PC games bring out the kid in all of us. Whether we are amateurs just having fun or die hard gamers that use game cheats to explore every single option a game has to offer, we can all agree on one thing-PC games are fun! So, if you’re looking for the perfect new PC games this holiday season, you might want to take a look at these four soon to be released games.
The Chronicles of Spellborn is set to be released on November 27, 2008. It is the latest in MMORPG’S. So, pull up a computer chair and immerse yourself in a brand new universe. In this unique game, the world has been war ravaged. It’s up to you to go on quests and political missions and start to pick up the pieces from all the destruction. You can customize your fighting style completely. You can even customize your character’s appearance and control the interactive world around you. So settle in for some exciting adventures!
Next, for the action game addict, there’s Prince of Persia 2008. It’s set to be released on December 2, 2008. Any serious gamer is probably familiar with the Prince of Persia title. What does this newest installment have to offer, though?
Well, in this new version, when a sand storm kicks up th prince finds himself lost in a beautiful garden. He then teams up with a girl named Elika to try to fight Ahriman, the ancient god of darkness. The fighting in POP 2008 is much like the fighting in the original POP series. So, fans of the original might like this one-on-one fighting style. Instead of being swarmed by enemies, you can focus on one at a time, for the most part.
Then there’s A Vampyre Story, which is set to be released on December 2, 2008. It follows Mona De Lafitte, an opera singer. Did I mention that she’s also a vampire trying to find her way home to Paris? A singing vampire may be unique, but how about one who is followed around by a bat named Froderick? Now you’re talking! If you or someone you know likes vampire stories, this is the game for you!
Finally, there’s Starcraft II. As you may know, Starcraft was an insanely popular release in 1998. Well, now Blizzard is releasing Starcraft II, which is actually going to be a trilogy of games. The exact release date seems to be in question. Rumors place it as early as December 2, 2008, though.
Imagine Starcraft with a more multiplayer spin and you’ll have Starcraft II. The coolest new feature is that there are plans to do a fair matching system where players are paired up with people that have equal strength. So, if you enjoyed Starcraft and enjoy multiplayer gaming, check out Starcraft II.
These are just 4 of the exciting new PC game releases. So, be sure to check out game trailers or these and other exciting games this holiday season. That way, you can get in on the holiday gaming experience!
Vampires Mythology Regina Hackett takes her Art to Go
The Quileute on the Northwest Coast did not anticipate hordes of visitors would seek them out to say they are way cool. How could they? Previous to the Twilight saga , they were not exactly on pop culture’s radar, and now they’re bright lights based on false information. [trailer] Higanjima
Why don’t movies and books show the true mythology of vampires?
In traditional European folklore the vampire was really a reanimated half-rotted corpse that murdered humans for their blood. These creatures were often dim-witted and literally stank of their putrid grave juices. They were not sophisticated and not hyper intelligent immortals. Why don’t they make movies based on the true vampire myths as I described them? Look it up in European folklore…these were the original vampires that the populace believed in.
Because they do not sell tickets. The youth want beauty in their vampires of today rather than the ugly truth.
Money is the motivator for everything today and definitely not the truth. Most do not want to even hear about the truth as you have stated here because it could alter their view of “Edward”, whoever that is, whom they have fallen in love with.
Death is as common a theme in the world of the arts as it is an event in everyday life. The point where a single, living being is separated from other living souls has become as common a subject of literature and art as any other aspect of human life. It has also inspired in countless cultures various concepts on what happens beyond the mortal coil. This is understandable, as the dying tend to feel anxiety at the idea of death. The bereaved, for their part, go through a period of grief and separation anxiety. Arguably, this aspect of human psychology regarding death can be used as an explanation for the widespread – nearly universal, by some accounts – tales of the “undead.â€
Achieving or stumbling upon tales of life after death appears in almost every major continent. Ghosts are prominent players in these tales, naturally. These incorporeal beings generally are attributed to have a form of separation anxiety, fundamentally attached to something they valued or held dear in life. The unwillingness to leave also grants them the ability to manifest in the mortal world on a variety of levels. While Western concepts of ghosts are incapable of influencing the mortal world on a physical level, they are more than able to damage the mental health of the living. In contrast, Chinese ghosts come in a variety of forms, but all invariably are capable of visiting physical harm upon the living.
