So it’s Sunday now and the Thanksgiving holidays are winding down. I really didn’t accomplish a damn thing over the break. Lets see, Tuesday night, keg party/downtown/drunk. Wednesday night downtown/drunk. Thursday night downtown/really drunk. Friday night keg party/downtown/keg party/drunk. I did get a chance to spend some time with the family Thursday afternoon and stuffed my face with some of the best food I’ve had in over a year. Then I took the best nap I’ve had in over a year. During Thanksgiving I realized that it has now been over a year [ since it happened. ] This time last year I was a binge-drinking depressed, broken-hearted mess. I wasn’t home for the holidays, barely spoke with my family on Christmas, man- it was bad. I wish I had something really interesting to say about my break, but I really don’t.

I realized how far I’ve come since then and it hit me that I have much to be thankful for. So I just wanted to be serious for a second and remind you not to take the really important things (in my case for instance, my family) in your life for granted. Another thing I’m thankful for is the amount of time I was able to spend with Alison and all of my friends.

Now, lets toggle that serious mode off. Today I did something that I once defined as the impossible. I bought Everquest II. I know, I know, I know. I only bought it because it was highly reccomended by a number of my friends, and I thought it would be cool to join up with them in a MMORPG. I’m the kind of gamer that has to play at least one MMORPG per year, so I can realize that they still do get fucking old after about three months and make you regret all of the time and effort you put into the game. No, I’m kidding. I look back at all of my MMORPG experiences with fond memories. I only wish that I could go back to games like FFXI and get that same exciting feeling again, but it just doesn’t happen. If any of you out there end up getting the game, I’m Jethrai on the Befallen server.

Anyways, that’s all for now.

PS: I am in the process of adding all of my old “Everything Whatsoever” posts to the archive section (which will make that [] link above work.) They should be up in a few days.

“Sing like you think noone’s listening.” - Straylight Run

Until next time,

Ahh, I can’t freaking sleep! So I figured I may as well catch up on my posting. I had this great post Friday about Half-Life 2, but as I hit submit, my browser decided to thwart my efforts of uploading data and crashed. I tried fighting back with an End Process and a page Refresh, but the sonofabitch was too tough for me and I lost the post. Then this weekend, my server decided to join in on the caper and was down for a day or two. Needless to say, we’re back now.

So a little more on the EP… it’s going to be eight songs. Cail is coming down pretty soon to practice up and start recording. We are going to do 4 songs written by Cail and 4 written by yours truely. At this point in time, (unless a tidal wave of inspiration hits me and I can come up with something better) I am selecting “Please No” [ “I’m Not Alright” ] [ “Enunciate” ] and [ “Serotonin” ] for recording. I’m not sure exactly what Cail is going to pick, but I’m hoping that “Just Enough” and “Solitude” will make his cut.

This weekend was pretty uneventful. Went to a party, went downtown, same-ole-same-ole. Normally I could yabber on about various moments of insanity and humor, but this weekend was actually pretty dry. Does that mean I’m becoming jaded? I think I need a vacation, or hell- maybe even a girl to keep me busy and to keep me from becoming impendingly boring. Blah. Blah‘d-Dammit. If I had to write a sentance about this weekend and how I feel right now, it’d be “What a blah strange blah it’s been.” I bet I could win a gold medal in the Blah Olympics with my track record. Okay fucking-A I’ll stop. Blah.

So… Half-Life 2. I could write a lot about this game, (don’t worry, I’m not going to) but before I get started, I just want to say that I was not really all that hyped up about its release. I mean, Yeah, I knew the graphics were going to be good, and Yes, I had a feeling Valve was going to do something revolutionary with the game as per their track record. However, I was actually hoping this game would suck. I was hoping it would be one of those games that was so over-hyped that people made themselves believe it was awesome. I wanted to point fingers at reviewers and say “That is the most fucked up bullshit-biased review I’ve ever read in my life.” I wanted to make fun for people thinking a game is Jesus just because it has been hyped up for years.

And then I saw the intro.

And then I played the first stages.

I was dead wrong. This game is fucking incredible. The graphics, the sound, the gameplay are all state-of-the-art and most up-to-date on badassness. I don’t know if badassness is a word, but dammit it should be just for the sake of this review. The technology in the game is simply amazing.

