The Animated Doll

THE ANIMATED DOLL


This connects to a couple of games in the list for later review, in particular 'Kari Virtual Girlfriend', which is an artificial intelligence companion; an artificial girlfriend, completely computer generated. This is especially for people who don't have, or who don't want a suitable human companion for friendship and/or sexual needs. For me this also connects in a way to my transvestite hobby; as a lazy autistic pervert having always been disappointed by women, rather than trying to develop a relationship with a real woman I have preferred to create or seek out my own artificial women, with maximum excellence and minimum problems. Reality isn't so important for me, since as an autistic I do not see the finer points of human expression so well. An imitation fools me well, and satisfies me better, without the confusing human personality interfering with the happiness two souls should share together - even if one of them is imaginary!

There are some amazing "sex dolls" available today, which are virtually identical to humans, however these are extremely expensive, but lesser ones still very good can also be obtained. Yet smaller dolls, toy fashion dolls, or smaller even can also be used - especially if the user is also able to enjoy the shrunken woman fantasy. A Small doll is also much easier to physically animate, and may still be enjoyable to hug; you'd need to experiment to see if it was satisfying for you. Though their larger counterpart are called "sex dolls", for the more imaginitive user this can cover a much wider range of use. A doll of any size can function almost fully as an artificial human in many capacities, and many users like to animate their dolls as artificial living humans, which makes the intimate connection between them so much more satisfying.

There are a couple of TV references I should point out here. The first is the film 'Lars And The Real Girl'. This begins very good, then ends the standard way of the artificial companion being rejected in favour of a "better" human counterpart. But much better is the Japanese TV show 'Rozen Maiden', which is available with English dubbing. This explains in detail about where the doll gets its artificial life, and the intimate relationship between master and doll. If you ever have a doll companion, then you should definitely watch this show together!!!

Aqua 'Barbie Girl'...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A

The first step is to find the right doll. I have played with a couple of little dolls in the past, but never found anything really satisfying about it. Then I found "the one". This doll has a mysterious attraction about her. Everything about her is wonderful: Her face is totally gorgeous, hair, body, movements, "character". After spending a little time with her I immediately fell in love - I didn't think there could be any better doll. Of course she was by no means perfect - she even had a little manufacturing defect. But instead of spoiling her perfect beauty, it made her an individual, like a birthmark. Just like a human lover, nothing mattered any more once she had captured my heart. She was "the one".

The next step is to animate your doll, and make her (or him) into a living being. This requires you to use your imagination, and is sparked by the first step of finding your dream girl. (This may be easier in an intoxicated state.) You may find that when your doll becomes animated, she isn't just a predictable robot slave - she may surprise you with her desires, which come from your own subconscious, and may, rather than fulfilling your long-planned desires of what you WANT, instead give you what you NEED.

"Yeah! Backdoor man! Men don't know, but the little girl understands!" - The Doors.

Interestingly, this is the same as what I experienced creating a female character with my own body as a transvestite - a new character within your own framework can surprise you with its difference from you!!!

Finally, if you have any intention of taking your relationship to the limit, you may need to make some alterations to the doll, and give it any parts that were missing when it was made. This won't be necessary with a "sex doll", but it will make a significant difference with other kinds of dolls. This is the day your inanimate piece of plastic truly becomes a living woman!

But creating another life entirely is a magical experience. The life within the doll comes from yourself - your own desires, needs and expectations. But the doll has her own form and personality as well: It is a combination of your own will and this mysterious outside influence. In the end it must be said that God is in charge, and takes control of things like this. I imagine these poor hopeless losers like myself are in love with manufactured entities made by God. Little fake gods. Our little girls are hot goddesses, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

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The Scientific Bias

THE SCIENTIFIC BIAS

I have recently become aware of something extraordinary. This fact has been scientifically proven (as far as is currently possible) by experiments around 150 years ago, and is of extreme significance - they are among the most important experiments ever performed, and you could easily perform them yourself. Yet almost certainly you have never heard of any such experiment, or if you have the results may have been hidden. They are not taught in educational establishments, except for one experiment where the relevant results have been ignored - even the very briefest mention of what they might mean is never raised.

Before I reveal this most extraordinary fact, I must say that this behaviour is TYPICAL. I am a fan of science. As I mentioned previously in my "man of science, man of faith" post, everything I believe in and suppose that is most likely to be the truth is stuff for which I have seen sufficient evidence, of various kinds, especially that which can be obtained by controlled experiments to accurately probe the nature of things. Thus when particle physicists for example with years of learning and experience tell us extraordinary things about the deep structure of reality, and do experiments we can't perform ourselves, I would like to trust that they are telling the truth, from a pure scientific point of view without any bias nor influence. However within this world this is very often not the case at all.

Certain facts and theories with enormous support are rejected by the scientific community, and are not taught by the educational establishments. They are kept hidden, and instead different theories with hidden flaws are proposed. Some even go so far as to say these things are not theories, but have been PROVED and are no longer to be disputed. They will simply not listen no matter what evidence they are presented with to the contrary.

