I just found out about this game - it's short, it's tight, and if it were a bit longer and more fleshed out, it'd be the best MegaMan game since the old days.

I got it on the 3DS download shop, but apparently it's also available for the iPhone. I don't know how it would control on there, so if you have a 3DS... get it on the 3DS. It's fantastic. It's even got two playable characters that each control a bit differently, and then a third when you beat it. (The third is a duck that can't shoot, gets killed in two hits, and can flap his wings a bit to better avoid enemies. You get to try playing through the whole game as the duck.)

There are even a few overt MegaMan references, ranging from some musical cues to disappearing blocks to ElecMan's electric spark obstacles. The only downside is that it's so short - unless you're me, and you count that as a plus. It just feels very tight.

I don't know which of you already knew this, but over the summer I co-wrote a movie with a friend, gathered up a bunch of film students and actors, scrounged up some equipment, and directed this son of a bitch. Tomorrow is the last day of shooting before we move on to editing and post-production. It's a bank heist comedy called The Day Job. I even wrote a pretty big part for myself, because, hey, nepotism. Or whatever. I think that applies.



I have some movie posters done. Here they are. I'm really excited about that.

I don't know when or if you guys will ever be able to see it once it's done, but I'll keep you updated and let you know when we've cut a trailer.

Maybe if you guys are REALLY my friends you will vote for me in TBS's Rooftop Comedy College Competition!

I am confident that you will make me proud!

http://www.rooftopcomedy.com/college/standup/watch/2011NCCCRRM_WESTERN_arobbins

You can vote once every 5 minutes, and if you don't do that I will tell on you.

I just found this on my Youtube channel. I'd completely forgotten. I had it on Private and I will return it to private in about a week, but for now... enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VuRhCN5PVc

I normally wouldn't bother making a topic like this, and we can definitely delete it when this whole shebang is done, but I recently made it to the second round of a huge online comedy competition with three fellow comedian friends of mine from my university.

It's sponsored by TBS and if we win we get flown out to Aspen to perform in front of what can only be described as a "#####load of people." This is the real deal, gentlemen, and I'd love your help.

Here's the link to our school's video page, we have to beat Michigan State to move on:

http://www.rooftopcomedy.com/college/standup/schools/Western

Here's how you vote:
1. Make an account on Rooftop Comedy - this takes just a minute, so please do it. It's dumb that they make you log in.
2. Go to my school's page, click on Alec Robbins (or Trevor Smith, Chris Raby, Sohrab Forouzesh) and press the VOTE button on the right side of the video. You can vote for one person every 5 minutes, and a vote for any of us is a vote for our team.

I reccommend watching Trevor's video in full, that kid is a comedy genius and he's going places. Also, watch mine, y'know. And the other two, even. We're all funny. If you vote, watch two videos, vote again, and then watch two more, you'll be able to have voted three times in full! You can also watch the videos of the members on our team who were disqualified, and then go back to one of the big four and vote for us again!

Thanks, you guys rock!

http://www.amazon.com/Mega-Man-Official-Complete-Works/dp/1897376790

Apparently the English version of this is out now.

<3

CONTINUED FROM PAPER QUEST


> Fled!


> AZR, you filthy coward! Fleeing from the scene! Serves you right to trip off a cliff!


> How does it feel to be a wuss?


> Wait... this looks different. What did you do, you idiot?


> ...oh my god.

WIND.

I hope SOMEBODY remembered!

Presents later maybe. I mean, there's only 25 minutes left, don't expect much.

Omegle.com

On this site, you get connected to a random stranger and just get to chat.

It's really fun, and gave me a lot of hilarious results.

I'll post the appropriate ones:

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
You: Okay, rap battle!
You: Go!
You: You start!
You: With the rapping!
Stranger: ya dig
You: say whaaaaaaaa
Stranger: backpack backpack backpack backpack backpack backpack backpack backpack backpack backpack backpack backpack backpack backpack
You: I like what you did there with that word.
Stranger: yo mama so fat even dora cant explore her
Stranger: yo
You: You are the next Shakespeare.
You: Just wanted to let you know.
You: I am severely impressed.
Stranger: i know
Stranger: i get that alot
You: So when's the baby due?
You: BECAUSE YOU'RE PREGNANT WITH RHYMES
Stranger: june
You: Oh, really? Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?
You: BECAUSE YOUR RHYMES ARE GENDERLESS
Stranger: boy
Stranger: wat up homie ?
Stranger: no homo
You: Aw, no homo?
You have disconnected.

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: hola
You: Hi. I'm the new pool boy.
Stranger: kiss my ass
You: Oh, really, Mrs. Teatherbaum?
You: I feel like... this is innappropriate!
Your conversational partner has disconnected.

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
You: You wake up alone in a cold, empty room.
Stranger: no?
You: There is a stack of magazines in the corner.
You: It is dark, but the light switch is within your reach.
Stranger: wtf is wrong with you
You: I don't know that command.
Stranger: ##### you
You: I don't know that command.
Your conversational partner has disconnected.

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: I love chocolate
You: #####ing RUN AWAY.
You: He's RIGHT BEHIND YOU.
You: Okay, seriously, if you don't move RIGHT NOW.
You: You are SO DEAD.
Stranger: I'm already dead
You: and that is my impression of a black guy watching a horror movie
You: what are your thoughts, what can i improve
Stranger: I love chocolate
Your conversational partner has disconnected.

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: can you speak french fluently?
You: You wake up alone in a cold, dark room.
Stranger: et ...
You: There is a dog in the corner, staring at you.
You: A door is to your south.
Stranger: and
You: And no, I cannot speak French fluently.
Stranger: go on
Stranger: your story intrigues me
You: You have died from intrigue/dissentary!
You have disconnected.

I had a lot more but these are the only ones I can post here.

By far one of the coolest MegaMan-related fan-creations I've ever seen.

Just click the link. It should speak for itself.

http://www.petercallesen.com/

I can't get over this guy's work. This stuff is unbelievable.

Here, look at these:
http://www.petercallesen.com/index/A4PAPERCUT_000.htm

ALL WITH JUST PAPER.

