Under Darkness' Cover

STOP E-MAILING ME!!!

2008-01-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

Whew.
Do I have your attention now?

I really don't mean it like that, you can still send e-mails to me, it's so nice to hear from you.
Just don't send the rabidly aggressive kind that ask me all sorts of questions I'm in no state to answer.

Really, I don't like those ones.
Didn't they ever teach you your neuromanners?

But since you've been so insistent and have badgered me into stepping out of my peaceful retirement, I will entertain a few of your pressing inquiries:

Yes, I have seen the video.
Yes, that is Clyde Citrine.
Yes, he is a real person (unfortunately).
No, I do not know who is speaking in the message.
No, I do not know who put it up.
No, I do not know where it was recorded.
No, I did not make that video myself. (I have better things to do with my time)
No, I cannot talk about what happened in Los Angeles.
No, I do not work for Neurocam anymore. My involvement ended quite some time ago.

Happy now?
Ugh...I really should not even be posting this, but it seems my willpower has disintegrated.

I thought it was all over and done with.
I made a nice agreement with them.
They said they would leave me alone as long as I didn't talk about anything.

Of course, knowing how things go, that man is probably going to show up on my doorstep tomorrow morning to have a little chat with me because of this.

Thanks a lot...

-Midnight

(If this ambiguous post still leaves you confused, drop me a line and we can talk)

On being Covert and Drinking Tea

2006-01-22T22:03:00.000-08:00

So I went out to the local coffee shop yesterday night to get out of the house and grab a cup of tea (I'm disappointed that there aren't any places in my area that just deal in tea...coffee is icky).

As I was making my way towards the door with my steamy cup of herbal goodness, there were a couple of people sitting at the counter and talking. One of them said something that caught me completely off-guard:

"Hey....have you ever heard of something called 'Neurocam'"?

I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Neuro-what? Dude, what are you talking about?"

"Nevermind..."

For some reason not yet known to me, I smiled and then began to laugh, quite loudly.
The people sitting at the counter looked over at me, I realized how weird I looked and that I would have to play it cool. I quickly, and somewhat awkwardly, whipped my hand up to my ear and exclaimed "Jerome, that is toooooo funny! Where did you hear that?" as if I was just a typical Californian yapping on his cellphone and having a cup of coffee.
Then I promptly dashed out the door, and that was the end of that.

Looks like the folks out here sure are doing their job...

Shameless Promotion of the Music I like

2006-01-17T03:20:00.000-08:00

Hey kids, ever heard of something called Trance?

It's this wicked awesome type of music that has the the melodies, the arpeggios, the motifs, the harmonies, and the beats that make your body wanna movelikeishnobody'sbusiness!!1@$%!11!11!1~

Shit!

Let me tell you how you do it... See, first, you go here:

Did you all catch that? Here it is a few more times, just to be safe:

It really is good stuff.
I know it.
Chris Titan knows it.
(But since nobody pays attention to him, maybe you'll pay attention to me)
Now the question is: do you know it?

Trance is what all the cool kids get down with now a days, so jump on the goddamn bandwagon.

I hate all these ignorant fuckers who criticize, criticize, criticize. And all they ever seem to rag on is good ol' Trance.
"Trance isn't real music," they say.
This is a telltale sign you can use to spot people who have no sense and simply parrot out this worn out line thinking they sound intelligent and sophisticated by doing so.
"Trance? Nobody listens to that..."
Marshal Mathers, I'll break your fucking kneecaps if I ever meet you on the street and you try to sing that song of yours at me.

Indie Rock? Emo? Fuck that shit.
Trance becomes the aural embodiment of originality when held up against those two.
(Same goes for the their respective cultures. People who listen to Trance don't even come close to sucking so much ass)

You know what we need?

A Neuro-Rave.

That's what we'll do, we'll round up all the ops and rent out a club downtown.
The assignment brief will be to bring a half-mask and a pair of glowsticks.

Maybe I'll write the Cam and see what they think...

Oh shit, wait, I don't have to! They read our blogs!!!

[/freakout]

The New Mind-Control

2006-01-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

In the future (heh, such an overused and vague statement) controllers and consoles will be obsolete.

I had a dream the other night where I went to the real live version of a game server.
It was basically a building with a bunch of people (players) in it, and you went into this one room to "log in."

Basically you just sort of plopped down on the floor and waited while they (yes, that undescriptive 'they'--by this I mean the administrators of the facility) loaded the client and UI.
Experiencing the loading was a very odd sensation, and I kind of imagine it to be what jacking-in to the Matrix would feel like. It was this strange kind of pressurized feeling that descended upon you, your eyes were literally forced shut and you couldn't open them if you tried, then images were fed directly into your mind via the wireless signal that the room was engulfed in. You saw everything as a character in the game, and the real world was still there, but you existed on both planes and could move freely in each (although their confinements were reconciled accordingly... couldn't have you trying to run across an open meadow in the game and having you slam up against a wall in life, after all.)

What the....

2006-01-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

From: "Midnight"
To: "Clyde Citrine"
Sent: Saturday, January 7th, 2005 5:21 PM
Subject: Sparkly and Green?

Dear Clyde,

http://titanmaze.blogspot.com/2006/01/clyde-citrine-oasis.html

Can you explain?