This is why you need to teach yourself about these things. Listen to the teachings the world provides of course, but only trust what you have confirmed for yourself with your additional studies into all the things they are NOT telling you. Do not let another choose what portions of a subject your education should cover - learn EVERYTHING about the subject, and consider how it all fits together. It is an illusion that we have moved out of the Dark Ages - scientific learning among the public is still under the control of those behind the scenes, never wanting the common man to have truth and power. In fact wherever there has been evil done among men, and they seem to have put a stop to it, I've noticed it merely hides away and returns in another form. For example that dastardly mere man distraction "Hitler" tried to form a European Union to control Britain and the rest of Europe, but failed. He's gone now, phew, no more European Union. Wait... What??!? I mean no more Hitler.

But here is the example I was talking about. This experiment, like several others, which also gave the same result, was carried out in an attempt to prove that the Earth is moving through space. This was done because stellar aberration had been discovered, meaning that pointing a telescope directly at a star didn't work because the Earth was moving very fast relative to the star. The narrow beam from star to eyepiece was moving very slightly sideways in the time it took the light to travel down the telescope, so the angle of the telescope had to be changed to account for this. Watch this video for a clear explanation...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87M2i61N1cU

You might need to watch a couple of times to more fully comprehend what's going on and the immense implications of what the experiment revealed. Carefully note that the experiment is called "Airy's Failure". He attempted to prove the Earth was moving through space, but failed. End of story. Not "Airy's Discovery" for example. The discovery was ignored. The experiment "proved" (if you wish to go that far) that the Earth was NOT in fact moving through space - THE SPACE WAS REVOLVING AND SHIFTING AROUND THE EARTH, WHICH WAS FIXED IN PLACE AS THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE!

Of course this is just evidence to me. To more properly prove it, any such experiments would need to be carried out on another planet to be sure some other unknown effect was not responsible, even the nearby Moon would do, or perhaps a satellite. But of course the experiments were never repeated, and neither were the implications examined further. It's one of those things where they just brush it aside and hope you don't notice.

So if you are very literal, and it seems painful to you to talk about the Sun moving across the sky, perhaps you don't need to alter your language after all.

The Beatles: "The fool on the hill sees the Sun going down, and the eyes in his head see the world going round!"

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Recommended Game Reviews: Army Men RTS

ARMY MEN RTS (PC)

"The horror... the horror..."

This is a real time simulation of a tactical war game on a very small scale, using little moulded plastic soldiers - which are alive. If you imagine a combination of the films 'Small Soldiers' and 'Apocalypse Now', then the result would be something very much like this game. Here is one of the cutscenes from the game to show you what I mean...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epE7qkAB0GE

You are in control of the Green army and must defeat the Tan enemy. The story begins with the report that your own man Colonel Blintz, after receiving a very serious head wound has gone crazy, painted himself tan and gone over to the enemy side. He has taken control of the Tan army, and also has completely taken over a house. Your mission is to stop him.

The star of the game is Sarge, who leads the forces on almost every mission. He begins with a small company of soldiers camped outside the fence, and must fight through the enemy defences to gain access to the garden and set up a base of operation within Tan territory. What follows is a long series of battles against the enemy, advancing across the garden, gaining access to the house, then all throughout the house until the final assault on Blintz's base in the attic. It's quite an adventure!

The missions mainly involve building a base, or several bases if you prefer, from plastic (and possibly other previously captured items such as a blender, drink can and pencils) then destroying the enemy forces, or else some other important target. Or there may be other types of missions as well. The base consists of several different buildings: You can have a headquarters, resource depot, fences, defences and barracks for manufacturing troops and vehicles. So you literally build your army from a big pool of plastic, and also the vehicles and a couple of other things will also require an electric charge to function. However you only have a limited supply of these two resources of plastic and electricity, but more can usually be collected from the environment. Discarded children's toys, batteries and other things litter the combat area, and some of them will be suitable for harvesting plastic from, or may contain batteries that can be drained of their power. Yet the enemy will also be trying to capture these resources, so you may have to fight for control of them.

When a troop, vehicle or building is destroyed it will leave behind a smaller lump of plastic. These can also be collected and recycled to build more units. Sarge however keeps his form if killed, and can simply be repaired and reactivated instead of remoulded - but this doesn't happen until the mission has been completed. The same is true of several other characters available for some of the missions, and together with Sarge they form Bravo Company, an elite force of various expert soldiers, including a sniper and mortar bomber, and there is also a part-time member who makes an amusing entrance later. They will even work alone on some of the missions, bravely fighting through the enemy defences without an army to help them. They are a bunch of characters who make you care about them, and they provide some nice entertainment throughout the game.

