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Avery’s Daily Tweets

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My First Machinima Blog

Legacy of Kain (Crystal Dynamics) was onto something.
I confess that I was never really into the gameplay (I’m not much for puzzle-ridden games), especially in the first Blood Omen. But the story was incomparable, expertly spoken by a top flight cast that included Simon Templeman and directed by Kris Zimmerman.

Legacy of Kain was the first (and only) game I ever played strictly because I wanted to know what happened next. Blood Omen may not have been that impressive, but its follow-up, Soul Reaver, heralded a benchmark for storytelling in videogames.  Here was a character that had chosen the ‘wrong’ thing at the end of the first game, damning a world he now ruled. The story was now told by his doomed first lieutenant, Raziel, voiced by Michael Bell.

Considering that the first Resident Evil’s voice-over became comedic fodder, Soul Reaver’s narrative was so well-executed that behind-the-scenes were made available as extras on the games themselves. Even now, considering where modern Machinima is, the Legacy of Kain series still looks pretty good when placed side-by-side with modern efforts. I can spend whole hours ranting about the story, but if you’re interested, you should really check out Joudas’ playlist on YouTube and see for yourself.

The series, to me, defines what Machinima can be when done right.
I’ve been studying Machinima for years now; since it became popular in the late nineties. I can tell you almost anything you want to know about it, save for how to put one together. I’ve never tried. I’ve been afraid of screwing up.

But I’ve wanted to try for years, and for the first time, I’m in a position to; I have a little money, and my storytelling is gaining ground. Eventually, you have to get off of the bench and play the game if you ever hope to score.

So no more procrastinating; I’m actually going to attempt a Machinima within the next month.
Although I plan to use Realillusions iClone to tell Universal Warrior’s story (because they’ll let me make money off of it), I purchased the Sims 3 to get my feet wet. I figured that if I actually spent money on the ambition, that’ll motivate me to take it seriously.

I’m not going to attempt anything huge my first time around, and seeing Black Widow Garden gave me a lot of inspiration; one can do a decent film without using any voice-over work. I’m going to attempt a music video for either the old Mike & The Mechanics song “Can You Hear Me” or the more recent “Second Chance” by Shinedown.

I’ll make a decision by the end of the week, and I’ll post weekly updates on the production. Wish me luck.

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Avery’s Daily Tweets

  • This has been the best/most halacious four days of my life. How's everyone doing? #
  • @tammey yeah. I've been slammed. We saw you at Wal-Mart today! We tried to catch up but by the time we turned the corner you were long gone. in reply to tammey #
  • What do you do when your story doesn't turn out the way you want it too? #
  • @merrileefaber @KateSherrod thanks. I've learned a lot from writing this, most of which I'll apply to the next time out. #
  • @merrileefaber Amen to that. This is my first time ever trying anything like this, and I've enjoyed it, I just need to relax. in reply to merrileefaber #
  • @KateSherrod I will paraphrase an immortal saying; "HELL YES!!" I have my story all ready–but not writting. in reply to KateSherrod #
  • I've bee studying machinima for 12 years, never once tried anything. Spent money on Sims 3 to get off the bench. #
  • The Colts look as though they have Arizona's number… #
  • The Sims 3 has a very user-friendly website, including a blog option. I'm impressed. #
  • @Knunez okay, man. I'll be straight. I have absolutely NO IDEA what that means. Please help? in reply to Knunez #
  • @divinewrite happy birthday! Hope you enjoyed every moment of it! #
  • @Knunez thanks. I'm a little older. Not up on all the new terminolgy. in reply to Knunez #
  • @divinewrite dude, are you REALLY only 25? seriously? I'm glad you're having fun, but if you insinuate that you're feeling old, well… in reply to divinewrite #
  • @divinewrite twitter wouldn't leave me the room to say what I would do to you. You aren't even close to old, young man. :) Enjoy your day. in reply to divinewrite #
  • @divinewrite I took a look at your profile and was getting ready to ask what your secret was… in reply to divinewrite #
  • I have the graphics capability to run Sims 3, but I may need to up my processor. Comp slows down drastically when it's running. #
  • @divinewrite I heard if you try to keep them from @AngysCopywriting, Lord @netta puts you in a force chokehold. in reply to divinewrite #
  • The Cardinals O-Line should be publicly FLOGGED for this performance. #
  • Found a new way to release Universal Warrior without feeling pressed for time. I rock. #
  • Universal Warrior Uprising: Chapter 29: The Other World is now LIVE! http://bit.ly/2mFE7o Please RT! #