It is not only the spirit that is subject to being turned into one of the “undead,†as the living tend to attach emotions to the body as well. Zombies are corpses brought back from the dead through arcane and occult rituals, are a prime example of this. The drauger of Norse mythology also fits into this category, as they are corpses that resist being brought to the burial mound or refuse to stay buried. Some analysts of the literature and mythology surrounding these beings have noticed that most people regard these creatures with fear and anxiety. There are some that theorize that this stems more from cultural and religious norms about death than society at large. Most people have come to believe that a the bodies of the departed should be incapable of motion, so an animated corpse is something to be feared.
However, this apparent idea does not extend to forms of “un-death†that are both spirit and flesh, such as the Romanian strugoi – more commonly referred to as vampires. These creatures are often seen as having both the body and the soul of the deceased, but require something else to continue corporeal existence. This is apparently a prevalent phenomenon among various cultures, though the substance varies from culture to culture. Europeans consider the blood as the sustaining factor in the existence of vampires, while most African equivalents of the creatures subsist on human feces or bones. Regardless, these creatures are traditionally regarded with fear and anxiety by mortals, particularly the ones that are being used as “food.†While the vampire image popularized by Hollywood’s version of Dracula has become a creature of wonder and sensuality, most other variants are still objects of horror.
One interesting tangent to the “vampire†category above would be the variations to be found in Chinese and Japanese culture. The jiang shi (hopping corpses) of China, for example, are comparable to their Western counterparts, except that it is not the blood in and of itself that feeds them. Rather, the jiang shi are said to lack something called chi – the essence of life – and require taking it from the living to stay extant. Most often, the strength of human chi is concentrated in the blood. The end result is that the victim is drained of all blood, as consequence of the feeding. The gaki of Japan are similar creatures, but are often described as being more human in countenance than the jiang shi. Also, they take the chi directly, leaving a body that appears to have died while asleep.
Regardless of what form or variation is taken, the state of “undeath†is a prevalent one in the various cultures of the world. The fear and anxiety associated with death often attaches itself to these mythical creatures, even if pop culture has made some forms more appealing than others. In some ways, the undead are considered a means of coping with the separation anxiety people experience around dying people. At the same time, they also act as allegories for what could happen if certain cultural and religious norms are ignored in life.
Was the unearthed female ‘vampire’ in Venice a real one?
archaeologist and anthropologist Matteo Borrini of Florence University, …
* Remains of 16th-century ‘vampire’ found Slideshow:Remains of 16th-century ‘vampire’ found
ROME – An archaeological dig near Venice has unearthed the 16th-century remains of a woman with a brick stuck between her jaws — evidence, experts say, that she was believed to be a vampire. The unusual burial is thought to be the result of an ancient vampire-slaying ritual. It suggests the legend of the mythical bloodsucking creatures was tied to medieval ignorance of how diseases spread and what happens to bodies after death, experts said http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090313/ap_on_sc/eu_italy_vampi
No, it wasn’t a vampire. Vampires have never existed.
Of course, just because vampires don’t exist, doesn’t mean that way back when, people didn’t believe in them. They did, for a variety of reasons, all of which have been explained. One reason was the disease porphyria, which causes reddish-brown gums, foul breath, and sensitivity to sunlight. Since many people believed drinking human blood could cure a variety of diseases, those afflicted with porphyria likely drank as much as they could, not that it helped.
However, people not understanding diseases back then, nor did they understand decomposition or why blue-eyed children can be born to brown-eyed parents, they attributed such things to vampires and invented a slew of ways to “deal” with them.
It’s kind of like how succubi/incubi were invented to explain sleep paralysis, a sleep disorder with symptoms that include waking up and not being able to move, and hallucinating that there is something evil in the room with you, possibly sitting on your chest or choking you. It’s a real disorder, explained away in olden times as demons, because, once again, they didn’t have the knowledge of how stuff works like we do today.
So no, not a vampire. Just some wigged out villagers attempting to stop something they didn’t understand.
âexperiences From âthe Flowâ (19): Another Good Tilt With a Bar Girl?â
By Carl “J.C.†Pantejo, Copyright March 2008
(Author “My Friend Yu – The Prosperity Mentor,†Copyright August 2007. Pantejo – Y.N. Vurce Publishing.)
“Prosperity: The eternal flow of all that’s good in life…â€
*Below is the nineteenth episode based on a series of real life events experienced by the author. The only deviations from the truth may be the names of people and places. These stories are also incorporated in “My Friend Yu – the Prosperity Mentor: Book II,†Pantejo – Y.N. Vurce Publishing. Release Date: 2008.
The naïve customer (a person not savvy at “The Game†of Thai bars) doesn’t understand the following: The main thing a Bar Girl sees when a man comes into their bar is the amount of dollar signs he is capable of producing.