I mean, look at these:

hey guys what are all the megaman bosses names

Ha. It's a fill-in-the-blank sort of thing, see how many Robot Masters you can recall off the top of your head in 10 minutes. I got 68, sadly. For some reason I just couldn't remember those last 12.

My brother was cleaning out his room and found a huge pile of Electronic Gaming Monthly magazines that we'd amassed over the years. We never subscribed, but we always got them when we went to an airport for the plane ride. Always. We had about 30 of them. I looked through them and photographed some highlights.

I also have every Nintendo Power between 1996 and 2003 or something. But there's no way I'm digging through those.


WHAT IS THIS XBOX


Ha. Dreamcast. And yes, it says "Dolphin" up there.


Majora's Mask! ##### yeah!


Old mass-video-game ad.


The Legend of Zelda Gaiden? I didn't even remember anyone calling Majora's Mask that.


More speculative preview stuff.


Mother 3? On the N64? Eh?!


From when GTA was still top-down and low-key, ha. Nobody knew where this series was going.


Oh, Zelda.


Capitalizing on Pokemania. This was like, a 20 page feature.


More Pokemania.


Oh, Half Life.


MegaMan ads!


For those who don't remember, THIS IS HOW POPULAR POKEMON WAS.


The ads back then used to be really insulting. Like "If you don't buy this game, you're a moron!" This one was a rather aggressive pro-PC-gaming ad.


Seems like forever ago.


Best advertisement ever.


MGS2 WHAAAA


Finally made it to the states via Wii's VC.


Ha, DINOSAUR PLANET.


XBOX EXPOSED.


BANJO-TOOIE. YES.


MegaMan X5 review.

(Yes, I know the color code doesn't actually work in the subject title.)

HOUSE OF MOTHER#####ING LEAVES

This... this book is amazing.

Here's the summary that sold me on the book, swiped from some random forum elsewhere:

Alright, essentially, it's the fictional journal of a guy who found an extensive film review for a film that doesn't exist in his dead neighbor's house. The film documents a man and his family who discover that their house has hallways and doors that, spatially speaking, given the dimensions of their house, cannot exist. It documents their journey into these lightless, blank, shifting corridors, interspersed with notes by the journal-keeper, occasional comments about his life, and how reading the description of this movie is starting to drive him insane.

And of course, it's about a good bit more than that, once you scratch the surface.

I just finished it. Haven't read The Whalestoe Letters section yet but I'm going to tomorrow.

I will push onto others things that I love constantly. If I befriend you, I will force you to watch Shaun of the Dead on multiple occasions. I will sample for you my favorite TV shows during any bout of boredom. I will berate you constantly for not having read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and constantly taunt you with references from it. I will hand you the controller every time I play MegaMan and whisper the challenge "Beat this level. I dare you."

But if I really had push something on you, if only because I went so long without ever hearing about this book and thus it seems highly underrepresented... it would be, right now at least, House of Leaves.

This book blew me away.

I am NOT an avid reader. I read a lot, but I am NOT an avid reader.

I just read the same stuff over and over again. Almost exclusively Douglas Adams books. Sometimes Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Every once in a while a funny book like Maddox's Alphabet of Manliness or The Darwin Awards.

The most recent new (to me) book I read before House of Leaves was Watchmen, and that might not count since it's a graphic novel. Before that, it had been years since I'd picked up a brand new book of any kind that I actually enjoyed and wanted to read past a few chapters.

I'm very picky.

But enough about that.

House of Leaves is AMAZING.

I feel like Lunche, Edge, and Mike would all definitely be able to appreciate it. Maybe JC.

It genuinely filled me with a very real sense of dread and terror that I hadn't felt stir within me since I was very young and still had nightmares. The feeling of being so disturbed by a nightmare is so familiar, and I remember it after waking up from nightmares or being scared of those dark corners as a kid, but I hadn't felt it in so, so many years until I picked up this book.

You forget what is real when you're reading it, even though you know it's all fiction, but it's written in a way so as to suggest that even the fiction seems so real. Every doubt you ever have about the book's reality is overshadowed by doubts about that very doubt.

And since at every moment it all feels so real despite your better sense telling you that it clearly isn't but your instincts telling you that maybe it possibly very slightly could be maybe just a little bit but obviously never really because it's all impossible but then again maybe?...

...it just affects you so much more.

It's just... it's insane. But never insane.

I've read my fair share of first-person narratives meant to showcase a slow descent into insanity... but NEVER before have I seen such a REAL first-person narrative showcasing a slow descent into insanity.

When I think of Hitchhiker's Guide, I inevitably drift off to thinking of how awesome it would've been to be able to meet Douglas Adams and spend time with the man.

But when I think of House of Leaves, I shudder at the thought of meeting Mark Z. Danielewski. There... there's something horribly wrong, or horribly right, or just plain horrible about him.

Hell, he even manages to make that age-old horror movie cliche of kids drawing disturbing drawings actually scary.

He creates such vivid and haunting passages that arrange the words in such beautifully wrong ways that you aren't even surprised when they images are burned into your mind and you find yourself unable to shake them.

"The Five and a Half Minute Hallway" VHS tape... Delial... the bottomless stairway... the first dream Navidson has...

And just... just the house itself. So frightening.

Please, please, please, do yourself a favor and check this book out. I rarely ever start new topics, let alone one for a book.

I wonder if Hugh Laurie has read it.

Okay, so I was recently turned on to MS Paint Adventures. I read through the Jailbreak story, which is short and hilarious, and then the Problem Sleuth story, which is horribly long and STILL unfinished but absolutely awesome and hilarious.

Basically, these are spoofs of Text-Based-Adventure games, where readers give suggestions like "EXAMINE BOX" or "TAKE KEY" or "CHECK INVENTORY" or "RIDE THE FORT LIKE A MECHANICAL BULL." Then, the artist draws the next part of the story accordingly.

I thought this was a #####ing great idea for me to try to do in my spare time, and I figured I'd make it MMM-themed.

The rules are as follows:
- I will post a(n) image(s) that move the plot along according to suggestions given to me from you guys.
- After each posted image, you may give a command, like "TAKE KEY" or "INSPECT WALL", things like that. If you've played a TBA before, you know the sort of stuff to say.
- I will pick the best of the suggestions and then draw the next image accordingly to progress the story.

