Strange Realms' Random Thoughts

The Death of Multiply, the Changes here

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Strange Realms

Multiply is closing in december. So that means that both my tarot and gaming space won’t be there anymore. My mother told me I should build my own website, there are some places where you can get your website hosted for free. I really don’t have the energy for that. Already moving everything will be a lot of work, if on top I have to dig in HTML and CSS, and mine are rusty, nah!

So I’ve decided instead to transfer everything here in my blog on WordPress. I like it here. Since you cannot really make galleries on WordPress, and that would require from me to upgrade to Pro which would be costly, I prefer hosting the images on JAlbums. I like the look JAlbums give to the albums, it allows me to share the high res versions as well, and it would just be 2.50$ a month for that.

I have already created a page here to put the stuff I shared on Multiply to download, and I’ve used Dropbox for that. You will find an ebook I created for XMPlay, an audio player I love very much, I put in it the guides on their support website. Considering how many websites have disappeared since I’ve been online, I feel safer knowing I have a hard copy of those guides. They have accepted kindly to host it too on their support website. I have put there as well a screensaver I created with screenshots, concept arts and music of the now dead MMORPG Tabula Rasa. Since I’m a big Silent Hill fan I share as well the load of avatars I created for MSN Messenger and the tiles set I created for Kyodai Mahjongg.

I’ve also created a page called “Thoth Tarot and Golden Dawn Tarot Decks Related Files and Websites” which I had posted on Multiply. I made a page instead of a blog entry to make it easier to find those informations.

I created a “MMORPGs I’ve played” page where I intend to put my gaming screenshots of the MMORPGs I’ve played. So far only The Secret World is there, but I plan to add more. I also plan to create another page about the videogames I’ve played too but I want to focus on the MMORPGs ones right now.

After that I’ll have to check if there is any post I should transfer here.

My biggest disappointments about Guild Wars 2

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Strange Realms

The dyes

We were told that the dyes we would unlock would be account based, so those who play many characters like me would be able to access all their dyes. And there is a LOT of dyes to unlock, 400 in total. Obviously something that would take a LOT of time. Well, in all beta events the dyes were indeed account based, including the big media week-end beta event where journalists in gaming industry were invited, including smaller guys like TotalBiscuit, who confirmed to the world, in different medias, that dyes were indeed account based, that ArenaNet follows their promises.

It’s only in the very last beta events that suddenly dyes were not account based anymore. Everyone thought it was a bug and reported it as a bug it to ArenaNet. Up until someone showed up in their official forums to tell us that ArenaNet had suddenly changed their mind, that now dyes are character based and gave us the most ridiculous reason why : to give us a sense of progression. Most people on the forums were angry and did not agree at all with that and wanted their account based dyes back.

I just want to mention that publically dyes are still account based because ArenaNet has not put on their website or blog that they’ve changed their mind, that they BROKE a promise, only other places have mentioned it, so that means that someone who check the beta events articles and videos, especially the journalists ones, and quickly check their website, will have a hard wake up call when they realize that sneakily dyes are not account based anymore.

On top of that, the dyes that drop are not identified so that means you don’t even know what color it is. Well, I don’t plan to play that gambling game. I plan to just NOT identify said dyes up until either the dyes become account based again or up until there is a way to identify the dyes before unlocking the dyes. Also, l will NOT buy dyes in the ingame store either. Again, it’s a gambling game. None of these are fun is any way whatsoever.

Ironically, some short time after ArenaNet changed their account based dye system to character based system in closed beta, ArenaNet had the nerve to write a blog article called Is it Fun? Colin Johanson on How ArenaNet Measures Success. The nerve!!! In other word, while they were working on the game they made sure to put emphasize on fun and get rid of not fun stuff.

Well guess what ArenaNet, the current character based gambling dye system is NOT fun at all. NOT FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And multiply that NOT FUN by how many alts we have. NOT FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Mesmer

In Guild Wars mesmer was the most awesome coolest fun original class. It was too much fun to play. And in PvP even better. It was so much fun tossing Ineptitude on melee classes and Backfire on casters, and watching them kill themselves. The most fun PvP I’ve had was playing a mesmer in alliance battles in Guild Wars.

In Guild War 2 most of the classes have gained new stuff, for the ranger more pets to have, for the warrior ranged weapons, necromancer death shroud, assassin a western look and guns. Mesmer in the other hand is not a mesmer anymore, I don’t know what it is but it’s NOT a mesmer. Someone wrote a better post about the sad situation about the mesmer in Guild Wars 2, here: Guild Wars 2: How ArenaNet ruined the Mesmer.

