Needs to be Cleared Up

Hey Guys,

I really need to clear something up right now. No, it doesn't have to be done over the internet, but I'm a lonely computer geek and this audience of no one is all I've got. Anyway. I've been noticing lately that my friends, who have been such for years, have trouble coming to me for advice on any personal matters. This I find extremely frustrating! Listen! When I hear the word advice, I don't immediately start thinking of rainbows and clear skies, or any other number of other "happy" thoughts that have nothing to do with the problem at hand. I don't expect my friend to lie to me or to tell me exactly what I "want" or don't "want" to hear just to make me feel better. I want advice that will solve my problem! This is what I like to think that I provide. When someone comes to me, they can poor their heart out and tell me about all the stupid things they've done, and then me what to do about it. It makes no difference! The first thing that I will do, is ensure that they know exactly how stupid their actions were, then I will work them through a logical and rational solution to their problem.

For example:

"Ian, I'm addicted to heroine and I don't know what to do!" said Ian's retarded friend.

"You're an idiot, but I think I have an idea. After you finish sobbing like an fool, you might want to stop doing heroine and check your self into rehab!" replied Ian. "Thanks for dumping your emotional baggage on me. Have a nice life!"

Okay, so it's not the most accepted approach, my advice is damn effective. Why can't you emotional tards get it? Just because I don't let my emotions dictate every f***ing move I make, doesn't make me heartless, but it sure does make me more likely to give you good rational advice.

So, if you need it,

ask for help.

Sincerely,

Ian Skelskey

F*** You!

Ocarina of Time Retexture

Hey guys,

I am currently a member of a large scale, community, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time retexture project. Basically what we do is take all of the original textures from Ocarina of Time, fix them up, make them High Resolution, and pop them back into the game. It is a fantastic project and the results are just the same. I suggest that you head over to the site linked HERE and just check things out. I've posted a few textures, and if this kind of thing appeals to you, I would love it if you could help out.

Thanks a Lot,

Ian Skelskey

Just an Old Theory

All human behavior is self-directed. It's true. Humans do not do something for others unless something is done in their favor as a result. Results can be physical, emotional, or even psychological, but they just have to be there! Some people would ask me why I think such terrible things. And, when I simply respond that it's the truth, they then ask why I must vocalize it. I respond, in order for humans to fully understand themselves and the others around them, the truth must be vocalized. Look, I know the sentiments that people like to believe in. I'm not saying that I don't like people who help others. We need people like that. They make our human society what it is today. Don't be confused though, for I am also not saying that they are better or worse people. Just people. All I am saying, is this. If you are going to help others, at least understand and openly express your true reasoning for doing so. People do not help others unless the benefit is mutual. If we did, we would have no souls. We would just be mindless drones. We do not help others because it makes them feel good. We do it, because we enjoy seeing the good effects it has on others. If we were to look at the beneficiary of our kindness and feel nothing but sorrow for our lack of ability to be that happy, then why on God's green earth would we do it? Do we really put that little thought into life? Why be called Homo Sapiens, if we cannot uphold the "Sapiens-portion?" Homo is the Latin word for man, and Sapiens is the Latin for wise. Is truth not the wisest path to more truth, and to more justice, and even to a better life? Why hide what is quite obviously there? Don't you think that crushes relationships, not helps them. I'm going to use a brief, commonly-used social stereotype. If a woman asks a man if a dress makes her look fat, why shouldn't a man simply respond yes if the truthful answer is yes, or no if the truthful answer is no. What difference does it make. Why do we try so hard to lie exactly when appropriate to, or to tell the truth when that seems correct? What would happen if we could all trust one another, and none of the trust was misplaced? What if someone said "I'm going to kill you!" or "I'm going to rob a bank at 2:00 pm Saturday." It would actually happen. Now, as crappy as that sounds, heres the good part. We would know it was going to happen! That's fantastic. Now we can take the appropriate precautions and legal actions to prevent a criminal from successfully performing their crime. The only way we wouldn't know, is if it was never vocalized.

To be continued... I have to go do homework right now.

Acer Netbook Reviews + Apps

Hey readers,

I've recently had the pleasure of fiddling around with an Acer Netbook. You may have seen them advertised on TV recently, and there is a good reason that AT&T and Acer are doing this. With the economy in the state that its in, people are looking to save money anyway that they can and, let's face it, how much cheaper can you get than $299.99 for a portable computing experience. The Acer Aspire One Netbook Series is fantastic. It, unlike so many other products on the market, comes exactly as advertised. These netbooks come with a battery life of 3 hours, allowing for amazing portability. Obviously, they are not the most powerful computers, but they do what they should. For the average computer user Aspire One's serve their purpose. Internet is easy and convenient, whether you are on wifi or a cellular network. Now that I've hopefully convinced you to buy one of these products, I will list some great applications to get you started.

