I've seen this movie three times now. I just have to say that it is quite possibly the best movie this year so far. It's got frenetic pacing, the fights are awesome, and choreographed very well. The music is great, the acting is good, the humor is spot on, and the video game references are the icing on the cake. This is a great movie, and I recommend it to anyone, mostly under the age of 30, with some knowledge of video game culture.

May just be one of the funnest downloadable games I've played. It's super addicting, and it's giving me my Diablo fix. Totally worth every cent. I recommend it to anyone looking to pass some time without making a full $60 purchase.

It's available on both Live, and PSN.

So I won! I took 1st place actually! However, grand prize came with a t-shirt, lanyard, and bag. I already have those, so I forfeited them to 2nd place. I did get my Fortune Hunter Edition though. It is really awesome!

I'd like to thank anyone who voted for me... I couldn't have done it without the support!

If anyone wants to know anything about the Fortune Hunter Edition, I'd be happy to answer them and post any pictures you guys want of it.

Everyone, please go to Kotaku and vote for Rated-G! I just need to make it into the top 5 finalists to win! Join the site if you have to, or log in via facebook!


Thank you all!

Some of you may have seen it in the news: Samantha Michelle Nance, 20 year old art student, murdered in her apartment...

She was one of my closest friends here at my school. Her roommate and I were the ones who found her in her bed, facedown covered in blood. That was on September 11th... Odd, why does that day seem to have such terrible sorrow attached to it?

We still don't know exactly what happened to her, who did it, whether or not it was a suicide... which is seeming more and more unlikely as each day passes. We have one decent suspect, but the police are focusing on her boyfriend and room mate, both of which we as friends know are innocent.

It has been a hard week, trying to stay motivated with finals starting tomorrow, going to the funeral, going to the burial, and attending the memorial service. She was a sweet girl, innocent, she loved animals... she would find bugs in her home and take them outside to be free. She loved gummi bears and pickles.... she used to chew on her finger nails in nervousness and we would always tell her to stop, which would make her laugh and she would take her nails out of her mouth for another 10 minutes or so.

It's hard to think that she's gone, it's hard to feel like this is all real... at least it was, until the funeral, when I signed her casket... her sister told me what she was buried in, one of her cosplays from some Shin Megami Tensei game that she really loved. As my paint marker made contact with her casket all I could think was. "Oh my GOD.... she's in there.... right now..." At the end of the service as the pallbearers moved her to be taken to the burial site I wanted to yell for them to stop.... Didn't they know that if they moved her... she'd never come back? I've grown to accept that she is in fact gone physically... but the great memories we've made with her have definitely stayed with us.

Her grandfather told a story at the funeral, about two hunters out in the wilderness, they find a small cabin high up in the mountains. A small boy lives by himself in there and he says he is moving tomorrow, higher into the mountain where there is a spring that never runs dry, and the view is even greater. He said that Shelley has not left us, she has moved further up that mountain...

You have moved higher up on the mountain Shelley, but I can't climb any higher just yet. I haven't taken in the view at this level, I still have things to do. I want to do something for you before I can join you up there. But someday I will join you, and see what I've been missing.

It isn't fair what happened to her... and the hardest part about trying to cope with all of this is that we are just waiting for answers... I have so much more I'd like to say, but a lot of it has already been said... and I have trouble gathering my thoughts. Also, I don't know that many of you knew her... so this all probably seems pointless.... I guess I just needed to vent a little.

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On a lighter note, I've been playing the Uncharted 2 Multiplayer Demo, it's amazing. I can see myself spending hours on the multiplayer once the final game is out.

Graphics are awesome, controls are tight, it's high marks all around. I like the ranking system and the way you level up your characters.... lord I can't wait for this game. I wish I could win the Fortune Hunter edition... if anyone would like to help me win that, I would love you forever.... and possibly send some money your way.

And also, go see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The movie is hilarious, the animation in awesome... the lighting is... the whole movie is great. It was really a surprise.... mind you it probably seemed extra hilarious because I saw it right after the memorial service for my friend. But I know that either way it was still a very funny movie, a lot of the jokes worked on levels that worked for both adults and children. It was a very lighthearted film, and a good way to cheer the lot of us up.

Reaction Manager, Add Master, select object, apply transform rotation Y. Add slave,

Create, Systems, Biped.

Make sure in FIGURE mode...

Copy/Paste
Create Collection.
Copy Posture, Paste Posture opposite for arms and legs.

Scanline uses radiosity, mental ray uses ray trace.

Skylight is an invisible dome of lights. No matter how it's places, it envelopes entire scene. Infinite amount of lights on it.

Light Tracer is an assortment of controls in sacnline to adjust skylight. In Mental Ray, exposure control is used instead.

Angle of Incidence is the angle at which the light hits a surface.

I wish I was at Comic Con.... at least I got to watch Watchmen last night... I love that movie, expecially after seeing the Director's Cut... much better.

Raytrace shadow can be sued as well... simulates what sunlight does.

Bias moves shadows along surface it's being cast on.

Skylights are awesome. Bow down to them.... or something.
Eh.... I got distracted for the latter part of the class. Starving...

Layers... are important. Use three sheets of paper icon in top right of MAX to manage layers.

Bone tools allow you to create bones. Under animation>Bone Tools. Create bones in orthographic view, never perspective.

Oh man... I want to go home and watch Watchmen... I've watched a bit of it since I bought it but I've had to run errands all day... that blu-ray has amazing sound quality. The Director's Cut is the definitive way to watch the movie...

Edge loops look like spiderwebs... good way to keep quads going in model.

Bone Tools: Remove: removes bones, refine: adds bones, change root: allows you to select a new parent for bone structure.

Use Layer Manager to freeze mesh when making bones... makes things a lot easier.

BREAK TIME!

Now the program is being a little butthole... and freezing everything I create... but we're making bones in a foot... I guess I'll follow the tutorial later. Nevermind it's working now... I wish I could take a quarter off and get a job for a little bit, just to get some extra cash.

Break Time...

Adding an extra joint in the knee makes the movement more realistic.

Create a target for swivel angle. To prevent sliding, change parent to IK Goal.

Oh well... class is over! YAY WATCHMEN TIME!!! And food... that would be good too.