Hasdrubal the Boetarch, we hardly knew ye

[uberreiniger]

The entry title comes from all the fascinating things ghaidin has just been telling me about the Third Punic War. To the Romans' credit, the Carthagians really should have seen it coming.

I got thirty extra minutes of overtime this morning because we had to call an ambulance for a homeless man who collapsed in the park next door to us. It seemed nothing more than a case of severe intoxication, but you can't be too sure.

Something I've noticed about homeless men is that they tend to repeat themselves over and over again. A few months back when oreibasia stopped to assist a driver who had flipped his car, the panhandler from the nearby corner kept telling the young man "you got post-traumatic shock" over and over. This morning one of the sick man's companions, whom I'm assuming feared his friend would be robbed at the hospital kept telling me and the paramedics that "he got a lotta money on him" in an endless loop. Now I know two different scenarios aren't enough to assume that everyone in that particular demographic does this, but it is enough to be worth taking note of. Maybe they're so used to being unseen and unheard that they fear the message won't get through if they're not relentlessly persistant. All things considered, I suppose it's not an unreasonable fear.

Many Carthagians were rendered homeless after the sack of Carthage in the Third Punic War. Maybe the fact that many people know next to nothing about the Third Punic War is a testimony of what happens when homeless people do not repeat themselves.

I wanted to go see Lady In The Water tonight but it doesn't seem to be playing anywhere anymore. I wasn't expecting that. What a twist!

I have also been mandatory'd into overtime Saturday night. Here's hoping no more paramedics need to be called.

I bought the Silent Hill movie today. Yes, I am weak. I really want to buy V For Vendetta but of course it's one of the most expensive new releases ever to be newly released. I'd also like to get my hands of Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerebus for PS2 but that's clearly going to have to wait. In fact, I've never even finished the original Final Fantasy VII. I used to have no patience for turn-based combat games that interupt the narrative every two minutes for another tedious fight scene, but I think that must be changing. And what's with there being a sequel to Finaly Fantasy VII anyway? Shouldn't they just call it Finally Fantasy VII.V or something?

Comments

[ghaidin.livejournal.com]

I saw a program a while ago about homeless teenagers and there was this mom who kept on saying she was a good mom, she didnt want to have her child taken away, she was a good mom, a good mom... I wonder how much desperation goes into a sentence like that :(

About lady in the water, i heard it's not that good? Hmmm, I havent seen it myself so i wouldnt know...

[adonijah74.livejournal.com]

"The good thing about Lady in the Water is that even if it does suck you get to stare at Dallas Bryce Howard. :)"

Actually, my wife and I went to see it last week and it was great! As long as you go in fully understanding that this is not a "horror" movie but more like a fantasy/fairy tale type of story, it was very enjoyable.

Highly recommended for fans of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and people who like Grimms Fairy Tales (no, not the crappy movie--the real stories).

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

I wish they'd quit trying to market Shyamalan's movies as horror movies because they're not. Stupid Hollywood.

[ghaidin.livejournal.com]

thanks for the info! :)
Since I fit the profile of "fans of" almost 100% I think I'll give it a shot :)

[chade66.livejournal.com]

Considering the state of our so called foster care system, I think my daughter would be safer on the streets with me than depending on the tender mercies of the state.

[ghaidin.livejournal.com]

that was the mom's very point (i think she had been a foster child herself)

unfortunately, the mom went to prison for a bit and she left the baby with a friend to hide from social services. when she came out the little girl was gone and nobody was able to find her. makes you scared to think what was of the child

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times: I hate people who repeat themselves :)

[raihaannah.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, the vast majority of homeless people are either a) mentally ill; b) cracked out on a numerous and variety of drugs; or c) both.

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

The gentlemen today seemed sound candidates for option C.

[germsama.livejournal.com]

I'm a little pissed that I actually want Dirge of Cerebus. -.- I completely despise FFVII, and it's an atrocity that Square-Enix is actually banking on milking the stupid game.

But... it's so pretty...

Ohhh, and get the Best Buy version of V for Vendetta. It comes with a V mask! I hung it above my mantel. Instead of dead deer heads, I have a grinning mask, all tremble before the geekness of me!

[adonijah74.livejournal.com]

The true sequel to FFVII (quite possibly the greatest game of all time), is Final Fantasy VII-The Advent Children. Except that it is not a game, but a movie. And unlike that farce of a so-called FF movie "The Spirit's Within", which had great animation, but no relevance to the FF games, this one takes place two years after the defeat of Sephiroth.

I highly recommend it. I own it on DVD (of course). I would suggest that you watch the chronicles of FFVII (on Special Features Disc 2), which is a shorter, condensed story of FFVII complete w/game footage thrown in for good measure. It kinda helps refresh your memory about what "materia" is and how it works, and who is "mother" and the whole "Shinra, Inc." thing.

Then watch the movie and enjoy. It's awesome IMO.

*eagerly anticipating FFXII (last FF title for PS2) and FFXIII (PS3 heaven)*

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within confused and ANGERED me. Then those teabaggers at Squaresoft confused and ANGERED me again with "Final Flight Of The Osiris," the lamest part of The Animatrix. No animation studio confuses and angers me twice... and LIVES.

[ghaidin.livejournal.com]

Now that I know what a teabagger is I feel much more integrated *nods*

must confess never got around starting any final fantasy stuff, and now it seems... overwhelming. where does one start?

Plus completely agree on the blah! nature of the final flight of the osiris. Lame is too good for it

[adonijah74.livejournal.com]

"must confess never got around starting any final fantasy stuff, and now it seems... overwhelming. where does one start?"

If you can stomach the older graphics, I would start with FF VII. It is what most RPG/FF gamers (including myself)consider the eppitome of what a good RPG is.

You can find it on ebay and I would recommend getting the guidebook as well. Don't let that guidebook scare you off, it's not like you have to read a ton of material to get through the game. A lot of the guidebook is graphics and hints and clues.

After that, I suggest you skip 8 & 9 and go to FFX and FFX-2. That's just my personal opinion because although the leap from FFVII to FFVIII graphic-wise was good (thanks to the introduction of the PS2), I felt like the story wasn't as good.

Part of the appeal of FF games is the soundtrack. Nubuo Uematsu is a genius composer. His use of themes for characters reminds me a lot of how John Williams writes his scores. He even has a heavy metal band called "The Black Mages", affectionately named after characters in the FF games. His remake of "One-Winged Agel" for the DVD "Advent Children" is nothing short of pure, metal bliss.

Hope that helps.

(can you tell I'm a FF geek?)

[ghaidin.livejournal.com]

thank you!

(nothing wrong with obsessions. Though I'm a bit ashamed of the Carthage trip I took uberreiniger on myself)

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

I wish more people would discuss ancient history in my journal, actually. Please, discuss Carthage any time.