{"id":3284,"date":"2004-01-04T19:00:25","date_gmt":"2004-01-05T00:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/?p=3284"},"modified":"2016-12-28T15:40:44","modified_gmt":"2016-12-28T20:40:44","slug":"the-christmas-gift-list-of-2003","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/?p=3284","title":{"rendered":"The Christmas Gift List of 2003"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s that time of year again, Christmas time. Or more accurately, it <em>was <\/em>that time of year again. The event itself is long done, but the season still lingers and won\u2019t be gone until sometime around the time when school starts again. Our happy little holiday has come and gone, but like every year before, it has left its mark on pretty much everyone. As much as I hate to admit it, Christmas is celebrated by pretty much everyone and anyone, except the Jews. And I\u2019m pretty sure they get a little of the spirit anyway, what with it being everywhere. Christmas is no longer a special holiday for us good little Christians, but an event for everyone. While that\u2019s probably for the best, it seems a little unfair. But I\u2019m not writing an essay on the commercialization of Christmas, so I\u2019ll shut up about that before I really offend anyone.<\/p>\n<p>Cartoon characters argue about it all the time, and I\u2019m not exactly sure of it, but I think Christmas is about giving, getting, love, the birth of Christ, and delicious baked goods all at the same time. I mean why not get a little bit of all the good stuff? Why settle for one meaning when you can have 5? It just makes sense. Today I\u2019m gonna be focusing more on the getting side. In the wrong context, that sounds kinda dirty. As I did for Easter and my birthday, I\u2019m going to be doing a rundown of every gift and treat that I got this Christmas. Unlike the former two, this one is gonna be divided into 2 pages. Why? Because I can.<\/p>\n<p>The first page (this one, for those of you who are a little slower) will show off the stocking stuffers and all the gifts that I got from people that don\u2019t live in my house. After all that is through, you\u2019ll find a link taking you to page 2. There, you can see all the stuff I got from my parents, my brothers, and the legendary Santa Claus (minus the stocking crap). Also, I\u2019ll show a couple things that were addressed to the family rather than exclusively to myself. Then it\u2019ll be done and I\u2019ll provide a link to the Articles board in my message boards where you can discuss all sorts of crazy crap. Then comes my sig and e-mail address and then you\u2019ll have to find something else to read. So let\u2019s get started already!<\/p>\n<p>Actually, on one last note, the pics are a little bit lower quality than usual because my webcam software doesn&#8217;t get along with Windows 2000, so just bear with it for now until I find a proper substitute.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>As I stated in that long and unnecessary intro, we\u2019ll start with the stocking stuffin\u2019s and then move on to gifts from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. One little note before I start, not everything got immortalized in a picture, some stuff (mostly money) couldn&#8217;t be present at the time so I had to do without. Of course, I\u2019ll make mention of the gift and who it came from, just for the sake of completeness. So, here\u2019s my stocking:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x301.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As you can see (if you look close enough), it has been stuffed to the point where it\u2019s become misshapen and somewhat pointy. I myself hadn\u2019t really rooted through it before I took the pics, I was waiting to get a picture of it before I was tempted to eat the delectable goodies that were sure to lurk inside. And lurk they certainly did. Let\u2019s dump it out and see what\u2019s inside.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x302.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ah, quite the pile of mess I&#8217;ve made. That\u2019s the second thing I&#8217;ve typed that sounds really wrong without the proper context. While we can clearly make out a few things in the pile, I feel some strange need to arrange it neatly and take another picture so that you can tell what everything is without a detailed description. At this point I can see that it\u2019s not quite as full of exciting stuff like it has been in past years, but the candy haul looks decent, so I\u2019m happy.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x303.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ok, time for a list. In this bag we have:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A stuffed novelty Dallas Cowboys football. My dad was jealous until he got his.<\/li>\n<li>A chocolate Santa on a stick. Clearly came from the same mold as the chocolate Easter Bunny on a stick.<\/li>\n<li>Circular Candy Cane. So many C\u2019s, none of them worth it. O_o<\/li>\n<li>A gift certificate for some book store. I was far too disinterested to know which one or how much it\u2019s worth.<\/li>\n<li>Box of 5 CD-Rs. I guess half a box is better than none. Though I still have 13 left over from the birthday.<\/li>\n<li>Net full of chocolate Santas. Also mysteriously shaped like the Easter Bunny chocolates.