Mass Effect Romance

So recently I got addicted to the Mass Effect games.
I love me some RPG's, and these are far and away the best I've ever played. Bioware really knows what they're doing. There are very few minor decisions, and even the ones that don't have major repercussions will come back in little emails or they might flag you down in a bar.

What's REALLY cool about these games that I've always thought would rock is that the save files carry over. You can choose to have your actions from ME1 carry over into ME2 (and into ME3 when it comes out in March). My only complaint is that I was a super tank at the end of ME1, and I was just another grunt at the beginning of ME2. Though I did have a little more XP, Credits, and Resources to work with.

So, the point of the post is the Romance subplot. In ME1, as a male, you have the option to get into a relationship with Liara (an Asari) and Ashley (a Human). Neither of these characters are major in ME2, but they are both in the game. Here's the problem, and I think Bioware did this intentionally, there are a LOT of new romance options in ME2. You character apparently remains loyal to your ME1 romance. In your shiny, new Captain's Quarters, you have a picture of whoever you choose. I chose Liara, and every time I went to my room, her picture would pop up.

But then ME2 throws this in your face:
Miranda - she constantly talks about how she is perfect. She was genetically modified before birth by her father. She's "perfect in every way." More than just a little tempting.

Jack - This chick is a red hot mess. Personally, I've always had a thing for tattooed girls, but this chick is over the top. She's sort of the opposite of Miranda, but she's meant to persuade a whole other type of person... and I get it!
Lastly, there is Tali - Sweet Tali. Tali was a part of my squad in ME1. In fact, EVERY mission I went on, I took her and my romantic interest with me. The three of us were unstoppable. Tali was there with Liara and I when we fought Saren and we brought down Sovereign. They were "my girls." Think "Charlie's Angels." Had there been a romance option for Tali in ME1, I would have pursued that, but there wasn't......I chose Liara - And while Liara was a background character who you do a few missions for, there isn't any active romance options with her. If you chose her in ME1, when you first see her, there is definite excitement. There's a passionate hug, and a kiss... but then Liara pulls away. Controls herself, and shakes her head "no" at you. As I mentioned, I have her picture in my room. So, yes, I (Player Character John Shepard) is loyal to Liara. She is definitely the most compassionate partner option out of everyone you meet. That means a lot.

I'm at the point in ME2 that romance options are very much available. Even though I planted the option to pursue Tali, when it finally comes up, I can't go against Liara. While it may be true that I always wanted Tali instead, I've made my choice... and those choices will have repercussions in Mass Effect 3.

Perhaps I'll play through ME2 a second time. Just to see What If...

Today's Headlines

Obama announced a full withdrawal from Iraq. Our troops in Iraq should be home for Christmas.

This, to me, is huge. However, I'm numb to it. I'm glad they're coming home, but we've been there for almost 9 years. 9 years in a country that we basically admit that we shouldn't have been in in the first place. With a war that cost us $1.3 Trillion. Admittedly, that's a drop in the pan now.

People talked about being emotional about Harry Potter being "over." "That's ten years of my life. ALL of my adult life." Do you realize that almost that entire time you were pretending to be a wizard, we were occupying a country? One of these things is a bit more important. But... perhaps... it's the escape we needed?

I remember where I was when I heard we had invaded Iraq. It was my Spring Break, and I had just sat down to a beer at the airport in Tampa, Florida with my cousins while waiting for another flight to arrive. I guess we invaded while I was on the plane. You know, it's really the only thing I remember about that moment. My cousin telling me that. I have other memories from that trip, yes. (most of them drunk memories)

I don't know.
It's late.
I'm reflective.
I don't like thinking about Iraq.
The whole idea is disgusting.



Some Comedic Relief:

Lindsay Lohan fails to turn up at LA morgue

Uh... perhaps because she wasn't dead?
But look at that face! No wonder she didn't turn up...
SHE'S A ZOMBIE!!!

Delicate Wood Cutting

Yes. It's made out of porcelain.

Congressional Change

I find myself sometimes trolling through the muck in the comments of articles on Yahoo, but I found this. It's pretty brilliant. What's sad is that no Congressman will ever pass this.


The 26th amendment, granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds, took only 3 months and 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971, before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land, all because of public pressure.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011 (Amendment 28 of the U.S. Constitution)
1. No Tenure and No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates the same as all other American people. The Social Security fund may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress must purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts with and for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so congressmen should serve their terms (no more than 2), then go home and find a job. A former congressman cannot be a lobbyist. It is time for this Amendment.

Photography And Modern Society

My parent's always have a hallway filled with photos of our family. On their dresser is a collection pictures of me from when I was a child. My home, on the other hand, has maybe 2 framed photos of family members. Sure, I have a bathroom filled with signed photos, but, to me, that's different. However, you frame and hang up a picture because it's special to you, but as time goes on, you don't notice it anymore. It's just a part of the background.

