the train from the multiplayer map "Terminal"

20 years and 20 days more but the memories remain

Remember remember the 9th of November
The covenant’s treasonous plot

I know of no reason
Why this age old treason
Should ever be forgot

Of twenty years
And twenty days more
We look back upon these adventures of yore
Of dual held plazzies
And charging swords galore

We gazed headlong down the networks of matches
From turf to midship, abound were the clashes
Zanzibar to Terminal we fought like no other
On tombstones, and turf
We all are but brothers

So on this day
We remember all those
Who fought by our sides
Even our foes

I hope this brings you memories
That brighten your eyes
Upon your cheek a stain
… Hey what’s that sound.
Oh crap it’s the tra*

killed by the guardians


That damn train

It’s insane to think it has been this long. I used to do the occasional “Remember the 9th post” and when I realized it had been 20 Years I was inspired to do one for old times sake.

Now why did I give this train such a focus? It has to do with when they turned off the halo 2 Servers and me being one of those madlads who stayed on for hours after it was shut down. I signed off around 5am Eastern time and one of my final matches took place on Terminal. Me being me and overtired I started doing weird things like jumping in front of this Train and saying “My last time getting killed by the guardians by train” over voice chat. The entire group in this match on both team started doing similar with such glorious acts like, “My last team kill”, “My last self ‘nade”. To this day I know I still have some of those cool folks on my xbox friend’s list; Sadly I can’t recall which randos on the list that they are. Where ever you all may be, thanks for the good times and “Empr” still remembers the good shenanigans. Happy 20th and 20 more.

Now if only I could get all the folks back into MCC we could have good times once more.

~Spartan 104

Yet I shall awaken memories of Love and Crime and Death

That time again. Just over a week before I hit the road once more. Brain is already in archive mode; Reviewing and replaying the last 2-4 years as well as “greatest” hits from other dwellings and lives.

I assume it’s not unlike when someone sorts through predigital photos in a shoe box, or someone goes through the card in a camera that hasn’t been emptied for a while. Flashes of funny, somber, intriguing, and educational moments. Nits driving me to recall and explore past moments. Whilst sorting these events into their perspective storage arrays you must rearrange what’s there, hence the rehashing of important events.

It’s always interesting the events and people it latches upon, especially from the “hits”. Some of whom were naught but a spec in the time stream but their ripples are felt like tidal waves. Those who were around for weeks or months that left waves like boulders and those with prolonged interaction that were but pebbles.

One of the few quotes that comes to mind of course is [commonly misattributed to Einstein]: “Sitting with a pretty girl for an hour seems but a minute; sitting on a hot stove for a minute seems an hour.”

I’ve never been one for time continuities, as any of the select few who’ve known me best could elaborate, which is probably why memories perpetually feel fresh and illusory.

“You will not remember what I show you now, and yet I shall awaken memories of Love and Crime and Death”

Time for a walk and some music, starting with GodModule – False Pretense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjqwXzu3C5c

2 Years of Review: Part 1; Music

WOO!

As I said Here is my post about Music. Warning very Long.

The path of my year 2014 truly started in june the previous year. Apparently I run on 18-24 month timelines. Bite me.

Note: This was originally written in January but I’ve been tweaking it since.

Music:

2014 has been a time of exploration, adventure, and doing things I’ve always wanted to. I was able to somewhat follow 2 of my favorite bands of more than a decade, hell I may have even made a few new friends along the way.

It all started off when my friend @Amaya invited me to a Project Pitchfork show at DNA in SF; she then casually mentions that Ayria is sublining for them. I was shocked. I recalled seeing a lapse of time without any music and for some reason thought that production was done. Grabbed the new album, mainlined it and prepared for that night. A sunday Domino.