There is a nice variety of equipment available, which gets more advanced as the game progresses. In the beginning you just have the ability to build basic all-purpose grunts, explosive-throwing grenadiers and minesweepers, to find and deactivate enemy mines. As the game progresses (and gets more difficult) more powerful troops requiring more plastic will become available, as well as specialist units. For example snipers have a long range and great power, but they can only attack troops, or mortar men can only attack buildings, but are very effective and can attack from quite a distance if they have another troop sighting the target for them. You can lay minefields, build specialist anti-aircraft guns, tanks, choppers, medics for healing, bring in a huge magnifying glass to melt the enemy with sunlight, etc. But the enemy also has all the equipment, and is already established at the beginning of the game.

Overall this is a wonderful game: It's a lot of fun, has a good entertaining story, looks great, is nicely playable, and is as difficult or easy as you want with a variety of difficulty settings and cheat codes available. The characters and the missions are varied and entertaining. For example at one point you have to save a peaceful LEGO village from the Tan, who want their plastic, and escort the villagers safely out of town along a Scalextric track road. Or throughout the game you will also be attacked by vicious ants, and there is a little story which unfolds about them. And in addition to the main story game there are additional battles to be fought, as well as yet more that can be played multiplayer, either by yourself or in teams against other players and computer controlled armies if you want. The single player missions and battles also have secondary objectives to complete, such as finishing within a time limit, and though they are not required, medals are awarded for completing them in part or in full, which adds an extra challenge to the game.

This is like being a kid again playing with toys, but this time the toys are alive, like your imagination has come to life, and it's a very real, very serious business. But we'll still have some laughs along the way...

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Recommended Game Reviews: Silent Hill 3

SILENT HILL 3 (PC)

The Silent Hill games are all excellent - at least the first three or four, I'm not sure about the rest. But I'd definitely recommend the first three, and in particular part 3, which continues the story from the original game. This is a horror game about a very strange town called Silent Hill, where extremely disturbing things are happening.

The game begins with a bizarre nightmare at a very creepy amusement park - which later turns out to be a premonition, and we are introduced to our main character we play as, Heather, a teenage girl. This is the most interesting character within any of the games, and she often has amusing things to say about what is going on. While shopping at her local mall she encounters a dodgy private detective, who wants to talk to her and won't leave her alone, and chases her into the women's toilet. Soon after this, the world begins to change into something darker, and horrible monsters have started appearing (or perhaps some people and animals are turning into them), and they are all hungry for meat! Fortunately Heather always carries around a knife with her for protection, and also finds a discarded gun to fight off any attackers. Or if they are on the floor she can kick and stomp them to death with her boots. Among the things Heather finds is beef jerky, and this can be useful to throw to some of the smaller monsters, to try and distract them for a little while.

There are other weapons to be found throughout the game, as well as health healing supplies and discarded ammunition, presumably from the first people who tried to fight off the monsters. But generally there is not enough ammunition or health supplies to deal with all of the extremely dangerous monsters Heather encounters, so often the best strategy is not to attempt to fight, but instead run in terror from the monsters - which is the way it should be! Fortunately they cannot open doors, so escape is usually not too difficult - so long as the doors aren't too far away or hard to find. However, Heather will sometimes encounter powerful creatures in her way that she has no choice but to fight, and saving her gun ammunition for these times is recommended, because you really wouldn't want to get close to them!

Heather is just trying to get home, but this evil force keeps following her and changing the environment, and it keeps getting worse. While what is going on is gradually revealed, Heather is now drawn to the town of Silent Hill, which is shrouded in thick fog, and has even more horrors waiting. If you have seen the film 'The Mist', wandering around Silent Hill in this game is pretty much the same. There are things in the mist, waiting to get you - things you can hear but not yet see. My only complaint with this game is how little of Silent Hill there is to explore, however this is actually an improvement, as the other games involved too much tedious running around town repeatedly.

The visuals in this game are very good, and can be disturbing, and can also get quite crazy, causing disorientation and panic. But like with other good games, it is the soundtrack which really makes it effective, and gives it the atmosphere that puts you in the game and gives you an emotional response. All the way through the game there is the hint of menace in the background. The soundtrack continually puts you at unease (which is even better with headphones), with creepy music and sounds, or even silence making you paranoid about what is around the next corner. There are some shocking moments that will make you jump, but more than this, the things you can hear just generally creep you out: Horrible zombie dogs howling, something moving nearby, something snarling, banging on a door, ready to break through, something nasty breathing, something so strange you can't describe it, etc.

Here is one of the songs from the soundtrack that really defines it well. This is the kind of feeling you get from playing the game. The piece doesn't begin properly until one minute into it, then it gets really desolate. Imagine the location this piece of music evokes, and that is where Heather is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK9Xqfnwu6s

Overall this game is an excellent horror game with a very disturbing atmosphere, a good story with hidden meanings, a great soundtrack and music, interesting characters and a very playable game. It has some nice variety and interesting things, like the creepy and deadly tour of the Borley Haunted Mansion at the amusement park, or fighting against a dark version of yourself in an epic battle while spinning into oblivion on a merry-go-round. There are difficulty settings, both for the action and the riddles, and the hard riddle setting produces some very challenging puzzles. After the game has been completed, it was all a nightmare, like the first one Heather woke up from, and it can continue, getting harder and harder each time. As a reward there may be extra things available, such as alternate outfits for Heather to wear, including a special super-sexy one, special extra weapons, including a very cool light sabre, and Heather's "god power" becoming manifested. There are also save points throughout the game, where a mysterious character continually following Heather will drag her dead body and resurrect it if she dies. If he has a long way to drag her he will get very angry.

