Star Gazing Anonymous

A place to call my own, to expand the reaches of the minds of others and myself.

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Gaming Frenzy

So I’m a person who watched my father play games my entire childhood, hence when reminscing about games with actual gamers I always stick out awkwardly (as if there was another way for me to stand out =_=;). Whether they are odd choices only select few recall, or what I consider children games,the usual gamer picks were usually ones I watched while my dad played. So I’m basically using this as a disclaimer--- I’m not a gamer, I play games. I don’t usually game for hours anymore, and my choices will make most people eyeroll. But now you know I’m not pretending to be anything else About a week ago the PS store was having a “sale”? where if you had Plus you could download GoT Telltale game for free as well as the horror game Until Dawn. I wanted both so downloaded both and have been playing pretty regularly.

First there’s GoT. When this came out originally I wasn’t that interested as I don’t watch and haven’t yet read the GoT series. I also had heard misleading things about the game which looking back might have been a different game if it exits? I have never been so stressed out playing a game. So many decisions leave you feeling iffy or you royally messed up. My issue being I think one choice means something but the character will eihter add something or it be twsted to mean something else. Ugh. I do really enjoy it but I learned quickly I’m glad I don’t have to make such decisions in my own life. I already spoiled the “ending” or a few possible ones but I’m still playing a blind walkthrough in the sense I won’t look up how to get other endings or what decisions are to be maid.I will say being Asher for me is the least worrying...so by default he’s one of my favorite characters... I also like Tom the coal boy. I don’t want to go into too much more yet maybe when I finish in a few days.

Next is Until Dawn. I have a history with this game already: When it first came out I watched Jesse Cox and the Scary Game Squad play through (and probably other popular yutubers here and there but they were who I mainly stuck to from start to finish). It was one of the few games in horror that gave me that thriller on edge feeling and constant fear. A year or so later I played through in a few nights time with my best friend and her husband. It started off with me playing and them wanting to see how I did/what decisions I made. By the end we were just trying to save everyone and get the best ending xD. Fast forward maybe another year or chunk of months and during one of the same friends game nights we played with a group of her friends from work, though I only witnessed the first couple of episodes. So going in some probably wonder why I’m playing again---easy, trophy hunting. I also just enjoy the story and dynamcis and it’s a fairly quick game compared to some. I’m doing a perfect round first and will go back to murder everyone...I mean make horrible decisions.

[loveandphasers-blog]

Queue Update

15--- Doc Martin: This is a nice British show about a doctor who has to join a small town community. He’s one of my favorite type of characters as in a bit cranky, dry matter of fact attitude, yet somehow actually cares and does surprising things. We used to watch this show a lot in Florida on the BBC/PBS channels, so it feels a little nostalgic restarting.

16--- That 70′s Show. This was a nice break from in the week. One of the shows I used to watch often with my dad and my boyfriend and it was a good chance to watch something together and have a nice laugh. This week had a lot of ups and downs so it was nice to go to bed with happy thoughts

17---Partners in Crime: This show is an interesting one in that it’s not about literal partners in crime, two people involved in something against the law....but rather its about the forensics side of things and lengthy discussions of methods and how they catch specific people. Example in the first one i watched they found body parts of a small girl wrapped in seperate bags scattered around; one of the ways they caught who did it was a specific way knots in the bags were tied unique to that person. Interesting though.

18---Bones: Not going to lie....I don’t remember much. This is when I really started to play games this week and didn’t have a lot of extra time for my Netflix countdown. I watch MAYBE one episode and realized as well that Netflix changed Bones to where they took out seasons 1-4 so I was a little lost on top of tired and probably meh. 19---Pontypool: After so many days of nothing but random shows I finally pulled a movie. Pontypool is an interesting spin on infectious apocalypse type of genre. I really enjoyed the unique twist on how things progressed and the theory behind the infection even if I found a plothole just after hearing it. This isn’t a movie for everyone in the horror community as the majority of scenes are in the unknowing and frantic radio call ins. There luckily isn’t much gore but the ending does feel somewhat lackluster. It did manage to give me nightmares though which I haven’t had in months.

