A Brawling Good Time

So, last night I picked up a copy of Super Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii, which I'm sure is going to be the system's star title.

And you should be grateful that instead of playing it, I'm taking the time to tell you that I'm going to be playing it.

The game was released at Gamestop at midnight, but in the two hours prior to that, there was a small tournament, which is apparently part of a much larger, nation-wide tournament (touted as the largest ever; a likely claim).

32 contestants (including myself and two of my residents) participated. The tournament was set up with the initial starting characters (that is, no hidden unlockable characters), and we each had a minute to beat our opponent.

Included in the cast of players was this fellow whose a local legend; a guy from Unit 1 who basically is supposed to best in Berkeley. He is, without question, a total douchebag. He is extremely arrogant, condescending, and belittling of all things he doesn't consider "competitive." He even announced during the tournament that "This tournament is lame. There will be another one tomorrow that'll be more competitive and better." Meaning, the game will be stripped of anything that makes it random (that is, anything that makes it fun). He is my antithesis when it comes to this game. I play for the pleasure derived from playing. He plays only to win. Actually, I'm sure if you went into it, he plays only to beat people. One of my main hopes was that he lost.

Originally, I was intending on playing a character called Ike, but them about a quarter of the people chose him. Not being one to follow the crowd, I decided to pick a completely unique character called Olimar. Now, Olimar plays vastly different from all other characters in the game (it would be too tricky to explain all the ways). Apparently, he's good, but just really hard to use. And he's never appeared in any of these games before. And we were playing with a completely unfamiliar control scheme.

So basically, I had no idea in Hell what I was doing.

Combine that with my already average (perhaps slightly above average) playing ability, and I figured my choice was as good as a concession.

Yet - somehow - I made it into the top 8, surpassing my residents (who I consider better than me) and that jerkish tournament player (who did nothing but complain after he lost in the second round).

I was eventually beaten, because I was a little too slow, but I had fun. And you know what? That's what the point of a game is.

(Oh, and just so you know, the winner moved on to the regional championship, and also got this absolutely hideous trophy).

So that's what I did.

Now, off to play some Brawl!

To Sleep, Perchance to Nightmare

Have you had a scary dream recently?

Like, not necessarily a nightmare that you wake up screaming from, but a dream that's unnerving enough that you do end up waking up from it?

Me? I've had two in as many months.

Which is weird, considering I don't think I've had a disturbing dream of any capacity since December 28, 2004 (when I had a vision of Hell itself).

What's even weirder, though, is what the element of fear came from.

It came - for the most part - from the lack of a consistent location.

O_o

Let me try to elucidate. The first of these dreams occurred a few weeks back. I'm not exactly sure when, but I know it was sometime this semester. Basically, the dream involved me in my room. And it kept involving me trying to leave my room. However, when I opened the door, I didn't see the hallway on the otherside. Instead, it was a completely unfamiliar place. I would then realize that the room I was standing in was a completely unfamiliar one. When I'd open the door again, I would suddenly be standing in another room. And again. And again. Occasionally, it would go back to my normal room, but because I got in the habit of closing the door almost as soon as I opened it, I kept missing my opportunity to leave. Also, as the dream progressed, the room began spinning slightly, and then faster and faster.

Eventually, the dream ended when I collapsed (in the dream) and woke up in a cold sweat. Why was this dream so terrifying? Hard to say. It's a very Twilight Zone-esque concept, to be sure, but it was really making me unsettled (in the dream; after I woke up, I realized it wasn't bad at all).

So then that takes us to this past Wednesday. And with this dream, I honest-to-God woke up in the middle of the night, startled.

Or did I?

You see, even when I "woke up" I was not sure that it was a dream. That's because I was only in some sort of half-sleep. I know this because my position in the dream was dependant on my position in the real world. Meaning that night, I was sleeping face-down in my bed and in the dream, I was sleeping face-down in a bed. There were some differences, though. For one, in the real world, my legs were lying on the bed, one of top of another, yet straight. In the dream, though, my legs were bent so that they stuck up into the air. And try as I might, I couldn't put them down. In fact, I couldn't move at all.