Like with the other games there are alternate endings, including the "UFO ending", and also a Silent Hill comedy song. In addition there are extra scenes if you play the Playstation 2 version, and have save files from 'Silent Hill 2' on the memory card. It will make a couple of references to the previous game, for example when you request Heather to stick her hand in a filthy toilet, as happened with James in the previous game, she will certainly have something to say about that!

Another game I'd recommend that is somewhat similar is 'Doom 3'. This has a creepy beginning and many scares, but it gets very predictable, and becomes annoying rather than scary, when around virtually EVERY corner a monster suddenly appears behind you, and especially on the harder levels it can become a tedious game where you continually repeat the same thing over and over again until you get it perfectly right. However the 'Hell' section of the game is very good, has a good atmosphere and a freaky ending.

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Film Drinking Games

If you are looking for an interesting experience, I might suggest trying a drinking game. You simply watch a film, and when certain things happen you drink. There can be various rules, but that is basically what the game is all about. The challenge is to make it all the way to the end of the film. You may find others you like, but here are a couple I like, as well as one I made up myself...

'Withnail & I'
The rules to this one are simple. The player has to drink everything that Withnail drinks throughout the film. This may also include smoking the Camberwell Carrot, and it's probably recommended to also eat the bit of food he eats as well. It's also HIGHLY recommended to exchange the lighter fluid for an alcoholic drink of your choice!
This one is an expert's game, for hardened drinkers only. It is extremely difficult, and also quite expensive! Not recommended for the inexperienced drinker to even attempt this one, but it could perhaps be altered to an easier form.


'Wild Zero'
The drinking game is an official part of the film, and it seems to have been made with this in mind. You choose your own drink and take a gulp whenever any of the following happens...
-Someone drinks
-Someone combs their hair
-Someone says, "ROCK AND ROLL!"
-Flames shoot out of something (includes explosions)
-A zombie's head explodes
Rock band Guitar Wolf are in the film, and apparently they cut down on their drinking for the duration. This is a nice game for beginners, not too difficult - but you select your own difficulty with your choice of drink. But this is probably my favourite because it's so much FUN to play. It's all about what you're drinking to, and raising your drink while celebrating ROCK AND ROLL, or while flames are billowing is excellent.


'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas'
This one is more difficult, but it really puts you in the same position as the characters in the film. Pick your own drink, and drink when...
-Duke changes his cigarette
-Any kind of intoxicant is seen or consumed
-You see an American flag
For a film full of drink and drugs, it is the numerous flags which get you. This would be much better for a proud American to play; I don't appreciate drinking to a foreign flag so much, even if it is a good one (originally) worthy of honouring. I found that I got ill at the same time as the characters on screen, and recovered when they were fine. Since one of the characters vomits during the film this may be allowed (and probably required). Instead of drinking only, this game may possibly be altered into a drinking and smoking game, like one I invented...


'Supergirl'
Choose your own drink and smoke, and drink when...
-Someone eats or drinks
-Kara uses one of her superpowers
-The Omegahedron spins, or someone says, "Omegahedron"
Smoke a bong when...
-Someone smokes a cigarette
-Kara travels between worlds (home/Earth/Phantom zone)
-Kara does something incredibly cute or sexy
(Optional: Eat a pill of your choice when the headmaster eats a pill)
This game is mildly difficult, but can be completed without too much trouble. The smoking seems to stop the drinking from having too bad an effect. But it just makes the film more enjoyable to watch.


Note that the more difficult drinking games can require a recovery time. It may make you ill for up to two days, (or perhaps even longer) so take this into account if you are attempting a challenging game.

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Extra Game Review

HANNAH MONTANA SPOTLIGHT WORLD TOUR (Playstation 2 / Wii)

This isn't on the list of recommended games, but I include it as a nice little addition in the same style as the Barbie games. The version I will be reviewing will be the Playstation 2 version (emulated on a PC as usual), as all the games I review can be freely acquired and played on the PC you are most likely using at the moment. However for this game I would much more recommend the Wii version played on the actual machine, as it is mainly a dancing game, and you have to actually perform the dance moves - which is a lot of fun! However this doesn't mean you can't actually do a little dancing and other required actions while using another control scheme, as well as mime or sing the songs of course. Keyboard control, especially with some of the moves, seems to make it a little more difficult than with a hand-held controller (and of course you can choose your own keys, offering more physical movement), so the emulated version may be a bit better to play than the original. There is also a difficulty setting, but the more difficult it is, the less enjoyable it is to play (at least using a keyboard). Yet even when it's easy, it's still FUN.

