on us at a time. I wasn't
exactly fond of that because I'm not really a fan of snow in general.
That wasn't helped by the fact that I missed a couple days of work as
a result.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now that we're at the other end of the
year, there's not nearly so much snow, which is OK with me. Thing is,
we got sleet and freezing rain for the holidays instead, which is
actually kind of worse. Things have been covered in ice, which is
worse than snow in some ways. The good news is that we got what seems
to have been the worst of it on Christmas Day, and I had that off
because my job was closed that day. The good news is that I didn't
see a huge number of news stories about car crashes and the like. The
only one that stands out is one about how a couple semi-trucks rolled
over on the Interstate.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The bad news is that when I went to put
the garbage out at my apartment, I took the ice wrong and wound up on
my ass as a result. Kinda did a number on my leg and back in the
process. If there's a plus side to that, it was my right leg this
time instead of my left, which is the one I usually land on.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Between weather worries and health
woes, it's been difficult to concentrate on the various writing and
gaming projects I've got going on. That's part of why the most recent
part of the fishing tacklebox thing I've been doing took as long to
get to as it did. It's also why I haven't touched <i>Earthbound:
Beginnings</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> or </span><i>Final
Fantasy IX </i><span style="font-style: normal;"> since the middle of
November. I'm still intending to finish FF9, at least. I may have to
restart Earthbound since I've kinda lost the plot there somewhere.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">One
thing I think might help me get back to some of that is to just play
some of the games I've got just for funsies, kind of like what I was
doing with Spiritfarer back in 2022, before I got stuck on it. Might
give that another go, or Super Mario RPG, since my sister-in-law gave
me that one for Christmas this year. I've got a ton of choices on
that front. I just need to pick one.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
good news is that in spite of how things are going right now, I'm
actually doing well enough to maybe finally get back to some of the
downtime thigs I do when I'm not at my day job. At this point, the
things that show up online might not show up until after the first of
the year, but I'm feeling confident enough to say they're coming, and
maybe even at a decent pace again.</span></p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-16697558052854453042023-12-22T09:00:00.043-06:002023-12-22T09:00:00.136-06:00Picture Post: Old Tackle Boxes, Part 4: A Few More Odds And Ends<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This one's been badly delayed for a few
reasons, but it's time to get going on this.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I've had these pictures ready to go
since early September 2023, but between my usual poor way of
organizing things and having quite a lot come up since then, I'm only
just now getting around to doing anything with them. Since it has
been so long, I'm sure I'm missing more than a few things here, so
I'll do the best I can.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There were a couple boxes I was working
with this time around, one big, one small:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucAdrCQGU8SQMoGAERwT3rP3aq5Huu7dGySiA_wEiE1nBaogbeTmO3AKwcRmxhLR49DgItxAuaG-yIau98G9viWkSnvAy7b9HDLGid1Cjuwzmdd-QF5n8wRLQnjLc-yI6UC-7Vq70puUX4nLVr4J-LFosn_XaM7M-sJ-oDuaFbExWuwwyL9I5CIvjEUKS/s2016/metalhandleboxopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucAdrCQGU8SQMoGAERwT3rP3aq5Huu7dGySiA_wEiE1nBaogbeTmO3AKwcRmxhLR49DgItxAuaG-yIau98G9viWkSnvAy7b9HDLGid1Cjuwzmdd-QF5n8wRLQnjLc-yI6UC-7Vq70puUX4nLVr4J-LFosn_XaM7M-sJ-oDuaFbExWuwwyL9I5CIvjEUKS/s320/metalhandleboxopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP4Dj5vpQoUn-CVPpqxRP1QFHZvECs1_UiyfrY4oq3tPiHyg2u2ShzTwYSGukL8kITK8Nxb3xM7fIpnQ8BWdOVR5eqLmVJKSghsNtuckmKI_qip9SOaae1bJb6-qKud0I5M3L7w_PjPp1SeGDYqWt7RiHJSE5sen4QNlGkwg_DUGudr0vEqu8tL_wk1XR/s2016/greenboxclosedopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP4Dj5vpQoUn-CVPpqxRP1QFHZvECs1_UiyfrY4oq3tPiHyg2u2ShzTwYSGukL8kITK8Nxb3xM7fIpnQ8BWdOVR5eqLmVJKSghsNtuckmKI_qip9SOaae1bJb6-qKud0I5M3L7w_PjPp1SeGDYqWt7RiHJSE5sen4QNlGkwg_DUGudr0vEqu8tL_wk1XR/s320/greenboxclosedopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's been awhile since I took the