And, of course, Bar Girls are experts at helping customers part with their money!
This article is mainly for those fearless souls who, in spite of the discussions we had about Asian Bar Girl/Western Man Relationships in “Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (18)…,†still insist on having a serious relationship with a Bar Girl.
- A Blissful State -
Congratulations.
You believe that you have found a partner that loves you and makes you happy. She is young, beautiful, sweet, and sexy – everything you could not find in your home country, right?
Sure, she is not perfect, especially in the language and finance areas; but when you weighed the Pluses against the Minuses on Your Scale, the Scale tilted toward Obvious Compatibility.
- Devil’s Advocate -
Okay, now I got to be the a$$hole, the party-pooper, the spoiler, etc.
But I do this with ultimate empathy, my friend.
I do this because I don’t want you to end up as a statistic, one of the thousands of Farangs (Thai: foreigners) that think they’ve found the woman of their dreams, only to find out (in short order) that reality doesn’t match their idealized notions of co-habitation with an Asian woman.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but believe me, what I’ve got to say may:
1. Save you a lot of heartache, headaches, and bankruptcy.
2. Help you maintain (or improve) your current blissful state for as long as possible.
3. Raise some questions whose answers, however distasteful, will make you a wiser Farang in Thailand.
- Questions -
Where did you meet your Thai girlfriend/wife?
In a bar?
I ask you this because the ole’ saying: “You can take the girl out of the bar, but you can’t take the bar out of the girl,†is a tried and true axiom.
The cruel fact is that there are only two times you can trust a Thai Bar Girl:
1) When she has just begun her career in the Bar Girl Profession and
2) When she is a bar-weary veteran, ready to retire.
All others are “in between†(i.e., still on “active duty,†practicing and perfecting their sex appeal, schemes, and routines).
A mid-career Bar Girl in “The Game†is quite a sight to be seen, indeed.
She means to be a key player in “The Game†and will do anything to get the most money, as fast as she can, from the “customer pool – menâ€.
For these women, men are only regarded as: past customers, prospective customers, current cash cows, or merely toy/playthings that pay).
In their minds, men are definitely not: friends, lovers, non-paying boyfriends or husbands; in short, men are merely things, not real people with feelings, hopes, and desires).
Why is this so?
Although each Bar Girl is a unique individual, the following are common reasons. In part or parcel, these conditions contribute to their cut throat callousness – the “sharp teeth within their cute, beautiful smilesâ€:
1. Professional Objectivity (staying focused on making money before she gets too old and “unmarketableâ€).
2. Protection from scoundrels (yes, there are many bad men out there).
3. A lack of “good men role models†in their lives. That is, most of the men they’ve seen throughout their lives were usually uneducated, lazy, abusive, or unreliable, often disappearing for years to forever. This is common in the rural, poverty stricken areas “up country†– North Eastern Thailand.
4. Protection from being emotionally hurt. Since most foreigners come and go rapidly, it’s stupid for them to get emotionally attached.
5. The only support system they have is the Bar’s social network of fellow Bar Girls, Mamasans, clean-up boys, and “katoys†(Thai: transsexuals). Leaving the bar scene means venturing into scary, uncharted waters without her usual friends.
6. Most are uneducated, not attending or finishing High School. What would they do and where would they go if they left the bar?
7. They have tried (or simply dislike) regular “daytime jobs†and were disillusioned with the hard work and low pay. The bar scene is all they know. It can be fun. It’s easy – all one has to do is look pretty and entertain – AND definitely pays better.
It’s a system that swallows up thousands of “fresh from the farm†girls and spits out seasoned, “bar-tested†veterans.
- True Love? -
A young serviceman friend of mine in Japan told me that the woman (an Asian woman) he met at a bar in the infamous “honch†area outside of Yokosuka U.S. Naval Base was truly in love with him.
He actually considered asking her to marry him.
And he wanted some advice from “a salty dog†(meaning: me).
His naivety was painful to observe.
In him, I saw a young version of myself, full of all the right motives, but without the where-with-all that only comes from years of schlepping in and out of Asian bars.
My response to him?
“Go back there and tell her you’re out of money. Better yet, tell her that you want to move in with her, but you need to borrow money until payday. Good luck, son. I’ll talk to you next week.â€
Of course, he was singing a totally different tune when I saw him a week later. He was very pissed-off and his comments about her were acidic, bordering on murderous.
I told him to chill out.
