NationStates

I've just discovered an awesome free game at NationStates. It's a political simulation--you create a nation, answer a few questions, and it generates a description of your nation. Once or twice a day (depending on which you choose) you get another question that has two or three answers and a choice to ignore, and how you answer these questions determines how your nation will grow. It's very interesting and fun to see how your nations turns out :) I've only been playing a couple days, but I have two nations going, one like me and one not like me. I suggest you at least try it out. It's a nice ride. And it's free and only demands a few minutes a day, though you can spend more time on it if you like.

A (Triumphant?) Return

I was gone a long time, too long they might say. Where had this lost child of the mind gone you might ask? It is a long and turbulent story...indeed with escapades not well suited to talking (Okay, I'm lying there ;). I have figured out some things, and made some decisions. I will indeed be going back to school--but for longer than I had originally thought. No simple Bachelor's for the Nelsonian One, nay that should not do. It will take an advanced degree--something on the order of a PhD will do. What, you may ask, need has one for a Doctorate in today's job world? Well, first you should ask what Doctorate I plan to obtain. Not something 'useful' like CS--but rather the far loftier pursuit of Philosophy. I can hear you asking what in this green world you can do with a Philosophy degree. I plan to do the noblest thing I can think of with it--teach college students such as my present self the value of critical thinking and analysis, and exposing them to different possible world-views. What greater benifit could I do for society than to bring up the up-coming generations to be rounded individuals with a clear grasp of their world-view? And to think I shall be paid for doing just that! No better deal can I think of for one whose mind lives in my climes. Anyway, tirade mode off. Your friendly neighbourhood Nelson, signing off.

Writing, Mark 2

So Robin had the wonderful idea that I write my daily writing on my computer. She actually suggested this humble blog, but I don't write quality writing most of the time, so I'll keep it more private, and share what I like. I've been distracted by my acquisition of an XBOX 360 and the subsequent playing that I've done, so I've not written as much as I'd like to have, but that'll be rectified when I get bored with the game I got. I also got a USB flash drive so I'll be able to do my homework and writings at the school library, which should let me do more without being distracted. Hopefully the library is open longer in the summer session than it is during the winter intersession! At any rate, here is the Nelson, signing off.

On writing

So, your wayward blogger has taken up a new 'hobby' as some may call it, 'obsession' as may others. I have decided that I shall write everyday, at least a page's worth, in my binder -- in addition to any writing I do for poetry or class or what-have-you. This is, it would seem, the quickest and easiest way to improve my writing skills and to get the creative juices flowinig, as it were. I shall also begin a far more regular regimen of reading -- reading whatever, poetry, novels, shorts, essays, whatever I can get my hands on. And yes, I know I just ended a sentence in a preposition. Get over it ;) At any rate, I just thought I'd inform you on the state of affairs. This is The Nelsonian One, over and out.

Little Flower

"To you my little flower
So fragile sitting there --
Should I put you in a vase
To show you that I case?
Or would it show better
To leave nature in the wild?
I think so much it would be
Live free there nature's child!"
-- me, "Little Flower"

I think from now on I'll publish everything I publish (not the rubbish that comes out most of the time I write) both here and on my devART page (http://languidnights.deviantart.com). That way people don't have to check out both. I'll do that with my photos too, once I figure out how to add them to a post. For now, you just get writings. For the picture that accompanies this particular poem, check out http://www.deviantart.com/view/30563303/

I have also gotton around to changing the links on the sidebar of my blog too. I might continue adding websites there, if I think of it, I'd like for you to at least check out the devART one, and suggest a theme for a small banner to link from there back to here. I'm open to all suggestions, it just has to be small!

Finally, I created a RSS feed for my blog. You can access it here, if you have feed aggregating software, such as "straw" for the GNOME desktop or "SharpReader" for Windows: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ShadesOfNothingness -- just thought for any of those who have such software it would be a good way to keep up with me (like anybody would want to do that).

Boom Boom Mancini

"Hurry home early
Hurry on home
Boom Boom Mancini's
Fight Bobby Chacon"
-- Warren Zevon, "Boom Boom Mancini"

This is probably one of my all-time favourite songs. I suggest you guys listen to it at least once. It has some interesting history to it, too. Infact, the death of Du Ku Kim mentioned in the song changed the face of boxing forever. Not that I'm a big boxing fan, mind you, but I do find it interesting to hear a good song with real live history in it. At any rate, Sir Nelson the Valiant of the Knights of the Order of the Shield, signing out.

Party at my house!

So, my parents left for the week, my father to Italy on business and my mother to Las Vegas for pleasure, and it's just my grandmother and myself now. Now I just need to find a keg and a large group of drunkards and I'll be in business. I'm at a slight disadvantage, living in a nice neighbourhood and not in a social situation currently -- oh, and I don't like drinking parties (but when has that stopped me from attending them?). All that aside, I get to eat doughnuts for dinner and listen to my music without headphones and all that hot coolness. Oh, and better than all that, I'm getting paid to watch the dogs while they're away, so I can purchase some of the stuff on my Amazon wishlist -- huzzah!

One other thing of note: in the last week, I found a local Linux Users Group (if that doesn't mean anything to you, feel free to skip this paragraph). I joined them for their first (annual? semi-annual?) Installfest, and was even able to help get someone's computer up and running Ubuntu, though we never were able to get their networking to come up. I think that was a problem on the DHCP services for the hub he was connected to. The next meeting is Thursday, so I'll see if it's a group I want to continue attending or if their meetings are dull.

Anyway, my wisdom teeth extraction process thingie went flawlessly, and when I got the stitches out the dentist said that it had healed up very well -- enough so that she had a hard time getting a couple of them out. I assumed this meant healing was 'well established' and by extension was safe for me to drink a little bit again. Lemme tell you, a week of water and more water gets dull real quick.

Well, that's all I got tonight. This is your friendly neighbourhood Nelson, signing off.