pictures, so I'm going to venture a guess and say that about half
these things came from each of the boxes. However, the only one I got
a picture of while open was the green one, so here's that:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9baNd9y5mW1QAwPJjtZft8MPP6WmlEeoA8jLOgRe8zwHmBTlDboe2zd2TbSYzpMH-fyzw6NkO0Z0gITVEMlcwBiGPyAD5L2eIKPXGqy_lfYfzhmQ_JYH9xQEFf-_H7uWESTCzWDKtkCRR1ul9uorN5cqCPK44CNMqOiuzPu_4wYCpD4P11uj5HGz38X6Y/s2016/greenboxopenopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9baNd9y5mW1QAwPJjtZft8MPP6WmlEeoA8jLOgRe8zwHmBTlDboe2zd2TbSYzpMH-fyzw6NkO0Z0gITVEMlcwBiGPyAD5L2eIKPXGqy_lfYfzhmQ_JYH9xQEFf-_H7uWESTCzWDKtkCRR1ul9uorN5cqCPK44CNMqOiuzPu_4wYCpD4P11uj5HGz38X6Y/s320/greenboxopenopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The things I'm most sure came from that
one include these two scales:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSELRn17_uEL3_4S28WRk-ZK3mBeWbAHCnDSmW3u-IrCaFWBmRBbMc2-tvqHjTE-ZykNLXCturztVOOA2NeXJiQqmuGuqtS9zSNf9-rE4W9kpDvkbI2NerM6ctoLP-pU6HKuzQoM9g65IXsquDq4fb95Jg_j0vbqXGkaTjyPB7h6MshgZdw3eV43z16cb/s2016/scalebigopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSELRn17_uEL3_4S28WRk-ZK3mBeWbAHCnDSmW3u-IrCaFWBmRBbMc2-tvqHjTE-ZykNLXCturztVOOA2NeXJiQqmuGuqtS9zSNf9-rE4W9kpDvkbI2NerM6ctoLP-pU6HKuzQoM9g65IXsquDq4fb95Jg_j0vbqXGkaTjyPB7h6MshgZdw3eV43z16cb/s320/scalebigopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jrk4m3ZoBGRdtopM0QwALIMVl1parzsD2l5eSKSm2ItH7B2GFuot4wLSq-gDjzDkBy2yW7esmhVuKKbITXfF45wFpWaVBySQC5e3oT0db1_rwo3kvAwUxBOonuqsM1tuVkLt1S5AQy_yet5gvS5iu8d3S15M__uR3HE9gav19SiGgNGF81sdV7t5iXdk/s2016/scalesmallopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jrk4m3ZoBGRdtopM0QwALIMVl1parzsD2l5eSKSm2ItH7B2GFuot4wLSq-gDjzDkBy2yW7esmhVuKKbITXfF45wFpWaVBySQC5e3oT0db1_rwo3kvAwUxBOonuqsM1tuVkLt1S5AQy_yet5gvS5iu8d3S15M__uR3HE9gav19SiGgNGF81sdV7t5iXdk/s320/scalesmallopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">They're Zebco De-Liars, which are, if
memory serves, good tools for the intended job. When I buy new rods
and reels, Zebco is the brand I tend to go with most often because I
know they're good for the price. At the same time, the bigger one
says it can handle up to 28 pounds, but given the relative size of
the thing, I'm not sure how eager I'd be to test that. I'm sure I've
at least come close to catching fish almost that big over the years,
but given how large fish that weigh that much tend to be, I'm not
sure I'd be able to hold the thing high enough to get an accurate
reading from it.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm also pretty sure this collection of
hooks with leads on them came from that same box:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhta1Ius-dqhrsp-gV3SF2jzW_TNZH9I5n_3vQjJxf71Wism7IgdvokTsGpLunwsOZISlm38vJzBfdBNBndIEIdKIE65k1uvoqXFPO31Ro-GWeEwsM9WcJRzb9YmNHNuVJg50ZDhfpt0gIR0coJJuxFn0Cuo2MKk_vFX3e7xYZ_oiHPTobyxNWT0nXvNLhN/s2016/singlehooksbigopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhta1Ius-dqhrsp-gV3SF2jzW_TNZH9I5n_3vQjJxf71Wism7IgdvokTsGpLunwsOZISlm38vJzBfdBNBndIEIdKIE65k1uvoqXFPO31Ro-GWeEwsM9WcJRzb9YmNHNuVJg50ZDhfpt0gIR0coJJuxFn0Cuo2MKk_vFX3e7xYZ_oiHPTobyxNWT0nXvNLhN/s320/singlehooksbigopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0G9xzC0oOLoIj3Fu_pm2AQ0uzXwp9pCf70pwM6iNnGWwwqmvoHnLvPyxe26iB4DvvO0OxQbpMwMF1AfcNwy_Os4rDqblrvvCyIgn0WzIskxN2UumYr3VT_4fYmo0bOLFt5VBe2frBndzM2K-TffeODo759dTqm2_1yXDHo8BtNZhi0SgJwF8UPfUL6oT/s2016/singlehookssmallopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0G9xzC0oOLoIj3Fu_pm2AQ0uzXwp9pCf70pwM6iNnGWwwqmvoHnLvPyxe26iB4DvvO0OxQbpMwMF1AfcNwy_Os4rDqblrvvCyIgn0WzIskxN2UumYr3VT_4fYmo0bOLFt5VBe2frBndzM2K-TffeODo759dTqm2_1yXDHo8BtNZhi0SgJwF8UPfUL6oT/s320/singlehookssmallopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's two sides of the same thing,
just with different sizes of hooks. The way I grew up fishing, the
bigger ones were most often used with nightcrawlers in the summer,
and maybe smelt in the winter, with the smaller ones more often used