Another difference. In the real world, I was in my room. In the dream, the room...kept changing. You see? It's the same! And what's more, this was terrifying me for some reason. Like, I would switch between my room and my parent's bedroom and some random bedrooms.

How did I know I was switching? Well, even though I was lying face-down on the bed, I could see the ceilings of the rooms. Almost as if the rooms were topsy-turvey. Cah-razy!

Oh, it probably bears mentioning that there was another element to this nightmare. Every time I appeared in my parent's bedroom, there was a presence that kept coming closer and closer to me. And each time he came closer, he let out this, I dunno, laugh-moan that kind of sounded something like a really, really fast "houhouhouhouhou" noise. Yet it wasn't laughter, nor was it malicious or anything. It was just the noise it was making, no different than the sounds we make when we breathe.

So, anyway, this presence was getting closer to me, and each time I heard it, I got a feeling in my stomach. A kind of painful tickle, as if a bunch of long-nailed fingers were groping at my belly. And each time, I told myself that there was nothing there, and that I should just look to confirm that. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, I couldn't move at all.

What I could do, though, was see, and right before I woke up, I saw (for a split second) a figure in my peripheral vision. I guess you could describe it as a shadow person. There was no identifiable facial traits. (One thing that did stand out in the dream, though, was that it seemed to have the same head shape as my middle sister).

So, that got me jumped back into the real world.

Now, I think I can understand what's frightening about having a shadowy presence approaching you when you're in a state of immobility. But I honestly can't understand why, in my dreams, that whole teleportation business seemed so unnerving to me.

Any dream experts out there? What say you?

The Best Thing Anyone Said Yesterday

Yesterday was a full and productive day. It was also somewhat long and a tad pricy, seeing as I spent near 3 hours and $30 getting to Pleasanton and back. Still, it was good. My interview went excellently (it's easy, given the mainstream media ideas we have of Donald Trump and the like, to forget that Corporate people can be really nice and down-to-earth; howver, they really are), my midterm went excellently, and the program I spoke at went well enough (I was filling in as a Haas "adviser" for a major faire. For not being an adviser, I'm a damn good adviser).

The best moment, though, was by far this short and sweet conversation.

Me: "So, yeah, one of the things I've done in my diet is give up mammal meat."
Her: "Oh, so you're a pescetarian."
Me: "No, I'm Catholic."

Don't ask me why, but saying that totally made my day.

Cop-Out: Pictures! Pictures for you!

I've got a job interview today.

Then I have a midterm to take.

Then I have a program to present at.

Yes, I know I've been bombarding you with "I'm busy" notes, but I can't help it. I'm busy.

As some filler, please accept these random images of interest.

First, here is my new business card:
It's very simple and non-flashy, and it sure-as-Hell won't get me featured amongst the more imaginative cards. Now, if I had all the money I needed, I think I'd go for a card like Steve Wozniak's. But I don't, and this one gets the job done, while at the same time confirming my place in Haas. So it'll do.

Second, this is what my hair looks like when I wake up in the morning:

If only it was a bit cleaner and more symmetrical, I would never even have to mess with it at all!

Finally, here's that picture of the weight I've lost so far (meaning, by a couple Fridays ago).

I'm actually making this one a pure link. Click here if you want to see it. Don't click if:
1. You want to wait to see a more dramatic change later on.
2. You don't want to see me without a shirt on.

Okay, that's all for now. I promise more/better content in the near future...sometime.

In the meantime, wish me luck!

Keeping You in the Know

A few notes I'd like to put out there...

Note 1
First, I'd like to apologize about the slowdown of updates in the last week or so. Life's been kinda crazy. Not in a bad way, mind you. I'm looking for summer internships, and that precludes a bit of time and effort making phone calls, writing letters, doing research, etc.