<\/li>\n<li>Gift card for Blockbuster. This could be useful when I need to rent video games, unlock my door or pretend I have an important person keycard.<\/li>\n<li>A stick of deodorant. Not my preferred brand, but it\u2019ll do.<\/li>\n<li>5-pak of Tic-Tacs. That rhymed. Sweet.<\/li>\n<li>Many, many Life Savers. All in a small, festive, book-like box<\/li>\n<li>Mini-milk carton with the Cat in the Hat on it. I hate that cat. Apparently, the carton is filled with Whoppers. Anybody want some Whoppers?<\/li>\n<li>Finally, a box of Hot Tamales. The cream of the crop? Yes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I usually don\u2019t do lists, especially unordered lists, but it\u2019s a special occasion. I think that in the end I made out pretty good on the candy front. I ended up with a box of Hot Tamales and a ton of Tic-Tacs. Those could have been the only things in the stocking and I\u2019d have been fine. The Candy Cane thing is a good entry, but I frown upon the Whoppers. CD-R\u2019s are nice to have, but I\u2019ve got a ton already. And the money substitutes will no doubt come in handy sooner or later. I don\u2019t buy books until I have a gift certificate, so it\u2019s time for me to do some reading! So now that that\u2019s covered, I\u2019ll move on to the presents. Mmmm presents.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x304.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Wouldn\u2019t you know it, I just got out of a veritable grab bag and stumbled into a second. My grandparents always send a bag of useful-type stuff, littered with other less-useful fun things. This one came with deodorant (more Mitchum? Dammit! I told everyone I like Brut!), plenty of hair gel (it just hit me now that the blue bottle actually came in the stocking\u2026), dental floss, gum, free golf, movie money, a scarf (which hadn\u2019t left my neck until I took the pics), and some mittens. There was also a pair of boxers and some socks, but they were in the washing machine while I was taking the pics. I also got a new hockey stick, which is sadly enough in the same state as my old one; brand new. Not the absolute greatest stuff, but damned if I won\u2019t appreciate getting it all.<\/p>\n<p>One of my uncles gave me fifty bucks. It came in a nice card which is now sitting on one of the many tables in my living room. My aunt and uncle who live way in Ontario sent a card with another forty dollars enclosed. It has also found a home somewhere in the living room among all the other cards. The money wasn\u2019t able to show up because I didn\u2019t feel like finding my wallet. It always gets lost in my room. Perhaps I should look for it? Nah. When I need it, it\u2019ll find me. That\u2019s what wallets do.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x305.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Next up is the stuff from my other set of grandparents. The dark mass on the left is a new pair of jeans. They fit suspiciously well for new jeans. The only other jeans that have fit so well are jeans that have been worn in, but these had the tags and everything, so they certainly aren\u2019t second-hand. Up on top is Big Shiny Tunes 8. I\u2019ve been complaining that ever since 5, they\u2019ve just been getting crappier each year, but I can\u2019t complain with this one. It\u2019s not too bad for a bunch of bands I never heard of. I still don\u2019t like Linkin Park or Simple Plan, but \u201cGet Loose\u201d by The Salads makes it all worth it. If you haven\u2019t heard the song, go listen to it now. Absolute best song from a band named after food ever. EVER.<\/p>\n<p>And if you can\u2019t make out the title, the big block on the right is a Shmuzzle Puzzle. Never heard of \u2018em? Well nor had I until I saw it on TV, and then I knew I had to have it. It\u2019s only 160-some pieces, but they\u2019re all shaped the <strong>exact same<\/strong>! And they fit together in like a billion ways, so I assume that it\u2019s gonna be quite the challenge to get this bad boy done. The box even says it\u2019s a twin threat to my sanity. But I love puzzles and threats to my sanity, so I know I\u2019ll enjoy doing it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x306.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>From another of my aunt and uncles, I got this little treasure; <em>Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga<\/em>. If you liked <em>Super Mario RPG<\/em>, you\u2019ll more than likely enjoy this one. If you liked <em>Paper Mario<\/em> too, you\u2019ll definitely love this. It\u2019s the perfect cross between the two, and I absolutely love it. There isn\u2019t a single thing I can\u2019t say a good thing about in this game. The story is great, the dialogue is hilarious, the graphics and sound are spot-on, and it\u2019s about 20 hours for an expert (good time for a GameBoy RPG). Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, it\u2019s fun too. The battle system is very interactive and you can\u2019t really take your eyes off the action like in most RPGs. I love it. Plus, it\u2019s got the <em>Mario Bros.<\/em>game I get hooked on so easily and finally, an unofficial two-player option for those with a GameCube and a GameBoy Player.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x307.