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Twittering–Weekly Digest

  • @netta50 are you watching Cowboys/Giants? in reply to netta50 #
  • @netta50 didn't take you for a Giants fan. And that wasn't dirty. That was a good play. in reply to netta50 #
  • Both of these teams could do with some tackling practice. #
  • @netta50 that was the cleanest pick I've ever seen. You don't get that kind of thing even in a video game. Why the Giants/not the Jets? in reply to netta50 #
  • This call should stand. The ball never hit the ground. That was an interception. #
  • WHOA….wait a minute…. #
  • Did it bounce off of his foot or the turf? #
  • @netta50 Ah. I'm a Baltimore fan, so I'm watching this for the entertainment. in reply to netta50 #
  • Ummmmm….that was a rip. #
  • The runback should've count. #
  • That had to be the week's most questionable call. How did the INT count but the runback not? #
  • Agh, I wish this weekend hadn't been so flipping rough. A lot of people were expecting Joshua to get started. #
  • Trying Pandora Radio on the iPod touch. So far, it's not back. #
  • Universal Warrior and Joshua will begin/resume next week. I apologize for the delay. http://bit.ly/CTt7N #
  • Hello, Giants? Wrap-tackling. May want to try it sometime. #
  • God, sometimes I REALLY love being me. #
  • @netta50 Oh, I was just trying to appear humble. I LOVE being me. I REALLY LOVE being me. in reply to netta50 #
  • @netta50 I know. But I don't strike a balance between high self-esteem and humility very well. Mostly I come off as arrogant. Oh well. in reply to netta50 #
  • No longer shirking my authorly duties; prepping the type 2 blog and some personal stuff. Love the new tweetdeck interface! #
  • Beating Type 2 Diabetes: Week Two http://bit.ly/DiXDb Please RT! #
  • @AlanBaxter thank you! in reply to AlanBaxter #
  • Wow, look at that. My laptop was on battery power that WHOLE TIME. And it lasted about forty-five minutes, too. #
  • Updated my client, got the type 2 blog written…the personal blog I wanted to write refuses to get out of my head. So I'll keep quiet. #
  • @3083joe @YourGoToGuy thank you both for RT'ing @AlanBaxter, and in turn RT'ing me! #
  • This is one of those days where I'm going to eviscerate the next mofo that crosses me in real life. I don't care if its the cub scouts. #
  • @miladysa what if I count to ten and then pig out on a chocolate cub scout cake? in reply to miladysa #
  • @_windy you know, I don't think I've ever even seen a cub scout in rule life. in reply to _windy #
  • @JNez people who say they've always loved themselves are either lying, in denial, or were raised extremely well. in reply to JNez #
  • Just sitting back and reading people's tweets, replying where I can. Ready for this week to be over. Please. #
  • Don't you love reading someone's thoughts and then BAM!! Here come seventeen more? #
  • @_windy cause they keep ending up in all those chocolate cakes. We have to share some with @miladysa. in reply to _windy #
  • When I said I didn't want to go to work today, this isn't what I had in mind… #
  • Picked up my son from the airport after a huge blowout with the other side of his family. Less than 48 hours to scare him straight. #
  • @tsutv thanks, man. I hope he has better luck than I do. in reply to tsutv #
  • My boss cut me the mother of all breaks, and I'm blown away. Watching my son go through some forms while I write–on vacation. #
  • This past hour has served to prove that my son is in much better shape than I am. #
  • Undertaking the task of condensing 25 chapters into less than 1.5k words… #
  • Home, in my own apartment, on my own uncomfortable couch. Sleep is mandatory, but first thing's first… #
  • @miladysa, @tsutv, @_windy real people who twitter and make twitter life a little more interesting. #FollowFriday #
  • @jackalopekid, @Astrogirl426, @Knunez, @RobinGrantham, @tommytrc real people who make twitter life interesting with randomness @FollowFriday #
  • @TrinaMLee oh, I LOVE those kind of people! They frighten so easily! in reply to TrinaMLee #
  • @TrinaMLee I had a friend once tell them that he worshipped the devil. They literally tripped over themselves trying to get away. in reply to TrinaMLee #
  • #FridayFlash: Family http://bit.ly/n0PEo Please RT! #
  • Universal Warrior #FridayFlash fiction: Joshua, the fallen angel, begins his ten-part story today! http://bit.ly/4FFSJl Please RT!! #
  • @AliveinMe thank you, Heather! in reply to AliveinMe #
  • @AliveinMe LOL that is because I work A LOT!! But I'm glad to see you're doing well! How's life? in reply to AliveinMe #
  • @AliveinMe Heather, I have absolutely zero doubts that you will be fixed. What's a MEG test (except another chance for a positive outcome?) in reply to AliveinMe #
  • This has been the best/most halacious four days of my life. How's everyone doing? #
  • @tammey yeah. I've been slammed. We saw you at Wal-Mart today! We tried to catch up but by the time we turned the corner you were long gone. in reply to tammey #
  • What do you do when your story doesn't turn out the way you want it too? #
  • @merrileefaber @KateSherrod thanks. I've learned a lot from writing this, most of which I'll apply to the next time out. #
  • @merrileefaber Amen to that. This is my first time ever trying anything like this, and I've enjoyed it, I just need to relax. in reply to merrileefaber #
  • @KateSherrod I will paraphrase an immortal saying; "HELL YES!!" I have my story all ready–but not writting. in reply to KateSherrod #
  • I've bee studying machinima for 12 years, never once tried anything. Spent money on Sims 3 to get off the bench. #