Office:

OpenOffice.org - OpenOffice.org is a free office suite. That's right. Free! It has all of the standard office apps and can access all the usual formats. Be sure to check this one out.

Communication:

Skype - With a netbook's pre-installed microphone and webcam, skype is the perfect way to stay in touch with friends and family.

AIM - As far as instant messangers go, aim for AIM. It is the most widely used instant messaging software out there and is extremely simple to use.

Gmail Offline - Need to access your gmail account on the go. No cellular network? No problem. For Gmail users, Gmail offline allows you to download your emails to your computers cache where you can later access them online or off.

Media:

Windows Media Player - WMP is standard on all Windows machines, but it is still fantastic for viewing AVI's and DVD's. Be sure to keep this around.

iTunes - iTunes, because of its growing popularity, is pretty self explanatory. You can purchase music, videos, podcasts, and applications. Along with this, also comes playback.

Quicktime - This comes in the iTunes package, do not uncheck this one. It comes in handy when watching, downloading, and converting (only pro users).

Internet Browser:

Google Chrome - I highly suggest the use of Google Chrome as your web browser of choice. It runs quickly and smoothly on netbooks and looks fantastic.

Also Try: Safari and Firefox Lite

RocketDock

A Vile Passion

I may not be what you might call good with the ladies,

but I was always taught that I only needed to be good with, one.

This was my ideal. Was.

Maybe that's old fashioned.

Maybe I'm out-dated, or not dated at all.

Maybe love stories of old, are of old for a reason.

But, that's too many maybes for me.

Too much uncertainty.

That brand of love seems to have expired.

Is it necessary to throw your passion about, or to share it with many,

as if it was a mere plaything; simply to feel loved?

I don't know about you, but it seems to me that

love has become a frigid and ironically loveless experience.

It seems to cast out the pure at heart,

and reel in those with tainted spirits and defiled bodies.

Now, passion is disgusting.

Little more than a tantalizing lure for the weak-minded.

I'm useless; as will be love if such filth continues to

consume what is left of our feeble excuse for a society.

Poke'mon

Hey Fellows,

I recently started back up playing my handheld Poke'mon games and I'm surprised to find myself enjoying the same basic games all over again. I began to play through diamond a week or two ago and its not losing its entertainment value at all. These games are nearly endlessly replayable and are all basically the same. I remember the day I got my Poke'mon Red Version and my Gameboy Color. It was the same deal then as it is now. Leave; get Poke'dex; catch Poke'mon; battle trainers; battle gym leaders; battle final people (the equivilent of the Elite Four). I guess I'm just wondering what makes these games just so fascinating. I can't believe that Nintendo is still making money off of these things. The Poke'mon are getting steadily less creative and thusly worse, and no exciting new features are being added. Basically, all that Nintendo has to do, is take my old Red Version slap some more color on it ship it out, and I buy it all over again (cough [Fire Red] cough). And you know what? I fell for it. Here I am with legitimate copies of almost every handheld game in the set! I'm asking a simple question here.

Seriously

What the F***,

Ian Skelskey

Digital Painting

Hey guys,

I've recently been looking into this style of art called digital painting, and I'm becoming more and more interested. I feel as if this could be a good opportunity to test my eye for more realistic work as well as my patience. I'm currently working on a project that will unfortunately and most likely, never make it online. Sorry about that, but it cannot be helped.

Later Days,

Ian Skelskey

iPhone 3G [S]

Hey guys.  I've only had my iPhone 3G for about one year, and already another one comes out!  Apple is really squeezing every cent out of this.  However, I am curious.  I think that I am going to purchase one in the very near future.  After I examine the machine thoroughly, I will do another review for you guys.  Thanks.

iPhone image thanks to

-kol on Deviant Art

A Vector Project

I'm somewhat of a vector artist.  I do mainly traces, but I have done some original work as well.  Anyway, to the point.  I recently started another anime vector.  It is of Kagome from Rumko Takashi's manga called Inuyasha.  Here is the progress to date:

My other work can be found on Deviant Art.

Thanks for Looking!

Another Essay...

Hey guys!  I've been assigned yet another essay in my 10th grade English class.  For this assignment, we were asked to write a thesis on the topic power.  We are to explain our arguments clearly and back up our statements with quotes from the various texts that we read this year.  I will post that essay upon completion.

Spotify Review

Spotify - A world of music

Instant, simple and free.

I would like to take those three words and sum them up for you plain, and simple.  Spotify is amazing.  It comes exactly as advertised, and it is extremely effective.  It takes up very little space on your computer, and can stream you any of a massive selection of music tracks instantly.  Type in a search term, and let the rythm go.  Almost anything you can think of.  New hits, and old favorites.  If you are a little restricted by a small hard drive, and still want your music at the touch of a button, this is for you.  One  downside, however, is that Spotify is not currently available in the United States and you can only use the program while traveling outside of your home country for 14 days.   There may, or may not be work arounds, but that's what google is for.