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>From my cousin, another Big Shiny CD. Big Shiny 90\u2019s this time. Mucho better than the other one, because it\u2019s got music that\u2019s closer to my preferred music era. Not only that, but it\u2019s 2 CDs! Talk about your sweet deals. The not sweet deal is that it\u2019s Volume 2, and I don\u2019t have any volume 1 to speak of so I guess I\u2019ll have to go searching for that now. It\u2019s still a great compilation and I highly recommend it. From the fragments of commercial I can pick out of my memory I think the first one was better, but as it stands, I like this one just fine.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not quite at 2000 words yet, but it\u2019s time for me to make the move into the next page, which will be a bot longer. Oops\u2026 I\u2019ll leave it to your imagination whether that was supposed to be \u201cbit\u201d or \u201clot\u201d. Maybe I really did want to spell \u201cbot\u201d. Maybe I should quit trying to squeeze in a bunch of extra words to make the unspoken quota. Then again, most of the tags are counting as words so it\u2019s a little inaccurate. But that don\u2019t matter, we\u2019ll just say I ended this page with a healthy 1900 words. Be sure to click on the link below to find out what the rest of my gifts were. If you don\u2019t, I\u2019ll know. And then I\u2019ll get you for it.<\/p>\n<p>[Pretend there&#8217;s a page break here. Years ago there actually was one!]<\/p>\n<p>I guess the best place for me to start off is where I left off. Now that you&#8217;ve seen all that various crap, it\u2019s time for a lot more crap! Only this crap came from my parents, siblings, and there are even a few presents from me in there somewhere. And to top it all off are a few gifts that were addressed to the whole family rather than just for me. I know I&#8217;ve told you this before but I thought I\u2019d remind you, and I just didn&#8217;t feel right starting with a picture.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x308.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Every year for my birthday and Christmas, my dad gets me some sort of tool. I think it\u2019s a pretty sweet deal, because I use them a lot. Maybe not for what they\u2019re meant for, but I use them a lot. This year I got my very first wrench set. Now that\u2019s great and all, but I asked for a saw (again) and it never came. Why I can\u2019t have a saw is beyond me, but frankly I\u2019m pretty disappointed. I love the wrenches and all, but they just aren\u2019t a saw. Oh well, there\u2019s always next year.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x309.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Everybody should know that I adore the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If you don\u2019t you do now. Sadly, I only got one action figure for Christmas, but it\u2019s no big deal, I can just go buy the rest. I\u2019ve already got all the figures from series 1, and Skatin\u2019 Raph here is my first from series 2. Overall, it\u2019s not that much different from the normal Raphael, except for the skates, his clothes, and the fact that his legs are stuck in a much more comfortable looking position. The skates themselves are quite large, but they work pretty well and ensure that he doesn\u2019t fall over. My only complaint is that they didn\u2019t paint as much detail on the actual figure as they did on the figure on the box. It\u2019s really not a big deal, but I feel a bit cheated.<\/p>\n<p>My brother, on the other hand, got pretty much all of the ones he needed. Ironically, I think the only one that he\u2019s missing is Skatin\u2019 Raph. I\u2019m quite jealous because I\u2019ve been a Turtles fan for so much longer than him, and if it wasn\u2019t for me, he probably wouldn\u2019t even know about them. I think the jealousy is mostly rooted in the fact that he has the Casey Jones figure and I don\u2019t, but I have him one-upped in other ways that are soon to follow\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x310.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Back to the real world for a second, I\u2019ll take a look at my CD\u2019s. I haven\u2019t been listening to Styx for a long time, but I really like the music, so I asked for the greatest hits and here it is. It\u2019s a great CD, despite only having 11 songs, and I\u2019m even listening to it as I type this. There is one song I don\u2019t really like on it, but it\u2019s not something I can\u2019t learn to live with. After all, if I can tolerate the Three Days Grace song on Big Shiny Tunes 8 I should be able to put up with anything a real band can throw at me. Other than what I\u2019ve already typed, there isn\u2019t a whole lot I can say about a CD.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x311.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I believe my exact word were \u201cNot another damn puzzle\u201d. Just kidding, I think it\u2019s cool that now my sanity will be cumulatively threatened four times. This one might be a little easier than the water drop as it\u2019s got lots of colours, but I haven\u2019t tried to put it together yet so I could be horribly mistaken. These puzzles are only like 10 bucks, so I urge you to go out and get one if you often find yourself bored. Or you could get one of those bajillion-piece puzzles, but those don\u2019t have any gimmicks, so they can\u2019t possibly be any good.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x312.