My Fav. Dark Carnival Quotes

Wow, seems like you’re really getting into this game, Rachel! I’m glad you’re having fun with it, and the characters certainly seem to have a good sense of humor in that carnival level.

Gnome Chompski, huh? That’s probably the first play on Noam Chomsky’s name I’ve ever heard. Pretty clever, lol.

I wanted to suggest a thought about that Desert Eagle, for you to not let your mind be bothered by the “fake texturing” issue: The L4D2 world is a fictional game world, so maybe 1337 WEAPON INDUSTRIES (yOgi) PWN is the fictional manufacturer of the quasi-realistic Desert Eagle found in that game world. It would make sense, because as you stated, the trademark inscription does vary depending on the manufacturer.

Besides, that virtual Desert Eagle isn’t totally realistic. Maybe 1337 WEAPON INDUSTRIES (yOgi) PWN sucks at making Desert Eagles compared to Israel Military Industries or Magnum Research Inc., and maybe they only make them to PWN noobs, but they aren’t intelligent enough to bother putting muzzles on them (most “pwnz0rz” lack general intelligence anyway.) On the bright side, at least you won’t see “noob-pwning” guns like that in the real world, right? I think it’d probably be illegal to advertise firearms for that purpose in real-world America, anyway. Lol.

I feel it’s probably best not to let too much stuff bother you, but instead find a weakness in things that do bother you and “pwn” them back with a creative thought. It’s a tactic I learned from hanging out with that best friend of mine! We should talk on Steam or MSN or something, haven’t gotten much of a chance to talk to you lately. I miss you, Rachel! ^^

Your screenshots always give the game the impression that it is really adorable…=P I like the park entrance and at the rides quotes. Very funny!

Des

OMG!! Nobody else got that reference in all the time I’ve been playing!! I guess because they had never heard of Noam Chomsky? *L* I suppose it is a joke that only Americans would understand.

Maybe they only make them to PWN noobs, but they aren’t intelligent enough to bother putting muzzles on them (most “pwnz0rz” lack general intelligence anyway.)

I was on a full TF2 server earlier today (32 people) when someone else brought this up. They said that there was “no barrel” on the gun model. The conversation went on for 5 minutes with people discussing the “lack of a barrel” on the gun, when there is obviously a barrel and what’s missing is the muzzle. Nobody knew this distinction on a full server for an FPS game. *L*

If they did then they were keeping quiet like I was for fear of being labeled a gun nut/redneck. =X

Kath

Haha when I first played this campaign, it felt like it was practically made for me; there’s just so much cute stuff! Ellis gets lots of adorable and comedic dialogue in this one too, which makes me happy. =B

I see, Rachel… I think it was actually smart of you (and anyone else who knew the difference between barrel and muzzle) to keep quiet about it for that moment. Games are meant to be fun, and if anyone else knew that difference, they too probably were afraid of being labeled “redneck” if they said anything. Besides, being labeled negatively for something you like takes the fun out of a game. That’s why the mature, real-life firearm users don’t speak out much against the “gam3rz” on a TF2 server.

Besides, to the gam3rz, being talked down to while playing is like having mom or dad playing online games with them, which is not fun for them. They might play TF2 to get away from their creepy parents anyway, for whatever immature or naive reasons (maybe legit reasons too, but that’s probably a long shot with most gam3rz) that they might have. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sometimes chuckle a bit at their ignorance… when the mic is off, of course! Or better yet, if the other team is yakkin’ it up about unrelated/unimportant stuff too, you could strategically wait until they get too deep into debating… then get your team to rush ‘em, they’ll be caught off guard for sure! =P

See, you just have to identify a weakness to strike at when something hinders your spirit, and know your own strengths and weaknesses, or your “skill set.” Something I’ve noticed in particular has been a sensitive issue with you the past year: your voice. To be fair, I think the excessive cuteness does raise doubts with some people, especially the judgmental-minded teenage FPS gam3rz. While your voice is very unique, it’s not a very strong point of yours if you try to use it too outspokenly. (Please don’t take this the wrong way. I’ll honestly say I don’t think you’d be the type to lie about your gender, either, but I thought this might be something you could think about.)

My voice is also not a strong point of mine, which is why I’ve been made fun of in voice chat sometimes. I sound like a 16-year-old boy, but I’m actually 23 years old. I’m not even joking. o_O However, we’re both very intelligent people, so we can subvert the corrupted or judgmental ideals of those with more powerful, louder voices than ours, there’s just a different, more sneaky way to do it and it’s up to us to figure those ways out!

Something else to get you thinking: My best friend had a very different skill set from mine. She focused too little sometimes and was very carefree, but she was also a lot more outgoing and willing to try things as long as they didn’t get her killed. She’s been a little bit more serious and self-controlled lately, though, which is slightly like how I used to act. (I used to stay in my “safety shell” too much to have a satisfying amount of fun, though! Lol.) The fact that she and I have the same personal goals and values is another good sign: being resourceful, intelligent, free-spirited, but also sensitive and romantic people. Maybe our different skills and ideas rubbed off on each other a bit while I was hanging out with her!

This is how I think it could apply to you, Rachel… I think your skill set is a bit closer to mine, but I think your goals might also be similar to ours, so that’s why I mentioned some of her social tactics to you. Notice I say “social tactics” instead of “social skills”… social skills are on the most basic level, and in general they are lacked only by mentally disabled people. Tactics, however, are on a more advanced level and are known and/or lacked by a much larger part of the population, so don’t let anyone get you confused between the terms to try to embarrass you!

If these thoughts help you feel more self-confident, I definitely want to hear about your experiences… I have been keeping up with your blog and I love learning about your inspiring everyday adventures. You are a brilliant young lady and anyone who talks to you in a judgmental or manipulative way should be the ones ashamed of themselves: they should take responsibility, not you! As for me, I just want to try and repay the kindness of this small girl with her big gun, who has been very patient, understanding, and a very good friend to me!