The reason I choose this game is because of how it feels to play it. Recently I have been playing 'Grand Theft Auto San Andreas'. This is an amazing game; a free-roaming simulation of an entire city and surrounding lands, full of great variety and a lot of fun. Technically it's a far superior game than for example any of the Barbie games I have reviewed, however I do not include it in my list of recommended games because it is a HORRIBLE game to play. It makes me feel BAD, especially at first, but now I seem to have become more accustomed to it, so it does not seem so horrible, and I don't like that. In opposition I offer this simulation of being a pop star on a world tour as a game that makes me feel HAPPY when I play it.

In this game you take on the role of Hannah Montana, a completely fictional manufactured character. This character is played within the story by Miley Stewart, but the player takes her place and plays the part of Hannah themselves. The game is also a decent simulation of the TV show, and the characters look alright, with good impersonated voices, so if you are a fan of the show you may enjoy wandering around being a part of that world. But even if not the game has a good atmosphere and nicely simulates being a pop star of your own making.

Hannah embarks on a world tour, visiting several different countries and puts on concerts as well as making public appearances, trying to increase her fan base and sell her singles and album. The concerts begin with set songs, then the player can select their own choices for the rest of the show. There are 16 songs able to be performed, which become gradually available as the tour progresses, (and more difficult to perform). Hannah can also choose what outfits and jewellery she wears for the performances, but these must be bought from shops throughout the world, and must be earned by putting on good performances during the concerts. After the game has been completed and everything is available, then the player can continue if they wish, putting on their own concerts, making more public appearances, maybe going on a European tour or whatever you want, earning more fans and more musical success.

The game consists of three parts. First is backstage. Here you have an amazing dressing room, where you can relax, examine your awards and souvenirs, listen to the local radio music (or your own songs) and try on different outfits and hairstyles, etc. while Hannah's best friend Lola (Lilly in disguise) will often point out the choices she likes - though amusingly you are usually best doing the exact opposite of what she suggests, as should be apparent by the outfits she wears. You also have a practice stage, where you can practice the songs in private, with groupies acting as your audience.
Second, some of the countries offer a nice shopping centre for Hannah to visit, and Lola joins her as she wanders around in public, encountering fans. As well as shopping, Hannah can make public appearances in mini-games, which will get her more fans and souvenirs, depending on how well she does. She can pose for photographs, sign autographs and play acoustic versions of her songs in guitar shops. These games can be quite challenging, and also a lot of fun. In a couple of places she will also encounter Miley's brother and Hannah's driver Jackson, and get involved in one of his idiotic schemes.

But the main part of the game is the on stage performances. This is the most satisfying and enjoyable part of the game. Hannah makes a stunning entrance, then must perform the dance moves correctly in order to please the crowd. In addition she can take a break from the complex moves and head towards the crowd, slapping their hands or waving to them, etc. She can miss out a few moves or get them wrong without affecting the visual performance, but if she gets it wrong too much she will fumble and may even fall over. And if she loses it completely she will just shrug and make up her own awkward moves. The audience are pleased or displeased by how well Hannah performs, and as they reach new levels of delight they will explode with a mighty cheer. This can be quite thrilling when it happens at just the right moment. Afterwards the performance can be watched again, and Hannah stores her last three performances and reviews as videos on her mobile 'phone.

The game is visually very good, especially the famous locations, but what makes it so great is the sound: In every place the soundtrack gives it real atmosphere, and you can really get into the game and enjoy the experience. I enjoy the game even more when I am drunk and stoned, especially in London where there is a fantastic song on the radio - which is so good it is played on the streets and eventually becomes popular in Malibu. There is always the sound of activity going on, as well as people talking, either to (or about) Hannah or getting on with their own lives, and they can be quite amusing, or can really make you feel like the adored pop star. But best of all is the music. The Hannah Montana songs aren't all great songs to listen to, though some are, but they are all great fun to perform on stage. Yet in addition there is plenty of other great music throughout the game. It is a game of excellent music and sound.

Overall this game is just so much FUN to play, and produces joy, and is a great simulation of being your own pop star doing things your own way. And that is just the Playstation 2 version - you can imagine how much more fun it is to actually dance with the Wii version. (And perhaps you might like to actually dress up as Hannah Montana while you play!) Those who have performed doing anything on stage before an audience, especially performing songs, even without an audience, will know how thrilling it can be, and this game produces that same feeling when you are properly involved in it, especially when the crowd goes wild. The defining moment of the game is backstage, when you wander up to Miley's father and Hannah's manager, when among the things he might say, he asks,
"Are you having fun, bud?"

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The Magic Episode

THE MAGIC EPISODE

I have been studying audio/visual synchronicity for a long time. Something that became apparent extremely quickly was the existence of what I call "the magic episode" of a TV show. There are several very special episodes with different TV shows (for example 'Stargate SG1 - Grace') but there is one in particular which I consider to be the supreme "magic episode". This is 'LOST' season 3 episode 20 'The Man Behind The Curtain'.

