Plane Ticket $350...

Plane Ticket: $350.
Game Ticket: $750.
The Yankees Watching the Sox in the World Series: PRICELESS.

10 of Rods

Position: Challenges/ Opportunities
General Meaning:
This suit, most often called "Wands" and sometimes called "Rods" or "Staves," represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire. This is the suit of enterprise and risk-taking.

The Ten of this suit represents an all-out effort, an obsessive commitment to a task which demands everything you've got. The person shown in decks with pictures is in no position to rest until he makes it inside the stout walls of the well-defended castle in the distance. If he fails, he will become prey for the highway robbers after dark.

It doesn't matter that he's overloaded and underfed. With this card, you have to do whatever it takes to get to completion -- nothing can be allowed to interfere.

Railbait

www.railbait.com

Map rotation. That is what you expect at the end of a game. Often announcements for new maps, which means another 'download'. Not see a banner "In memory of... Zapped Again" and know the guy. Well, we've never actually really met. But I remember his stance, and the challenge. Amazing what an avatar can do, when bundled with real life. Two years later, not much is left of that bunch, but the portal has lived on. Non-other than Railbait is destined for the leading edge. Gamers are people too... so are their avatars.

These games are always different, but Zapped was very consistent... Always - fragged again, by zapped again.
09-14-2002
Jin
Railbait n00b
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 30

Another Jin

Worst ping. Best game.

Was going through my game directories and found an earlier version saved the final scores of my games. Well, there is one I found that I remember well. The only game I ever won. The first (and last) my team won and I had the highest frags. (my player name is Jin) The map was 2mach and I was an engineer. I made gun placement at the edge of the flag base, and just guarded the gun. Almost a shutout indeed. My team capped over and over again.



My first and last winning game.

Les Seules (The Outsiders)

The Outsiders

I saw a group of news articles last week about Les Seules (The Outsiders):

"In French, their name means The Outsiders. But in the world of competitive "Counterstrike," a first-person shooter PC game, Les Seules have moved to the forefront, thanks to their virtual machine gun and grenade wielding techniques and, well, their good looks."

ABC News


Les Seules

Relevant "Foreign Affairs"

A Global Power Shift in the Making

Global power shifts happen rarely and are even less often peaceful. Washington must take heed: Asia is rising fast, with its growing economic power translating into political and military strength. The West must adapt -- or be left behind.



Is America Losing its Edge?

For 50 years, the United States has maintained its economic edge by being better and faster than any other country at inventing and exploiting new technologies. Today, however, its dominance is starting to slip

The good life

The good life

Inushiki aka Dogggystyle

This is the local village of Kitijioji (an overpopulated town outside of the big cities of Shinjuku and Shibuya within the Megalopolis Tokyo). Music is everything here. None of the sensationalism of Roppongi, the unbridled youth of Shibuya, nor the sheer density of Shinjuku. In fact, not many here are salarymen, and those who are care not to admit. Instead a local music entertainment scene where music is the language spoken. Friends of mine DJ at Mandala, Yellow, and Star Pines Cafe. Dogggystyle is king here, and are the linch pins, friends of ours and we are fans too.

Defender

Trivia

Defender was one of the "Highest Grossing Video Game of All Time" along with Pac-Man.

According to Midway, the geneology of the games is as follows: Defender, Stargate, Robotron:2084, Joust, and Sinistar.

Lost in Translation

I saw the film Lost in Translation in Tokyo's Shibuya where a lot of the scenes were set. No subtitles for the Japanese dialog since the theater was in Japan. Why did it take so long to get released here (4/17/2004)? And why only one theater here? The lines were too long. Typical of Tokyo, theaters here sell more tickets than seats available, then allow everyone else to stand or sit in the aisles. The first show was sold out (standing room only) and I arrived an hour earlier for the next just to get a seat. This underscores the film that many don't get... TOKYO: a megalopolis of 30 million people, and foreigners on the fringe. I appreciate that Sophia Coppola spent a lot of time here, and it is very evident in the film. The best part is after leaving the theater to continue the great experience we're having here. We must admit, we've appreciated this film on many occassions over the past few months challenged with the never ending need to fit in and time spent with people we can communicate easily with.

For you, one that I dream of

Come inside and share my love. I have never shared it before. I have never been in love. I do not open up to many. When I do, I just get hurt. I wear a shell around my heart made of stone. I discard it when I am alone with you. Where did this hardness come from and appear so cold on the outside. "It is because I have not had a dream in a long time. See this life I have had can make a good man turn bad. So please, please, please let me get what I want this time. Lord knows it would be the first time." There is a warm man on the inside.


When you said you cared, it touched my soul. No one has ever cared enough to say so. I hope there will never be another. I've met many people. As I get to know them they begin to believe they know me better than I know myself. I end up not wanting to know them at all. But you're different.


Let's not put faith in marriage and simply believe in us. It is not a piece of paper or a ring that are the bonds of love, it is you and I. Believe in the future and do not look back; the past is no friend of ours. I believe in children because they are the future. Marriage is for children. Until then I will be your hopeless romantic. (billbill, 1992)

My life in dreams, traffic, haste, and doubt

"My life, in dreams, traffic, haste and doubt."

Tokyo, a megalopolis of the polite and impersonal.
My home and family, more often than not, are my office building and coworkers.
Such is the life of a "salary man".

End of a holiday weekend. Always the fantasy that I am visiting home again, if only for a short while. Now I don't know what to say. Yes, I have what I wished for; so surprised it came true. That old saying, "seek and you shall find" is no joke. Now if I could only find the exit. We need something new to imagine where we can go from here. Sweep the hollow victories aside and all the sacrifices that went with it. Time for a new plan...

Reminiscent of the gospel song grandmummy enjoyed on Sundays:

"Lord, don't move this mountain
But give me strength to climb it!
Please don't move this stumbling block,
But lead me, Lord, around it!
...
I'm climbing up the rough side of the mountain
I'm doing my best to make it in!"

Although I am not a very religious man, I know what it means.

Dream Refuge

Dream Refuge

William Wilson
August 25, 1997

When can I sit down?
Why can't I stop running?
To the car, like its my exercise
Always late yet always moving
Seven to Five, work keeps me busy
My peers insist on lunch
Although I should be at the bank paying bills
Need to use the bathroom, but that can wait
"Be right there, sir!"
Evenings are long, my time is short
Part-time job, school, home a second job
My time, just the moment between the pillow and sleep
Vacations spent working elsewhere
When I could be sleeping
Sitting is a luxury, only dreams are my refuge
Family in the morning, calling from afar
Wanting to know me like they used to
I'm lost to them, I'm lost to me
Canceled cable, and never have seen "Friends"
"Did you see that show?", I haven't seen any in years
Maybe in syndication when I'm older saying
"...now that was a good show!"
Watching life pass me by on the covers of magazines
News, just rumors heard in conversations
"Did you hear what happened?"
If it's that important, I'll see it on a cover at the supermarket
Social life, love life, club life, all someone else's life
Not my life, in dreams, in traffic, in haste, in doubt
It isn't over till it's over
Nobody, and anybody, wishing I was somebody
and everybody on my schedule but me
Why such a high price for my life,
that is owned by so many, but not by me?