year-round with minnows and smaller bait.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Here's another bag of spinners that I
may have shown off before:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WB1Zfoj4uYx5V5ajBeNwnjxt_ByY-m8UL73GlSxl5sVXg1R4NMZp5NnqLQ3tIw7mX1EZcSnOO7FWhn6-g04rvAMjy64A-rCvxVOYG4xnaV1xfV9tdopdLidYXgYpNm-irf2p1vLcblJP_emOQaIE5SVELkiYGlOJ2NR_nOQElPMTNIuDBg70Nk1VufuT/s2016/looseluresopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WB1Zfoj4uYx5V5ajBeNwnjxt_ByY-m8UL73GlSxl5sVXg1R4NMZp5NnqLQ3tIw7mX1EZcSnOO7FWhn6-g04rvAMjy64A-rCvxVOYG4xnaV1xfV9tdopdLidYXgYpNm-irf2p1vLcblJP_emOQaIE5SVELkiYGlOJ2NR_nOQElPMTNIuDBg70Nk1VufuT/s320/looseluresopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Might go through these at some point,
just to see what's there and what I want to keep. One I'm a little
more sure is going is this long boy:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuys0nNMItuDHvxfSonMYbHi5HaQoKdMViPhGFTPVrNGNuFFpGd-hNyrVsvOwnmtWq7ZSp6MJ5S2kURvFH9vvwNIw5sYW55EX1Idm_JYP-nRk-b8f9qggyj67yeu-ahzoisU7MTxsGRlXP8FrTCY3WSHD4KMhnAWp-Z8Q3Vjo0t8TwjAoUHe96R44tFCy/s2016/longlureopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuys0nNMItuDHvxfSonMYbHi5HaQoKdMViPhGFTPVrNGNuFFpGd-hNyrVsvOwnmtWq7ZSp6MJ5S2kURvFH9vvwNIw5sYW55EX1Idm_JYP-nRk-b8f9qggyj67yeu-ahzoisU7MTxsGRlXP8FrTCY3WSHD4KMhnAWp-Z8Q3Vjo0t8TwjAoUHe96R44tFCy/s320/longlureopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm not sure what I'd catch with that
or if I'd be able to clean it even if I managed it. I never really
got the hang of cleaning anything other than bullheads. More on that
another time, though.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The last two things I'm pretty sure are
from that first box are this bottle opener and set of bells that go
on tips of fishing poles:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CX5zzeuZkQwSshq5mhOGLs8RFQDjWykJFUQrnQEkXKKHb5fAz5DIu8r8U4n3rg2uPk_TNzi1zp3fBmA0b8lz8R1yKEAglxU56vSX87PxlFRtFoA9s8BEgAHDBb6PVUe926TnMmo0DZuh4pozSNq-eGdY5VmAgnWZ78cNQaAiEQopi1iru8i0gOCSw6Mi/s2016/bellopeneropt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CX5zzeuZkQwSshq5mhOGLs8RFQDjWykJFUQrnQEkXKKHb5fAz5DIu8r8U4n3rg2uPk_TNzi1zp3fBmA0b8lz8R1yKEAglxU56vSX87PxlFRtFoA9s8BEgAHDBb6PVUe926TnMmo0DZuh4pozSNq-eGdY5VmAgnWZ78cNQaAiEQopi1iru8i0gOCSw6Mi/s320/bellopeneropt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The bottle opener should be self
explanatory. The bells were, I believe, mostly for night fishing,
since they'd jingle when the pole moved as a result of getting a
bite. That was the idea, anyway, but I'm not sure how well that
actually worked.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The rest of these came from the one I
didn't photograph opened. This first one I'm assuming was meant as a
minnow scoop:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsJZ96ZfGzrQlXe9z2be_gnAbsBrgTutvJ4P1c79VvuXOesMy85lcYahu10DBu2Qwe90eWBT6154IUd1nya4sGB5FsbCp2hIHTT56TpbzhCLWXubOKvHOTBodgBUTex92VJBC6u0_IsY4hmAUyQ36IYDPhmw2fdHT_t5Qs64Keh3ly4rbr7JkfwY95ySY/s2016/minnowscoopopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsJZ96ZfGzrQlXe9z2be_gnAbsBrgTutvJ4P1c79VvuXOesMy85lcYahu10DBu2Qwe90eWBT6154IUd1nya4sGB5FsbCp2hIHTT56TpbzhCLWXubOKvHOTBodgBUTex92VJBC6u0_IsY4hmAUyQ36IYDPhmw2fdHT_t5Qs64Keh3ly4rbr7JkfwY95ySY/s320/minnowscoopopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">From here on, these will be something
of a demonstration of how I got to be such a good one for repurposing
various containers for things. For example, this tin of Sucrets
lozenges:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruNz7xJFnQwKH7GcJ2WghVnJZCaH3ErWjlu_rkWfHM9K5kwobJq1bR6OtLZNBc5hE64iJCX_ZItbiS1vHSSJAVf_5bnEs_qVt7eWpbN9rs-OEe-58yRrT2dXFyiFUL_K6620FLYR0q4viHytW-X6hZ6cH3VLIY-AYhOdl8zNol4NrXi9nKZq6DaVF9d2y/s2016/sucretsclosed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruNz7xJFnQwKH7GcJ2WghVnJZCaH3ErWjlu_rkWfHM9K5kwobJq1bR6OtLZNBc5hE64iJCX_ZItbiS1vHSSJAVf_5bnEs_qVt7eWpbN9rs-OEe-58yRrT2dXFyiFUL_K6620FLYR0q4viHytW-X6hZ6cH3VLIY-AYhOdl8zNol4NrXi9nKZq6DaVF9d2y/s320/sucretsclosed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you've followed me on social media
for long, you're probably familiar with my making Not What It Looks
Like Theater jokes, and this could qualify as just such an instance.