The physics engine resembles that of real life. You can pick up a bottle, throw it against a concrete wall, and it will shatter into various shards of that bottle, which you can pick up individually, shoot individually, or whatever you really want. I must also mention that the lighting effects will follow not only the bottle as it travels through shadows or what have you, but also for each invidual shard based on its location. I must also mention that the bottle will make a different, very realistic sound depending on whether you hit a metal gate, a wodden box, concrete, etc. This physics engine applies to almost any single object in the game. The character models are the best I’ve seen to date. The voice-acting (the way the characters faces move as they talk) is simply dead on. The level-designs are fantastic and extremely realistic looking. The weapon engine is very fluid-feeling, and reminds me a lot of the Rainbow Six 3 weapon-handling. I have put about 4 hours into the game, and from what I have experienced, the story line is extremely awesome. Very mysterious and adrenaline-pumping and leaves room for future “oh, so that’s why… (s)” Get this game. It is being rated as pretty much the greatest game of all time, and I can almost agree with that. It will win Game of the Year awards from every major entity of gaming media, and it will raise the bar for how games (particularly first-person shooters) need to be developed.

Anyways… Goodnight.

“I know we all can’t stay here forever, so I want to write my words on the face of today.” - Blind Melon

Until next time,

So yeah, I just found out I’m officially going into the studio in the middle of December to record an 8-song EP. WOO!!!

In other news, I’m installing [ Half-Life 2 ] as I type this.

“Open up the windows, let your skin burn in the cold air- it makes you feel alive.” - Kevin Cadogan

Okay, so I go to play some Xbox live and, “where’s my headset?” Haley fucking went to town on it. So I go to find her and do the point and yell thing (maybe a little pop if she doesn’t get the idea) and find her pissing on the fucking rug. So what did I do? I went to find the electric tape- and it wasn’t going to be for fixing the wires.

+

=

Oh and before you leave that patronizing “animal cruelty” post, it didn’t hurt her- that’s why you use electrical tape. It just bothers her for a good 10 minutes until she gets it off.

“It’s yet to be determined, but the air is thick, and my hope is feeling worn.” - Dashboard Confessional

Until next time,

So yeah, I’m pretty much in the computer labs right now doing this post. Picture the scene from Billy Madison (“cholorophyl, more like boreaphyl”) except there are no girls in here and the professor is talking about the contributing factors to information security theories in Cyberethics.

So Half-Life 2 should be arriving on my doorstep tomorrow. In contemplating this, I’ve realized that some of the biggest releases in gaming history have happened, and I’m not nearly as interested as I should be. I mean, hello… Halo 2 came out, LOTR : Third Age, Paper Mario, Killzone, and now freaking Half-Life 2. It’s like I just don’t care as much anymore, and that freaks me out. I used to be Jeff “I’ll own you fucking any day” Wichman and now I’m more like Jeff “Lets go get drunk and meet girls” Wichman. Even to this moment, I’m not quite sure which one is better- or if either of them is even a culminating middle name. Speaking of video games, Haley was doing pretty good about not chewing on things she wasn’t supposed to be masticating. However, as I signed on to Xbox Live last night (my gamertag is BlindJestr by the way) I realized that something just wasn’t right about my … right thumb stick. The little hoe decided to use my left thumb stick as a toothpick… wow- I just totally opened the doors for a dirty joke.

Fuckin’ A, it’s time for me to get to my next class.

7:53 PM EST

So I just wanted to stop in and say that tonight I made two goals- one long-term and one short.

Short-Term Goal:

I’m going to record a cover of “One Thing” by Finger Eleven tonight. I’d first like to make my typical “I liked this song before it got famous” statement. I liked this song before it got famous. Right now in particular, the song has a lot of meaning in my life (maybe I’ll get into that sometime.) Anyways, next…

Long-Term Goal:
I’m going to write a book. Yes, I really am. No, I’m not just saying it because I want to. It’s going to be a collection of writings pretty much- and it will contain a lot of random poetry. I’m just basically going to write down my thoughts on various aspects of life- things that I spend hours thinking about while pushing through my days. Hopefully I will have it finished and by summer- after which I will begin shopping around for a publisher.

Yep, so I guess I should get started recording.

Until next time,

Due to popular demand, I give you pictures from Halloween weekend and more Alison pictures:

Edge Morrison- lead singer of Knives N’ Carnations

Alison and I getting hammered on her birthday.

“Don’t be a slave to a moment of change.” - Kevin Cadogan

Until next time,

Sorry it took me so long. I ended up going to Athens on Thursday and I didn’t get back until tonight. I spent too much time working on the pictures so I’m about to crash. I’ll elaborate on the last few days later… maybe. Enjoy.

Haley
These are pictures of my dog (puppy) Haley (pronounced “Hail-eee.”)

Friends
Here are various pictures of some of the people I will talk about from time-to-time.

Alison	Alison	Hope	Lauren
Shadee	Shadee	Sydnee	Victoria & Amanda

Jake
Here are a few pictures of Jake the Snake (and his last meal.)

Wet T-Shirt Contest
I don’t really need to explain this one- enjoy fellas.

Matchbook Romance
Matchbook Romance at the concert Alison and I went to.

Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday at the concert Alison and I went to.

The Background on my Phone
I was driving home from class one evening and took this picture of the sky.