Regards,

-Midnight

------------------------------

From: "Clyde Citrine"
To: "Midnight"
Sent: Saturday, January 7th, 2005 7:12 PM
Subject: Re: Sparkly and Green?

Dear Operative Midnight,

Once again I'd like to remind you that Chris Titan is no longer an operative of Neurocam International, and any statements he makes should not be taken the least bit seriously.

I have never met Chris Titan, I do not frequent The Oasis, and the individual in that photograph Titan claims is me bears absolutely no actual resemblance to myself in reality.

I would highly doubt that any Neurocam International Operative (or ex-Operative) has actually seen me in Los Angeles yet...

Regards,

Clyde Citrine
Operations Division
Neurocam International
clyde.citrine@neurocam.com

Nigel likes it...

2006-01-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Operative Midnight,

I found the quote from Technopoly about narratives that you posted on your blog to be quite interesting and thought-provoking.

Personally, however, I think Neil Postman is a stuck-up, arrogant prat.

Before I moved to Melbourne I happened to have read Technopoly. I also had a spunky border-collie named Nigel.

When I finished the book I was not in the finest of moods, so I gave it to Nigel.

He seemed to enjoy it a lot more than I did--so much that there wasn't very much left of the book a day later.

Regards,

Clyde Citrine
Operations Division
Neurocam International
clyde.citrine@neurocam.com

Amadeus and fluorine

2006-01-03T00:43:00.000-08:00

Received: from hei.net (y563-076-06-455.soiree.net.nz[67.184.182.152])
by tgld78.soltec.net (gvbmbzah86) with SMTP
id <85819403189s34988etm9a>; Wed, 28 Dec 2005 21:31:59 -0300
Message-Id: <5820941432.09789662339@monitor.net>
From: "Sephira Jarmul" <6miguela9l@uti.com>
To:"Midnight4"
Subject: amadeus, and fluorine
Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 04:30:59 +0400

What an amusing piece of spam e-mail.

Usually I just scan their titles and delete them without thinking, but this one got a moment's pause out of me as I stopped to contemplate the absurd, yet possible association between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart....and fluorine.

I wonders, what did they do for oral health way back then? Had they discovered fluorine yet?

Very perplexing indeed...

In winter, hot chocolate is king.

2005-12-30T09:52:00.000-08:00

Of course, if you want to get all weird and politically-correct on me, you could claim that ol' "Jack Frost" is king. (Screw that, though)

Even though we don't have snow in Californialand (shut up, the mountains don't count), nothing is nicer than kicking back and basking in the glow of a warm fireplace (or computer monitor) with a steamy cup of chocolatey goodness.

I often debate whether I should toss a handfull of marshmallows on top, thus adding more sugar to the goodness. But usually what happens is since the beverage is really hot to begin with, you have to wait a while for it to cool. And while you wait, the 'shmallows sort of dissintegrate and form this goopy layer on the surface. So, when it finally cools down, you've gotta slurp up this strange foamy goop to get to the actual hot chocolate. Bleh.
I don't know.. sometimes it's good, sometimes it's weird.

Sounds like it would make for a good poll, no? I wonder if I can find something like that to put in my posts, since this isn't phpBBlog or whatever.
*runs off and fires up Google*

New Title

2005-12-27T15:20:00.000-08:00

I was getting bored of the generic Blogspot title template, and I had a couple of free moments on my hands, so I decided to spice things up a little bit and make a new title. 2-second 'shop job really, but I think it looks nice.

What do you think?

Only problem I'm aware of is that it looks screwed up on monitors viewing it at a resolution of 800x600, because it overlaps the mask in the background.

Any suggestions on how to fix that and make the image dynamic or something based on a viewer's monitor display settings? (Since I know not everyone has their monitors set to 1024x768)

On Narratives

2005-12-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

This one is for you, Chris Titan:

"...By narrative, I mean a story of human history that gives meaning to the past, explains the present, and provides guidance for the future. It is a story whose principles help a culture to organize its institutions, to develop ideals, and to find authority for its actions. At the risk of repitition, I must point out that again that the source of the world's greatest narratives has been religions, as found, for example, in Genesis or the Bhagavad-Gita or the Koran. There are those who believe--as did the great historian Arnold Toynbee--that without a comprehensive religious narrative at its center a culture must decline. Perhaps. There are, after all, other sources--mythology, politics, philosophy, and science, for example--but it is certain that no culture can flourish without narritives of transcendent origin and power."

-Neil Postman (Technopoly)

Obligatory Holiday Post

2005-12-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

Ho ho ho, shalom, habari gani, and so on!

Happy Christmachanukwanzaakah! (I think that covers all the bases?)

I hope everyone is having a nice holiday.

I'm a bit down, though, because I didn't get a Holiday Card from Neurocam.

What gives, people?

Clyde? Anybody? Where is the holiday neuro-spirit!?

Forget it, I've already taken matters into my own hands:

Cheers, everyone.

Aerial Envy

2005-12-23T23:04:00.000-08:00

((Did I ever mention that I like video games?))

"Dear Cryptic Studios and NCSoft,

Can u give us the engine you doodz coded for flying?
Itz so awesum and sexy and stuff.

Plz?

We'll giev u lots of monies.

<3,
-ShinY Entertainment"

------------

"Dear ShinY,

Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha.....no.