Why? Well...:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrBb1_cr7Caum4pehfNMRA-FdDte64DPcXXApNjxZEfgrAAIsmYXUnNSC3q-RID-L3Bto9X-IJdsBD59jNTWBhVgWttyEBQ_ckNJS9_19K1ju_OK8EHgiOXpq7m299-iHQmdyAYgWJgoVhA959InLE62M0TPzdZg1etklJ-Cz7ZZMl6VKlkgQhpzrh4ip/s2016/sucretsopenopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrBb1_cr7Caum4pehfNMRA-FdDte64DPcXXApNjxZEfgrAAIsmYXUnNSC3q-RID-L3Bto9X-IJdsBD59jNTWBhVgWttyEBQ_ckNJS9_19K1ju_OK8EHgiOXpq7m299-iHQmdyAYgWJgoVhA959InLE62M0TPzdZg1etklJ-Cz7ZZMl6VKlkgQhpzrh4ip/s320/sucretsopenopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm sure these lures would do something
for throat irritations, but I doubt there would be much soothing or
relief from the experience. Seriously, though, it's a good, sturdy
metal container that's held up very well for a long time, which is
why whichever grandfather, I'm guessing, repurposed it as a tackle
container probably did so.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The good news is that this Band-Aid can
says what's really in it:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0A2KNdxQG3PYtH-loHxj1p8qDsCKz6i5xGDkSbTpdgGLRGV9TfIFdWfWi6LDxmAOO6b99UyGHGcXaxlbi1nXIlHfVAVu8kp2cgneruCugBRcR_gMMtadIwVmwkesbOor5oPfAEQjuophRxnDqVJw1NpuviJm8zS9mZ6kKegWA9Ypb5Wc-fUo31RodAPc/s2016/sinkersopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0A2KNdxQG3PYtH-loHxj1p8qDsCKz6i5xGDkSbTpdgGLRGV9TfIFdWfWi6LDxmAOO6b99UyGHGcXaxlbi1nXIlHfVAVu8kp2cgneruCugBRcR_gMMtadIwVmwkesbOor5oPfAEQjuophRxnDqVJw1NpuviJm8zS9mZ6kKegWA9Ypb5Wc-fUo31RodAPc/s320/sinkersopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">My dad used it for lead sinkers, which
was what was still in it when I took the picture. Before that,
though, it looks like my Grandpa Fat had daredevils in it, since it
looks like his handwriting in brown there.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm going to wrap up with this little
canister that used to have something called Doan's Pills in it:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3T1ViZuEHr7HpIlranAZYfONDMuXy78c-URNYV2O6jrBbLG5a_TprDPwJmwzdPOspWASU89SpOAo9g6DSec3IjGh06iCWDBS4-8DPHAFx4ThqYiBvW_qH03WSf80mjy5daH2CNJtlhX8-zXmXpbQ3CLg1TCil5mY9bLoLNw4GvvCMmscomFIvNHIoGmH/s2016/doansfrontopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3T1ViZuEHr7HpIlranAZYfONDMuXy78c-URNYV2O6jrBbLG5a_TprDPwJmwzdPOspWASU89SpOAo9g6DSec3IjGh06iCWDBS4-8DPHAFx4ThqYiBvW_qH03WSf80mjy5daH2CNJtlhX8-zXmXpbQ3CLg1TCil5mY9bLoLNw4GvvCMmscomFIvNHIoGmH/s320/doansfrontopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVcmh8Rwya1-FB9v0MzRWrTv5W4wqDNwJZiQt7PNEeiEdTzlNq1ysO-EblGTWmBRogGamxa1MJjFzSll16lgrFHzrOwvcVV7J_1LbQcqJ0bygsOJ8wPeIpIumqfthU92rpdNWmeUIVEd4G6OnZ1mXNRpFqH-jmKsSZk5uxz5VrmgntlDLnBnO3MecC6xO/s2016/doansbackopt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVcmh8Rwya1-FB9v0MzRWrTv5W4wqDNwJZiQt7PNEeiEdTzlNq1ysO-EblGTWmBRogGamxa1MJjFzSll16lgrFHzrOwvcVV7J_1LbQcqJ0bygsOJ8wPeIpIumqfthU92rpdNWmeUIVEd4G6OnZ1mXNRpFqH-jmKsSZk5uxz5VrmgntlDLnBnO3MecC6xO/s320/doansbackopt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Based on the label, I do believe these
were originally what they might have called “water pills” in some
sense. I know my dad had kidney issues, and am pretty sure at least
one of his parents did, too. From what I've learned from my own
doctoring in recent years, I'm certainly at risk, too. As for what's
actually in the thing now, it's splitshots, which are little weights
that can be crimped around fishing line to add small amounts of
additional weight as needed.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">From here, I'm planning on having more
of these coming soon, but it'll likely be after the first of the year
before it comes along. I still have some sorting and photography to
do, so it's going to be awhile.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Until then, thanks for reading and
coming along on this little adventure with me.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-4909167684685180392023-12-21T08:30:00.001-06:002023-12-21T08:30:00.155-06:00Reflections 2023<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We're not quite at the end of the year,
but we're close.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There are about ten days left of 2023
as I write this. As such, there's a very real chance of this being my
last post here until after New Year's. I'm hoping not, of course, but
the way things have been going, it's most definitely a possibility.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With this in mind, I'm feeling a bit in
the mood to reflect a bit. End of the year and all that, after all.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This has been the first full calendar
year since my dad died. I'm still trying to process that particular
aspect of things, and from what I understand, that may very well be a
true thing for however long I'm still around myself. There are
moments when I wonder what the guy would have thought about things,
but hell, there are still moments when I wonder that about my Grandma
Jean, too, and she's been gone for going on four years now. So that's
still going to be influencing a lot of things going forward.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I replaced the vehicle I'd been driving
for eight years this summer. It's something I'd been meaning to do
for a couple years, really, but it finally happened this year because
it was a thing I was running out of time for. I'm hoping I made a
good choice on that front. It's a Buick model, an SUV sort of thig.