[asphodelsia-deactivated20230424]

20 MINUTES OF LIFE IS STRANGE BEFORE THE STORM GAMEPLAY (E3 2017)

[loveandphasers-blog]

The other game I’m pretty stoked about! This is a good year for gaming >3<

[jubberry]

im pretty sure ive developed something bad in my lungs from watching bigby smoke so much

[robasarel]

[loveandphasers-blog]

Such beautiful art of one of my favorite game /comic characters ever. So pumped for sequel!

[loveandphasers-blog]

Sword Art Online Episodes 8-9

(Some Spoilers, I think, below)

Despite trying to keep an open mind being thrust in a more filler episode made it difficult to play along. I know everyone loves Kirito and Asuna… but I find them hard to relate to (even if the atmosphere /environment is fictional that normally doesn’t stop from finding enjoyment of characters). Thus far they are just typical hero/heroines trying to be kickass in an unexplained way (as in theres not much explanation as to why they’re so far ahead of everyone in terms of skill). I don’t want to bash the series as I’m not far enough in and I feel it’s boiled down to taste. I can see where others may like it but I guess I look for something else in a similar genre? Some things I learned, if I’m going to be salty-à still supposed to find the girl falling on guy “accidental” boob grab funny… prior to mid 2000s called…they want their anime gags back. Also Asuna’s manipulating Kirito into doing what she wants is supposed to be tsundere-esque cute. I’ll never find being a bitch attractive. While she’s not a complete snake I don’t find the “threatening him with a knife to do what I want or get the response I want” shlick funny…sorry. Also…I would never pair with Kirito (haha) He seems like bad luck…like Boris in Area88 where everyone should avoid them because someone always dies.

My biggest beef with the series in a whole is never going back (since episode 2) to the main plot where they’re supposed to be trying to beat the game in a certain amount of time because otherwise they’ll die in the real world. I liked that bit… so when it became just episodic in game fantasy it lost it’s uniqueness and at this point…hate to be a broken record….Hack//Sign did it better. It’s tough to beat. If you don’t want to compare older series…then Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash had a better feel IMO.

 Things I did enjoy these 2 episodes: The duel with the bodyguard type person of Asuna’s versus Kirito. It reminded me of many stories from friends and a little of my own experience in MMOs where guilds are a thing. Someone always take things too far and makes the game a job with strict guidelines and expectations. You answer to the guild and it becomes cliqueish….playing with someone outside of said guild is either frowned upon or you’re expected to recruit them.

 I enjoyed Kirito’s fight with the giant blue boss type character even if it was gimmicky and bullshit as usual….given Kirito doesn’t lose. But it was visually pleasing to the eyes and therefore entertaining to a degree.

But I admit to be a novice to all things SAO, so, if any fans of the show care to answer questions...Will they ever go back to that main focus?  What makes this show special for you? Does it get “better” or if I don’t enjoy it by now I might not ever? What makes the characters likeable to you?

[loveandphasers-blog]

Summer Day at Home

So today my son and I tried to entertain ourselves after a few weeks of excitement. Time away from TV and internet to do us some good when it’s a little too hot to explore outside. First we set up a water “table” (or in our case a bucket of water.....much too heavy to carry btw) and put in growing tabs (those capsules you place in water that mysteriously turn into a creature of mysterious origins...or in our case mini vehicles). We also added our friend the swimming alligator...who took leisure swims in the water but once taken out tried to make a mad dash.

Did I mention my son decided to also make it into a swimming arena... on the 3rd floor mind you.

Next activity was the beginning of masks...paper mache. I don’t have a lot of access to newsprint so I used paper towel strips. Because they do need to set a long while and be layered I only took a quick pic of beginning progress...not to mention by the end I was covered in ‘plaster” and needed a shower.

Besides some cleaning, cooking and typical playtime activities that was the exciting bit. I hope everyone else is having a wonderful summer and staying cool ^_^

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Netflix Queue Countdown

So I’ve been trying something new, a little neurotic, where I take my 394 queue of Netflix and put it through a random number generator to help me plow through things I might otherwise write off or hesitate towards. So far this is what has happened:

 1.       Rounders --- a movie about gambling. A movie I figured out the big “mystery” (I guess) within the first 5-10 minutes. A movie where John Malkovich plays off a Russian stereotype pretty well. A movie that taught us never to vouche for a friend nicknamed Worm. It was a decent film, a little long, but an interesting story.

