I found this article thanks to Stacey. Now I really want to go find some police road signs. XD




Article:
Someone reprogrammed two city construction road signs near the University of Texas early Monday morning in an attempt to warn Austin of an imminent zombie attack.

Messages that typically alert Lamar Boulevard drivers to a detour for Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard splashed several warnings like “Caution! Zombies Ahead!” and “Nazi Zombies! Run!!!”

As he drove south on Lamar, traffic controller Bruce Jones saw the first sign flash the Nazi zombies message at 6 a.m. and wheeled his truck around for another look. Then he said he noticed that the second sign, directed at northbound drivers, had also been tampered with.

Jones, who has one of only two keys to the locked access panels on the portable signs, said that the hacker broke into the panels on each sign and bypassed the passwords before leaving five different zombie messages and even changing one of the passwords. Jones said he had to wait until 8 a.m. to call the manufacturing company to figure out how to override the hacker’s work. He speculated that the hacker could be a computer genius from UT.

The biggest safety hazard came from drivers slowing down or stopping their car to take pictures, Jones said.

The hacking occurred within weeks of various articles appearing online with descriptions of how to hack into these road signs — which point out that such an act is illegal.

Dennis Crabill, project manager with the Public Works Department, said the access panels are always locked and are not programmed with the default passwords these sites suggest. Short of having a watchman on duty around the clock, he said there is little more the city can do to prevent such vandalism.

“It’s a pretty childish prank,” he said.

Crabill said he is optimistic that MLK Boulevard will be open to two-way traffic again by this weekend, and the detour will no longer be necessary.

No zombies have been seen in the area, and with any luck, Tuesday night’s cold front killed off any undead with ghoulish plans to invade the city.

Ok, forgive the title. I couldn't help it. XD

We have a snow day! Which leaves me which mixed emotions. I didn't have to sleep suffer through either of my art history classes (w00t!) but I'm missing my metal work class (boooo!). I've had that class twice (we only meet Wednesdays) and I love it. I get to play with fire and sharp objects. It's the perfect class! ...Ok, making jewelry is a bonus too. XD

So anyway my night was disturbed by my idiot neighbors. God, it was like I was back in the dorms. The hicks from Kentucky (the really nasty dirty ones that leave cigarette butts and chew everywhere) decided they were going to, in their drunken stupor, go out and play in the snow. At 1:30am. Of course their hollering woke up the little rat dog that lives in the apartment above me so it wouldn't shut up. Then the drunken idiots started yelling at the dog. That woke up the huge St. Bernard that lives in the apartment next to the one with the rat dog. Well, about 20 minutes after that I was getting ready to call the police to complain of a public disturbance (the office was obviously closed at this time) but it seems another neighbor beat me to it. Two cop cars showed up and I'm sitting up here watching with a cup of tea (I'd given up on sleeping at this point) and "convince" the drunken hicks to get in and shut up before they arrest them.

I finally fell asleep about 2:30am.

Then I was woken up again by the damned rat dog upstairs.

I dozed back off about 5:45.

My phone rang at 6:00. It was a message from UIndy Watchdog letting me know that school was delayed for 2hrs. so 8:00am and 9:00am classes were canceled. Needless to say I was thrilled, reset my alarm and dozed off when mom called 15 minutes later to let me know about the delay. *sigh* She means well, but it was a little annoying. My alarm was about ready to go off for the 2hr delay when I got another call from UIndy Watchdog letting me know campus was closed. And there was much rejoicing.

So I'm here. I'm not really sure what our total snowfall is here in Greenwood. I heard 12.5 inches at the airport so I don't think we're far off from that. Oh, in case you're wondering UIndy Watchdog is our school's warning system. It's kinda nice cause you can choose email or text or a phone call. It finally proved itself useful this morning.

*sigh* I talked to mom yesterday before I went to bed. Seems Grams is in the hospital cause she was really dizzy and sick to her stomach. I guess they checked her heart and did an MRI and some other tests. They aren't really sure but they think it may just be a bad ear infection that's throwing off her equilibrium. I'd go see her if my car wasn't engulfed in snow.

I need to go dig my car out so I don't have to tomorrow at 7:00am. ...But I'm kinda missing a snow shovel. And since all the neighbors are kinda pissed at each other after last night (there's been random boughts of yelling this morning), I'm not knocking on anyone's door to ask.

Wow, I rambled. Gonna shut up now. Stay warm folks!