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Avery’s Daily Tweets

  • My boss cut me the mother of all breaks, and I'm blown away. Watching my son go through some forms while I write–on vacation. #
  • This past hour has served to prove that my son is in much better shape than I am. #
  • Undertaking the task of condensing 25 chapters into less than 1.5k words… #
  • Home, in my own apartment, on my own uncomfortable couch. Sleep is mandatory, but first thing's first… #
  • @miladysa, @tsutv, @_windy real people who twitter and make twitter life a little more interesting. #FollowFriday #
  • @jackalopekid, @Astrogirl426, @Knunez, @RobinGrantham, @tommytrc real people who make twitter life interesting with randomness @FollowFriday #
  • @TrinaMLee oh, I LOVE those kind of people! They frighten so easily! in reply to TrinaMLee #
  • @TrinaMLee I had a friend once tell them that he worshipped the devil. They literally tripped over themselves trying to get away. in reply to TrinaMLee #
  • #FridayFlash: Family http://bit.ly/n0PEo Please RT! #
  • Universal Warrior #FridayFlash fiction: Joshua, the fallen angel, begins his ten-part story today! http://bit.ly/4FFSJl Please RT!! #
  • @AliveinMe thank you, Heather! in reply to AliveinMe #
  • @AliveinMe LOL that is because I work A LOT!! But I'm glad to see you're doing well! How's life? in reply to AliveinMe #
  • @AliveinMe Heather, I have absolutely zero doubts that you will be fixed. What's a MEG test (except another chance for a positive outcome?) in reply to AliveinMe #

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#FridayFlash: Family

The sky was turning dark, and it was getting hard to see. The sun was gone, and I could see tiny white lights in the sky begin to appear. I didn’t want to see them; we were still a long way from home, and now we would need to hurry.