2.       Dog Eat Dog--- A brutal film with no point. Mindless violence with what seems like bits of inster 3D glasses here? I enjoyed to a certain degree but the plot just didn’t add up and just felt like it was that boy who tries to act like a badass when everyone around sees through it.

3.       Black Books--- An enjoyable cynical, sarcastic British ride. Dan Howell in 20-30 years if he owned a book shop… It reminded me of why I enjoy British “sitcoms”? so much although they take a certain humor.: “Why do people keep coming in here” “To buy books…?” “Yes yes but why do they come to ME?” “… because you sell books?”

4.       Skins--- Degrassi on meth. Also British. Degrassi if it only focused on what kids were up to outside of school versus within it’s walls. The problems are much more extreme… although the group is much more one big group of friends while Degrassi often splits and comes back etc. Watched the saddest episode mistakeably during the small sit down. Naturally.

5.       Girl Asleep--- A quaint film about an Australian teen going through adolescent growth/changes in a new school making new friends and finding her place in the world. However artistic uniqueness and oddities towards the last third capture the most attention. Satisfying end to a lavish party that I jokingly wished for but so desperately wanted… thank you. Watched with my best friend, regret nothing.

6.       Gruffalo’s Child--- why child imagination manipulation ruins trust for generations. Yet enjoyable, relatable and brought out my inner child. Gruffalo is much better but Gruffalo’s child was a nice break between the rest of the queue.

7.       Too Young to Die--- learned about Sharon Tate more (focused on her life prior to death, not just her murder) and relationship with Roman Polansky, also learned about Natalie Wood which was the real trip. Boils down to the entertainment scene has always been cray, and go with your gut. It’s awfully telling that allegedly some of Natalie’s last words: “It’s better to be with the death you know, than the one you don’t”à speaking to sister about remarriage to Robert Wagner.

8.       The Falling--- Salem Witch Trials behavior. Very interesting but bizarre film centered around a girl (TOTES IN LOVE WITH FRIEND TO THE POINT SHE “FORGOT HE IS MY BROTHER” AND GETS PORKED) =______=; while this movie was right up my alley on the strange and school life and coming of age, the main learns nothing but to get away with being obsessive, mostly being written off as nuts because her mom is who writes her off in a way because she’s a rape baby. I normally don’t like spoilers but there’s so many weird aspects all the hipsters willhave a grand time picking it apart for more meaning than was actually present.

9.       To the Bone--- I broke my queue rule in a way to watch this as I had been watitign a few weeks for it. I was utterly excited and then cringed fested. No worries the movie was fine, I enjoyed the fact the parents dynamic and how it impacted and discussing thoughts not usually associated with anorexia throughout the group etc. That recovery is a life struggle and you need certain aspects of support etc. BUT the main male looked too much like THE ex and everything there was a heavy emotional seen between them or intimate I wanted to cry and felt so disgusted in a way. It hurt to watch but that’s my own personal issues fault not the film. I would recommend anyone unaware of eating disorders its not nearly as dramatic as some of the Lifetime ones of old.

 10. Californication--- Apprehensive yet hopeful. David Dechovny is a hoot. While the show is raunchy AF there were some good moral sprigs and awkward yet gut giggling moments. Maybe my humor has “matured” to where I wasn’t on a moral high horse.

11. Prison Break--- A show I was looking forward to going back to. My boyfriend might not usually enjoy such things but he seemed actually intrigued. There were chases, fucked up government boogiemen, prison rats, and sass. I can never get over how unbelievable the main is though, sorry not sorry.

12. The Flash--- went in apprehensive… another super hero crap shoot (what I thought). Extremely happily surprised. A joy from beginning to bedtime. Would love to finish this series and so glad I don’t have to avoid a genre I once enjoyed so much. “Good they got rid of Weather Wizard’s stupid wand”àBoyfriend

13. Damages--- Boring AF. I enjoy crime drama. I enjoy law shows. This felt like a mess with too much jargon, no humor, no likeable characters. Maybe it’s my mood but so confused and bored. Subjected my friend to this… this time all the regrets.

 Tomorrow I’ve already drawn and it seems I will be going back to Sword Art Online and anime I have extremely mixed feelings about….joy. Maybe it won’t be filler and I will be impressed? Fingers Crossed.

[diycraftsnmore]

[loveandphasers-blog]

*3* such a cute idea...crafting-ahoy!