Hey CJ, we need to get together again. Tell Cody I need to borrow you for a weekend sometime. XD

I've been hoping that this year will be better than 2008. I don't know why exactly, but 2008 seemed to suck for just about everyone I know. And I think it's more than the shit with the economy and the world hating us, but it seems everyone got smacked in the face on a personal level as well. But if I'm to believe anything my horoscope says, this year could turn out to be a repeat of last.

Tiger Overview

From the outset, 2009 may present some true challenges for the Tiger. The year of the Ox presents an overwhelming influence upon the Tiger to maintain a steady and well disciplined pace. That is not to say that there won't be opportunities for achievement, but it would be more precise to say that this is a year that would benefit the Tiger in the areas of experience and possibly lay a solid foundation for the year to come. You will have to be resourceful and rely on your boldness and quick wit to ascertain anything in the year of the Ox.

Tiger Rating

27% (3 neutral and 9 unfavorable months)

Tiger Career

It would be beneficial to be cautious and careful when it comes to career decisions in the year of the Ox. It would be wise to be aware of the views of those around you, as this is not a year to be too independent in your actions or take any unnecessary risks. Be persistent in your responsibilities to impress others, as this will lead to progress towards your future. For the Tiger seeking a career change, tread through the rough spots and your relentless efforts will be rewarded in surprising ways.

Tiger Relationships

The Tiger's relationship may be one of the more favorable areas this year. You can look forward to some happy times with your loved one this year. Though your domestic life may be busy, it can bring you much satisfaction. Be aware of the fact that those around you hold you in high regard and you may not want to jeopardize these relations by your independence or by being too stubborn. Pay attention to the thoughts and feelings of others in your life and everything should work out well for you.

Tiger Health

The Tiger will not have any serious health problems this year, but there may some minor issues that you may want to pay attention or they could become much worse than originally anticipated. One area of concern is stress. There may be some situations this year that could escalate your stress levels and you may want to find some ways to alleviate this issue. The Tiger enjoys outdoor activities and this could provide an outlet to relieve your stress.

Tiger Wealth

Take caution when it comes to your finances this year, as it is not a time to speculate or take any unnecessary risks. Plan your large purchases carefully and avoid impulse buying. The best advice is to monitor your spending throughout the year and you won't have any problems. This may sound like simple advice, but due to your generous nature, it may not be as simple as it sounds.

If you wanna check out your own I found the horoscopes here:

http://shine.yahoo.com/astrology/chinese/tiger/yearly-overview/
 

So, one of my teachers showed us this movie today in class.



Needless to say, we all LOL'd. I even ignored the little voice in my head telling me all the flaw's with this girl's version of the plot. I have to admit though, Lucas could take some tips from her. This topped the prequels easy.

Hey, Inauguration day! w00t!

And that's about all I have to say.

I lied.

I'm so excited that Obama is in office, but I've heard so much about Inauguration day for the past week I'm ready for it to be over. It was like Election day all over again. At least there weren't ads every 30 seconds bashing the other candidate.

And with that, it's back to HW! ...Booooo.

I'm not allowed to change my cosplay mind anymore. Why? Because today I bid on and won this:


Woohoo!

It's a replica of the Runner bags from Mirror's Edge, which I guess they released as promo items if you pre-ordered the game. I did not. But hooray for EBay!

I've also located...this!



Faith has this crazy tattoo on her right arm, but I figured I can get it by doing something similar to the Ouroboros tattoo for J's Greed costume a few year ago. I think I'll print it on 11x17 at school, transfer it to something heavier (like poster board), and then bring it along as well as a lot of sharpies and tape. Then I'll just commandeer someone *coughCJcough* to color in the lines. XD

I'm getting excited!

...Shit, I need to pre-reg!

So the thing I'm really enjoying about the 360 right now is the ability to download game demos before I pay money renting or buying them. Since I'm pretty much broke right now, free downloads is absolutely awesome. I've downloaded demos for Mirror's Edge, Eternal Sonata, Tales of Vesperia, and Kameo.

Kameo - pretty cool, but I'd probably only buy it if I can find it cheap
Tales of Vesperia - I had high hopes, but they haven't really changed the battle system from Tales of Symphonia, so I doubt I'll buy this one
Eternal Sonata - I'll be buying this one as soon as I have the monies for it, awesome RPG, love the battle system
Mirror's Edge - insane, I haven't decided if I'd buy it yet, the controls are kinda messed up, but playing it more might make it go smoother

Oh, I also downloaded a Red Vs. Blue video D.I.Y. that they released when XboxLive released the new multiplayer maps for Halo 3. I enjoyed the randomness of it, and it looked so awesome on my big TV screen instead of all small and pixellated on my computer screen.

