So Yet Again I'm Waiting . . . .

On a sunny Friday afternoon I find myself, once again, sitting here waiting for my virtual machine to update at a snail's pace at the computer lab. So I figured that I would update my blog again and take advantage of the spare time I have.

Today has been . . . interesting. I found out last night that my CS 1400 class had been cancelled because the Dr. Nadauld gave his Inauguration speech and they wanted to give the students a chance to go if they wanted to. Even though it was cancelled, I still went to my friend's class this morning at 9 AM because I can't afford to fall behind in that class. The homework is over my head as it is. I will be extremely happy if I can pull out anything above a B out of that class, and if you know me, and I assume that most of my three readers do, you know that I take well to anything less than an A in any class. It kind of upsets me that I'm stooping so low with this class when it's a class that I should like and have a predisposition to excel at. *sigh* I guess I just can't win everything . . . or anything. Well, I guess I shouldn't be so hard on myself, I am in college with a scholarship and good enough grades to keep it as of right now. College isn't a piece of cake like some would think.

I guess I would just like to have perfect grades, have the women love me, have a Lamborghini Diablo GT, know 10 different languages fluently, be able to run a marathon and be able to understand the mysteries of the universe. But I guess that life isn't perfect for a reason. But that reason is escaping me at the moment, is always escaping me . . . . Maybe one day everything will be perfect, maybe. It's so hard to see it now though.

So I have been playing American McGee's Alice I have come to hold in high regard for its originality and gameplay. It takes a darker look at Wonderland but there is a reason behind it. The game takes place years after the two books when she a teenager. In the beginning cut scene there is a fire in her house and she is the only survivor of the fire, but because of this she is riddled with guilt and is unable to deal with life. She tries committing suicide and is prevented and admitted into a mental institution on suicide watch. But while in this variable hell, she is given a stuffed bunny that survived the fire. This awakens all sorts of memories within her sending her spinning into Wonderland. But when she arrives, she realizes that Wonderland is "broken" because her mind is "broken." It suggests very interesting parallels.

So though out the game she is trying to come to grips with the fact that she isn't guilty by rescuing Wonderland from the evil that engulfs it. So the game is really a journey of the mind, a very interesting concept, indeed. I guess that some would find the game disturbing, but I on the other hand, think it fits the idea superbly. In a way, it brings Alice to the same level as the rest of the world be having something bad happen to her. You can relate to her in a way that is unattainable in the fairy tale. Overall, it is a very well designed game with depth to the story. The controls, especially the jump action could have used work, but besides that I don't have many complaints.

I also helped out with the Institute's food day today. I helped clean and put away tables, wash dishes and just help clean up. It felt good to do some service. And although I didn't come as early as I could have, I stayed until everything was done.

Wow, this Malicious Software Removal Tool is taking forever, it probably has been going for a good 45 minutes. So even though it's not done yet, my patience is. So I will sign off and hope that my select group of readers will comment.

Peace.