So, without any further ado:

A major passion of mine is stand-up comedy.

It's even something I'm interested in pursuing as a career. I've never performed, but I'm trying to build up enough material in order to be able to.

It seems enough Matricians share an interest in stand-up comedy to warrant its own thread.

I don't really have a favorite comedian, because I really just go through phases with who I like. It's especially hard to group them together by saying "Oh, I like Louis C.K. and Demetri Martin," because they really couldn't be more different.

Anyway, I just got done watching "Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion", a DVD I bought a while ago but haven't had time to watch. He's got a really interesting style. I love it.

Today, according to Facebook, which we all know as an unending source of delivering personal information to everyone and anyone, is John's birthday.

So.

Uh.

Have a happy one.

You bearded #####.

There are lot of secrets that I've kept from everyone I know. For a very long time, now. And on top of that, I've always found it very hard to explain my views on life. This doesn't do it justice, but today I started writing.

I just started writing what has been on my mind. All about the important things that changed me and changed my outlook on life.

It's very personal. It's very dear to me.

But my point is that I have no reason to keep any of it a secret.

Maybe I wrote it all for attention, because I'm normal and crave attention and like when people think I'm interesting.

If that's why I wrote it all, then so be it.

What still stands is that it's all authentic and it's very meaningful to me, and I wrote it and feel like showing people.

I didn't even hesitate when I posted it on Facebook, which is odd because next to none of my friends know about any of this.

And I don't really know why I'm posting it here aside from I feel that I have at least some small real human connection with you guys and maybe some of you can take something from it.

So.

My soul.

Here:

This is going to be a very, very, long read.

But it's very interesting. I finally feel like I can tap into myself and bring out some of what's going on in my head.

I have a very personal view on life, and I have a very strict life philosophy. But like I said, it's personal, and only applies to me.

This is the closest I can come to explaining that.

I like to consider myself as someone who isn't afraid to say or do anything. Someone who wants to just be himself even if he doesn't know who he is.
Someone who just wants to be as crazy as possible within the limits of society while still being in control and respected for being crazy and such.

If I'm not afraid to leave up AIM away messages telling people not to IM me because I am actually masturbating, or if I spent most of my drawing class senior year hiding small #####es in all of my assignments for my teacher to find, or if I feel perfectly natural letting people know exactly how I feel about them at any given moment...

...then why not tell all the things I've kept secret for years?

I didn't have to keep them a secret.

I just did because I thought I had to. I was finally making friends and I didn't feel like telling them all of these things.

There are so many things that you probably didn't know about me, I promise.

Some of you will change your perspective on me after reading all of this. ##### you.

If you liked me, or didn't not like me, before reading this stuff, then that's what counts.

I am who I am now. Not who I was then.

The whole point is that I'm coming clean because secrets suck and I want to be an open guy about this stuff.

Now that I'm at college and essentially starting anew with a new social group and a new social life... I really don't feel like keeping these secrets all over again.

So, here I am, putting them on a Facebook note that some people will read, and some people won't.

Killing two birds with one stone: letting my long-time friends know the things I've kept from them, and letting my new and future friends know everything about me without me having to pretend certain things never happened.

So, without further ado:

--------
CHAPTER ONE: HOWE MILITARY SCHOOL or "I'm immature and like being the center of attention and rebelling against authority!"
--------

I tell people I went to military school for Freshmen and half of Sophomore year.
Which is true.
But it's bending the truth.
I went to Howe Military School in Indiana for all of Freshmen year and one quarter of Sophomore year.
I went to St. John's Northwestern Military Academy for the second quarter of Sophomore year.
I went to West Bloomfield High School for the rest of my high school career.

Now I'll fill in the pieces.

I was a horrible, horrible child. I gave my parents such hell, and to this day I don't know how they put up with me. I was sent to the office so much in middle school that I don't even know why they didn't just get rid of me. My parents would get calls almost every day to come pick me up or because I did something wrong or did something stupid.
I mean, I've literally had the vice principal chase me around Orchard Lake Middle School on foot. I ran out to Orchard Lake Road and threatened to jump into the middle of it.

Suspension was a regular monthly event, I'm sure.

So, at the end of 8th grade, OLMS kindly asked my parents to switch me to Abbot. At least, that's the story I got. I won't count it as an expulsion, but it might as well have been. So, I finished out what little was left of 8th grade at Abbot, the other middle school in our district for those who don't know.

I behaved.

But my parents still felt the need to send me to a military-themed summer camp to whip me into shape. I think they thought it was a boot camp.

I kind of liked it. It was just the summer camp for Howe Military School. It was strict and military-oriented, but it was no boot camp, that's for sure.

I don't know what made me do it, but I decided that I wanted to go to Howe Military School for high school. It might have been that rebellious spirit inside me, but I think it had a lot to do with me feeling like a failure in public school. I had lost any friends I had made from pre-school to middle school.

I really had nobody.

So I went to military school.

The ironic thing is that even though I was a horrible kid and my parents should've been the ones to have suggested sending me there, it was my idea, just because I was that sort of kid.

It was tough, but not horrible. It was a small boarding school, college-prep, strong on academics and strict rules... just with a military aspect. So I was able to deal with it.

But I didn't deal well with authority at that age.

I was oppositional, always starting problems and getting into big things. I was suspended over and over again, my parents were always being threatened that I'd be kicked out.

I gave death threats to tons of kids that made fun of me there, I took everyone who was even slightly nice to me for granted, I yelled and screamed and refused to do things just because I wanted to start problems.

I figured out a way to install AIM on the very limited and secure school computers, not because I had anyone to talk to (because I had no friends, remember?), but because I just wanted to prove that I could do it.

The suspension wasn't really worth it.

I threatened everybody in the Echo dorm and they had to switch me to the Delta dorm, but only after a suspension.

I threatened to kill myself all the time. I built a noose for myself and stood on a chair ready to do it, but of course I chickened out because all I really wanted was attention and pity.

I got it, sure.

But it really didn't matter because I didn't know why I wanted it.

I treated everyone with disrespect and I don't know how they put up with me there.

I apologize for all of that, because Howe was a great place, and I've glorified it in comparison with the next school I went to.

Somewhere early in Sophomore year, I must've done something horrible because I was finally expelled. I don't remember what it was that I did. I've blacked it out of my head.