Stfu.

Kthx.

Bai,
-Cryptic & NCSoft"

------------

I am quite sure that this, my friends, is the true reason why The Matrix: Path of Neo, despite being made up of mostly pure undulterated awesomeness, still lacks any sort of level in which you are able to fly.

City of Heroes for the win...

I gave this blog a once-over, for old time's sake

2005-12-23T02:01:00.000-08:00

And I have determined that it is severely lacking one thing:

Personality.

There, I said it.
This blog lacks personality. At the beginning I was not too keen on having a "bloggy" blog where I said stuff...about things.

But then I realized that my blog was that one guy at the local bar who talks about the same thing all the time and still thinks people like him and that he can pick up chicks with the worn-out game he's pushing.

Woah, getting a little carried away with that metaphor there. You see my point, though?

I'll be talking about some other things that are not Neurocam from now on.
(gasp, not Neurocam, you say?)
There's no cause for alarm.
You'll still be getting your Neurocam fix here, so stick around.

Caught up with life, only to discover I was still far behind...

2005-12-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

Hey readers (if there are any of you left).

I know I've been a bad blogger, and that you all think I don't love you anymore, but it isn't true.

There were days where I was barely able to come home and turn my computer on to check e-mail, let alone try to make an attempt at a coherent blog post.
But I've been given a moment to catch my breath now (after a few weeks).

I come bringing that e-mail exchange from Clyde I've been building anticipation for. Mind you, we've swapped a lot more than four e-mails by now, but I might not be posting some of them.

Why? 'Cause I likes them and they're my preciouses.
In all seriousness, though, there are just a few ones that have some content I don't feel like sharing. No hard feelings?

The point is, though, the guy loves to talk. Not only that, but he doesn't speak solely to me (look at Ryudo's blog, for instance).

Now, the main attraction (I know it's quite old, but if I were to post anything that arrived after it, you all would be thrown off):

From: "Midnight"
To: "Clyde Citrine"
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 4:31 PM
Subject: No Worries?

Dear Clyde,

Glad to see we can skip the neuro-smalltalk.

I always had a feeling that the staff kept an eye on operatives blogs--considering the warnings they give about publishing information related to Neurocam assignments and whatnot. Is there some kind of special system in place and procedure that is followed for the monitoring of Operative blogs?

In terms of your answer to my question about the posters: yes, I'd say that explanation is sufficient.

However, I am slightly more intimidated now to know the extent of Neurocam's activities in my city.

Just how much is really going on? Are you keeping tabs on me every time I go outside? Is there one of those vans like in the movies that parks somewhere on my street and monitors my phone-calls and e-mails?

If that story of yours is the abbreviated version, I can't even emagine how long the normal version is.

One thing caught my eye, though. You said that you were "back in Los Angeles." Would that be some kind of typo, or is that an actual implication that you have been in Los Angeles before?

I know I am all questions, but let me end today's e-mail with one more:

Can you tell me what is in store for Neurocam and its Operatives in the future?

Regards,

-Midnight

------------------------------

From: "Clyde Citrine"
To: "Midnight"
Sent: Thursday, November 24, 2005 12:28 AM
Subject: Re: No Worries?

Dear Operative Midnight,

Your usage of the ever-popular "neuro" prefix amuses me. I am not entirely sure of its origins or how exactly it came about, but the online community's usage of it has certainly made it popular.

We have even become quite taken with it here at the office, and it has turned into somewhat of a running joke. (e.g. "Pass me those neuro-papers." or "I believe you have my neuro-stapler.")

Let me put it this way: If I told you that we did not have a particular method by which we monitor online publications like blogs and forums, would you believe me? There is procedure for everything in the neuro-world. Hopefully you have observed that by now.

Try not to be intimidated by Neurocam's presence in LA, at least, not too intimidated anyway.

Unfortunately I would be breaking Neurocam's Operational Security Guidelines, which you of course know I love and hold in such high regard, if I were to tell you just how closely we have our eyes and ears trained on everything that is going on around here. Would you say it was I lucky guess if I knew that you happened to see a couple of men in orange work jumpsuits on your street the other day--Neurocam covert surveilance agents, or city sanitation workers? Or would you think twice if I told you why there was a specific vehicle that drives down your street two times a week, no less?

Keep looking over your shoulder, Neurocam International values that kind of perceptiveness in its Operatives.

Maybe, someday, I will tell you the full version my story. That is for another time, though.

Be advised that I did not make any typographical errors in my previous e-mail.

I was indeed implying that I have been in the City of Los Angeles before. Several times, actually.

This would be another facet of the story:

Once, several years ago, I was actually a zealous little Entry-Level Operative (like yourself, and so many others). As it so happened, I lived in Los Angeles, out near Beverly Hills. I did things for Neurocam, and they were pleased. The tasks I received became more complicated and trying, until one day I reached a point where I thought I couldn't be any more in the thick of things than I was. Then I receive a summons, of sorts. It was a mandate saying that if I wished at all to continue my involvement as a member of Neurocam International, I was to fly to Melbourne, Australia, where I would take up permanent residence and work at their headquarters. They were generous enough to pay for airfare, so how could I refuse such an offer? So, for a couple of years, I worked out there with everyone else, saw some things I thought I wouldn't see, did some things I thought I would never do. But now life has changed, and here I am in Los Angeles once again.