Now, since we're on the subject of money...cosplay.

And this is why I titled this entry "CJ's Gonna Kill Me".

I'm probably gonna change my cosplay plans for ACen. I'M STILL GONNA COSPLAY (so still count on bringing a costume Mere! XD ). But here's the thing. I'm not gonna be able to afford Telma's costume. Yeah, it pisses me off. But I've been looking into both having it commissioned and what it would take to make it myself.

Commissioning the Costume - I've looked into several different sites for cosplay commissions and from the sites that had good pictures of their work that looked very well done (not sewn together by ameteurs or sweatshop workers) are gonna cost me no less than $250 (without shipping). One emailed me a quote for $375. Ouch.

Making it Myself - Aside from the fact that my skills as a seamstress are virtually nonexistent, the cost of the materials will be no less than $100, and this isn't counting accessories such as make-up, wig, ears, etc.

So you can see why I have to abandon my dreams of a Telma cosplay. It pisses me off, because I wanted to do a really awesome costume this year. But I haven't given up hope! This is where those Xbox demo downloads come into play.

Let me introduce you to Faith:

She's the main character from Mirror's Edge.

This could very well be the cheapest cosplay I would ever do. I own khaki pants that would work, I can buy some black string to go around the bottoms of the legs. The red shoes I can find something close to (there's a pair of red OneStars I've had my eyes on anyway), the black top is like a workout top, the bands around the arms wouldn't be hard to make, the tattoo I could do with a stencil and permanent marker or similar, the gloves I can find online, as well as the bag. You can't really tell in that picture but if you google it she has these cool eye markings. And yeah, her hair's black, but not too far off from how mine is styled now (she has more volume. But I figure I can either do a spray in, wash out color or just say "screw it!" and go as the blonde version (she doesn't really exist, but we'll make her).

So I'd like feedback. I'm sorry CJ, I've failed you. *hangs head in epic shame of poorness*

P.S. It's fucking cold today. Sorry, had to say it.

SEA KITTENS

W.T.F.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for helping animals, but PETA tends to seriously piss me off. I don't know how to rant about this without some people thinking I'm a total jackass but PETA needs to get their heads out of their asses. I love animals. I think people who abuse them are total asses. I've driven by cattle slaughters in Texas and literally could not eat meat for over a week, and beef for well over a month. But fish? Fish... *head desk*

Ok, I'm done ranting...for now.

Back to school this week, yay/boo! I've got mixed emotions about this semester. On one hand I'm back to working part time with more hours than last semester without being at a desk for 8 hours a day and I have actual art classes this semester. On the other hand I've got 9:00am classes MWF and 8:00am classes TR, and back to back Art History classes MWF.

I got my hair cut! No pics yet. I'm still trying to figure out how to style it. It's more complicated than I expected. But I'm glad for the change.

All for now. More later. Loves.

HUGE SUCCESS.

If nothing else, the holidays are great for curing myself of my livejournal posting addiction. How long has it been since my last post? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Ok, so...um...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to those of you I didn't see. The way my break has played out was my working full time the first week, then I came home. Worked Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Christmas week, then had Christmas and the day after off. Ok, so Christmas Eve I had a dentist appointment then only went into work for a few hours before coming home to help dad bake cookies (it's tradition). Christmas was nice. I couldn't sleep, so I was the first up and chilled for a couple hours watching "A Christmas Story". I've never seen that movie the whole way through, but I've seen all of it collectively watching the 24hr marathon on TBS in bits and pieces. But yeah, Christmas. Got giftcards...lots of those. And lots of socks. Oh yeah, Uncle got me a new kettle and some pocky and a Domo-kun plushie (he felt bad cause he couldn't find WiiFit, which made me feel bad for asking for a game that's near impossible to get...still). The Domo plush is going to take its rightful place in the front window of my car once it gets back from the shop. Got some sweaters and a teapot (to go with the kettle) from Aunt KB. And um...more giftcards. I also got my first Christmas bonus (ever!) from CMG. ...Yeah, it was only $50 bucks, but no complaints.