I was scared, really scared, but I couldn’t let her know that. I held her hand really tight and kept walking. We were alone out there—everyone else, and there weren’t a lot—had gone inside and sealed up their homes. They were smart.

“Scott… slow down,” she pleaded.

I knew I was walking too fast for her little six year old legs, but I didn’t have a choice. If we weren’t indoors soon, then the Howlers would get us, and I wasn’t gonna let that happen, no matter what. So I kept walking and I tried to keep my voice gentle, just like mom did when she talked to us. “We have to keep going, Maggie,” I urged her along, walking even faster. Then I lied. I know I shouldn’t have, but she needed to hear it. “We’re almost there.”

I looked up at the sky, which was getting blacker by the second. We’re not gonna make it.

No! Had to think positive, like Dad taught us, I remembered. He taught me how to shoot, although I wasn’t very good at it. Still, I kept my other hand on the gun dad had given me, before he went out with the other hunters and never come back. The gun was big and really powerful (I think Dad called it a magnet or magnum or something like that), and it fired these huge bullets. They’d stop a Howler cold, until another one came around and woke it up.

There were no buildings left, although I used to listen when Dad and other grown-ups would talk about the old days, when buildings were so big and tall that they reached all the way into the sky. The Howlers changed all of that; they could rip anything apart with those huge hands of theirs. They never died, either. That’s why there weren’t a lot of humans left…

Maggie tripped over a rock and fell to the ground, and she nearly took me with her. I turned back and spoke to her in a whisper: “Maggie, come on. We’re almost there. We have to hurry. We gotta go!” Howlers could hear everything for miles, and with the night being so close, they’d be out soon. I heard a coyote scream in the distance and I grabbed the gun Dad gave me, but I kept it in my pocket.

“Scott, I can’t, I’m so tired!” Maggie pleaded. “Please can we rest for a minute?”

The coyote screamed again, but I was used to it, so I wasn’t scared. Maggie had never been healthy, and it was dangerous to go all the way to see aunt Deara, but she was the only one who could make her medication anymore. Without it, Maggie couldn’t walk very far without getting tired, and her breathing got all weird.

I got her medication quickly from the pouch at my waist and almost jammed it into Maggie’s mouth. I pushed the plunger, and Maggie started breathing normally again.

The coyote screamed again. It sounded like it was getting closer, and I hoped I was right and it was just a coyote. It sounded like it was coming from just up the block, but it was too dark for me to see.

I pulled her to her feet. We still had a few miles to go—

Another shriek, and this one wasn’t a coyote. The noise was long and gargly, and it came from behind us.

“Maggie!” I whispered urgently, trying not to show my fear. “We gotta go now.

I could see in her big brown eyes that she knew I was serious. She got up quickly and didn’t complain when I jerked her forward. I pulled the big gun out of my pocket and used my thumb to pull back the lever that meant I could pull the trigger. Any Howler that wanted my sister would have to kill me first.

The Howler screamed again; it was gaining on us. It was only about twenty feet away, but when I turned around, I couldn’t see anything. They could make themselves disappear and look like whatever they were close to. You didn’t see one until it was too late…

I held my sister’s hand and we began to run. We only had a few miles to go, and even as that thing began to scream and I heard the scraping of claws on the ground pursuing us, I had to believe we would be okay. We would be okay.