On to your final question (and I honestly don't mind answering them); Curiousity is a natural thing, and I find that contrary to popular belief, it is not very prone to killing the cat.

What does Neurocam have in store? Well, Neurocam International, as you may have already intuited, has been, and is still undergoing, some drastic changes. It is why Crispin Black was called into service from the Nautonier. It is why there has been so much internal restrucuring, and it is why regional specialists like myself have been deployed. Of course, there are still many other things connected to Neurocam that are in a state of metapmorphosis, which makes it difficult for me to illuminate the scope of their alterations.

To tell you what to expect in the future would be like handing you a gift and saying "Here is a shiny new wristwatch," before you have had the chance to unwrap it.

For now, expect the unexpected.

Regards,

Clyde Citrine
Operations Division
Neurocam International
clyde.citrine@neurocam.com

----------------------------------

Well...

I'm not quite sure what is more disturbing: the fact that there were actually men in orange jumpsuits outside a couple days before I got the e-mail, or that he actually knew they were there...

Still freakin' out to no end over this.

(Edit: Blogspot has the worst WYSIWYG editor EVER. I blame it for the inconsistency of the font sizes in this post.)

More Activity, you know

2005-12-02T00:13:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody, check this stuff out.

Somehow I never got wind of anything. I wonder what's going on up in Buffalo.
Must be special stuff going down, because I haven't heard of any availability requests coming down the pipeline for quite some time.
Glad to the NeuroExpress is steaming along just fine...

Speaking of that, sorry I left everyone hanging.
I went off on Thanksgiving holiday leave shortly after that last entry (how's that for terrible cliffhanger timing, eh?).

Lucky for you kids, I have a couple more e-mails from Clyde.
Very heavy stuff. I like this guy a lot.

I'll post them up in a day or so when I'm not stumbling to catch up with life...

Speaking of presents...

2005-11-21T07:14:00.000-08:00

I thought I would take a moment to be a little lame, and call attention to that wonderful little icon you see hanging out on my sidebar:

What that nifty little gadget does is refer you to a wonderfully legitimate company's website, where you can sign up and complete a few easy steps for them to help get you an iPod...for free. The cool thing is, if you sign up using that link up there (my referral link) it also helps me get an iPod too. Win-win situation, right?
Yeah. Sure it's a bit pyramid-schemeish, but it actually works, and I know plenty of people who've gotten iPods shipped to their house.

Only thing is that to do this you have to be smart with how you go about completing the offer and stuff--some of them can be kind of shady and won't work.
No fear, though, that's what this site is for:
www.ratetheoffers.com
It's a comprehensive list updated frequently with all the offers on freeIpods.com!
Just click on 'Offer Ratings' and then 'View List' and you should have a nice list that corresponds with what you're seeing in your FreeIpods account menu, and you can pick the best and safest offer to complete.

Another thing to do, just to be on the safe side: Use Internet Explorer when completing your offer. I'm guessing there's some kind of weird cookies or scripts that are activated on the offer website when you do it, so if you have a browser like Firefox blocking it out--all that effort will have been for nothing. So fire up internet explorer, enable cookies, and turn off all the other ridiculous blocking features.

One thing I'd also recommend doing is using an e-mail account that you don't care very much about (i.e. an extra gmail or yahoo account). The reason for that is that there's the potential for you to get lots of spam. I signed up using a yahoo one I'd created for exactly that purpose, so I really never noticed if I was getting much spam or not.

So, that's pretty much it. I know it's a lot, and sounds complicated, but it's really not that bad.

I'd really appreciate it if anyone could help me out with this.
You know...as a birthday present.

Thanks for the great birthday present, Neurocam.

2005-11-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

I would have posted this sooner, but I've been tied up during every moment of the day doing something to properly enjoy the occasion:

----------------------------------------
From: "Midnight"
To: "Clyde Citrine"
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 7:16 AM
Subject: Is it True?

Dear Clyde Citrine,

I'm contacting you because Maxwell Knight felt he coudn't answer my enquiry about something I saw yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon I happened to notice a Neurocam poster on an electrical box, and I wanted to know how it got there. I wasn't assigned to put it there, and I thought maybe one of the other operatives put it up. Did they?

Maxwell told me you were the "Neurocam representive" for the city, so maybe you can tell me what this is all about. Forgive me for speaking so informally--I'm a bit frazzled by the prospect of someone representing Neurocam being stationed in Los Angeles full time.

Is Maxwell pulling my leg? Are you really in Los Angeles? If so, why are you here?

I would have liked to have made a more formal introduction, but my mind is just bursting with questions at the moment. Although, you probably have already read my file and know all about me (I bet you read my blog, too).

Any kind of information or response you could give me would be most appreciated.

Regards,

-Midnight

----------------------------------------

And guess what I got in response?

----------------------------------------
From: "Clyde Citrine"
To: "Midnight"
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2005 2:24 AM
Subject: Re:Is it True?

Dear Operative Midnight,

It's a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance.

Don't worry about introducing yourself properly--it would just be a waste of both my time and yours.

As you've guessed, I've already read your file, and I've become quite familiar with who you are and your history in the time you've been working for Neurocam International. Do I read your blog? Yes. But don't suddenly feel compelled to censor material against your better judgment. I thought it was common knowledge that Operatives' blogs were monitored?