(Also, it's midterm season.)

I was planning on talking a bit about the internship fair that occurred last week, but I'll hold off on that right now. Let me just say right now that I have an interview set up with one company, an application sent in and and a lot of talk with another company, and I'm on the lookout on a third (as well as a couple more).

I won't say who I'm most interested in, in case any or all of the companies are reading (hi there, companies! ^_^), but there were about a dozen companies I could apply for (had I the time!) so the fact that they made it through my "Round 1" means something. (If you really want to know, give me a call or shoot me an email.)

So, anyway, I would have been updating more often, but I've only been getting 2-4 hours a sleep a night as is, and I'm hoping to increase those numbers, not decrease them further. But don't worry, I still care! :)


Note 2
So, as you may remember me mention a few times before, I'm trying to lose some weight through a diet and exercise regimen. I thought I'd give you an update on it.

Namely, I've currently passed the 200lb mark (going downwards). Which is pretty good, considering I started at 232.

Now, last week I reached my halfway point toward my primary goal of 175 pounds. I decided to take a few pictures of myself to compare with some "Before" pictures like they have in all the commercials. It's pretty interesting.

I was considering putting them up, but am hesitant for two reasons:
1. Part of me wants to wait until I have reached my goal of 175lb to post the before-after comparison, as the change will be more dramatic.
2. The pictures are of me without a shirt, which - regardless of weight - may be an unpleasant experience for all involved.

I dunno. If you really want to see pictures, let me know. Otherwise, I'll spare the Internet this time.

Long story short, diet's going well.


Note 3
Remember to check out Elderly Apple! I know everyone's busy, but you can literally, literally see each day's idea (I don't specifically call them comics; there's no real punchline; they're just ideas) in 30 seconds or less.

If you happen to have an additional 30 seconds, please leave a comment. Both on EA and TLD, comments are my lifeblood. As trite as it sounds, they give me the strength to keep going. More comments = more enthusiasm from me! Plus, it gives you an opportunity to say something witty. Remember, though, that Elderly Apple Andrew is different from regular Andrew. So don't expect a similar interaction.

Finally, if you have 30 seconds more, please be sure to vote for the comic in the Top Webcomics Vote. The button's on the side of the site. The voting system's a little confusing at first, but spend a minute and you should figure it out. The more votes I get, the more notoriety Elderly Apple gets. Also, when you cast a vote, I will give you a random trivia fact that you (probably) didn't know before. This is updated every single day, so voting every day is the only way to know them all! Your knowledge is expanded, as is my user base. It's win-win!

So, that's one-and-a-half minutes total. I understand if you feel that you don't have the time. But if you do, please check it out. It may seem simple, but it really is a strenuous mental exercise, and I want everyone to experience it.


...Kthxbai!

At Least my Breath is Always Fresh

You know, I've really gotten into mints.

Like, a lot.

I've gone through so many different types of mints in the last week.

Mentos.

Icebreakers.

Icebreakers Liquid Ice Capsules.

Lifesavers.

And yet, I can't get enough! I go though, like, a pack every couple days! Sometimes, I'll even go into pack-a-day mode!

But it feels so good!

The intense tingling/burning sensation when you pop it in your mouth. The little crunch when you bite a mostly-dissolved piece. The absolutely exhilarating chill when you breathe in after finishing.

I've heard it said that everyone gets addicted to something new each year in college.

A year ago, I was addicted to Nerds.

I think this may be the year of mint!

That Which Plays Most Plays......Most

So the last few days have been crazy. I have a midterm and a paper due this Monday. I pulled an all-nighter on Friday just to make sure the paper was done in time. I'll be studying for the midterm tomorrow. And, amidst all that, I need to write thank you notes to people I've talked to at the Internship Fair 9truth be told, I'm late in sending them, but better late than never).

I'll talk about some of the companies I talked to at the internship fair...later. I'm too tired right now.