This'll actually be the second one I owned. The previous one was a
good vehicle, for its age, and I hope to have better luck with this
one. What made me think of that was that, through pure coincidence, I
bought it on what would have been my Grandma Jean's birthday.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm still struggling with most of the
same health issues I've had for years. The biggest one is the weight
thing, of course. If there are people who have an easy time with this
sort of thing, good for them; I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't at
least a bit jealous, since I'm not one of them.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm also coming off the worst cold I've
had in years. I think I may have said something like that last year,
too, but I think this one may have been worse yet. I'm really hoping
it wasn't covid this time, on account of my weight issues and a few
other things I've got going on. Things could really go badly for me
if it was. Even though I'm mostly over it, I still have this sense
that something more is still wrong, and I'm not sure what it could
be.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's part of why my content has been
a little lacking the last month or so. I've been in no condition to
do videos because I'd get severe coughing fits from trying to talk
even a little bit, and I've had trouble tasting things as well.
That's meant JM Tries videos were definitely out, and even Coffee
Time was a bad idea. I'm hoping to get back to that soon, but it may
still be awhile, just to be sure I'm recovered enough to do it up to
my usual standard, low as that may be.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When I started this, I was going to say
something about how I'd fallen off my schedule again, but since I
didn't actually make one when I thought I did, it's kind of hard to
do that. Now that I'm mostly better again, maybe I'll actually get on
with making a schedule, or at least back on a more regular pattern
again</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">But yeah, that's pretty much where I am
right now. Hopefully, I'll have something more before the end of the
year. See you soon.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-88874018428376715852023-12-16T17:00:00.001-06:002023-12-16T17:00:00.142-06:00MiSTing Repost: CGYC Upgraded To Buy<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm finally getting back to reposting
some of my old Mystery Science Theater stuff. It's not the Digimon
thing that was my big thing from my fan version of the concept, but
it's something. All I can say is that it's hardly my best entry on
that front, but it does demonstrate why I switched to a fan-character
version of the idea rather than full-on fanfic versions with the
characters from the show as it was in the late 1990s.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This first went live on a site called
Web Site Number Nine, which was an archive for things like this, in
late 2000 or early 2001.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Otherwise, I think I'll just let this
one speak for itself below the jump.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">+ = + = + = ####### +++++ ==========
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">[jump]</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<pre class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;">Title: CGYC Upgraded to Buy</span>
<span style="color: black;">Era: Season 9+</span>
<span style="color: black;">Category: SPAM/Advertising email</span>
<span style="color: black;">Original Author: MileHigh PR</span>
<span style="color: black;">MiSTing Author: Jesse Shearer; email: ambasosor_lardo@hotmail.com</span>
<span style="color: black;">[Season Nine opening titles]</span>
<span style="color: black;">[SOL waiting room; Mike and the Bots discuss investing]</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: You know, guys, I was just thinking that mabey I should put some cash away into savings or something so that you two don't blow it all before we get back to Earth.</span>
<span style="color: black;">SERVO: Sounds like a good idea. How about investing it in the stock market?</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: I wouldn't even know where to begin. Besides, I'd use a broker for that sorta thing, and I don't really want to pay commission.</span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW: Pearl showed me an email about a stock you could invest in all on your own.</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: I don't know. It sounds kinda risky, taking stock advice from Pearl...</span>
<span style="color: black;">SERVO: So's leaving your money to us, Mike.</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: I guess it's worth a shot. [Pushes Pearl's light] Pearl?</span>
<span style="color: black;">[Castle Forrester]</span>
<span style="color: black;">PEARL: I heard your little discussion. I guess I could share one of my little stock secrets with you. Here goes... [Sets down email message, just off screen]</span>
<span style="color: black;">[SOL, lights and buzzers going off]</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: We've got investment sign!!!</span>
<span style="color: black;">[doors: 6...5...4...3...2...1...theater]</span>
<span style="color: black;">>From: "MileHigh PR (CGYC) Upgraded" <Milehighpr@aol.com></span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW: Oh, oh! He's "Upgraded!"</span>
<span style="color: black;">>To: <ambasosor_lardo@hotmail.com></span>
<span style="color: black;">>Subject: CGYC Upgraded to Buy</span>
<span style="color: black;">SERVO: Well! Good for them!</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: It is, actually.</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 13:40:45</span>
<span style="color: black;">></span>
<span style="color: black;">>Mile High PR of Westminster, CO has just found information out about this</span>
<span style="color: black;">>wonderful growing company.</span>
<span style="color: black;">SERVO: What is it?</span>
<span style="color: black;">> This may be one of the greatest opportunities of a</span>
<span style="color: black;">>lifetime to get in early on. Carnegie International Corporation (OTC BB CGYC)</span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW: What does that mean?</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: It's the stock's market symbol, I think.</span>
<span style="color: black;">> is</span>
<span style="color: black;">>a Company to watch. Since its shares resumed trading on the 9th of May (the</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Company had been on a trading halt for just over one year which it claims was</span>