I'm glad Maxwell instructed you to contact me. Although I'm surprised he didn't forward your enquiry directly to me. No matter, though.

It seems that you have found one of our small promotional posters--I was wondering when you would come across one. Believe it or not, the one you found was actually one I set up myself--as opposed one of the other team members.

Here's the truth: Absolutely none of the Los Angeles operatives have been given an assignment or have been ordered to put up such things around the city. You're free to check with Charles on that one. My team and I have been the ones spreading them around.

Is that a sufficient enough answer to your initial question?

Alright, let's move on.

I can confidently inform you that, at this point in time, Maxwell Knight is not pulling your leg. I am most definitely in the City of Los Angeles, and the last time I checked I was not somewhere else.

Why am I here? Well... that's a complicated one. For now, I'll give you the abbreviated version:

Several months ago, Neurocam International deemed it necessary to take more active measures to bolster its operations and presence in other countries. It was determined that merely having minor, outpost-like bases in cities scattered throughout the world was not sufficient enough. Thus, a group of delegates was selected to be dispatched overseas who would take command of those sectors and help direct operations accordingly.

I am one of those delegates, and that is why I am now back in Los Angeles.

I hope that is enough information to quench your thirst for the moment.

Please feel free to e-mail me at any time--it should be less complicated without that 19-hour time difference to get in the way.

Regards,

Clyde Citrine
Operations Division
Neurocam International
clyde.citrine@neurocam.com

(P.S. Don't worry about posting any of our correspondence on your blog. I'm sure the readers and operatives are all asking the same questions you did. If I don't want you to post something, you'll know.)

----------------------------------------

Un...freakin...believeable.
I have even more questions now...but I'm majorly burnt out.
Have fun mulling all of that over, people.

Flipped out so hard I fell off my chair

2005-11-18T07:05:00.000-08:00

----- Original Message -----
From: "Maxwell Knight"
To: "Midnight"
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 2:14 AM
Subject: Re: Advertising?

Dear Operative Midnight,

Unfortunately I am not currently in a position to adequately answer your enquiry.

It is for this reason that I recommend you contact the Neurocam representative stationed in your immediate geographic locale--Clyde Citrine.

You may reach him at the following e-mail address:

clyde.citrine@neurocam.com

Regards,

Maxwell Knight
Head, Human Resources Security Division
Neurocam International
maxwell.knight@neurocam.com
-----------------------------

What...the...HELL!?

Neurocam representative?

Clyde Citrine?

My immediate geographic locale?!?!!

If that means what I think it means.......oh my god.

There's someone from Neurocam actually stationed in LA?!

I'm going to go compose myself a bit--maybe take a cold shower or two--and then I'll e-mail this guy.

You're not going to believe...

2005-11-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

what I saw today.

A little while ago I was out driving to BestBuy to pick up a new cable for my speakers.
I'm cruising down 3rd street and I catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye.
I thought I recognized something on one of those big metal electrical wireboxes that the city places on various intersections to regulate things.
I wasn't too sure, so I decided to hang a right and circle around the block.
I stopped at the corner to turn back onto third, where I had a view of the box. There was this small white poster stuck onto the box.
I made the best illegal u-turn ever and parked my car on the street and ran out to the corner.

This was one of those moments I'm thankful I take my camera with me wherever I go.
(Hah, and people actually laugh at my shutterbug-ness! Who's laughing now?)

Here's what I saw:

It's difficult to describe just how much I started freaking out when I was standing in front of that box, looking at that poster.

For now, let's just say: a lot.

After visibly flipping a shit, most likely convincing many of the passing motorists that I was losing my mind, I ran back to my car, grabbed my camera, and snapped those photos.

I mean.....wow....just. Shit, I still don't know what to think.

I definitely know I didn't put this up, so don't even try accusing me.
And I strongly doubt one of the other LA operatives put it up.

What the hell is going on? Something is up.

I'm sending an e-mail to our pal Maxwell Knight.

Maybe he can give me some answers...

Boom Boom Dolla

2005-11-16T21:12:00.000-08:00

My blog is worth $564.54.
How much is your blog worth?

I got this from The Cat.
I didn't think this worthless thought-outlet actually had...well...worth.
It would be interesting to see what kind of algorithm they used to calculate the value.

Now, do any generous investors out there want to buy some stock in my blog or perhaps purchase the entire entity?
Maybe I'll franchise it...

I'm open to any generous cash-offers you have.

Neuroveggies

2005-11-15T21:14:00.000-08:00

FOOLS!

Neurocam is a potato.

I thought we had established this long ago in NeuroIRC.

Cabbage?

What the hell is this rubbish...

(Oh, by the way: I'm back.)

In an upwards direction

2005-11-09T20:08:00.000-08:00

Just though I'd let you all know I'm going to be in absentia for the next few days.

I'm sorry if I'm depriving you of that meaningful part of the day where you get to say "Oooh, happy joy joy! It's time to check Midnight's blog!"
(I'll be damned if anyone actually does that, fyi.)

I'm cruising up the coast to visit some hombres in some part of northern californialand.
(Does it have anything to do with my new assignment? No comment...)

Maybe I'll stop by Eureka for a while and link up with Chris Titan so we can have a couple of sodas and discuss the practickal aplickations of magick....