“Don’t’ take it personal. A girl’s got’ta eat. Think of it this way: You’re mixing her business with your pleasure. If you really think it’s love, wait, wait, and wait! And for God’s sake always know where your valuables are!†I said.
I don’t’ know whether my words sunk in (or not) because I haven’t heard from him for over a decade now. I can only hope that my words prevented a few personal disasters.
Ah, Bar Girls. I could go on and on about them.
They’re amazing. Aren’t they?
They’re terrible. Aren’t they?
- Some Advice: Take it or Leave it, Your Choice -
Since only a fraction of one percent of Asian Bar Girl/Western Man relationships succeed (usually because she is either a rookie or a ready-to-retire veteran), I will be submitting a short list of things to ponder at the end of this article.
If you met your “compatible partner†in a bar, I advise you to have a healthy paranoia.
Don’t go buying a car for her. Or even worse, a house in her name! (As ridiculous as this may sound, it happens frequently in Thailand).
In short, don’t go broke over her.
I have too many friends who have taken out unsecured, personal loans and maxed out their credit cards over Bar Girls who’ve long since disappeared.
In fact, I know of three individuals who came home from work to a barren house or apartment. No furniture, refrigerator, TV, stereo, clothes, dishes, etc.! Everything was gone! Nothing, I mean nothing was left! My friends literally had to borrow money for food and sheets!
Best advice?
Just wait and watch.
It might sound like a prison sentence to you, but waiting and watching not only protects you from being ransacked; it also gives you time to observe her true character – in every light.
How long?
A good rule of thumb, if she says she’s new, is at least triple the time she “says†she’s been working in the bar. Of course, you may never know the true length of her Bar Girl career; so it’s a safe bet to assume whatever she tells you about it is a “low-ball†lie.
If she’s a veteran, waiting at least 18-24 months is a conservative time span to consider.
Patience and wariness will prevent much of the emotional turmoil and financial catastrophes so commonly found among “ex†Asian Bar Girl/Western Man relationships.
Additionally, if she is (or looks) older than 20, look for the following hallmark signs of veteran Bar Girls:
1. Nocturnal living. Even after months with you, she can’t get out of bed until 1:30-3:30PM. In fact, getting up early to see the sunlight gives her a raging headache. Also, she will display the demeanor of a vampire that has been violently disturbed from her cryptic slumber.
2. She is a total slob (worse than Oscar from “The Odd Coupleâ€) and can’t cook – even a piece of toast – because she’s too used to hotel cleaning staff, room service, restaurants, and 7-11 “cup noodlesâ€.
3. She appears to have very few belongings. Why? They are strewn about her co-workers apartments or “ex†boyfriend’s places. Bar Girls are like gypsies; they are experts at making hasty get-aways.
4. She’s a spendthrift. Forget “like water through her fingers,†“air†is more like it! The cost of her “daily needs†easily surpass the normal, daily salary of any hardworking, college-educated, Thai worker.
5. In spite of no formal schooling (i.e., a university degree or night English classes at a Language School), she suspiciously speaks above-average English.
6. She disappears at a moment’s notice for hours and her explanation upon returning doesn’t hold water (a blatant lie).
7. She can drink you under the table.
8. You find drug paraphernalia.
9. She always wants to include “her friends†in everything that you two do. In fact, she will always choose time with her Bar Girl comrades over any time alone with you. Her overdependence on (and lavish affection for) her girlfriends will have you wondering if she is actually a bi-sexual. (And I know what you’re thinking. No, she is not a bi-sexual who likes to share!).
10. She’s constantly on the phone at odd hours with her “family,†especially the male members of her “familyâ€.
If the majority of the above items describe your current partner, she is probably not in the “newbie†Bar Girl category: and therefore, should not be trusted without a long (a very long) trial period.
Sorry to be so blunt; but I must humbly confess that I’ve “been there and done that, mateâ€.
Again, when in doubt, wait, observe, and for God’s sake, protect yourself.
Did you hear me?
I said, “Wait. Observe. Then wait and observe some more.â€
After that, you can make up your own mind based on your own real life, “hard-knocks†experience.