And then the following Saturday I swung by Mere's and gave her the sake set I got her and some pocky. Funny thing about that. I wanted to buy some sake so she could test out the new set, but I went to buy it on a Sunday. Damn stupid "can't buy alcohol on Sundays" law. So she got chocolatey goodness instead. And she got me an awesome book "The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy: I Link Therefore I Am". Surprisingly (and this will probably sound retarded) lots more philosophy than Zelda. When I first saw the book online I expected it to be kinda a tease at the series and the people who are *cough* obsessive over it, but it's serious philosophy...just with a little Zelda spice. ...Yeah. But it's awesome. Except I got a twitch in my eye on the first chapter when the author kept referring to it as "Outcast Island" (it's Outset Island). I'm surprised by the amount of reference to Wind Waker in it. It's one of the most heavily critiqued Zelda games ever and they use it to reference far more than any other in the series. OoT has barely been mentioned and it's the most popular. But maybe I haven't gotten far enough into the book. I love it, but I have to slow down my reading when they get into some of these theories about how Warping displaces the player in time and why the player cares so much about fictional characters. It's an awesome book, but Goddesses, I almost feel like it's over my head sometimes.

...I was talking about Saturday...

So I drug Mere out to Uncle's house that night for some Halo (she'd never played) and whilst we were there we were whisked away (alliteration, bitches) to Best Buy. ...I bought my XBox 360.

Ok, quick recap. When Microsoft first announced that they were releasing a system I laughed and swore that I would never own an XBox or any of it's nextgen systems. ...I lied. I don't know what it was that finally pushed me over the edge. It was something of a combonation between Sony's fuckheadedness (yeah, it's a word now) with the PS3 and it's overpriced lies, and Square's break to multi-platforms, and a growing love for Halo (if only through Red Vs Blue). So I got my 360 (Mere's my witness) and then I laughed at her when she bought Singstar Country for her PS2 (when I tried numerous times to get her to sing on Karaoke Revolution, which is the same damn thing...without the lame country twang*). And then we went to Chili's and it was tasty and then to Gamestop for my copy of the Orange Box (Half-Life 2, Portal, TF2, etc.) and what should have been my copy of Halo 3. But the box was a lie! They had placed the H3 box on the shelf before realizing that copy had been sold! Oh well, I finally got to beat Portal myself. God I love that game. (The cake is a lie, the cake is a lie, the cake is a - shut up brain!) I honestly didn't try to beat GLaDOS the first time on the final battle, just cause she's so amusing to listen to when she gets irrational! But after I reloaded I beat her. I only got stuck at one point in the game that I had to look up help, but as difficult as some of those puzzles are, I'm proud of myself. Ugh, I hope Link never gets a Portal Gun in one of the dungeons. Those puzzles would be near impossible!

I'm ranting again. Anyway, I worked Monday and Tuesday and then my family and I went to Brown County State Park for New Years. That was fun, wish it had been warmer. The past few years we've gone it's been in the high 50s and 60s, but no. It had to be in the 30s this year. Blarg! So we didn't do as much hiking as normal. Oh yeah, finally got the chance to give Joel his gift and he got me "The World Ends With You" for the DS. I haven't gotten too far into it...cause Joel took my DS charger cord and my DS is dead! It was a stupid mistake, he must of thought it was his, but now it's back down at Terre Haute with him! Grr...

I know he won't be back up here until Spring Break (and his is even later than mine usually) so I think I'll have to buy a spare. *sigh*

This week is back to work full time, and then it's back to school. I ordered my books last night, they should be here in a few days. Um...I think that's about it. ...Yeah... oh, thanks again Mere for looking after Muffin! XD

*I love you Mere, in that non-homosexual friendly kind of way...just not your music.

Are gone! As usual I've overspent before Christmas. It's just typical for me. Even though I tell myself every year that I'm gonna cut back. *sigh* Let's just say that my paycheck for the next week and a half are...long, long gone.

That said, for some reason, I'm getting excited about cosplay again. I think it's cause I looked in the mirror and realized my hair has grown out to look like Ilia's. Which is odd, since I never meant for it to look like that when I got this cut. ...Speaking that I've had this haircut since before Twilight Princess was ever even announced.

Speaking of haircuts I've changed my mind. Rather than getting something like Nana Osaki, I'm going for something similar to Daphne Millbrook from Heroes. I'm getting it lightened again, but not that much. That cut has some crazy amount of layers to it. I'm hoping to get it done before second semester, but with work and the holidays I don't know if I'll have time.

On that note, gotta get to bed. Must get to work early....*blarg*