In the meantime, I don't want to just leave you hanging, so I'll give you a random interest piece. About my musical tastes. But this isn't going to just be me saying what I like. No, this is going to come through raw, hard numbers. You see, iTunes keeps count of how many times you listen to a song on either iTunes or your iPod). You can actually see your play count if you check it under "Options." Usually, I have it turned off, but occassionally I give it a look.

The vast, vast majority of my songs have a play count of 10 or less. Only 67 of my 7000+ songs have a play count of over 100. And only 17 have been played over 200 times (which, if you think about it, is actually quite a lot).

But what about the very top? What are the songs I've listened to more than any others. Well, I'll tell you. Presenting:

Andrew Schnorr's 10 Most-Played Songs

#11 - Prospero's Speech - Play Count: 286 - What's this? I've already lied to you in some way? Yes, my friends, this top ten list will actually going to feature eleven songs, for reasons which will be made clearer to you later on. And coming in at number 11, we have this piece by the beautifully-voiced and wildly haired Loreena McKennitt. In case you're a thespian or English major, you may have noticed that this is actually a speech made by the character Prospero (hence, the title) in Shakespeare's play The Tempest. Considered the most famous speech ever, I found it very interesting to listen to. In fact, I memorized the speech based on this one song. In fact, I had even considered reading the play just due to this one song. Never got around to it, though. Hmmm....*Goes onto Amazon.com*

#10 - Where Will You Go? - Play Count: 293 - Truth be told, this one surprised me a little. Just a little. This is by the rock band Evanescence, which currently has the reputation for just being a pseudo-goth band with a female lead singer. However, their debut album (which is so rare that if you want to get a physical CD on Amazon, it will cost you $40) is, in my opinion, their best album, and it's quite different then their current styles. This is probably my second favorite song on the album (uh-oh...foreshadowing?) and it has something in common with my, uh, first favorite.

#9 - If I Could Reach Your Heart - Play Count: 340 - From the Cirque du Soleil show KA. I've actually talked about this one before. Rather than wrack my brain thinking up something original, let me just copy and past what I wrote before: "If I had a girlfriend, this would probably be my "romantic" song for us. Not to imply that I could sing it, mind you; I doubt I could hit those high notes. Still, if my life was a movie (something which I am constantly comparing it to), this would be part of the "first kiss" scene. (Or, alternately, if we were cats, the scene where we do one of those little cat hugs...yeah, that's the stuff!)"

#8 - Lost Souls - Play Count: 371 - This is actually an intro piece for a video game called Rome: Total War (you may remember me talking about the games Medieval equivalent). It was compsed by a guy named Jeff Van Dyke, who works on the whole series, and does a damn good job of it, too. Unfortunately, the soundtracks are incredibly hard to find, and I don't have them all. :(

#7 - Amour - Play Count: 388 - Ah, Rammstein. Be prepared for a bit of German coming up. Of those 17 songs I said had over 200 plays, Rammstein songs make up a full six of them. This is mainly because they're one of the first "new" bands I got into when I came to college. This is before I really had as large a repository of music as I have now. So, they were played quite a bit. They still are, though not nearly to the same extent. This is probably one of their softer songs (at least, the first half is, I guess). As the title implies, this song is indeed about love. It basically is about how love is like a wild animal that can't be tamed, etc. etc.

#6 - Orbis de Ingis - Play Count: 391 - This is actually the newest song on the list, having been purchased a mere three months ago (near exactly). That's quite a rise to the top. This is by the band Dead Can Dance. Dead Can Dance is a band whose style is hard to describe. I would say the most descriptive way is hauntingly beautiful. I was going to write an entire post on them called "The Joy of Melancholy" but was too lazy. Regardless, they're very good, at least the female half of them is. There's a guy who sings, but I don't care for him much. The woman, as it turns out, is Lisa Gerrard, who collaborated with Hans Zimmer on the Gladiator soundtrack. I knew I liked her. Also of note, this song is the best looper of the bunch. If you're not paying attention, it's near impossible to really know when it begins and ends.