We hit the show enjoyed the openers and then on came Ayria. A few of my favorite songs came on and I was freaking psyched. I toss a picture up and a very good friend of mine comments that she’s seeing her later that week! Of course I immediately inform her that we’re now better friends. Turns out she was seeing her twice and one of those two was a somewhat more private gig with friends, she stated she’d see if she could get me in. Turns out the photo I posted later of Jen and I got me in and this lead to me buying a plane ticket to Seattle for that weekend (hooray miles). Hung out with Mary for a day and then off to meet one of my more interesting and more influential friends for my travel bug. Enter Gus.

Gus and I decided we’d make good friends relatively quickly. Saw Jen, Sarah, and Mike relaxing before the show. Mentioned I saw their SF gig and that it was a blast. Sat with them for a bit before they went on. I could go on a lot more but I could do that for days. At this point I was acquainted with the group and in contact with Mike W (Drummer with Ayria tour among other awesome things)

Hanging out with Gus here lead to us gallivanting around Europe; Much of our shenanigans involved concerts and several of those were Ayria related. We saw Jen, Sarah and Mike in Berlin. This was my first trip to Berlin, first visit Oktoberfest (albeit in the wrong county), and trips to several of my favorite cities. We were able to see Ayria again in Dresden shortly thereafter and Jenn and Sarah were able to hang out briefly before the show. The show was great, the venue was ridiculous, and good times were had. A few months later was the UK leg of the tour. I was able to do 2 shows in a weekend, hit London and Bristol bringing it to 6 shows in 1 years time or about 1 every other year on average tongue emoticon. Jennifer, Sarah, and Both Mike’s were awesome and I just want to say thanks for hanging out, you’ve got a friend in whichever city I may be in.
In March 2014 another of my favorite bands was announced to be performing at an industrial festival in Berlin. 3 days of Industrial, night 1 headlined by Combichrist, and in Berlin. There was quite actually nothing I didn’t enjoy in that combination. I bought my tickets, booked an airbnb for cheap and was off. The show was fucking awesome, I found a few new bands to listen to and was able to see bands that I didn’t realize I had liked (songs from the past that I had forgotten about). I even made a new Rivet and Metal head friend!
A few weeks after I was supposed to be in Boston, around the time I was buying my flight for PAX they announced their “We Love you Tour” with VIP tickets. They were going to be in Boston a few days before PAX. Took some extra vacation time and bought my flights. 2 weeks before my flight, a chance for a work trip to seattle came up. The monday after Combichrist would be there. 1 more vacation day and a flight for work and BOOM 3 times in 2 months grin emoticon. I was even recognized by a couple of them in Seattle. I thought that’d be the end of it.

A few months later Combi announced a second leg of the We Love you tour. Starting in October in Atlanta 3 days before a wedding I was going to (more on that later). Guess I had to take a few more days off again huh? Zmarr saw me outside and laughed about me showing up again. Show kicked ass, made a few acquaintances in the crowd and hung out with Joe, Abbey, and Eric after the show. So fucking awesome. Part 2 of the Europe tour brought them near by in Glasgow. A close friend of mine loved the band as much as I did and we both grabbed VIP tickets. We got to hang out with them again before and after the show, as always they were awesome. May have even made some new friends. Thanks Andy, Joe, Z-marr, Abbey, and Eric. If you’re ever in the area let me know!

Those are only the biggest shows I went to. There were also shows for Rotting Christ, The Fantabulous Electric Eel Shock (Thanks to Christian!), Bodom with Napalm Death&Insomnium, Death, and of course GHOST [B.C.].

Special Mentions Also to: Juuso, Kibby, Dawn and Renken for joining me at the Combi shows abroad. Special mention to Rory for hitting that first Ghost gig with me (Epic freaking time) [and of course to G-Bad for letting me crash and game] and Amaya without whom the first domino would never have toppled.

Twilight of the Thunderer

Cloud cover pervades the expanse of arid land.

The sun’s been down for sometime.

I’ve lost track of how long I’ve been riding on this ridge into Oregon, “Oregon Trail Highway,” definitely feels somewhat removed like that.

My nerves are starting to question my current sanity; For miles on each side of me the cloud cover is smattered with lightning. No rain, just the flares of electricity gaining in frequency. 2 small pieces of rubber and no Farraday cage in sight. Lightning has never been a friend to motorcyclists.