Herbert "No Dice" Murphy

2005-11-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Even though I've got a new assignment on my hands, I still had some spare time and thought I would try talking with some different NCI people.

I remember a long time ago, when the infamous Neville E-mail came out and there were all sorts of names listed in it.
One of the people on that list has still been around, hanging out in the comforting shadows of NCI: Herbert Dyce Murphy.

I remember at one point he was an Enquiries Officer (temporarily) after NCI was getting back on its feet from the Security Breaches incident, but I get the feeling he was around way longer even before he was doing that. A friend of mine told me he later moved on to "Inductions Officer," because he was the one who processed said friend's application.

So, in an effort to keep in touch with who's doing what, and where, I sent him a friendly e-mail.
I received this in response:

---------Original Message--------
From: herbert.dyce.murphy@neurocam.com
To: midnight4@gmail.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 8, 2005 5:04 AM
Subject: Re: Anyone there?

Dear Operative Midnight,

In answer to your initial question: yes, I do in fact "exist," and I am not simply some passing name in Neurocam folklore.

You can be certain that I do have a real job and I actually carry out a significant role in the day-to-day runnings of this organization. If, for some reason, you have convinced yourself otherwise, I must inform you that you are utterly misled.

Unfortunately my demanding schedule leaves me only a modicum of spare time, which I am not inclined in the least to use up on small-talk. If you stop and think for a moment, you may find that there are in fact several other parties that you may engage in dialogue other than myself. Try starting with your fellow operatives.

Regards,

Herbert Dyce Murphy
Head of Admissions
Neurocam International
herbert.dyce.murphy@neurocam.com

Modicum?

Umm.... Zelle much? Haha.

For Sale: One (1) Neurocam Intl. Slightly used.

2005-11-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

I was poking around on Craigslist LA because I was bored and I thought I could find some junk I could buy from people, and then maybe sell on E-bay to turn a profit.

Yeah, well, I didn't find too much cool junk, but I typed in "neurocam" for a lark, and guess what came up?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/act/108268377.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/com/108267947.html

I know for a fact that I didn't put these up there, and I'm pretty that one of the other LA operatives wouldn't have had the guts to put them up either.

Thus I am left to conclude that Neurocam is doing some more clever advertising.

Interesting...

Neurocam is not HotTopic

2005-11-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

[Actual IM conversation I had a while ago]

(Friend): you okay?
Midnight: yeah, wh...
Midnight: sorry
Midnight: was just writing an e-mail
(Friend): lol, no, not that
(Friend): nevermind, i'm out of my mind
Midnight: .....
Midnight: curious...
Midnight: how did you get out?
(Friend): wha?
Midnight: "get out of your mind.....and slip into something more comfortable"
(Friend): ....
Midnight: hehe
(Friend): bah
(Friend): you loser
Midnight: best motto ever
(Friend): ...?
(Friend): sounds like a HotTopic bumpersticker or t-shirt to me
Midnight: ...
Midnight: ....how insulting
(Friend): hahaha

(I apologize to those of you who are unfamiliar with the pathetic company that tailors its line of merchandise to the interests of America's various angsty teenage subcultures)

Hey kids, guess where I went?

2005-11-02T19:20:00.000-08:00

Don't ask me why I was there, though.

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

Apologies in advance to Avery and Constance: Sorry for not hitting you guys up when I was out there so we could hook up and chill for a while. Didn't have any computer access...

Anyway, enjoy the cliché touristy photos of the sights:

(Times Square is freakin' crazy, even at 11:30pm. I saw so much funny stuff)

[/end cliché NY tourist photos]

Down

2005-10-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

...but not out.

I'm not exactly sure where to start?

Not that there's a whole lot to say, but whatever.

I'm impressed people still acknowledge the existence of this blog as part of NeuroHistory, and that they actually take the time to read it.

Many thanks to those of you've done that.

Looking back over what I wrote (and didn't write), I noticed what little substance it really has.
Just a bunch of vagueries and hinting at things.

I guess I'm posting again because I've got some spare time and I felt like talking.

It's true that they promoted me.
To what extent, I don't know.
They've been keeping us in the dark a lot, even though we're doing some important work for them.

I still feel like I'm being held back for some reason, though. Maybe I did something wrong?
So I've just been hanging out waiting for something to happen.

I know they must up to something...
I've been talking with them a lot, since they've been really great about responding quickly as of late, even though they say they're really busy with lots of things.
Perhaps I'm just being cynical, but it seems like they should have done something by now.

I have a strong hunch that they actually are doing something, they just haven't said what it is yet. Otherwise, why else would they be so busy?

I'm resurrecting this blog for the 3rd time (hey, it's the charm, right?) so I can let you all know what's going on.

Career Advancement: No Longer a Myth

2005-05-29T23:17:00.000-07:00

Well, Xade and Teigan have already confirmed it.

Promotions do happen, believe it or not.

I happen to be able to speak to this matter and verify its validity from personal experience as well.

Unfortunately, as always, Neurocam doesn't allow the disclosure of any more information beyond what most people have already been told.

Sorry, troops.
I might not be able to really say very much at all from now on.

Back into the shadows I go...

2005-05-22T01:48:00.000-07:00

I don't really have anything to say.