<span style="color: black;">>due to its former auditors Grant Thornton who it has sued in Maryland. We</span>
<span style="color: black;">>expect the Company to settle this with a winfall of at least $50 million dollars</span>
<span style="color: black;">>next year)</span>
<span style="color: black;">SERVO: What if they fail?</span>
<span style="color: black;">> the Company has announced the following very positive news that</span>
<span style="color: black;">>has not been recognized in its stock price yet.</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: Well, if it's only just been announced, of course it hasn't!</span>
<span style="color: black;">> These significant developments</span>
<span style="color: black;">>should create shareholder value and long term recurring revenues.</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: Well, that is sorta the point of investing.</span>
<span style="color: black;">> They report a</span>
<span style="color: black;">>44% increase in first quarter revenues, from 1999 of 3.5 million to 2000 first</span>
<span style="color: black;">>quarter revenue of over 5.1 million. With the addition of two new outside Board</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Members, Steven R. Wood, a 14-year former veteran software architect at</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Microsoft and William M. Reffett, president of Reffett & Associates, LTD, a</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Seattle-based executive search and retail-consulting firm.</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: Wow. A sentence fragment in their advertising message.</span>
<span style="color: black;">SERVO:[sarcastically] I'm sold.</span>
<span style="color: black;">> The completed</span>
<span style="color: black;">>acquisition of Federation of Associated Health Systems of San Antonio, TX,</span>
<span style="color: black;">>should add $1.5 million dollars in additional cash flow over the next 12 months.</span>
<span style="color: black;">>They have been named an authorized distributor of Ameritech in the Midwest,</span>
<span style="color: black;">>which should generate at least $1 million in revenue in the first year of the</span>
<span style="color: black;">>agreement. The Company also announced another agreement with RoomLinX for</span>
<span style="color: black;">>high-speed Wireless Internet access for Hotels and Hospitals where the</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Company provides billing and clearing services to over 150,000 hotel and</span>
<span style="color: black;">>hospital rooms.</span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW: Oh, nice. Stiff `em twice. Once for either hospital service or hotel room and then for `Net access.</span>
<span style="color: black;">> The Company expects $15 million in revenue during the first 2</span>
<span style="color: black;">>years of this agreement. We have also leaned that the Company is now beta</span>
<span style="color: black;">>testing its newest release of its voice activated auto-attendant and voice mail</span>
<span style="color: black;">>product with unified messaging called MAVIS.</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: Hey, one of the characters from MTV's MAVIS AND MUTTHEAD show!</span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW and SERVO:[forced laugh]</span>
<span style="color: black;">> This product is the answer to the</span>
<span style="color: black;">>push-button nightmare of business phone systems.</span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW: Is it, now?</span>
<span style="color: black;">> We believe that Steve</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Wood will have very positive impact on this release with his Microsoft</span>
<span style="color: black;">>background. The product, as the speech market grows should have a great</span>
<span style="color: black;">>impact on the Companies revenue and earnings. We feel this stock is very under</span>
<span style="color: black;">>valued compared to similar companies in the same field. We wouldn't be surprised</span>
<span style="color: black;">>to see this stock at $3.75 by December of 2000. Very rarely do we see such a</span>
<span style="color: black;">>strong value in a fast growing company.</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: Boy, they're really hawking those strong points, aren't they?</span>
<span style="color: black;">SERVO: Yeah.</span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW: I'd say.</span>
<span style="color: black;">> Now you understand why I wanted to</span>
<span style="color: black;">>share this with everybody I could find.</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: Uh, no. I don't. But then, fancy words and big numbers never really have impressed me.</span>
<span style="color: black;">> This pick could make your Christmas a</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Jolly one. Hey if you don't believe anything you just read, wait a few months</span>
<span style="color: black;">>and watch the stock start to grow.</span>
<span style="color: black;">ALL:[Three Stooges "Men In Black" style] We Will!</span>
<span style="color: black;">></span>
<span style="color: black;">></span>
<span style="color: black;">>Slade Laner</span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW: Now *there's* a name I'd trust.</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Research Investor Specialist</span>
<span style="color: black;">SERVO: OK, so how's that different from a "Stock Analyist?"</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Mile High PR</span>
<span style="color: black;">>Westmister, CO</span>
<span style="color: black;">></span>
<span style="color: black;">></span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW: And that's all there is.</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE:[picking up Servo so they can leave] I guess.</span>
<span style="color: black;">[All exit theater]</span>
<span style="color: black;">[doors: 1...2...3...4...5...6...waiting room]</span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW: So, what did you think, Mike?</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: I think I'll just pass on this one. And the whole stock market thing altogether.</span>
<span style="color: black;">SERVO: That's what I'd do.</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: Yeah, I was just thinking a savings account or a certificate of deposit.</span>