As my luck would have it, none of the blasts have taken place over the highway, just everywhere around it. I hope I don’t need to take an exit for gas anytime soon, as the odometer clicks to 30 miles remaining til my next gas stop.

That’s when the music changes, as if it was answering any questions I may have about my current situation. The guitars raise, drums blast. “There is Fenris’ twin, his jaws are open wide, The serpent rises from the wave” Twilight of the Thunder God begins it’s audible assault upon my ear drums. Like a reminder, much like Thor, I am not one to back down. My right wrist begins to roll as my hand grips tight. For Thor.

These were not blasts of warning, each strike was Thor cheering me on, excited for my 5000 mile journey. I may be riding solo, but I never ride alone.

Remember Remember the 9th of November [2014]

Remember Remember the 9th of November
The Didactian Treason and plot
I know of no reason why the Forerunner’s treason
Should ever be forgot

But What of the Fore?
I know his name was Shadow of Sundered Star
and he was(is?) the Ur-Didact
The most feared warrior of all the Forerunners

War and protection were his charge
Peace and creation those of his mate
An unlikely couple were they
Bathed in blood of the Milky Way

The sickness Struck
Their most challengine foe
Causing a war
That we all still “know”

A plague it spread
From Pet to Master
Fear and Dread
A coming disaster

Run and hide
The hominids did try
But encroach upon Ecumene
without chance to redeem

A war was started
The Didact would win
but what would result
Except the death of his kin

The secret to victory
did die with his foe
as they explained
that he’d never know

Sleep he would
for many millenia
Til the sickness returned
A scourge in memoria

The shields were off limits
The swords were prepared
to wipe the slate clean
whilst filled with despair

Sleep once more
Til The covenant fell
and awake would he
To commence a new war

[Very early draft] The winds are growin

The winds grow

The winds of change
They are a growin’
Where to next
there is no knowin’

Raging sea
frightful storm
a quiet quay
but please no swarm

Not quite sure
how long I’ve left
but all I wish
is for the next
to feed this mind
and be complex

//Not happy with it yet but it came to mind as I was walking

Time

What’s on my mind? The same thing on all of the nights whilst I hunt for those ever elusive moments of sleep: Time. Time, Time, TIME.
So finite, yet immense; So fast, yet slow. There it goes; just ticking away. Tick tock tick tock down to the end.

I’ve never quite felt like I experience time the way many others do. Always so aware. Aware of the finite nature of all things. Attempting to squeeze out as much detail from every moment I can get my hands on. Even my memories aren’t on a timeline. A jumble of events seemingly occuring all at once. Yet when I can, I’ll lose myself in the present, pull away from my post in which I monitor time’s passage. It sneaks by me in a rush. A few minutes here, an hour there, a night here, 2 weeks there. Here and gone, never to return.

Even odder than the swiftness in which I see it pass. How it bends like it’s being slungshot around a singularity. Odder than all that is that is others have noticed this on the occasions in which we’ve spent time together. Time spinning out of control while my mind races to each new idea and plan, conversation starting -> flaring -> exploding -> reshaping ->transforming and Bam there it went. I snap back to my awareness very conscious about the time I wasn’t watching, rushing to get the thoughts back under control and organized. I have finite time to work with and so much to do. But which thought path to follow? So many working in parallel. Ideas with ideas, analyses running on every interaction.

Watching people run about while I sit and contemplate the past, future, present, and all of the links in between. Scurrying here and there caught up in their escaping lives and not even necesarily realizing the importance of each moment, nor aware of how each of their moments affects the next, nor how they influence the experience of all those around them.

And on these nights where I can’t even mimic normal sleep the concept of future loses perspective and my focus zooms out to incalculable ranges. Collapses of civilizations, creations of new one’s. The deaths of planets, stars, galaxies, Every thing ends at some point even the stars overhead with their seemingly infinite age, power, and immense beauty.