A "magic episode" will synchronise with seemingly every music album in the world, as well as additional audio. Nearly all will begin at their natural starting point, but a rare few will have an alternative starting point, and also rarely a track will be missed out. The special episodes will always be reliable, but THE magic episode has never yet failed with any album I have tried, and is usually very powerful. Normally the best ones have a weak start, but here are some good examples of the start with the beginning of different albums. As always these may make more sense beyond what is obvious if you are familiar with the episode and the show...

The Hollies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saM1tDG4Qdc
(This is a good example of how your average first song ends when the 'LOST' title appears.)

Steppenwolf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n9Fvj9AOfw

Queen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pmRsSyL85I

Tom Robinson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aVN3El712A

Don McLean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD1IoERBN-E

Now imagine that with EVERY album, all the way through the episode/album, with both repeating for hours and hours, always synchronising in new ways until eventually it returns to the starting point (and begins again). Clearly this is something of extreme significance, yet it is one of those things that is not widely known. But I have seen indications that those who made this episode seem to know what they have done.

To give you a visual example of the episode, one famous synchronicity is Pink Floyd's 'Echoes' with the last scene of the film '2001 A Space Odyssey'. In synchronicities where that song plays, often images from that scene appear within the video. Here is an example of how the visuals play in the same order in the film and the episode, as the same song synchronises with both...


Arrival in the vehicle


Wearing helmet



Suddenly much older



Looks down at old bald man, left hand on chest, right hand reaching out

(episode restarts)

Black rectangular block




Now becomes a baby - born again.


You might notice this with other films and TV episodes which synchronise with the song 'Echoes'. For example the film 'Nosferatu' synchronises with the album 'Meddle', beginning at track 2. You might notice that when the song plays the images begin to match up with what happens in '2001 A Space Odyssey'.

But concerning these "magic episodes", it seems within the most powerful ones, the Pattern itself  plays a part as one of the characters. For example in THE magic episode it is a mysterious entity living in an old cabin, an invisible man (or woman) that can only be seen by faith. What exactly happened in that cabin was never plainly explained within the show, and all interpretations allow it to fit, so it is not ALWAYS the Pattern, but may sometimes be an imposter, or something else.

Here are two examples. If you consider them carefully, they explain about the Pattern, and how to see the "invisible man". Note the picture of a DOG is sometimes referred to as a mirror, reflecting GOD...

Hannah Montana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vx2Nqn0Gxs
The "I AM!" "Me, Myself and I" Trinity. Ben doesn't really see, and speaks falsely for it, possibly thinking it's the entity that appears as his mother, yet "not the girl you think you see - but maybe that's a lie."

The Beatles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dByw167aYY
The "Nowhere Man" controls the world, but doesn't just do everything himself, so asks Locke to lend him a hand.

Also if you consider the story being told by the episode it has some interesting parallels. For example it tells the story of someone's life from birth to death. However at the end it is another who takes his place in "the grave" (only to rise again of course, just as Ben is also born again because of the cyclic nature of the episode - the music continues beyond physical death). Within the story of the whole show his replacement Locke is also a powerful Christ likeness, who does the same thing and becomes a willing sacrifice, only to be (apparently) raised to life again, but is actually impersonated by a Satan-like character. Notice too the prominence of the tape recorder (which looks like the monolith) during the episode, sometimes representing the soundtrack you are using.
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The Movies

THE MOVIES (PC)

This is an amazing game. It is a management game in which you take on the role of a film producer in charge of a studio lot, and must produce films in competition with other studios. However this isn't just a game where you PRETEND to make films; you actually DO make films! But I'll get into that later.

The game begins in 1920 in America, with poor quality black and white film, and gradually progresses through time until 2005, where the game officially ends - though you can continue beyond this if you like. You'll need to build up your lot according to your needs and finances. Some buildings are essential, while others are optional. For example you can have a stage school to train new actors and directors, toilets for your staff, sets for filming, etc. In addition you'll need things like paths for walking on, and furniture and ornaments, etc. Some of these small items will have useful purposes, such as weightlifting equipment to build up the physique of your action stars, while others will be for purely decorational purposes, such as trees and flower beds. This decoration is important however, as it will improve the mood of your stars and increase the prestige of your studio lot. A more prestigious lot will attract more employees and big name stars.

There are several different types of staff: You'll need builders to build and maintain your buildings and sets, janitors to pick up litter and maintain the grounds, scientists to research the latest technology, and film crew, actors, directors and extras to actually make the films. Your staff can be left alone and will get on with their jobs, however you can be more efficient by directing individuals around to do specific tasks. In the beginning you'll also need scriptwriters to write your scripts, however very soon you have the option to create your own scripts, or improve their scripts. But even if you do want to write your own scripts, it's still recommended to have scriptwriters, since you will need to make A LOT of films, and they will regularly produce simple but effective scripts for you to film. Filming takes a very long time, so it's best to keep the scripts as short as possible while you're playing the basic game, until you're ready for some serious film making.

