Sanity… is for the Weak

Round and round we go,
When it ends we’ll never know.

Looking back, 2008 was pretty much a year of gloom and doom, and it looks like 2009 won’t be any much better as well.

2008 New Year’s Resolutions
+ Continue slimming to a healthier level (I’m not fat, just somewhat overweight) | Gained more weight actually. But I got a silver for IPPT! That’s gotta count for being healthier right?
+ Go running! | …. kinda, sorta.
+ Go diving somewhere exotic ~ Bali or the Great Barrier Reef, maybe? | Too busy. Damn.
+ Travel and see the world some more. | Went to the Persian Gulf. Although was there not for a holiday…
+ Head over to Helsinki, Finland to train at the School of European Swordsmanship. Done, and it was a great learning experience.

2009 New Year’s Resolutions
+ More sports and a healthier lifestyle
+ Travel! For fun and not work!
+ Continue gaming.
+ Go to Helsinki again and improve my swordsmanship.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Wishing all a Blessed Christmas!

Yes, I was bored.

+Jack Spade Canvas Day Bag
+Jack Spade Boar Skin Wallet
+Sony Ericsson W850i
+Victorionox Card Case
+Quetin i lambë eldaiva: A Quenya Course
+Chinese Knock-off Swiss Card
+SAF SOG EOD Powerlock
+Ridolfo Capo Ferro’s Gran Simulacro dell’arte e dell’uso della scherma
+Steve Jackson’s GEV micro game
+Eye Drops
+Spare Pens
+Moleskine
+House and Office Keys
+Current Read: Homework for Grown-ups: Everything you learnt at school… and promptly forgot
+PSP in pouch with remote and headset

Audio/Visual Update

Audio:Slave
In the B&O:
+The Sex, the City, the Music: Shanghai
+Monkey Majik: 空はまるで
+Queen: Greatest Hits
+The Rolling Stones: Rolled Gold
+Metal Gear Solid 20th Anniversary
+Best of Creedence Clearwater Revival
+Wipeout Pure Original Soundtrack
+Agapella

Visual:Slave
In the DVD:
+Heroes Season 2
+My Neighbor Totoro
+Appleseed: Ex Machina
+Band of Brothers
+The Machine Girl
+You Don’t Mess With The Zohan Missed this
+Oneechanbara
+Swing Girls

Animania:
+Freedom
+Hayate no Gotoku dropped
+Clannad
+Rental Magica dropped
+Bamboo Blade
+Toshokan Sensou (図書館戦争)
+Birdy the Mighty: Decode
+Macross Frontier
+イヴの時間
+乃木坂春香の秘密 Dropped
+Mahō Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora (魔法遣いに大切なこと)
+ToraDora (とらドラ)
+To Aru Majutsu no Index (とある魔術の禁書目録)
+Nodame Cantabile (のだめカンタービレ 巴里編)
+Kemeko Deluxe! (ケメコデラックス!)

Movies to Catch - ‘08:
+Sweeney Todd
+The Spiderwick Chronicles
+Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone
+Iron Man
+The Dark Knight
+Cloverfield Missed this
+Jumper
+Hancock missed this
+Get Smart missed this
+Charlie Wilson’s War
+Bangkok Dangerous
+Speed Racer
+The Love Guru missed this
+Wanted missed this
+Indiana Jones and The Temple of the Crystal Skull
+Forbidden Kingdom
+Doomsday
+27 Dresses
+Juno
+The Bucket List
+Hellboy II: The Golden Army
+Kung Fu Panda missed this Kris World!
+The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor
+Wall-E
+Star Wars: The Clone Wars missed this
+007: Quantum of Solace
+Tropic Thunder
+The Spirit
+Death Race missed this
+Punisher: War Zone
+Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
+Full Battle Rattle

Movies soooo bad, it’s gotta be gooood
+Zombie Strippers
+Jack Brooks - Monster Slayer

Current Reads
RAWs
+謎の彼女Ｘ - Chapter 28
+魔法 先生 ネギま! - Chapter 231
+死がふたりを分かつまで Chapter 15 dropped
+おばあちゃんはアイドル

Dead Tree
+Freakonomics
+Conquistador
+Why We Want You To Be Rich
+Party of One: The loner’s Manifesto
+Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition
+Traveller: Core Rulebook
+Homework for Grown-ups: Everything you learnt at school… and promptly forgot

Online
+Questionable Content
+Real Life
+The Order of the Stick
+Turn Signals on a Land Raider

Lots of good stuff this year, movies and music-wise.

A little late, but I’ve been busy.

The Society made the papers again:

Click on the picture for a readable size.

…. Failed.

*sigh*

On 2 Dec, the UNSC passed Resolution 1846. What that means, in a nutshell, is that for the next year, forces may enter Somalia’s territorial waters and use “all necessary means” to fight piracy.

Does this mean that the kid gloves are off?

I don’t think so, for while this effectively gives the players carte blanche to enter Somalia waters, it does not answer what happens after that. Supposing that some pirates are caught; what then? Are they to be extradited to Somalia to face trial? Charged with armed robbery in accordance to the State who made the arrests? Do the navies even possess such law enforcement powers in the first place? More likely, we would see a repeat of the previous incident where captured suspected pirates were released unharmed. Not to mention the ruckus that would probably arise if the pirates were killed in the fight (Amnesty International, anyone?)

Weighty things to think about. And more to be done about the business.

:Links:
+UNSC 1846
+What a Cooperative Maritime Strategy looks like
+Pirates Release on Beach

Seriously. It happens.