Time: Hyper aware yet utterly unable to grasp it. As if time and I exist only tangentially towards one another. Each feeling the effect of the other without any direct interaction.

And I’ll leave you with the thought that I remind myself of in order to keep these at bay: Every moment counts. Some moments will be more useful than others. Moments spent relaxing are just as important as those spent enjoying, which are also just as important as those spent working towards anything you feel is important or towards the end of enjoying other moments. This enjoyment could be base on the self or another person or group. It could be even strictly contentment at knowing things are getting taken care of that someone needs to take care of.
Had a bad moment? It will pass. Find what led up to it and try to avoid it in the future. That’s all you can ask of yourself.

Time waits for no one. Now what to do in these moments without rest or focus? that is a question I have yet to answer.

Good Night.
-S104

Hunger

My thought stops suddenly
My eyes expand
Pupils dialate
The pit is opened
It must be appeased
Stomach… Calm down. I’m almost done. I know you want food.
Stomach: I DEMAND SACRIFICES.
You’re such a melodramatic
Stomach: APPEASE ME. CEASE THESE SENSELESS REPETITIVE MOTIONS
Listen dude. Do you like cake?
STOMACH: I LOVE CAKE. IT IS FAVORITE SACRIFICE. OF THE CHEESE VARIETY
I know, that’s why I’m doing these repetitive motions. Now shut up and let me finish. Food will be made soon
stomach: NEVER
ugh.

Existential Debris

[Warning lights begin to flash] Captain what is it?!

It’s the proximity alarm! We’re approaching the existential debris field! Be wary of invasive thoughts!

But captain, what does it matter? Are we just a bundle of thoughts? Is that what a human is?

ENGINE ROOM FULL POWER STARBOARD!

Home: with edits

[This was originally a stream of consciousness during an interesting segment of my life. I’ve attempted to clean it up a bit. But only a little]

What is home? a home? your home? their home? my home? Is it like that building over there? no that’s a house. A home is an abstract idea, a concept that one ties to feelings of familiarity. A familiarity that can bring safety, understanding, even security to a point. For many, possibly most, a home requires a location in which you have “planted roots”, become a part of/created/embraced a community. With this community one can fulfill social contact necessary for the human species, feel a safety in numbers because you’ll assume others will watch out for you as you would expect yourself to keep an eye out for them. With the familiarity of the location you build a sense of safety due to knowledge of your surroundings, giving yourself a feeling of a “home field advantage.” If one stays in one structure while learning one’s area one would even customize their dwelling to best suit their needs, this brings comfort in efficiency of enjoyment. Easy access to pleasure, safety in numbers, safety in knowledge, as well as necessary life resources like food and water. Often these homes are built around families and a bit of stagnation while the children grow. However this is a concept of a home that I’ve not quite fully experienced. I’ve observed it quite a bit, one of my best friends lives a great example of that type of home and family. He, his parents, 2 siblings, and 3 dogs. Home always a place to return to, a place to hide, a place to regroup, and a place to share with those you care about. His home was always interesting, early on I was invited in and after a short while I was invited to “feel at home” whenever I was there. This was described as being allowed food, drink, shelter, and comfort whenever I was in the area. It was quite nice. Being a family they always had their spats but it was intriguing how they were always able to return no matter what and face things together (the children never noticed this on their own, funny the tunnel vision that is so core to humanity).

Are their other kinds of homes? I venture yes, however they are much harder to extract so in response to my favorite of Einstein’s descriptions I may not understand the abstract quite clearly enough because I could not guarantee that I could “explain it clearly to a barmaid,” however I shall attempt to explain it anyway. Pulling out pieces of the base assumptions one sees that familiarity is the root of all “home” things , a sense of understanding the entire realm of possible interactions and ‘surprises” one may run into. Using those extractions let’s apply them to some versions of home I’ve also observed.
For many, home can also be considered the arms of someone they care about, a Lover/Significant Other/Boyfriend/Girlfriend/Spouse. No matter the location it invokes a sense of security, a sense that whether or not things are rocky or smooth, in the long run everything will be OK. This one, in its complete form, tends to be particularly rare. Many will have friends/spouses/partners but not quite feel this full security when together, the confidence that in the long run it’s a team effort. This concept of Home is very much entwined with a deep feeling of ‘Love’ (or in a more accepted term for non romantic relationships: Family hood) another heavily sought after feeling for humanity.Interesting and quite nice, unfortunately much like a fire taking one’s home, the pain of loss of this kind of relationship potentially has less to do with the act of it being destroyed and more so the symbol of everything it was and could be being destroyed and attacked, Doors closing. This is one of the few homes that requires much nurturing to maintain.