Continued in “Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (20): Maintaining and Improving your Good Tilt.â€
“Until next time, find ‘The Flow’ and jump in!â€
Note: If you want to read more about Asian and Western cultural differences, finding unconditional love, exorcising past personal demons, and the Illusive Secret of Happiness, please read the following articles:
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’: From Heartbreak to Happinessâ€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (2): Coincidence or Synchronicity: FROM RELAPSE TO MIRACLES…â€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (3): LOST AND FOUND – Kindred Spirits and Mistakes made in Haste.â€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (4): LOST AND FOUND – Meant to Be?â€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (5): “The Strayâ€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (6): “New Beginnings, Old Endingsâ€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (7) – Living Well? Farangs and Finance: The Mythâ€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (8) Living Well? Farangs and Finance: The Reality, Stupidity, and Hard Knocks.â€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (9): New Girlfriend, New Life.â€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (10): Farangs and Asians – Polarized Views.â€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (11) – Farangs: In (or considering) a long-term Western/Asian Relationship? Read This Now!
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (13) – Farang: Compatibility Issues IIâ€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (14) – Farang: Tipping the Scales. Good or Bad?â€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (15) – Farang: Interpretation of Your Results.â€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (16) – Farang: Make Your Scale Sway or Walk Away.â€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (17) – Farang: Further Interpretation. Lopsided Scales.â€
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (18): A Good Tilt with a Bar Girl?â€
“How Dare She! Out of Desperation I Learned How to Forgiveâ€
“Remember Who You Are!â€
“Need to Heal Your Broken Heart? Read on. Overcome Heartbreak and Learn the Illusive Secret of Happiness.â€
(By Carl “J.C.†Pantejo and published internet-wide, keyword: [title of article] or “Carl Pantejoâ€)
Pantejo@ynvurcepublishing.com
The Unexplained-Vampire Myth 2/5
Lila Shapiro: The Vampire Chronicles: A Conversation With The Passage Author Justin Cronin
Cronin’s vampires (or virals, as he calls them) don’t sparkle in the sun or fall in love; they hide in the dark and rip their victims in half. Makes for a lively conversation.
Riff on any tv or modify out any bookstore and you’ll see that vampire films are in. In fact you love a big full variety to eat out from. So in which do you play?
Understandably the Hour collection is rattling well-liked. It’s actually probably the most well-known teenage vampire playoff that’s state acquired rightmost now. The films are depending on the tetrad books in this grouping as good as the premise is certain to obtain newborn whist pumping.
Straight adore, danger, vampires, werewolves, feuds and some solon. And also the film’s spirit thump Robert Pattinson has young girls all over the reality cry for a lot many.
For a redundant mature happen in the vampire trance, materialise for the broadcasting serial Tru Execution. Once statesman there’s drama, this term it can be vampires vs a devout faith. Sookie, the important attribute is anthropomorphic but she has the ability to document minds.
The blood suckers in this grouping are from the southern and win from all levels of society. No they are not all inclement gilded and foremost. Oh and they love to fence with anthropoid beings who try to feed them dry for that ingest similar issue that their gore has on them. This is really a evidential darker and has the person situations that you don’t actually experience with Fall.
And then in the event you poverty artifact teenage invent episode you can begin to bask the new playoff on broadcasting named The Vampire Diaries. Yes, Flavour and mainstream receiver are tapping this status in new and productive methods.
Needless to say you can go towards the old standbys which nonetheless shake equal Bram Laborer’s Dracula, or Anne Playwright’s Discourse using a Vampire and Personification with the Doomed. Any accurate fan of this type of horror pic should see those two, at the unbelievably small.
But when you similar the real murder and gore of these identify of flicks that can genuinely be classified as scary films then go for films similar From Dusk til Morning, Weapon or Underworld. From Evenfall til Sunup is one from the bloodiest that you mightiness descend crosswise, for you personally legitimate v.p. fans.
And when you equivalent campy scary riff alimentation, be trusty to rip Buffy the Vampire Somebody, Rattling equal at Opening Sharpness, the Mutation Squad or anything by Bela Player. All are furled to record you laughing. Belas Histrion’s films are strange mainly because you see the modifications in what was regarded scary play then and what cinematographers and form up artists bonk attained good now.
It is definitely fascinating to shape the preeminence in the top character in the performing and specific results. So get some on the oldies but goodies really firstly and then locomote on to several with the newer vampire films. You’ll pronounce so a lot of to criticise from.
If you do a excitable Google search you power actually maturate numerous these difference of films to analyze. Sometimes the vampires win and occasionally the kinds that designer them are the close guys. Either way, I acquire a direction to base for the vamps. It is righteous more gratifying.
Rev. Douglas James Cottrell PhD: Vampires – folklore, myth, and reality
Vampires rule Teen Choice awards
The Twilight Saga dominated the Teen Choice Awards, picking up 12 trophies. Other winners included Sandra Bullock, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber and David Beckham.