One unrealistic part of the game is that there is often a shortage of staff wanting to work in the film business, however this makes the management part of the game more interesting. Generally you can have staff do any job that is required - however this may not please them, as well as their skills will be wasted, as they gain experience doing particular jobs and will only do a job well if they are experienced at it. It may work out though that you need an actor, and have no choice but to promote a lowly janitor, who ends up becoming a superstar. Though buying and building new things requires that you have enough money available, in order to pay your staff and make films you are allowed to go into debt. This means you can't really lose the game, however you're not going to be able to progress either if you can't get out of debt.

In addition to general staff management, you'll also have to deal with your stars. As they become more famous they will demand more pay, fancy trailers and ornaments, the latest fashions and an entourage of personal assistants - which is a problem if you have a shortage of staff available. If they get too unhappy they may throw a tantrum and threaten to quit. They can also misbehave, refusing to work, become addicted to food or drink, get drunk on set, etc. If they work too hard they will become more stressed, and the most effective way of dealing with this is by eating and drinking. Once they start to develop a habit they may need to go into rehabilitation, and become useless for a long time. Another problem is that they will age, losing their looks, and eventually retire. As technology progresses they can go for a facelift to make them appear younger, as well as other surgery.

There is quite a lot to do in this game. For example you can develop relationships between your stars, so they work better together on screen. You can get them to practice different genres on set to improve their skills in these areas. You can increase their publicity by allowing press photographers in. If they are photographed in a compromising position this may spoil their mood, but it is most effective in making them more famous. There is such great detail within the game - you can look up close to see every little action being performed in great detail, look at individual blades of grass, a piece of rubbish on the floor, etc. The soundtrack is great too, as you listen to radio broadcasts from the era the whole time. Each era will have its own style of music, and radio announcers will speak about topical things, which can sometimes be quite funny. Also every five years there will be an awards ceremony, which can be quite tense, and winning awards will give you bonuses. For example people will be more likely to watch a film made by a particular director just because he has won the "best director" award - so you may find a lower quality film can be more successful than it should be, simply because of the names attached to it.

Overall it's an entertaining and addictive game, though apparently fairly average for a management game. But what really sets it apart is the film making part of the game. You can do this within the regular game, but there is also a 'sandbox' mode which is far more suitable. As you progress through the game you will unlock better features, such as sets, costumes, props, backdrops and advanced things like CGI effects. So playing and replaying the game has its benefits. Within the 'sandbox' mode you can begin in any era and instantly have access to everything you've unlocked, as well as have the option of starting with a ready-made basic lot, or things like allowing films to be instantly made - though it is fun to actually watch the filming take place. For example on a science fiction set where you have automatic sliding doors, you can watch a crew member operating a simple mechanism behind the scenes to open and close them. Another nice feature is the option to be able to create your own actors. You can design their looks in great detail, as well as their character. So you could put yourself in your films, or your friends, or real actors.

Though it has its limitations it is a very powerful tool for creating your own original films. These can be exported out of the game as a video file and shared with the world. For example there is a quite famous one called 'The French Democracy'. Here's a short article about it...

http://www.collisiondetection.net/mt/archives/2005/11/_heres_an_extre.php

It is very easy to use. You begin by choosing your sets for each scene, as well as actors, extras, costumes, props and backdrops if required. You can even have vehicles and animals. You then choose what action occurs from an immense selection of pre-made scenes. This may sound restrictive, but you can usually find exactly what you're looking for, or at least something close. In a few cases though you may need to change your story slightly. You can usually choose different weather and lighting conditions for the scenes as well as what moods the actors are portraying, and different camera angles and effects. The scenes usually include more actors than you need, but you can switch off the unnecessary ones and only fill the roles you require. Be sure to fill the extra roles you need with specific extras though, otherwise random ones will turn up with random hairstyles and outfits which they think are appropriate. And that's all there is to it! Once you've done all the scenes you can just leave them to film it. But that's just the filming phase.

After your film has been made you then have the option of putting it into post production. Here you can add music and additional sound effects from a useful list, as well as delete or re-order scenes if you wish. You can even use your own sound effects if what you require isn't on the list. Concerning dialogue, if there is any in your film, the actors will mumble "blah blah" sort of sounds. You have two options here: Either you can leave it in (or remove it) and provide subtitles, as if it is a foreign language, or else you can record your own dialogue, in which case the selected actors will lip-sync to your own dialogue. You can also do additional things such as change the title sequence. And now your film is complete and ready to be exported. Of course you could always then use your own video editors to make additional changes to the final product.