<span style="color: black;">CROW: Well, those are good options, too, if you can get the right interest rates, I guess.</span>
<span style="color: black;">[Pearl's light flashes]</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: Pearl's calling. [taps light]</span>
<span style="color: black;">[Castle Forrester]</span>
<span style="color: black;">PEARL:[becoming visibly hurt and then angry as she speaks] So, opting out, are you? Fine. Fine! There goes my commission. I guess I won't be able to afford better experiments for you. And there go Bobo's visits to the animal clinic. But have it your way, Mike. Don't buy in. I'll just have to find more SPAM for you. Have it your way.</span>
<span style="color: black;">[SOL]</span>
<span style="color: black;">MIKE: Sorry, Pearl. It's just that some other form of savings or investment would be better for me, that's all...</span>
<span style="color: black;">[scene fades to a second of black, then the Season 9 end credits.]</span>
<span style="color: black;">Email Credits:</span>
<span style="color: black;">Original author: MileHigh PR</span>
<span style="color: black;">Email copyright: MileHigh PR</span>
<span style="color: black;">MiST Author: Jesse Shearer</span>
<span style="color: black;">Author's email contact: ambasosor_lardo@hotmail.com</span>
<span style="color: black;">Mystery Science Theater 3000 copyright Best Brains Inc. and Sci Fi Channel. No copyright infractions are intended or should be infered as a result of this document. It is intended as entertainment only.</span>
<span style="color: black;">STRINGER:</span>
<span style="color: black;">With the addition of two new outside Board Members, Steven R. Wood, a 14-year former veteran software architect at Microsoft and William M. Reffett, president of Reffett & Associates, LDT, a Seattle-based executive search and retail-consulting firm.</span></pre><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">++++++++ ======= &&&&&&&
########</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So yeah, not my best work on this
front, but still trying to get some content out here. Have a good
rest of your weekend.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-56426297917709415752023-12-12T08:30:00.002-06:002023-12-12T08:30:00.138-06:00A Little Art<p> It's the same meh kinda stuff I always do in that regard.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>May as well share it here, too, though.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYFF4gjuCCcaNDcYInRHFqLeCLR0BFiRxTB4adBgKjiiNzLvrktATazM58wN9hv5rEFUqf_lJw8YtxXuk1JgTot0japJEDFDa6L5N5I5zrz9GCBAx11x7_fBmhHX3H3dpev0RFiokCAlM1JRacnyX6yA3Gs-rKq_GOeJtKEbML179Lp4SRgOH4um9GnWo/s640/IMG_3674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="640" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYFF4gjuCCcaNDcYInRHFqLeCLR0BFiRxTB4adBgKjiiNzLvrktATazM58wN9hv5rEFUqf_lJw8YtxXuk1JgTot0japJEDFDa6L5N5I5zrz9GCBAx11x7_fBmhHX3H3dpev0RFiokCAlM1JRacnyX6yA3Gs-rKq_GOeJtKEbML179Lp4SRgOH4um9GnWo/s320/IMG_3674.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMXWZzAvyhu6h_AQQz1TbDpKY1lx1MlGVFupirnppIWn3BRHp710HDWNqf5Sxu9jP2TbfaCxmBK3nBsufnquWpCfQCDbgj9PB7WfxERCLQuFp8PgM1mQtU0m4aib6v7PPjV4WRN_ipmUuzNPs0NYg0xfecF290m3TIJZGsGGuYWxI99jwawzqik_vd-4m/s640/IMG_3675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="640" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMXWZzAvyhu6h_AQQz1TbDpKY1lx1MlGVFupirnppIWn3BRHp710HDWNqf5Sxu9jP2TbfaCxmBK3nBsufnquWpCfQCDbgj9PB7WfxERCLQuFp8PgM1mQtU0m4aib6v7PPjV4WRN_ipmUuzNPs0NYg0xfecF290m3TIJZGsGGuYWxI99jwawzqik_vd-4m/s320/IMG_3675.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRhJC9PvxklPngnnbKGy8BYnI_rMWvjT4YQm9jZLXJGxai9RpRhqPgN6Xh-PXx5T0H-nhgajxLM5KZOhPsE1gfKradmVSlnWRbmbUWpGFf7vLiyAd0qgeNPq5XMEGVindmgQD_hRsvkW7YqqYP6syEW5oYVKrqzNH8vZqgyDYC38kvM_TrS9qx1nvqCa5/s640/IMG_3676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="640" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRhJC9PvxklPngnnbKGy8BYnI_rMWvjT4YQm9jZLXJGxai9RpRhqPgN6Xh-PXx5T0H-nhgajxLM5KZOhPsE1gfKradmVSlnWRbmbUWpGFf7vLiyAd0qgeNPq5XMEGVindmgQD_hRsvkW7YqqYP6syEW5oYVKrqzNH8vZqgyDYC38kvM_TrS9qx1nvqCa5/s320/IMG_3676.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFquprDdtCFt-8l2j3G7DqP_FqC-KqcH1va4t4BLdmfHgPtsIKPHomnWtQ02nVimzrDkRVoGlhWfJr6_I2hkkz7W7vJ_f0doqPlIKz1qokJyAAb5zX8xb5_UwMRH4-KYm62WV6_GLLRlkE38Lnu6okOE7dpGyOVvs8_2nXRnPKbc-ajGOurO1r3Ry_S6Cv/s640/IMG_3677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="640" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFquprDdtCFt-8l2j3G7DqP_FqC-KqcH1va4t4BLdmfHgPtsIKPHomnWtQ02nVimzrDkRVoGlhWfJr6_I2hkkz7W7vJ_f0doqPlIKz1qokJyAAb5zX8xb5_UwMRH4-KYm62WV6_GLLRlkE38Lnu6okOE7dpGyOVvs8_2nXRnPKbc-ajGOurO1r3Ry_S6Cv/s320/IMG_3677.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It's just another sunny day set. Also on my <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/jmshearer">DeviantArt page</a>.Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-19325091041511104032023-12-11T08:30:00.001-06:002023-12-11T08:30:00.135-06:00On The Mend<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's where I've been the last week or
so.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Longer than that, really, but it's why
there hasn't been any new material from me here or on YouTube the
last week. Looking back at the last JM Tries video, from about two
weeks prior to this post, I realize I probably shouldn't have done
that, either. I'm not sure if I made things worse by doing it anyway,
but I'm pretty sure it didn't help any, either.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What I've had for the last about three
weeks now has been mostly a chest cold, and it's been the worst I've
had in awhile. I'll spare everybody the worst of the details, but as
of now, it seems as most of the chest congestion has cleared up. The
bad news here is that I still have a good deal of the cough and my
head's all stuffed up.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What that means for the near future is
that it'll probably still be awhile before I get back to the video
stuff. Like I was saying above, my head's all stuffed up, and I sound
like it. I also can't do the sort of talking I'd need to do without
sounding like I'm about to cough up a lung. I've still got plenty of
stuff to work on there, but it'll be awhile before I can get to it.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The news for the written stuff is a
little better. I think I'm finally up to getting back to more of this
kind of thing, at least. It'll still be slower in coming than I'd
like, but at least it'll be coming again, which is something, anyway.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So that's kind of where I am right now.