#5 - Nebel - Play Count: 423 - Another Rammstein song. Again, a very soft one, not much like their harder rock. This song, for those not fluent in German and/or translation sites, is about the memory two lovers embracing on a beach in the mist (nebel is German for "mist") because one of them has to leave for some reason. So there you go.

#4 - Anywhere - Play Count: 442 - The second Evanescence song. This one actually hold the distinction of having had been played for the longest amount of time of any other song I own (by calculating play count by the length of the song). This is probably one of the softest songs Evanescence has ever done, and as I said earlier, I think it's one of their best. The lyrics kind of have a Romeo & Juliet feel to them. Whenever I hear them, I tend to sing along (or at least lip-sync). This could definitely compete will If I could Reach Your Heart for the whole love song thing. And yes, I do realize that the content of many of these songs makes me seem like a hopeless romantic. But that changes...

#3 - Hilf Mir - Play Count: 500 - HERE! "What the hell happened," you ask? Unlike the other two Rammstein songs, which I described as different from their normal hard rock style, this one seems quite hard. "Well," you continue, "maybe this one is about love, too." No, no it's not. "Hilf Mir" is actually "Help Me" in German, and the lyrics "Das feuer liebt mich nicht" mean "the fire loves me not." This song is actually a retelling of a medieval children's tale. That means someone's gonna die. And that someone is apparently the little girl "singing" the song, who disobeys her parents by lighting a match and as a result, burns herself to death. "What?" you cry in anger, "That's horrible, Andrew! Why is this your favorite song of this band?" Well, truth be told, it's not. I like a lot of their other songs better. "But then why did you play it the most?" you ask. Funny you should ask. During my freshman year, this was my finals music. When I had final papers to write, or final tests to study for, I listened to this song on repeat. It somehow, somehow helped me concentrate. Don't ask me; I just know it worked. So, there you are.

#2 - Gamelan - Play Count: 660 - And here we are at what I consider to be my true number one (why? You'll see in a moment). This is actually a background song from the illustrious Age of Empires video game series. And I don't know why, but it always seems to work as background music for anything and everything. It's soft enough for mellow things, perky enough for lively things, familiar enough for comforting things, and exotic enough for...uh, exotic things. A gamelan, by the way, is an Indonesian musical ensemble, which I'm pretty sure is used to make this piece (or at least, a digitized gamelan made it). I truly believe that it is nigh impossible to grow tired of this song. I'm not going to say it's my most favorite song up there. In some senses, it's not very extraordinary. But somehow, I love it. It just...works!

#1 - Intro - Play Count: 2051 - And here we are at number one, with an absolutely astounding 2000+ play count. It's unbelievable. Seriously, I don't believe it. As in, I'm pretty damn sure I didn't listen to this over 2000 times. Yes, it is a charming little intro piece (by a relatively unknown but very good - and very recommended - band called Stereo Fuse) featuring a public domain sound clip of the first advertising record used by the Edison phonograph, but still, I'm not going to listen to it that much. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the reason this play count is so high is that I was listening to it (with headphones, most likely) on repeat at night, and then went to bed before pausing the music. This would allow it to play all night without stopping, and being a mere half-minute long, it could play quite a bit. So it kinda cheated it's way to the top. But, I cannot deny that this is my most-played song, even if it's not my most-listened-to song.

And so, there you have it. My top 10 listened-to songs, and one piece that I left going all night. I hope you've enjoyed this little romp around my music collection to see exactly what I listen to on repeat. Anything surprise you? Delight you? Sadden or anger you? Let me know. I know my musical posts tend not to get as much discussion as my others, but hopefully this will be different.

Also, I'd be interested to see what your most played songs are. If you have iTunes, click Ctrl+J. Then check "play count." Then put your songs in order of play count. Let me know what turns up.