Modern Technology has almost killed traditional photography. You still see print photography around, but gone are the days of going and getting a whole roll of pictures developed. Now photos are kept on our cameras or on our phones. Facebook has become the Family Picture Hallway. It's kind of sad, really. You used to be able to go into people's homes and SEE the family history framed on their walls. If today's generations have photography on their walls, it's someone else's pictures. Art prints, and what not.

The whole point of this mental rambling for me was that a design idea just hit me. You see digital photo frames a lot these days, but personally I see them as a novelty item. What if you had, say, 20 of them on a wall, all with bluetooth or wireless capabilities. Then, from your home computer, you programmed in a lot of rotating picture. Perhaps once every 24 hours all 20 pictures would change. Everyday would be a reminder of a new memory.

Hotel Rant

We who work at hotel front desks can often be heard complaining about getting griefed over stuff that we have no control over, but being at the front desk, we are the face of the hotel. We are the communication hub, and are, in fact, accountable for the entire hotel. However, that means that if something goes wrong in Events, we get yelled at. So, we complain about it.

On the flip-side, we also get praised for when the hotel excels. It's more than just a little hypocritical. Let's say we check a guest into a room that the guest didn't request, and the guest is concerned about the quality of this unknown room. The guest later returns and sings the room's praises, and praising us at the desk. When, technically, that desk clerk had nothing to do with the selection of the new room. That doesn't mean that we're not more than happy to take credit for it.

Congratulations, Douchebags

I already usually have very lovely things to say about Greek organizations, and while I'm not totally behind the We Are The 99% sit ins, this made me throw up a little bit.

"Hey, look everybody! We are the problem!"

Jibbery Style Oinkery

Jibbery Style Oinkery

is your hog on drugs?
how would you know?
how could you tell?
look for these here warning signs?
sudden weight loss.
euphoria leading to paranoia.
stealatization of your things.
and jibbery style oinkery what make no sense at all.
warn your hog about the dangers of meth before it's to damn late.

Here He Comes!

#FF @vikingsuicide

I discovered this Suicide Girl over the summer in her Black Rock photo shoot.
Fell in love with her instantly.
Especially after I saw that she loves Fever Ray, Pulp Fiction, Sandman, Daria, and Silent Hill.

Top it all off...
She's a British Ginger.
(Heaven)

Viking Suicide

She also has a shop on Etsy that is ALWAYS packed with wonderful stuff!
VIKING X

Tron + Portal + Doom

I couldn't even begin to describe the awesomeness of this dream, but I needed to try and get this part down. Backstory... my team and I were fighting through these futuristic corridors against ever increasingly impressive robots. Starting off with large, chunky Dalek like ones and turrets, building up to Cyborgs.

...
In a lull in the battle, I finally get a moment to check out my gun. I ask the guy who gave it to me. A guy I referred to as Rinzler (from Tron) because that's what he looked like. I had the settings of my gun figured out, but there was a switch that said "Fast 3." He explained it to me, and then another guy on my team asked to see it. "Yeah, sure!" He immediately pulls the power cell out of it, and sticks it in his mouth with an extreme sucking force. I realize he's one of them. I snatch the cell out of his mouth, but he fights with me. We wrestle. Holding each others arms, fighting for control. I get the cell back into my gun, and begin firing at him, point blank. Red blasts erupt from my gun into his legs. Then another teammate gets into the fight, and presses the attacker into the wall. We both pin him against the wall and restrain him. My teammate also begins shooting into his torso. Explosions of pink blow out of his chest. Holes begin to form. It becomes clear that he was a synthetic robot. While a gaping chasm forms in his chest, he doesn't die. Along the edges of of the damaged area, a pink grid begins to show. Eventually, from both of us unloading out weapons on it, it is split in half, and collapses in ashes on the floor.

I announce, "Be mindful, people!! They look like us now!!"

With a sniff of the air, I turn to my teammate. "Oh god... you smell that? It's awful. Is that... vomit?"

Yeah, the remains of this synthetic being smelled of vomit and it was on us both.

Then it wasn't and we were on to the next level.
Dreams are weird places.

Happy Halloween!

Fail. Went to Halloween Express. Asked about Skulls. They said, "We really don't sell those here."

Well that was convenient!

From Auros: Made It!
==>Your throat is beginning to feel dry...
==>Kaos casts a spell on you...
==>You feel remarkably refreshed, and you are no longer thirsty!
==>Kaos casts a spell on you...
==>You feel remarkably refreshed, and you are no longer hungry!
From Auros: And I feel much better!

Pick Up Line?

Hey girl... do you hang out at cemeteries? Because you're totally dead to me.