I think I'm just going to stop posting anything for now, unless Neurocam asks me to. (or I feel that there is something to be gained from doing so)

Some of the other bloggers have a point, along the same lines of that post I made when I first thought I should make a "come back."

Right.

I'm done for now.

Neurocam still perplexes me, as always.

It's Friday night. Do you know where your operatives are?

2005-05-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well, Neurocam?

They're sitting around at home, twiddling their thumbs.
...at least all the ones I've talked to today are.

The air has gone completely stagnant, as it always does after large things go down.

Quite a shame that's what the trend seems to be with the Cam, but it usually means something big is coming on the horizon again.

I'm not really sure what to expect from Neurocam, because the details on what happens next haven't been illuminated for me yet. So I'm just sort of in a limbo, I guess.

A few other operatives have been writing little dissertations about all the drama that arises when people are bored or decide to spread disinformation.
Ever wonder if that's part Neurocam's plan as well? Introduce factors of paranoia and distrust among individuals into a semi-controlled environment?

Maybe?
Nah.

But with all this generalized hate flying around, I'm trying to figure out if any of it is directed at me.
Nobody seems to want to be blunt and name names, so I'm left to wonder if I said something wrong.

NeuroRadio - FM 124.9

2005-05-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

I mentioned I received a document the other night from an unnamed member of Bridget Fischer's entourage. Take a look at it:

There's something strange about this document.
I've been investigating it a little, and I think I might be on to something...

[Edit: The title of this post doesn't mean anything. I just put it up there for humor, so don't waste any brain-power on it.]

The Nightlife

2005-05-09T00:44:00.000-07:00

Downtown Los Angeles is a ghost-town at night.
Occupied by a few stray souls and the echoes of the day's proceedings.

Amidst the steel giants, I walked.

I walked to the intersection I was told to arrive at, clutching my cellular phone, staring up at the dark night sky and the ominous figures looming above me.

I checked my watch--10:55pm.

Dead silence, except the dull hum of electricity pulsing through things here and there, or the swoosh of a passing car every now and then.

Standing at the deserted street-corner, I looked around, expecting to see more figures emerge from the darkness to join me in my waiting.
But nobody came.

11:00pm. The phone rang. I picked up.

A distorted voice read me the directions:
Cross the street, two blocks west, one block north, white building. Wear the mask.

And they hung up...

Placing my cellphone back in my pocket, I held up the white mask I was holding in my other hand.

The white mask that was cut off just below the upper-lip.

I put it on, assuming the persona, and began to walk.

A few minutes later and I was at the building. The glass doors slid open smoothly as I walked into the marble-imbued lobby.

An elevator waited at the opposite end of the room, guarded by two tall men in suits donning the same mask as myself. The elevator doors opened as I approached.
I stepped inside and turned about-face, noticing another suited-man standing by the elevator panel. He pressed one of the many buttons, the one for the 44th floor.

No sooner had I stepped into the elevator was I stepping out into a long hallway lined with many doors. I looked at the man in the elevator, who pointed to the one at the very end.

The anticipation was too much to bear. I approached the door, reached out, turned the handle, stepped into the room beyond...

...and there they were.

I immediately knew at that the individuals sitting in that room could be none other than Bridget Fischer, Madeline Khan, and several other members of their staff: all wearing the same style of mask.

I also made note of three other mask-wearing people sitting in the room, who I believe were fellow Los Angeles operatives. I realized why I had not seen any of them out on the street--they had all been given separate start locations, and were called in at different intervals. It would draw too much attention if we all congregated in one place and moved as a group.

------------------------------------

[Now, I've been strictly forbidden to disclose any details of what was said and done in the meeting, under penalty of immediate expulsion from Neurocam. I'm sorry. However, I can say that it was quite an experience]
------------------------------------

On the way out of the room, we all stood up to shook hands and bid each other farewell. I felt something pressed against my palm when shaking hands with one of Bridget's unnamed staff-members, who simply nodded to me and went on to shake someone else's hand. I understood, and quickly pocketed the small piece of paper.

So everyone went their separate ways--Bridget and her staff were in a hurry to be on the move to their next location: Borderlands Laboratories.
The other operatives and I were instructed to disperse in a descrete manner, preferably one at a time.

Down the hall, descend in the elevator, back through the doors, and out onto the street.

I kept walking and paused, only to look back for a second, a slight grin spreading across my face.

And then I left.

Just in case you were wondering

2005-05-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

From: "Madeline Khan" <madeline.khan@neurocam.com>

To: "Midnight" <midnight364@earthlink.net>

Sent: Monday, May 01, 2005 1:04 AM

Subject: Re: Authorization

Operative Midnight,

In response to your previous query, I would like to inform you that you have been granted the necessary clearance and authorization to post an acceptable amount of information on your web journal regarding Ms. Fischer's business trip to Los Angeles.

However, I must make it clear that it is imperative that you keep this disclosure of information very low key. As you no doubt have read in the other notifications you have received for this assignment, the highest degree of security is required in order to prevent the event from being compromised.

Neurocam International is aware of the existence of certain third parties with malicious intents, who may attempt to be present in Downtown Los Angeles at the given date in order to disrupt the meeting. Therefore, I request that you please refain from posting any explicit details regarding the matter.