“How happy is the blameless Vestal’s lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each prayer accepted and each wish resigned.”
Alexander Pope - “Eloisa to Abelard” (Eternal Sunshine 2004)

Until next time,

Woohoo! As I type, I am downloading the pictures off of my picture phone onto my computer, where I will then Photoshop and post them today.

I know you are all hanging off the edges of your seats, but please… be patient. Wow, I crack myself up sometimes.

12:15 PM EST

Alright, I’m about to take my lunch break, and it’s going to take some time to edit all the images, but I’ll post a more recent one of me for you. I found out that when you download the picture from the “In Camera” part of the phone, the images are higher quality (24k) and in 640X400 resolution. However, I guess when I save pictures to my “photo album” in the camera, it compresses them to about 5k and a much smaller resolution- that’s why some pictures look less quality than others.

This is a picture of Alison (my very hot best friend in the world) and myself at a gas station on the way down to the Matchbook Romance / Taking Back Sunday concert in Jacksonville.

More to come later.

“Passed out in school clothes so we wake up in our Sunday’s best.” - Taking Back Sunday

4:15 PM EST

I swear more pictures are coming… However, I must go to class now.

Before I leave, I would like to share something that I ran across today with you. I was viewing this girl’s away message and saw this:

“A heart is not a play thing,
a heart is not a toy,
but if you want it broken,
just give it to a boy.” - Girl

If a girl is going to live by that personal-experience-based aphorism, then here my response:

“Your soul is not for taking,
or else you’re dead in this world.
The day you give your soul away,
You’ll give it to a girl.” - Jeff Wichman

Until later,

So Halo 2 is hitting stores. I’ve got more to write, but I figured I’d entertain you with [ Penny Arcade’s ] latest for now. So true…

Oh yeah, U2’s new album “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” is going to his stores two weeks from today, which is awesome!

-

Alright so here we are late night. I’ve been studying Operating Systems for the last 5 hours, and my brain feels as if it has started the process of petrification. I only hope that it remains in-tact in it’s original state long enough to get me through the exam tomorrow.

sequential and direct access, DASDs, access time, I/O channels, control unit, DMA, polling, CSW, buffers, seek time and seek strategies, schedulers, traffic controlers, SSTF, rotational ordering, RAID, volume configuration, MFD, sequential record organization vs. direct record organization, contiguous and noncontiguous storage, data compression, control verification modules, device interface modules, allocation modules, access control matrix’, access control lists, networks, network topologies, routing information protocols, circuit switching, packet switching, OSI

Those are just a few of the things covered in merely three fucking chapters. Anyways I’m going to quit bitching about school and immediately move to something more interesting (or to some of you, something even less interesting. Let’s take a moment to make fun of the Halo 2 dorks.

My buddy Daniel decided to accompany his friend to the EB Games midnight release party of Halo 2. I always find the word “party” an interesting word choice that these places use. By party they mean a bunch of gamer-geeks sitting around a store waiting for the first opportunity to pick up a game, whereafter they immediately return (in some cases run) to their vehicles to go home and play the game. I mean, I guess it’s kind of like a party at my house when the keg floats and everyone’s picking up chicks. Anyways, Daniel took a camera with him to photographed some of the extreme action going on at the big event. Here are some pictures. Everyone say “Thank you, Daniel.” Wow, I feel like I’m hosting Blue’s Clues or something. … Hey, that wasn’t a very nice thing to say about Daniel. Huh? Go do what? to myself with a 4 foot what? You think this site licks more what? than a what’s? hairy what? Yeah? Well… you… gad dammit.

Some shots of the initial approach to the release party. PARTY ON! WOOO!!! This crizzle is slammin for shizzle!
People have obviosly been sitting around for a while in the back of the line, contemplating how they have fallen to this point in their lives, while the people in the front of the line anxiously await the release of the ruining of their lives.
People racing to get into the store first. I can actually see two, real-life, living, breathing females. I am dumbfounded. Also, holy shit that’s a lot of empty, previously Halo 2-containing boxes.
Here’s a picture of the finally-obtained product and a picture of Daniel who appears to have found something peculiar in his hash browns.

I mentioned Blue’s Clues earlier, please… do yourself a favor and watch this [ Flash Movie ]. I apologize if you are already a, or consider yourself a bigger, fan of Strong Bad.

“…all I know is that you give me something I can feel.” - U2

Until next time,

“Stagnant”
Jeff Wichman
November 7, 2004

Numb

My ears trap voices bouncing inside my head
muffle reception dying to get in
faint and blurry like an underwater orchestra
exasperating and unclear
like advice from a friend
a heart pouring out in attempt to make use of suffering
giving reason and hope
that better times begin

“Damn my situation and the games I have to play, with all the things caught in my mind.”
- Oasis

Until next time,