My parents won't tell me because they think I'm just doing it to spite them, they think I'm pretending to have forgotten just to piss them off. I don't blame them, I wouldn't put that below me.

But the fact of the matter is that I was expelled.

I remember my dad driving down in the middle of the night. I barricaded myself into my room, pushing my bed against the door and not letting anybody in.

When he finally came and they broke through into the room, I ran out into the night, hoping to hide in the Indiana cornfields and open farm fields.

They found me and my dad brought me home.

Not that I really made any real friends there, but I didn't get to say goodbye to anybody. And the one kid who was really nice to me while I was there? Well, I told him to go ##### himself, in an idiotic fit of rage as my dad dragged me out to the car.

That long car ride home was one of the worst moments of my life.

The key words there are "one of the worst moments."

Because there are more.

Here they are.

--------
CHAPTER TWO: ST. JOHN'S NORTHWESTERN MILITARY ACADEMY or "I act weird and people think I'm weird because that is the natural response people have when somebody acts weird!"
--------

When my dad brought me home, it was one very long week. I just stayed in my room and stared at the cieling. I didn't really move.

This is where I believe I developed my slight insomnia. I never really went to sleep. Just stayed up and thought. I believed I was thinking about things that mattered, about how I hadn't done anything wrong and the whole word is against me. About how I'm the only one in the world who is right, and everyone else is just an idiot.

I just lay there.

And got yelled at by my parents. And I hated them for it.

But looking back...

...I mean, hey. I was just #####ing kicked out of an expensive boarding school. I'm a failure. And they don't want to send me back to public school because we all know how that went.

So, at the end of the week, my parents inform me that they found another school called St. John's Northwestern Military Academy. It's in Wisconsin. I have to fly alone on an airplane to get there.

At this point I'm not so hot on the idea of going to military school anymore because I already used the rebel approach and it didn't work.

This time, though, it's not my choice.

Very different atmosphere, you see.

Plus, this school wasn't co-ed. Just a bunch of guys. And the showers were just one open area with a few showerheads on the wall and a bunch of naked guys showering.

At this point in my life, that idea made me nervous. Because I hated people. Because they hated me. And I didn't want to see people I hated naked.

Whatever. Not the point.

Almost immediately after I start school there, I start causing trouble. I immediately piss off every kid in my dorm, and act weird and stupid and rebellious.

I learned absolutely NOTHING.

And this was NOT the place to act like that.

I drew some cryptic image full of abstract death threats and weird things and hidden messages... I e-mailed it to everybody... and everyone took it seriously. Very seriously.

Everyone thought I was going to kill everybody.

I was bullied there more than I was ever bullied in my life, but I was asking for it.

I was being strange because I didn't know where I fit in with life. And I guess I wanted to be bullied because being hated is better than not being anybody... right? Sure, sounded like perfect logic to me at the time. Although at the time I was just doing it, and I don't think I had even worked out a reason.

In short, everybody hated me. Especially my roommate.

AND NOW TIME FOR MOVIE-TALK!

Has anyone seen Full Metal Jacket?

Remember that scene where they take bars of soap and oranges and put them in bags and beat that kid with them while he's sleeping?

Haha, that's some #####ed up #####, right? Because soap and oranges don't bruise when you get hit with them! But they still hurt like #####! Oh, man, movies.

Movies unlock a realm of fantasy that we normally could never visit.

But when I think of fantasy movie worlds that I'd love to visit, usually the lists are topped with the Chocolate Factory from Willy Wonka or the Death Star with Darth Vader... not in the bed of the boot camp getting beaten with soap and oranges in that scene from Full Metal Jacket.

On an entirely unrelated note, getting back to my story:
My roommate unlocked our door at night and let a bunch of kids in so they could beat me with sacks filled with soap and oranges, which don't leave bruises when you get hit with them but still hurt like #####.

What I felt is a certain feeling that I can't really express with words that aren't "excruciating pain" and "inescapable panic." But you can probably assume that this is another one one of those "worst moments" I was referring to.

This tipped me over the edge. I hated everybody at this school. Eventually one particular person ticked me off enough that I came at him with a broomstick.

Right outside a staff member's room.

Another expulsion.

So, from here, my parents didn't want to fly down to Wisconsin and pick me up. They are fed up with me. Words cannot describe their anger.

I'm told I will be escorted by school staff member to the airport, where I will have to fly home by myself and willingly greet my parents at home.

Willingly.

Right.

--------
CHAPTER THREE: WISCONSIN MENTAL INSTITUTION or "This is the part where I realize things have gone horribly, horribly wrong!"
--------

So, instead of waiting for my flight to take me straight into the hands of my ferociously angry (and justifiably so) parents, I make a run for it.

I don't know where I was running.

But I didn't make it far.

They called the airport security and I was held down until a police car took me away.

Away to some out-patient mental institution.

I had to give them everything I had on me, including shoelaces so I wouldn't, y'know, kill myself with them.

I had to sit in a dull room with nothing to do for hours on end. At some points they let me out into a main hall area where other screwed-up kids are sitting and coloring and watching the same movie over and over again. The Fast And The Furious. Over and over again.

It was all they had.

But they kept watching it.

Every #####ing day.

After a few days, I was alerted that I had a phone call from my mom. She was going to come pick me up.

I started throwing a fit, rebelling and telling her I'd rather stay in this institution than go home.

The institution staff then informed my mom that, due to this tantrum, I was not ready to go home yet and had to stay longer.

As the days went by, I realized that these kids really DID have problems. I got the feeling that many of them came from horrible backgrounds, may have been abused, may have serious mental problems, may have had truly horrible lives.

My life hadn't been horrible. I wasn't mentally ill (or at least I don't like to think so despite being taken to hundreds of psychologists and being prescribed every pill on the planet). And I certainly hadn't been abused by my parents.

My parents did so much for me and I never ever showed them any appreciation.

My mom got calls from the middle school almost every day to come pick me up because I had done something terribly wrong and gotten everybody scared.

My dad drove through the night to pick me up from Howe, on very short notice. And I greeted him by barricading myself in a room and then running off into the fields so they had to send people out to find me.