What other kind of home’s are there? There are as many as there are interests in the world. Some may feel at home behind a screen, the familiarity in this is tied deeply to the flow control of information and the freeing of the mind to explore the world in a safe manner. The security of this home is based on complete control of stimulus continuation. This also brings to mind the ‘antisocial’ stereotype that has arrived in the past decade. In reality the antisocial side is the extreme worst case side of the spectrum: the segregation of the person’s life into screen and not screen, tends to be a last-ditch effort into keeping their life from spinning out of control due to outside stimulus, this is the digital equivalent of a “hermit” as they are never leaving their home to explore the unhindered change that is the non digital word. On the other end of the spectrum is the user who stays behind the screen so they can create and build universe, explore concepts, build relationships, and more. This tends to be the equivalent of the digital world traveler/Creator/etc, an opposite of the e-hermit. While to the outside observer both could be seen as similar the latter is merely a different method for exploring the world.

This list could go on and on for quite some time so I’ll move on to the last two homes that I feel are pertinent enough to point out. Firstly there is the “home on the road.” I’m not sure if this started with gypsies, explorers, drifters, or one of the many other groups known for their wandering. This tends to be categorized with those who become most familiar to life of the travel route. Beds, kitchens, tables, etc, are merely utilities that they visit on their short trips when leaving home. The familiarity of this home I feel is most likely tied to one of two things. If the traveler (A) tends to cross over the same routes repeatedly then the routes are the equivalent of the township they have laid roots in, however if the traveler (B) tends to jump from path to path then it is most likely related to the taste of adventure, or the fact that while their path continues to change the standard deviations of change are somewhat controlled by knowing the main possibilities that may arise on the road. For example the possibilities on the road frequent the following options of damage to security: mechanical failures. weather, unsavory surroundings, etc. This latter traveler type also can see many of the others on the travel route, including those of traveler type A, as people all sharing the experience together creating a transient form of a community. The community in this case isn’t built up of individuals, but concepts that make any possible individual possible to exist at some point in this ‘society’. I have met some wonderful people whilst traveling, I may never see them again but in those moments we shared a type of home.

Lastly, is another type of home that I may identify with. This home is a bit of an abstract parent to the traveler archetype I mentioned in the previous paragraph. This home is that of change. A being who identifies with change so greatly that stagnation feels foreign could very easily become either traveler depending on the extremes of change they prefer. Many of these homes can have downsides however I feel this one has the most obvious: any attempt to plant roots without finding an alternative home archetype (such as family, loved ones, etc) before the planting of roots tends to be foiled as the roots can’t plant well without the fertilization to the soil of the community/environment.

I’ve always felt at home on the road. Knowing resources exist somewhere on the road is enough to feel that requirement being filled for security of resources. Which reminds me of a point I missed, and is largely related to the home in the archetype of change. A requirement for feeling at home is feeling as if you can be you. This does not mean there would be no friction, all homes have friction, but this means that a feeling of equilibrium can be reached and being you would cause no lasting damages. If one cannot see how, one must know it is possible. If the feeling of being you is best received in the midst of change then extra effort must be enacted in order to reach any of the other home archetypes.

My home: the chaos of change, the open road, adventure. Someday maybe I’ll find the peace within one of the others.
Enjoy whatever thought paths these may awaken. Apologies for typos, I wanted to keep this stream as flat as possible.

Good night all.