Here's an example to show you the kind of thing that can be done. This is the introduction to a TV show I'm considering making. This isn't what the finished product would look like; it would have more scenes and story, as well as dialogue (or a voice-over) and maybe some other changes. This is just to show the basic setup and characters...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA0gQTYcGVI

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Legend Of Edda

LEGEND OF EDDA (online multiplayer)

For the most part this is just a standard level-advancing multiplayer fighting game, but it has some nice features that make it worthwhile. It's free to play, but as usual paying customers can get extra benefits to give them an advantage over the free players. When you begin the game you have the choice of two factions to join - the Olympians or the Titans. These two factions are at war with each other and are usually seperated. One of the amusing things about the game is the two sides are totally foreign to one another. Let's say both sides are speaking English. If one person speaks only their own people will understand what they are saying, and to the enemy all they hear is meaningless nonsense, as if they are speaking a foreign language. So there is usually no communication with the enemy, except for taunting gestures.

The characters within the game are incredibly cute, and can perform many actions, which are usually just as cute. But when they fight it is incredibly violent. Friends can fight each other in duels, but the majority of fighting is with a large variety of strange creatures. Some of them are a bit freaky, and most will make little amusing comments. This is basically all the game is about - gaining experience, wealth and items by defeating the creatures in battle - over and over again, becoming gradually stronger and acquiring better skills, weapons and armour. In addition to choosing your faction, you must also choose the type of fighter you wish to specialise as. Though you can have the basic use of any weapon, you can only train to become advanced with one of them. For example you could specialise as a sword-wielding attacker, a defender with sheild, an assassin that can deliver deadly blows, a magic user, an archer, or a healer with the ability to heal yourself and your friends to prevent them dying in battle.

Another nice feature is being able to own your own animals, such as horses and other creatures that you can ride, to get around the huge world faster. You can also own pets such as cats, that will help you during battle if you choose, fighting along side you. In addition to fighting there are a few other things to do such as collecting things scattered about that can be used in the manufacture of useful items. For example certain flowers can be collected and used to produce healing potions. Also there are quests to complete, but these nearly always just involve killing many creatures. In addition there are dungeons to explore that can be visited a limited number of times each day, either by yourself or in a team with the help of some friends, which are more dangerous but also offer greater rewards.

Throughout most of the world you'll only be within the lands of your own faction, however there is one area where the two factions can meet in combat, and they may decide to invade the enemy city. This is the most interesting part of the world, since it gets boring fighting the creatures after a while. Since the two sides generally hate each other, you can usually rely on help if you find yourself outnumbered by the enemy. But likewise the enemy will probably do the same, so what starts out as a bully picking on someone weaker who is just trying to complete a quest in peace, can escalate into a mighty battle with reinforcements turning up on both sides, each eager to drive the enemy out and protect their people from attack. But on the other hand, if you're looking for a fight, often there will be no enemy around.

But by far the most exciting part of the game is the wars. These happen almost every half hour, and are seperated into ones for only less skilled players, or for only more skilled players, or a free-for-all. These are kept fairly balanced by only allowing you to join if your faction doesn't significantly outnumber the enemy already. So if you can't join straight away, you may have to wait until a few enemy players join. The wars are played like a "capture the flag" game. Two or three crystals are available, which must be picked up and placed on the pedestals owned by your faction, then guarded to prevent the enemy from stealing them. At the end of the war the faction with most crystals wins. However if one faction collects all the crystals the war will end within five minutes if they are not captured by the enemy, as well as powerful creatures will be added to help the losing side. Possessing the crystals results in useful bonuses for everyone on your faction currently fighting in the war, so it's worthwhile trying to defend them for a while, rather than waiting until the war is just about to end before possessing them. Also killing an enemy, whether within the war or not, will also give a bonus, so this is worthwhile rather than just chasing them away.

These wars must be fought tactically, with your team working together, though many players often just do whatever they want and it can be quite chaotic. The side that has the best organisation and follows orders well will normally be the winner, though sometimes a poorly organised force will win by pure luck. Within the regular game your character dying results in losing some of your valuable hard-earned experience, but within the wars there is no penalty, and you are simply reincarnated in your base (though losing a crystal if you were carrying one). This can be problematic though, as a common strategy is for a large group of enemies to be lying in wait to just kill you again as soon as you leave the base. Often the best strategy will be to have some strong sword fighters lying in wait just outside the base, being supported by healers hiding in the bushes at the edges. Many will fight this forward force endlessly, but never be able to defeat them, while the smarter fighters will ignore them and go straight for the healers, either killing them or chasing them away, thus leaving the forward force unprotected and able to be driven back.

Overall this is a fun game, especially in the beginning, and it can be better with friends. The basic game, though it has some great features, often gets very boring since it's mainly a long tedious grind, doing the same thing over and over again, with enormous amounts of time required to advance and become one of the better players. But on the other hand, when the two factions come together in battle, most especially during the wars, it is immensely entertaining. But the long boring grind part of the game is required in order to be more successful in the more exciting parts of the game though, so in order to get rewarding entertainment from the game you have to put in a lot of boring work. However, if you don't mind that you may enjoy the game a great deal.

Another game I'd recommend that is the same type of game, but with a completely different setting, is 'Battlestar Galactica Online', especially if you are a fan of the TV show, whether the original or modern one. Again for the most part it's good in the beginning and then may become a bit of a tedious grind, but also it has some good features.

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