They both fought so hard to keep me in every school that I so ferociously tried to act like a #####tard in.

They both fought so hard to have a normal child.

And sitting here, in this dull room with nothing to do except count the minutes until the next showing of The Fast and The Furious...

...I realized something.

I #####ed my life up. I did everything wrong, messed everything up, ruined everything myself.

I was asking for everything that happened to me.

The world wasn't against me.





... I was against it.





This is when the gears started turning.

This is when everything started to go right.

--------
CHAPTER FOUR: WEST BLOOMFIELD HIGH SCHOOL or "How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb."
--------

After many days of mind-dulling mental captivity, my mom picked me up and I went home.

I was very quiet.

My parents drove me to tons of different specialty schools in the area and threatened to send me there and just give up on me.

But deep down, they still had hope.

I love them so much for whatever possessed them to give me one final chance.

They sent me to West Bloomfield High School, our public school with all the old kids that I used to claim had ruined my life for making fun of me and making me feel like I needed to act so weird. All the kids that I had tried to forget and had succeeded in forgetting. All the kids that clearly remember the idiot I had once been.

I was very quiet.

I started attending WBHS in the second semester of Sophomore year. I didn't really talk a lot. I kept my mouth shut and didn't socialize with anyone, and I came off as very shy and timid.

But my mind was going crazy.

Every time I saw a kid I used to know, it would drive me insane for reasons I still don't know. I would be overcome with feelings of hatred and fear. But I knew that I didn't hate or fear them. I just wanted to feel something.

Nobody really asked me where I'd been for all this time.

It's not like they cared, anyway.

I was very quiet.

Slowly, but surely, I began to figure everything out.

I figured life out.

As in, I figured out that life can't be figured out.

And I gave birth to a new Alec.

I joined the marching band drumline, made new friends, and started talking more.

I was being weird again, but not like before. I had a purpose now.

My purpose was to live my life to the fullest and be somebody.

Be a character.

Be somebody people will appreciate knowing and being friends with.

There's no way I can ever describe what goes on inside my head.

I can't even make sense of it.

But however I was acting, it was working. I was finally making new friends, real friends, real people that actually cared and wanted to hang out with me.

It didn't happen overnight, no. I still got into some trouble a bit, still had some tiffs with authority, but it's all trial and error.

With every mistake I made, I made improvements.

I shaped myself into something new and all my own.

I was weird.

I was odd.

I was crazy.

I was very loud.


--------
CHAPTER FIVE: MY VIEW ON LIFE or "What I've learned from all of this."
--------

If I meet somebody new, I don't want them to ever forget me.

My tool for this is humor.

I figured out that a lot of what I do nowadays is to make myself and everyone else around me laugh.

I love having stories to tell. I love doing crazy things like climbing the back of a giant ski slope or jumping out of cars just so I have stories to tell.

I appreciate characters. I appreciate people who are... unique. They are what I live for. People so odd or so NOT odd that I would feel perfectly fine hearing their entire life stories.

I don't hate anybody. I can't hate anybody.

Because EVERYBODY is a character.

Every single person has a life just as complex and interesting and full of insight as mine.

I would love to just sit down and have everyone tell me their life stories. Everything they've learned along the way.

I make a point not to hate anybody because everybody has something to give me.

Even a complete asshole fascinates me. The bigger the asshole they are, the more fascinated by them I am.

Even somebody I should truly hate, like somebody that just kidnapped and raped a small child, or somebody like Hitler or Saddam Hussein... they fascinate me because they ARE characters. But on the same note, I'm not advocating their actions, so don't take it like that.

My point is that from all that I've been through, I've really learned to love people. I've seen the very worst and the very best that they can do.

It interests me to no end to see what people are capable of.

And if you ask me if I regret anything I've done in my life, all the trouble I put my parents and the people around me through... I don't. I don't regret any of it.

I apologize for it. Greatly. Deeply. Hugely.

I am so sorry for having been like that.

But I don't regret it.

It's made me into who I am today, and I rather like who I am.

Every mistake I made has contributed into making me more me. Not necessarily a BETTER person in general, but... a better Alec Robbins. A better me.

I'm not superior to anyone, and nobody is superior to me.

I have my own life story, and you have yours.

I know how to deal with my own life and the problems that come out of it, and I'm confident in that. I'm also confident that when a new problem comes up, that I will handle it poorly and make a mistake and then learn from it, and improve upon it.

You will never forget me. Strong words, eh? But I believe them, even if I know they aren't true.

Everyone will forget me. To some, I'll just be "that weird guy who draws #####es" or "that awkward fellow who makes vulgar comments"... but I do believe that nobody will ever forget me.

I believe it even though I don't think it's true.

I'm a character.

So are you.

Appreciate that.

I dedicate all of this to my parents, who I hope will never read this.

I love you all. Every person in the world. And I hope I get to meet all of you.

I expect a "tl;dr" from Sano and a "looks interesting but I'm busy so I'll read it later" from Mike. Hehe.

Today is that day. Today is HIS day.

Our resident ninjatrician is one year closer to death today.

Sorry, buddy, all I had was MSPaint and the learned laziness of not even clicking "UNDO" once.

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/man-auctions-his-life-for-380000/20080630094409990001?icid=100214839x1204904872x1200228902

This guy sold everything in his life, not his actual life. As in, his house, friends, job, and wordly posessions.

For $380,000.

Huh.

As a massive fan of stand-up comedy, I'm very saddened to hear this. George Carlin was one of my favorites, and today, June 22nd, he passed away due to heart failure.

You were a great inspiration to me, and you made a huge impact on the world of comedy. Definitely one of my favorites.

Sucks, man. You came a real #####ing long way.

Rest in peace, George.

And here's a gift for those who haven't witnessed his comedy. Take some time to watch, if only out of respect.

EDIT:
And now, today, on August 9th, another comedian has died. Say goodbye to Bernie Mac. Dead at the age of 50. Holy shmoley.

EDIT2:
And now, today, on August 10th, another celebrity has died. Say goodbye this time to Isaac Hayes, famous musician and best-known to us younger folks as the voice of Chef on South Park. He was 65. Ugh. Link.