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Just to diversify my gifts a bit, my mom decided that it would be good idea to get me a couple books. Only problem is that these books aren\u2019t really books. Sure they\u2019ve got words in them and all, but they\u2019re mostly just for novelty\u2019s sake. I mean, who actually reads through everything in the Guinness world record books? I\u2019ll make it a point to be the first to do the feat and then I\u2019ll get into the next one. I\u2019m just curious if it came from the future, because it\u2019s the 2004 book and there hasn\u2019t been a whole lot of 2004 to make records in. That and it looks kinda futurey. The high point is that I found a new crustacean to top the most wanted pets list: the Japanese spider crab. Though I\u2019d need a pool to keep it in because its leg span is over 2 meters long.<\/p>\n<p>Now the <em>Mario &amp; Luigi<\/em> player\u2019s guide. I don\u2019t really need it, but I can honestly say that it has come in handy. I also like to just read guides as well. Don\u2019t ask me why, because I couldn\u2019t tell you. Just ever since I got the guide for <em>Final Fantasy 8<\/em> I\u2019ve been getting them mostly just to read. We all know that you don\u2019t need a guide for a side-scroller, but I got the guide for <em>Viewtiful Joe <\/em>because I like to read them, it was Viewtiful Joe goods, and it was 20% off. That\u2019s like 2 bucks off right there. Greatest deal ever.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x313.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I got the second season DVD set of Friends for my 16th birthday, and I wanted the first and third this Christmas, but my mom was only able to find the third. I guess I\u2019ll have to go hunting for it by myself eventually. Not a whole lot to say, but it\u2019s got one of my favorite episodes on it, The One Where Nobody\u2019s Ready. If you don\u2019t recognize the title, it\u2019s the episode where Joey puts on all of Chandler\u2019s clothes at once. The special features aren\u2019t very appetizing, but I like commentary so I\u2019m happy. Oh yes, we got a DVD player a while ago, so I no longer have to use the PS2 or X-Block to watch stuff. Yay!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x315.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I told you I\u2019m a Turtles fan and I wasn\u2019t lying. I wanted Turtles DVD\u2019s, and I got one set. Only once again, it\u2019s the third in the set, and my brother got the first. Obviously my mother is not aware of my preference of getting things in order. Not only that, but my brother wrecked the plastic covering of his while trying to open in so now the cover is taped on very, very badly. Not that if affects me, but I hate to see something so precious abused in such a way. Seriously, if you saw it, you\u2019d hit him too.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x314.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to set foot into the restaurant of video games and check out the real delicacies of the annual serving of gifts. Our appetizer, <em>MegaMan Zero 2 <\/em>is by far one of the hardest games of this generation. When I read the reviews I thought \u201cBah, they\u2019re just babies, it couldn\u2019t possibly be that hard\u201d and I thought I was right, because they said the first game was hard and it wasn\u2019t too bad. But when I popped this sucker in I got my ass handed to me. Getting killed in the intro stage generally means the game is hard or you suck, and I\u2019m pretty confident that I don\u2019t suck. But after some practice, I\u2019ve been able to make it halfway through. My final opinion: I love it. We need more games like this. Capcom, I salute you.<\/p>\n<p>Our side salad is, of course, the TMNT GameBoy game. Unlike MMZ2, it\u2019s not unbearably difficult, but it does offer it\u2019s own challenges. Easy mode is quite simple, but once you get to Normal, you start thinking that maybe you got more than you asked for. And it\u2019s fun too. It\u2019s like the old arcade\/NES games, except it\u2019s pure 2D and there is (very sadly) no multiplayer support. But it\u2019s still an above-par game. There is a password feature, but it doesn\u2019t unlock anything worth being there. The other problem is that they chopped up the cartoon\u2019s intro and shoved it in there. It would have been better off without the intro, rather than with the butchered garbage that\u2019s in there. But it\u2019s small, and skippable so I don\u2019t mind too much.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x316.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And now we get to the sweet, sweet main course of the bunch, the GameCube version of TMNT. Like the GBA game, it\u2019s very similar to the old games, only it\u2019s in true 3D. There is multiplayer support, but it only goes to 2-player. I bet if they didn\u2019t have to put it on the PS2 as well, there would have been a proper 4-player mode. Oh well. The password system in this version is much better, as it opens plenty of things like new game modes and costumes. There is also a production art database, and being the art fiend I am, it pleases me muchly. Oh, and if all the crazy food metaphors are kind of confusing, I\u2019ve been playing <em>Mario &amp; Luigi <\/em>way too much, and you\u2019ll understand if you play it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x318.