All I’m going to say is that I fully agree with the author.

Lack of focus

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Strange Realms

My daily reading was right. I showed up at the mall to debit money from my bank account with my debit card and I realized I had completely forgotten my debit card home. So I had to go back home. I’ve got to admit I don’t feel too well, so I’ve decided to postpone to tomorrow the shopping and the grocery. Maybe it’s better that way. So to cheer myself up I just bought the latest edition of Tarot of Dreams. I have the first edition but the cards are very big and hard to handle, so this smaller edition with extra palace cards sounds like a good deal. I plan to play Guild Wars 2 too soon.

Daily Reading

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Strange Realms

Here are my cards for today:

Card 1 Today: VII The Chariot

Well, today I have to make a trip to the mall, to do some shopping, and the grocery after that, so I’m not really surprised to see I got this card. The Chariot can implicate a trek of some sort.

Card 2 Surprise: Ten of Scepters

With this card I see that I should make sure not to overdo it today, to ensure not to get a bad surprise, that would cause stress and frustration.

Card 3 Advice: Ace of Knives

With this card I see I should focus on my goals today and to keep my head clear of mental confusions as well.

Card Today: 14 Marie Masquerade

I have the feeling the only way to be loved for who I am is not through my talent and style but through glamour and glitz. There is gossip and intrigue around someone I admire and wish to be like in some way. I will feel jealousy and envy towards people who are beautiful, successful and be-loved. I should focus on my own hard work and create my own style. Some are around others simply for the influence and help they can offer. Someone like Marie who is beautiful and successful may be in need a for true friend. Someone very charming may try to tempt me to get involved in intrigues, I should refuse.

Daily Reading

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Strange Realms

Here are my cards for today:

Card 1 Today: Daughter of Scepters

I think this card means that I’m starting something, a new area of study, which I’m going to do tonight in our pagan group, and our lead is a red-headed woman.

Card 2 Surprise: Eight of Scepters

This could be a message that I’ll get. Maybe my mind will be filled today with ideas and inspirations, I will make some realizations. After all we have work tonight to do just that.

Card 3 Advice: VIII Justice

The advice could be about me being fair and just with others and myself today. It could also be about balancing things.

Card Today: 44 The Fairy of the Green World

I should take care of plants to counteract the damages done to Nature. I should learn to have a more ecological living and donate money to charities supporting nature and wildlife. I should take a walk in nature, give my blessings to it and talk to this fairy.

The closure of Multiply

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Strange Realms

I just learned that Multiply is closing their blogs where you could post blogs, albums and videos. You could attach files to download in the blogs which was nice too. I’ve been using them for some time now, one as my online tarot collection, and the other one about sharing my gaming hobby, showing off screenshots and videos of videogames.

I have to look for alternatives I guess. I’ve been thinking to use JAlbum for the photo albums side, it looks professional and it justs cost 2.50$ a month, and use my current YouTube account for the videos. I can put the files to be downloaded in Dropbox and share the links on my current blog here. I’ll have to see if there is any post there I should keep and share it here as well.

Monthly Reading for February 2012

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Strange Realms

I know I have not been posting much, but my mother has been at the hospital since december and I’ve been doing regular trips to the hospital, so I don’t have much time for myself. I made this reading at the end of january but just came about to finish writing it down. I’m reusing the same spread of last time since I like it so much.

HOUSE: Ace of Grails & Seven of Knives

I think these cards could be about two things.

The first is that my mother’s health has been very bad recently and she has spent over a month at the hospital, and she’s not out yet. I love her and care for her but I’ve been feeling helpless not knowing exactly how to help her while she’s at the hospital and unable to take care of her things. Since she has never made a mandate in case of incapacity, I cannot access anything or do anything in her name. Most of the things I did in january got me nowhere. And since my mother is still at the hospital I will be in the same situation in february.

The other thing is that my relationship between my brother and I has always been rocky but we hit a wall recently. I love and care for my brother but he has built these unreachable walls. I learned a few things from him very recently, and it has left me upset and angry. But I cannot reach him in any way.

HEALTH: Daughter of Skulls + Lord of Skulls

I think it will be important for me to be extra grounded this month to avoid exhaustion. With all these trips and the stress my mother’s condition is causing me, it’s important to find time for myself to ground and relax.