I recently fell in love with these guys via a re-run on HBO. For those who don't know, they're a sort of comedy band from New Zealand and they earned themselves a series on HBO, with one season complete and a second returning in the summer.
I watched all their show stuff on Youtube and borrowed the first season on DVD from a friend.

These guys are really talented, some of the funniest stuff I've come across in years.

I especially like "The Humans are Dead" and "HipHipopotamus VS Rhymenoceros." I actually performed the latter for a class today, I memorized it overnight.

It's a very... odd sort of comedy, but I highly reccomend them. From what I hear, they're either a hit or miss band/comedy duo, as people either think they're weird or love them. Most of you guys would probably love them.

They're the best thing to come out of HBO since Entourage.

WINNER IS CHAOSVORTEX
During the "Double-Or-Nothing Round" against me... he lost. So he gets nothing. But I'm a nice guy so he still gets something. Just 'cuz.

RULES
----------------
The starting date is as-of-yet undecided, but the general rules are solidified.
Every Brawl will be between two players, as shown on the bracket. They will be 5-Stock Matches on the stage Battlefield or Final Destination. Items will be turned to ON.
After each Brawl, BOTH contestants of every match must PM me the results of their Brawl. If both PM's results are inconsistent with each other, I will intervene. The winner will move on to the next round.

ROUND ONE - (days 1-2)
Each Brawl in Round One on the bracket will be given two days to complete their match. If in two days the Brawl has not been carried out, I, ASR, will decide what happens.

ROUND TWO - (days 3-4)
In Round Two, each Brawl in Group A and Group B on the bracket will be given two days to complete their match. If in two days the Brawl has not been carried out, I, ASR, will decide what happens.
The exception to this is Group C, who will have 4 days to complete their Brawls during Round Two.

ROUND THREE - (days 5-6)
The only match in Round Three will be between the remaining players from Group A and Group B.
The remaining player from Group C gets a bye on this round and waits until the Final Round.

FINAL ROUND - (day 7 and on)
The remaining two contestants will have as much time as needed to complete this final match. The winner of this match is the winner of the tournament.


CONTESTANTS
--------------------------
Every contestant is responsible for adding all of their opponents to their WFC Friend Roster.

Nova:        2234-6798-7010
JohnC:       3050 7233 8731
OD:            2793-0330-9889
Chaos       1504-5438-6710.
Dr.:            0301 9444 6956
Majikn:      3609 0703 0996
Xero:         2835-9763-6949
Sano:        0946 1898 5918
Snare:       0344-8998-2734
Vinchenz:  1075-0422-4358
Fatso:        0989 1445 9678
Morg:        2578-3135-7235


PRIZE:
-----------------
The winner of this tournament will win any single Virtual Console game of their choice, provided by yours truly, ASR. I am not responsible for any region-related problems that prevent me from sending you a game.
NULL DUE TO ASR NO LONGER PARTICIPATING: In the event that I, ASR, win the tournament, every contestant needs to buy me the Virtual Console game that they think I will enjoy the most. If I do not enjoy a game chosen, I will find who sent it and eat their heart. Subsequently, their entire family will explode in an entirely unrelated incident involving scizzors and nine dozen hot dogs.

TEMPORARY NOTES
---------------------------------
At the bottom of this post is the bracket. It will be continually updated according to the results sent to me via PM's.
This bracket is TEMPORARY. If you feel that you need more time, please post here about being moved to Group C. Group C gets two extra days for the second round's battles.
The list of contestants is NOT final but the number of contestants competing IS.
Contact me either via PM's or preferably posts here if you need to make any changes.
The dates will be decided shortly.

Okay, so I normally don't like webcomics. However, there are a few that I do enjoy thoroughly.

- Sinfest
- xkcd
- The Perry Bible Fellowship
- Cyanide and Happiness
- Copper
- Nintendo Super Squad

I normally go for the less stupid ones, but Snare introduced me to Nintendo Super Squad and it is quite literally among the funniest things I've read. The author "cooltendo" is using a fake alias, his real name is Loki. The comments at the bottom of most pages are hilarious parodies of pathetically untalented losers making comics... and the comics themselves are hilarious.

Sinfest is awesome artwork, and updated DAILY, as in every day, including Sunday strips, but the humor level fluctuates, and sometimes it takes a more serious tone. Full of underlying messages.
Cyanide and Happiness is my stupidity fix. Not really much else to say.
XKCD is pretty funny almost all of the time, but sometimes the nerd jokes are above me.
Copper is a small collection of beautifully drawn strips that remind me of Bill Watterson's work.
And of course, PBF is awesome. Mike introduced me to it, and I saw the hardcover collection on sale at Barnes & Noble for $6.99. I used my friends employee discount and I might as well have not even paid for it. Well worth it. Really funny stuff.

Ah, we don't have a TV show thread? I don't feel like making a whole new thread to talk about JUST Peep Show.

But yeah, I just watched the entire series of Peep Show. Marvelous, hilarious stuff. There were some bits that had me laughing harder than I have in a very long time.

Okay, howsabout you piss in this bottle, and then I drink it.
Why the hell would you do that?
For a laugh!
Yeah, but if you drank my piss, I'd feel violated.
Oh, come on Mark! It's only for a laugh!
Jeremy...
You wouldn't let me drink your piss?!
Why do you even WANT to drink my piss?!
For a laugh!
This is absurd!
I'd let you drink MY piss, you know.
Well, thank you, then.


Ahaha, I love it.

ASR ON YOUTUBE

ASR BLOG

Okay, so, I needed an art thread. About time, too. I've been too lazy to make a new one since the boards came back up. All images are hidden behind spoiler tags so as not to clutter the page. The artwork here ranges from a couple years ago to right now. Enjoy.