By the time most folks get to reading this, I'm hoping to be working
on some of the written stuff.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-67485347468525284192023-12-02T08:30:00.001-06:002023-12-02T08:30:00.135-06:00Unwell<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's been a rough couple weeks here.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm feeling more behind on my projects
than usual right now, but at least I've had a decent excuse for the
last couple weeks.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I've had some sort of respiratory
illness since about a week before Thanksgiving. I'm not sure what
exactly it is, but it's not been pleasant. My head's been stuffed up
and my chest has been more congested than it has been in quite
awhile. As tempted as I am to go more into detail here, I think I'll
spare us all that mess.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The point here is that lately, I've had
trouble focusing on what I want to get done. Between the illness and
the day job, I've just not had the energy for much lately. I've been
trying to rest up as much as possible lately, and I think it's been
helping some. I'll still be taking it as easy as I can for awhile.
With any luck, I'll only need another week, but the way things have
been going for me lately, I don't want to say anything specific about
timing of anything.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That said, once I get through this and
a couple more things done, I'll more than likely take a break from
some of it and just do a few things for fun for awhile, because
something tells me that'll help as much as anything right now. It's
not a great plan or anything, but at least it's something like a
plan, anyway.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'll try to keep everybody updated on
things as they go along. Hopefully, I'll be back with more soon.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">See you then.</p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-20123165773372245472023-11-17T08:30:00.001-06:002023-11-17T08:30:00.145-06:00Text Play: EarthBound Beginnings [Mother (Famicom, 1989)/Switch (2022?)] : Issue #005: Missing Something<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm sure I'm missing something here,
but I'm not sure what or where to look to find out.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At least in-game, anyway. I could check
a few websites I can think of, and I just may do that at some point,
but I'm not quite ready for that. I've been running around in Podunk
and the graveyard south of town and not really getting anywhere. The
clues I keep getting all say things about the local zoo being on
lockdown and a place called Canary Village. Maybe that's what I'm
looking for. As I write this, that makes more and more sense to have
a look in those places. Perhaps again, since I don't recall if I have
yet. I'll try to remember that for next time</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's one of the issues I have as a
result of trying to do these things as late in the day as I do. I'm
not always thinking as clearly as I maybe need to to do these things
very well. I'm at least getting somewhere with this, though. As short
as this is, it'll at least give me something to share around in some
of the gaming Discord servers I'm in, just to see how close my ideas
are.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With all that in mind, it's time for me
to wrap this up and get it posted before having a shower and getting
off to bed. So until next time, <span style="font-style: normal;">stay
safe, have fun, keep gaming, and DFTBA.</span></p><p></p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348249802327099231.post-63000285638987249522023-11-13T08:30:00.001-06:002023-11-13T08:30:00.137-06:00Final Fantasy Tonight: November 13, 2023: Notes For Myself<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm hoping having this on my fridge
door will help me remember where I am in the games I'm doing for the
blog.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Given the way I've been going about
playing these things for the last couple years, at least, it's no
surprise that I've been having at least a little bit of trouble
remembering just where I am in them. So the plan here is to put this
post on my fridge so I can remember to actually do these things</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So with Earthbound Beginnings, I'm
pretty sure I need to get the issue with the graveyard is where I
left off. That's what my own notes have lead me to believe, and I
think I've finally got my character leveled up enough to maybe get
somewhere</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">For Final Fantasy 9, I'm still in that
“Past” chamber. I think I have at least one more ultimate weapon
to find in there before moving on. I did a little looking around
there before I sat down to write this and didn't find anything. I may
have been looking in the wrong places and didn't think to check my
inventory for them until I was working on this.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As for the YouTube stuff I've got
prepped, I think I'll do the bottle of cream soda first. Like I was
saying in <a href="https://jmshearersthoughts.blogspot.com/2023/11/thumbnails-ready.html">my
last post</a>, I've got five JM Tries videos ready to go, if my count
is correct, so I may as well get on with that stuff, too.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's other stuff going on, too, but
I'll talk about that another time.</p>Jessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15693685124142750455noreply@blogger.com0