This handy application gets a 9 out of 10 from me.  I can't seem to find some artists that I just can't help thinking should be there.  Sorry about the 1 points guys.

Worms Review

Hey guys! I was searching through the PlayStation Store recently and I came across a familiar title. It appears that Team 17 has released another addition to the Worms series for all to enjoy. This time, it's on PS3! I quickly snatched it at the store for an inexpensive $12.99, and began to play. All of the great features that were there on PC are back. There are plenty of weapons to choose from, including the Sheep, Banana Bomb, and the Holy Hand Grenade. Game play is somewhat repetitive, but in such a game, that is to be expected. Overall, I suggest an old Worms fan picks this one up for nostalgia's sake if nothing else.

Graphics - 7/10
Gameplay - 8/10
Sound - 5/10

Overall - 7/10

Evil: A Choice

I was assigned the novel: Lord of the Flies in my 10th grade English class and for a debate, we were given the question: Is evil committed by choice, or only when under pressure. Here is my essay expressing my stand-point.


At its base, human behavior and desire is very dark. If given the option, humans would commit evil acts constantly. The “good” that we tend to see in civil society, is merely a front used to hide the evil within us. I call this concept “organized fear”. This is also very much the case in the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding. As the boys were extracted from the controlled and mostly rational environment that is civil society as we know it, they almost instinctively chose more evil behaviors over more moral and productive ones. It’s like a thrill. Without authority to control us, and no one to fear, we will do as we please.
Jack is the perfect example of this concept. He was the first boy on the island to come to the full realization that no one would stop his evil. As soon as he made this realization, he immediately felt the rush, and fell deeper and deeper into a sick love with immorality. Jack was not pressured to enter into evil, but Ralph certainly fueled the “fire” in giving him corrupt power. “’Jack’s in charge of the choir. They can be—what do you want them to be?’ ‘Hunters.’ Jack and Ralph smiled at each other with shy liking.” (Golding 23)
Many others were immediately willing to follow into this savage abyss. They were brought in not by pressure, but temptation. Pressure implies the burden of physical or mental distress, while temptation is imposed through the promise of pleasure or gain. There were, according to the opposition, people who did not succumb to temptation. There were three boys that appeared to retain a full sense of rationality. These boys were Simon, Ralph, and Piggy. Here, I will make an attempt at explaining their corruptions, however “insignificant”.
The first and foremost of these boys, was Simon. It “appeared” that he not only confronted and shunned evil from himself, but also made an attempt to save the others as well. It seems to me though that Simon was very clearly insane, brought to the outer boundaries of his mind from the isolation of the island. Simon was hearing the voice of a dead boar and responding to it. “Simon shook. ‘There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the beast.’ Simon’s mouth labored, brought forth audible words. ‘Pig’s head on a stick’ ‘Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!’ said the head… ‘Get back to the others and we’ll forget the whole thing.’”. (Golding 143) He trusted the information from this revolting source and attempted to bring about peace based on it. However he imagined the outcome, the results are what matter. His method and his results were both, let’s say, less than desirable.
Ralph may have actually shown his evil before Jack, but simply not to the same extent. He was entrusted with Piggy’s secret and to test the reaches of his new found freedom, Ralph openly passed the secret on to the other boys. “’He’s not fatty,’ cried Ralph, ‘his real name’s Piggy!’” (Golding 21) As the story progressed, it became more evident that everyone was involved willingly in evil activities such as the killing of Simon. “The blue-white scar was constant, the noise unendurable. Simon was crying out… ‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!’… Simon’s dead body moved out toward open sea.” (Golding 152-154) And, as unwilling as he is to admit it, he takes part in the evil acts of the island constantly.
Piggy is the third and final boy that the opposition argues as pure. I believe that Piggy fits best into my description of “organized fear”. Piggy experiences strong hostility and animosity from the others and is afraid to speak anything that upsets anyone, good or bad.
So, even the seemingly incorruptible are corruptible and often even corrupted. They are not corrupted by the imposition of pressure, but, in most cases, the removal of it.

Google Sync - iPhone

Hey guys,

I recently started using "Google Sync" with my iPhone, and I think that the service that they provide is fantastic. Google Sync, as it's name suggests, allows you to synchronize the calendar and contacts on your Apple iPhone with your Google account.


Pros:

• Changes are pushed directly to your iPhone
• Works very nearly instantaneously
• Allows for easy changes to your Google contacts or calendars while on the go
• Multiple calendars viewed in different colors

Cons:

• Drains battery more quickly

Overall, I highly suggest that you Google/iPhone users try this out! For instructions, you can look here. If you're not yet a member over at Google, go here.

Thanks for Reading,
Ian Skelskey