---
HAPPY LANDSCAPE
This was fun to draw, but it's very, very old now.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
THE ADVENTURES OF OLDMAN
Another old cartoon, but I've always loved it.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
VOICES [warning, violent]
A bit graphic, yes, but it had a message so it's forgiveable.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
EVERYONE'S FAVORITE MORK MUFFIN!
The very first thing I ever drew in Flash. This little fellow has a special place in my heart, despite his crappy design.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
WORTH LIVING
A bit different than my usual stuff, this was my final last year for Computer Graphics class. It's a combination of different photos and effects: a photo I took of the sun, one I took of Lake Michigan, one I took of a friend, and a bunch of generic happy scenery slapped around half-visible.
Click to View
---
---
UNDERLAND
Nothing ever came of this small cast of characters, but I saved all of them:
The Grim Reaper
The Anti-Christ
Impedi/Impeddy
The Pope
Squidjee
Ted
---
---
ITOONS
I planned to make a Flash cartoon with these guys, but I never got past the promo teaser. I'll post that if I find the link.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
THE MAGNIFICENT MO-MO
I drew this comic to make fun of my one of my friends...
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
I'M POPULAR WITH THE EMO KIDS
Hehehe...
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
THE ZOMBIE HUNTER
Taking it literally.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
DIBOLO
I should really re-use this character. This turned out pretty well.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
SIR LINQUE
Turned out pretty badly, but I still like the design and the emblem.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
EVERYONE'S FAVORITE MORK MUFFIN IS HIGH!
More Mork!
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
MY FIRST MONOCLE RAPTOR
Uhhh, seriously. I have no clue, either.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
ROCK AND BEAVER
Nothing ever came out these guys... 'twas a failed project between Jake and I.
[spoiler]

[/spoiler]
---
---
MIKERO CAN'T EAT BURGERS
I drew this for Mike on his birthday. Always a laugh.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
REZ IS OLD
I drew this for Rez on his birthday.
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
MY GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT
Use Strength on the truck behind the SS Anne!
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
SOMEWHERE NEAR
This is a comic strip I occasionally add to. So far there are 5 strips.

Strip 1
Strip 2
Strip 3
Strip 4
Strip 5
---
---
THE MANY INCARNATIONS OF ASR
Here you go, the definitive collection of ASR-themed artwork:
[spoiler][/spoiler]
---
---
THIS SCHOOL SUCKS
10 pages done with hopefully more to come. It was a doodle-style comic I drew during class, and I had a lot of fun with it. It's still not done, but I'm having my doubts about finishing it.
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
---


And now, just today, I took that spaceman version of ASR and incorporated it into a new idea... I'm using the title of an old MMPU stage I made. It's called: The Simple Complex. I've re-used that title over and over again, but I assure you, this new idea fit the title well.
Here's some concept art:
[spoiler]

The full page of concept artwork that I just doodled while I should be studying for finals.


Close-up of Alan Simple. Yes, it's no longer Ayesar - it's Alan Simple. Go with it.


Another close-up of Alan Simple, a bit different.


Redenbacher, Alan's floating sidekick.


Seabiscuit, Alan's trusty steed. Guess what its species is called?


Are you figuring out the outer-space theme, here?
[/spoiler]
Anyway, yeah, I've got tons of ideas for it, but I'm not going to let it interfere with the slow updates of MMMTV. I'm going to try and actually put some time into this... I like what I have so far.

EDIT: 2/5/08, promo page for The Simple Complex:

Never played the PSP version, but there's a DS one coming out soon. The Japanese site has a playable Flash demo available online, which I found very interesting whether or not it's a good game.

http://www.exitgame.net/pc/trial/exit_ds07.html

It seems a bit slow-paced, but I sort of like it. Dunno', though.

As in, show off your little tidbits and trinkets and collectables that are lying around your room, or your house, or whatever. I started this thread somewhere else and it actually turned out to be pretty interesting, so, well, why not?


My "game station." My game count has dwindled down a bit over the years, having sold a bunch of Gamecube games and such. I have more 360 games in the basement, such as Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4. Anyway, let's see how long it takes you to figure out what's wrong with that photo.


Ah, South Park. I just need Season 9 and 10. I blew my money on Doctor Who instead, but it was certainly worth it. I've also got all the seasons of Scrubs on DVD so far. There's actually a ton more movies behind that row, and same goes for the shelf directly below it. The thing is, ALL of those cases are empty, and the DVD's are all in a massive case lying on my dresser across the room. I've got a pretty big DVD collection, but those are the ones I display. For the record, I only buy TV collections of comedies - with dramas, you tend to watch them once and then wait an abnormally long time before watching them again. With things like Scrubs, South Park, etc., you can just pop in any DVD from any season and have a quick laugh.


Jake is currently in possession of my Tonka Trucks game instruction manual. It was my favorite. Keep in mind I don't own ANY of these games anymore.


What kind of MegaMan fan would I be without these two games? Note that I don't actually own an NES, nor have I ever owned one. I borrowed one for a year, though. When I was 7. Or 8.


Marvin is a playa'. The only redeeming quality of the movie.


My crimson/black DS stuffed snugly into an ancient and worn leather Game Boy Pocket case from back in the day.


Usually my room is clean, but this corner has amassed quite a bit of... well, you can't really call it junk. You can see my now obsolete Gamecube, my brother's PSP, my cell phone, a plug-in heater (it's damn cold!), my portable DVD player, a pair of black drumsticks that I use for Rock Band, two empty Nintendo DS boxes (the bottom one being from the original release of the phat DS, complete with an advert for the MPH demo), the Wii packaging, several chargers, and other crap.


#####ING ROBO-RAPTOR. The coolest little toy you'll ever find.


Aaaah, my own books. You've got the His Dark Materials trilogy, some Jhonen Vasquez comics, Maddox's The Alphabet of Manliness, any my complete Douglas Adams collection. Note the open space where both Dirk Gently books should be. They're currently off the shelves.

That's all for now. I want to post a pic of my Game Gear but I haven't got my camera out. I'll do it later, along with some other pics I opted not to show just yet.

PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE

-------------------------------
-KIDS BLOCK-
-------------------------------
6:00PM - Spongeplant Snarepants
Join loveable old Snare living under the sea devoid of oxygen and sunlight! He dies! A lot!
Episode 1

6:30PM - Rugratricians
Check out the Matricians as young'un toddlers! What magnificent imaginations they have!
Episode 1
Episode 2

-----------------------------------------------
-PRIME-TIME BLOCK-
-----------------------------------------------
7:00PM - The Matrix - [spoof of The Office]
Tune in to catch the zany antics of the MegaMan Matrix Paper Company! Silly old Jake is such a hapless comedic, and as the boss of this branch, he's got to keep ASR, Snare, Nova, Mike, and more unique characters in line! What a hoot!
Episode 1

7:30PM - Judge Jakey - [spoof of Judge Judy]
Small claims court is brought straight to your home thanks to MMMTV! Jake is no kind judge, but he is a fair one! He'll handle anything from rape to a simple child molestation case! No matter how small the crime, Judge Jakey is there to have the final word!
---COMING SOON---

8:00PM - The Apprentrician - [spoof of The Apprentice]
Three pathetic Matricians. One open moderator position. Welcome to the reality show of a lifetime - who will impress Abe and his close advisors Rez and Xero, only to walk away with a spot alongside them?
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5

9:00PM - Lost! - [spoof of... duh]
Not much has been said about this show, but it won't be much longer before it hits the air and you can find out for yourself! Something about a monster and an airplane, also possibly an island.
---COMING SOON---
Bonus Retro Page from the original MMMTV!

10:00PM - Everybody Loves Lunchebox - [spoof of Everybody Loves Raymond]
Don't watch this show. Ever.
---COMING SOON---

11:00PM - Heroes?! - [no. no. no.]
Never gonna' happen. There's just no way that a show about countless people across the world discovering that they superpowers of their own can do well. No way at all. We'll cut it from the schedule soon enough.
---NEVER COMING---

12:00AM - Late Nite with Jake Mikero - [spoof of late-nite talk shows in general]
These two buddies are sure to give you one last laugh before you settle in for the night! With a wide range of fabulous guest stars, and the wonderful on-stage band led by Snare, you'll never have to fall asleep in a bad mood ever again!
---COMING SOON---

-------------------



Got bored today. I think I'll actually get something DONE if I handdraw this bad boy.

I'm game. Expect at least a HANDFUL of pages, which is better than I did last time.

I was among the first to get Call of Duty 4 DS when it came out if only because my younger brother is quite literally obsessed with the series on XBOX. I was really interested in seeing how a true FPS would be handled on the DS, and was very pleased with the result.

The graphics were top-notch, especially the first (second, I guess) level out at sea on the rainy ship. Not only was the environment slowly rocking, but it was raining, there was lightning, and it all looked great.

I've never been one to let graphics "make" my game, but in this case, they played quite a major part in how much I liked it. On top of it, they were very successful in "pioneering" the FPS genre for DS. Although it took a little while to get used to, it was done just right and it made for a great game. Appropriate touch-screen usage, too.

I'm also well aware of Dementium, and I have played it, and that game, too, made good use out of the FPS genre on DS. It ran quickly and well, but it was a bit cheesy and had the same problem as Doom 3 - flashlight OR gun, but never both. Still a decent game.

Now, with titles like Assassin's Creed coming just within the next two months, it's really nice to see that more effort is being put into the larger, more reputable hardcore games of the console generations and their conversions to the DS format. Hell, PSP didn't even get a Call of Duty 4 game.

I'm really interested in Assassin's Creed, though. No information or screenshots have been revealed yet, and it's due for release February 2nd.

Basically, this is just a guy poking fun at a poorly translated Phoenix Wright H-game. I don't think I've laughed this hard in a while

Page 2 and onwards are NSFW.

Link removed upon completely viewing the site. Nothing too bad, but not appropriate for MMM. Ask if you want the link.


EDIT:
Work-safe link, provided by Winduh:
http://www.finalturnabout.com/pdrive/ws4.html

Okay, so I'm a fan of Guitar Hero 3. I never owned 1 or 2, but I definitely played them a ton. I bought 3 when it came out, never expecting to have enough money to blow on Rock Band.

Welllll, I just got Rock Band for Channukah. I had 4 buddies over last night and we spent over 5 hours in a gloomy basement playing Rock Band and it was a total blast. We were laughing every second, or getting hardcore and crap like that. It's the ultimate party game - plus, it's really fun making your own characters although it is pretty limited.
We made our own band and switched around a bunch. At one point, we set the drumset to expert and had the 5th person (only 4 were able to play at a time) control just the drumset pedal.
The singing stuff also makes for great fun, too.

It's awesome that you can use the GH3 guitar, seeing as its wireless while the Rock Band stuff is not.

I don't think I've had that much fun in a while. I'm really good at the drums, which makes sense since I'm a drummer. It's still very different. No rebound on the sticks, which will probably bug a lot of drummers. The whole lot of us (my friends and I) are in the school drumline together (and play drumset on our free time a lot) and we got over it, but I suspect some hardcore drummers won't.

Now, this morning, since everyone was finally gone, I was able to play single-player for a bit. Just as fun, because that's the more serious side to the game. It's just as in-depth as GH3's career mode, and it's different than the multiplayer Create-A-Band career mode also featured in the game - the whole experience is very diverse.

I just got back from the movie and it was... AMAZING. Entirely true to the book, no disappointments in any way, shape or form. It was simply amazing. Great acting, special effects, and it was... well made. A few small things were changed, but nothing horrible.

It ended a bit before the actual ending of the book but at least they chose a good spot. I went with someone who'd never read the books and even she thought the movie was great. She just stole the books from me. Yay?

============
PG-13 WARNING
- blood
- minor drugs
- bad, bad words
============

Rather than just drawing single-paged one-shot comics during class downtime, I decided to actually try a small project. It'll only be one issue, maybe 12-15 pages, but I'm definitely going to push myself to finish it. That's why I'm aiming small. Besides, it's only quick doodles, and I'm not trying to make it look professional.
It's called This School Sucks, and it started off when I came up with the idea for a school where the principal is a pirate and the janitor is a ninja...
Principirate and Ninjanitor. Instead of focusing the comic on them, I brainstormed a #####load of other school-related fictional characters, all using puns. Like the Vice Pincerple (a crab), Mr. Historaptor, Mr. Vikinglish, and The Algebrabominable Snowman. Then I decided to have it focus on a 3rd-grader named Rodney having to deal with the crazy school's staff and other kids.
Here are the links to the two concept-art brainstorm pages:
Concept Art Page 1
Concept Art Page 2

Here's page one, followed by the links to other pages so far:



Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10

I was very pleased with ZX:A. I didn't get to complete Expert mode because my data got cleared, but everything about the game was great. Even the unlockable mini-games and such were quality.

Being able to play as an 8-bit Model A made me so happy.