LOVE: Two of Scepters + Eight of Scepters

I will channel energies to open myself and bring love to me. Possible encounter or chatter over the internet with someone.

MATERIAL: Daughter of Grails + Daughter of Scepters

New love and passion will arise this month which will make me spend money on new shiny pretty things, like a tarot deck, an oracle and a cute messenger bag.

MONTH: Lord of Knives

Well, I’ve spent the month doing trips to the hospital, same for last month, and it will continue throughout the month. I’ve just heard about a spiritual trip to Wales for 2013, and while I’m broke I’m tempted to try to go there so that could be that too.

Daily Reading

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Strange Realms

Here are my cards for today:

Card 1 Today: Ace of Scepters

I could be filled with raw energy today. I could develop a new passion for something or someone. I could be inspired creatively. There could be something new in my life. Aces are filled with possibilities.

Card 2 Surprise: XII The Hanged Man

I could be forced to withdraw in a certain matter There could be blockages and obstacles coming my way. Maybe I’ll have a rewarding inner journey.

Card 3 Advice: XIII Death

The advice could be about accepting changes and fluctuations with calm and serenity.

Card Today: 8 Grumpy Red Fairy

You are being constantly judged by others. It can get tiring and you can act accordingly: annoyed, irritable and bad-tempered. You like being different. But you will face restrictions. Don’t care about them. Be authentic. Be real. Be you. Find out who you are.

Daily Reading

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Strange Realms

Here are my cards for today:

Card 1 Today: Lord of Scepters

I will be bold and forceful today, maybe too agressive. I may have communications with a person who has the characteristics of a Knight of Wands (Thoth). I could get mail today, I’m waiting for a package after all.

Card 2 Surprise: Nine of Grails

Something or someone today will make me happy and make me feel fulfilled emotionally. I will feel content about something or something I hoped for will happen.

Card 3 Advice: Lord of Knives

The advice today is that I have things to do on a mental levels (studies) and I should start to work on them again and focus. I have all the necessary qualities for this.

Card Today: 38 Carnivorous Greenhouse

There is something or someone around you that is attractive, yet dangerous. Watch for people who consume more than they give, who ignore you, bully you, dominate you, criticises you, who argue you out of your beliefs. Do not forget who they are and do not try to make them what they’re not.; or change and save them with your love.

Diaspora*

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Strange Realms

Diaspora* came out last year in alpha, in september 2010. It’s a decentralized open-source social network. Diaspora* is still in alpha and beta should be around november so there are some missing features like photo albums. It should launch in december. It’s sad to see Google has stolen many features from Diaspora* to create Google+.

Diaspora* is a decentralised open-source social network that makes you the owner of your content. I mean that unlike Facebook and Google(+) who gather, use and sell your informations and own the content you post on their social networks (yes, you give them the copyrights of everything you put there from infos to photos), on Diaspora* there is no big corporation using your infos and the content you post are fully yours. Diaspora* cares as well about privacy and do not demand that users give their real names anywhere. You can keep your anonymity and privacy on Diaspora*. For anyone who thinks people asking for anonymity are fools, here is an article that shows why anonymity is a must on the internet and that it should stay that way: http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Who_is_harmed_by_a_%22Real_Names%22_policy%3F

You can create aspects and put your contacts in them and post only for certain aspects or just make your posts public if you want. When Diaspora*’s alpha launched in september 2010 it already had all these features, so if you’ve seen them more recently on Google+ from their “circles” as well as their look, it’s because Google stole them from Diaspora*.

You can associate your Diaspora* with Facebook, Twitter, Cubbi.es and Tumblr so like that when you post on Diaspora* you can decide to post too on Facebook and/or Twitter/Tumblr . More integrations should come with time.

When I talk about invitation to the main pod/server, the software being open-source, that means that anyone who has a website and has the knowledge necessary can use the code to start their own pod/server, so other people out there have done so and some of those pods do not require an invitation to register.

The main pod/server is here, it’s the one I’m on and can give invitation for: https://joindiaspora.com/

This Twitter gives invitations as well for the main pod/server: https://twitter.com/#!/DiasporaInvites

The main website is here: http://diasporafoundation.org/

http://blog.diasporafoundation.org/

http://getsatisfaction.com/diaspora

http://podupti.me/

http://pod.sargodarya.de/

http://www.whatisdiaspora.com/

Guides and tutorials

http://diasporial.com/

http://differentcomputers.com/diaspora-user-tutorial

http://www.diasporaforum.org/