ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

Geeky Musings has been up and running one year! I'm incredibly happy as I look on the blog today and find that it has had 2001 visitors. I never imagined that many people would even glance at 103 posts I've made.

What was that first humble post like? Well here it is:

Hello

Hi! This is just a brief introduction. As the title implies, I plan to post anime fan fiction and a few odds and end here. I should post some stuff soon.

Oh yes. You knew from those few sentences that something big was about to begin.

The original address for the blog was animeficandstuff.blogspot.com. Yes, that gruesome title was ditched within the first few days.

I hope to make this a great year. I have a collaboration in the works. Plans are in motion to start making more posts overall and more with a leaning on the 'musings' side of the title. I'm going work to hard make this year better than the first.

How Does the World Feel?

With today being Christmas, I felt a little sad to discover this at Moodtap.com:

How is the world feeling?

The world feels...

lonely (27%)

frustrated (18%)

helpless (18%)

peaceful (18%)

bored (9%)

excited (9%)

other (1%)

That's just plain disturbing for Christmas. Advertisers would have you believe it's the happiest time of the year. Christmas is probably one the biggest time of social disconnect as we realize our failings of the year and face our disappointing families. *sigh*

Anyway, check out Moodtap. It's a pretty neat little site when what you see on it isn't depressing.

Send Your Name to Mars!

The Planetary Society is letting you have your name sent to Mars for free on Phoenix. Your name will be included on the Phoenix DVD and Visions of Mars. Plus, you get a neat little printable certificate, a nice last minute gift. The offer lasts until January 5.

While you're at it, send a message to the moon with Japan's latest lunar mission, SELENE. A dandy certificate is also available for this message. Deadline is January 31 for inclusion.

Jail Time for Acts Done in Video Games?

Gamers in Germany could face jail for violent acts done in games on human or human-like characters. Current drafts say the punishment could be up to 1 year in jail.

Why the sudden uproar? A fan of the game Counter Strike went back to his former school and shot and injured 37 people before killing himself.

Naturally, minister Günther Beckstein placed the blame for the violence upon the horrible effect of the games.

Jack Thompson, meet your German counterpart.

I am so tired, as many gamers are, of authority figures placing the blame of violence on something they don't understand: video games. I'm just hoping that as gamers get older, they'll find themselves in positions of power where they'll be able to defend what they know to be harmless.

Coolah Energy Drink Review

Drink: Coolah Energy
Official Site: Coolah Energy

Advertising "energy from down under", Coolah Energy lures you in with a bright can. This Australian drink's sunniness continues with the suprisingly good lemon flavor. I usually don't even like lemon-flavored things due to their extreme sourness, but Coolah manages to transfer the lemon flavor without a stinging bite. I couldn't even detect a hint of an aftertaste. Though not the best energy drink I've had, Coolah does very well for itself.

Summary: Refreshing experience.
Final Score: 4 out of 5

Give to a Noble Cause...

My pocket! Yep, the holiday season is up and rarin' and so are my eBay auctions. I currently have up my Xbox with NBA Ballers and Mortal Kombat: Deception for the Xbox. Please, bid today. All auctions end on Thursday. Without your help, I might have to brave a cold Christmas without a new Xbox 360 or any games for my PS3.

Your friendly neighborhood geek,
Big Nick

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year

Yes, it is the moment of truth: Merriam-Webster has released its top words of 2006 list. The list we have waited for all year with bated breath. The word of the year is... drumroll please...

TRUTHINESS!

Crowd: *goes wild*
Truthiness: *jumps up with shocked look* ME?! ME?! YOU MEAN ME!?!?!

Yes, we mean you, truthiness.

Truthiness: *squeals and runs forward*

Truthiness, being defined by its father Stephen Colbert as "truth that comes from the gut, not books", was born in October of 2005. Since then, it has quickly risen to popularity (though I personally have never used the word).

Truthiness: *takes podium* First of all, I would like to congratulate my closest runner-ups, google, decider, and war, on making it so far. Getting here was hard for me and they deserve equal helpings of applause. Also, I would like to thank my father for creating me in the first place. Finally, I would like to thank you, all of my fans, for bringing me into vogue. Without your support, I never could have made my way to the top spot. Thank you!

Baby Jesus Replaced With Beer Can

*suppresses laughter* Full article here.

Quick Summary:

• In New Hampshire, Jesus was stolen from a resident's nativity scene.
• The thief replaced the figure with an empty beer can.
• The home owner is upset and calls the act "disrespectful."

My $0.02: *finally keels over laughing*

Garbage Used to Make Lard For Human Consumption

So nauseating... Full article here.

Quick Summary:

• At Fanchang Grease Factory in Taizhou, a city in China, made lard from sewage, swill, pesticides, and recycled industrial oil.
• The lard is only supposed to be made from pure hog fat.
• The factory sold the lard at half of the price of other wholesalers.
• 83,000 pounds of raw materials and 11,600 pounds of lard were found at the location.
• Samples contained 11 times more acid than national standards.
• The factory has been shut down.

My $0.02: Mr. Sinclair's The Jungle anybody?

NaNoWriMo Over

Hey all,
I'm finally back again. Thanks for being patient with me. I could definitely feel some good, inspirational vibes coming from you guys which helped to keep me going. I'll start posting regularly again soon.

Your friendly neighborhood geek,
Big Nick