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve said I\u2019m a Queen fan in the past, and as you can see above, I got myself a little something to commemorate my last big Christmas haul. Actually, we were shopping on Boxing Day and I\u2019ve never seen these CDs anywhere, so I did what I had to do. I imagine the reason they\u2019re so rare is because they\u2019re the first two Queen albums, and they were released a long time ago. Of course, they are the CDs and not the records, so they\u2019re not the originals, but I\u2019m not complaining. The one thing I <strong>am <\/strong>complaining about though, is that Queen II has a remix of the Seven Seas of Rhye, which I though was just an extended version or something, but it\u2019s really a techo-ish dance mix which really destroys the song. Other than that, they\u2019re awesome CDs that belong in the libraries of any 80\u2019s rock fan.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x317.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Now we get to the family gifts. You can usually see a similar background in pictures of me that are on the site, but there\u2019s one big difference (aside from the dog toys). The new weight bench we got is a lot better than our old piece of junk. This one\u2019s even got a thing so we can do leg stuff as well. I may not seem like the type to be overjoyed by this kind of thing, but I am. Now all I need is some solid motivation and I\u2019ll be in shape in no time. Ooh, it\u2019s comfy too, so comfy in fact, that I was ready to use it as a bed one night. There was a whole bunch of (figurative) crap all over my real bed, so I just laid down. But then I got up and after some possibly amusing events I ended up sleeping on the couch.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x319.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I had taken all the pics when I remembered about getting this beauty, so I just surfed on over to Saitek\u2019s website and stole their picture of it. It\u2019s so much better than the old 4-button Gravis gamepad I had been forced to use for the last few years. Now I can play my ROMs in style! I would use it for other games, but we don\u2019t really have any computer games that would benefit from using this. I\u2019ve said it once and I\u2019ll say it again, FPS games are made to be played with a keyboard and mouse or at least a Nintendo 64 controller. I wonder if I could play <em>Tiberian Sun <\/em>with it?<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s the whole lot of it. Every gift and goodie has been at least spoken of, and I\u2019m ready to go and start a puzzle. Actually, to tell the truth, there is one thing I forgot to mention, and I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll make up for the one I missed in the birthday article\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.torrentialequilibrium.net\/images\/x03\/x320.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ho ho ho! Enjoy, ladies!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>And that\u2019s that. Sorry I couldn\u2019t get this up closer to Christmas, I was planning to have it done by the 28th, but my PC got infected yet again and only a week after the holiday have I found time to finish up. And now that this is done, I an get to work on my English project of which I had 4 months to work on and have yet to start. It\u2019s worth 10% of my grade so I guess I\u2019d better get to work. I might even post some of the stuff I do for it on the site, so be sure to stay tuned.<\/p>\n<p>As for the future, I stated in a recent news post that January is exam month, and not only normal exams, but provincial exams as well. They shouldn\u2019t be too hard, as all my classes this semester are language classes, and I find that to be my forte in school, but I till have to study or something like that, so I probably won\u2019t have a lot of time for updates. It\u2019s going to be another November\/December. If I do post anything it\u2019s gonna be a mini-review or submissions to the gallery. Sorry about the lack of real articles, but my PC has been FUBAR so many times in the past couple months that I can\u2019t really get anything done. Now that\u2019s changed, and as of February I\u2019ll be able to try a little harder.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s that time of year again, Christmas time. Or more accurately, it was that time of year again. The event itself is long done, but the season still lingers and won\u2019t be gone until sometime around the time when school starts again. Our happy little holiday has come and gone, but like every year before, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/?p=3284\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Christmas Gift List of 2003<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,37,26,22,28,12,13,14,30,38,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-board-games","category-foodstuffs","category-holidays","category-idiot-box","category-mario","category-mega-man","category-music","category-reading","category-tmnt","category-video-games"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3284"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6352,"href":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3284\/revisions\/6352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torrentialequilibrium.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}