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Avery’s Daily Tweets

  • @_windy cause they keep ending up in all those chocolate cakes. We have to share some with @miladysa. in reply to _windy #
  • When I said I didn't want to go to work today, this isn't what I had in mind… #
  • Picked up my son from the airport after a huge blowout with the other side of his family. Less than 48 hours to scare him straight. #
  • @tsutv thanks, man. I hope he has better luck than I do. in reply to tsutv #

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Avery’s Daily Tweets

  • This is one of those days where I'm going to eviscerate the next mofo that crosses me in real life. I don't care if its the cub scouts. #
  • @miladysa what if I count to ten and then pig out on a chocolate cub scout cake? in reply to miladysa #
  • @_windy you know, I don't think I've ever even seen a cub scout in rule life. in reply to _windy #
  • @JNez people who say they've always loved themselves are either lying, in denial, or were raised extremely well. in reply to JNez #
  • Just sitting back and reading people's tweets, replying where I can. Ready for this week to be over. Please. #
  • Don't you love reading someone's thoughts and then BAM!! Here come seventeen more? #

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Avery’s Daily Tweets

  • No longer shirking my authorly duties; prepping the type 2 blog and some personal stuff. Love the new tweetdeck interface! #
  • Beating Type 2 Diabetes: Week Two http://bit.ly/DiXDb Please RT! #
  • @AlanBaxter thank you! in reply to AlanBaxter #
  • Wow, look at that. My laptop was on battery power that WHOLE TIME. And it lasted about forty-five minutes, too. #
  • Updated my client, got the type 2 blog written…the personal blog I wanted to write refuses to get out of my head. So I'll keep quiet. #
  • @3083joe @YourGoToGuy thank you both for RT'ing @AlanBaxter, and in turn RT'ing me! #

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Type 2 Diabetes: Week Two

What inspires me to pursue this is that I had no medication for nearly three years, thanks to a lack of medical insurance. I knew that keeping my heart rate up, and thus my metabolism high, could be enough to keep the disease at bay—if I was willing to work hard enough.

Well, I’m willing to work hard enough.
That’s the first thing I need to stress; if you have this disease, food is not your worst enemy; ignorance is. Doing nothing and hoping things will change will only lead you to your own funeral, and the trip there won’t be pleasant. If you got it, then you got it, now deal with it.

Many experts (including a couple of doctors I’ve seen) agree that exercise can take the place of medication, and I can live a long, healthy life if I take care of myself. Trouble is, I’ve always been active, I’m getting older, and I can’t push myself like I used to. Still, I have to find a way…

September 22, 2009

My blood sugar was at an all time low of 97 this morning! To top that off, I’m sleeping through the night without making trips to the bathroom, and my pants are noticeably beginning to hang off of me now. I have to credit part of this to the Subway diet; believe me, it works. I eat the Subway Cluv (no double meat) with lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, sweet peppers, and loads of jalapenos. Fills me up for the rest of the day and it doesn’t make me sleepy afterwards.

I’m going to start posting recipes next week; I credit a lot of the reduction to smoothies for breakfast, low (but healthy) snacking, and light lunches/dinners. The heaviest I eat is BBQ chicken, fettucine alfredo, and a salad. I won’t lie; I come home from work some nights and I do not feel like cooking. Often, I’ll chop up a salad, make up some pizza soup, or bake up some teriyaki chicken wraps (recipes coming). The prep time for most of these is under an hour and the carb count is decent.

Believe that as a type two diabetic, most carbs are not your friend. Your body breaks down carbs into sugar, and as there’s not enough insulin to process the sugar, it slows you down. Your heart has to work harder to cycle through your bloodstream…I’ve been through this before. But I seem to be on the right track.

Now, the downside.
Stark reality; I’m not as young as I used to be, and I can’t push myself as hard as I once could. I still enjoy morning runs, and I greatly enjoy training, but since I get so sore the next day, I find that I have to alternate days exercising. On the recovery days, I really have to watch what I eat. Even then, my blood sugar didn’t get higher than 170…which is still high, but not as high as it used to be. Keeping the disease in check is possible, but requires a lot of patience.

Something else that’s been going through my head lately; there is no cure for type two diabetes. I’ll have it until the the day I die. If I’m lucky, it won’t kill me.
It’s possible to replace medication with exercise (my goal), but what happens if I can no longer exercise?

I hope that’s far off. In the meantime, I can only work with what I have. Until next week.

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