Regards,

Madeline Khan
Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer
Neurocam International
madeline.khan@neurocam.com

Neuro-IRC

2005-05-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you have stumbled upon the Neuroboards by now.

But one fairly new gem that seems to have been overlooked is the NeuroChat.
An IRC-based, free-form thinktank for we Neurocam-types to convene in and jabber about this and that.
It get quite confusing at times, but can also prove to be highly entertaining.
I recommend some of you stop by and breathe some life into the chat, since it tends to die every now and then.

If you have IRC already, it's channel #neurocam on irc.chat-solutions.org.

If you don't have IRC or don't know what it is (there are people like that?), go to www.mirc.com and download the client there. That will let you connect to the server and join the channel.

Sugar, Spice, and Nothing but Business

2005-05-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

I'd just like to take the opportunity to say that I'm very glad that Neurocam International is in the hands of a very skilled and competent female individual.

Yes, that's right. Female.
I don't think I would be the least bit proud to work for this organization if it was being led by one of the traditional "good old boys."
You know, one of the fellows you learn about in your high-school history class.
Something akin to a Rockefeller or a Carnegie.
White. Aging. Protestant. Chauvinistic. Heir to a long line of old-money.
The typical kind of person you'd picture in such a position.

But Bridget Fischer completely shatters the mold, and does a stunning job of holding everything together at the same time.
The backbone of this organization, the overseer of all its many divisions. The one with the plan.
Although she might be quite mysterious in nature, and there isn't much common knowledge about her, we know that since nothing has fallen apart yet, she is doing the job well.

And of course, let's not forget our new friend Gertrude Zelle.
She is the solid framework that now supports the Human Resources Division (an important part of Neurocam).
Ms. Zelle knows exactly when and where to put her foot down, picking up the slack that Maxwell Knight has left behind, and has absolutely no problem doing so--in order to keep things running smoothly.
But if you've got a problem with the way she gets her work done: prepare for a taste of the iron fist.

I know there are many other excellent women we've yet to learn more about, so for now:

Women of Neurocam, we salute you.

[Edit: Some have accused me that by making this post I am being a 'brown-noser.' I can assure you that is not my intent at all. I was just thinking about certain aspects of Neurocam and how different it might be if some of its current staff weren't present. This post was merely out of appreciation of the current administration, and was not made to "get in good" with anyone. Learn how to take things at face-value, people.]

Dust off your masks, PacOps. It's showtime.

2005-05-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

Downtown Los Angeles is a very intriguing place.
It can also be quite breathtaking.
Towering buildings, big streets, lots of concrete.
The epitome of the urban jungle.

So it doesn't surprise me one bit that Ms. Bridget Fischer would be going there.
She's not just coming to Los Angeles: she's hitting it right in the heart.

Somewhere in Downtown there is going to be a meeting.
...and it's going to be soon.

Despite this knowledge, I have absolutely no idea who might be there.
I don't even think these other people know that they might be there.
I don't even know if I might be there.

But let me tell you: this meeting is going to be no simple picnic.

We won't even know where it's being held until we're standing out on the cold dark streets among those buildings, waiting for a phonecall to get the address.

Fiction Friction

2005-04-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

After some creative speculation and such on the NeuroForums, I happened to be talking with a fellow West Coast operative the other night, joking around about the aforementioned things, and offhandedly came up with something interesting.

This one's for you, Xul:
-------------------------
Inside one of the mid-level floors of a towering office building with impossibly tinted windows, amongst various rows of cubicles and window-offices, stand two individuals. They are talking:

Charles: "Have any of you spotted any of Max's stuff still lying around? I have the feeling the fellow didn't clean everything out."
Gertrude: "That's not possible, Mr. Hastings, the Cleaning Team did a full purging of his office."
Charles: "You sure about that, 'Mata Hari'?"
Gertrude: "I told you to stop calling me that, Mr. Hastings. It is not only rude, but unprofessional."

A young woman in a dressed in a crisp business suit walks up, and begins to address Charles and Gertrude.

Madeline: "Are you two done with your banter? Ms. Fischer has called a board meeting to be held 15 minutes from now in General Assembly Room 5C"
Charles: "G.A. Room 5C? That place is all the way up on the 60th floor. What the hell is she having it here for?"
Madeline: "Do I need to remind you again about questioning Ms. Fischer's administrative decisions, Mr. Hastings?"
Charles: "No ma'am."

Madeline nods and then walks off past the rest of the cubicles, turning around a corner and disappearing.
Charles and Gertrude turn and walk off in the opposite direction, towards the elevators. As they arrive in the large room, surrounded on all sides by various elevators, they encounter another lively looking young gentleman.

Jack: Charlie, mate! Haven't seen you around much. How ya going?
Charles: Just great, Jack. How's everything out in Mnemonics these days?
Jack: Eh, trooping along as usual. You up for some drinks after this uh..."meeting"? It's Friday night after all, mate!
Charles: Sure, why not.
Jack: Great! Hey Zelly, you up for a couple of rounds too?
Gertrude rolls her eyes and addresses Jack in a flat tone.
Gertrude: No, Mr. Sampson. For the twentieth time. I don't drink.
Jack: Ahhhh, your loss! Haha. (Jack gives Charles a hearty slap on the back) Looks like it'll just be me and Charlie, then.

The elevator arrives, the doors open, and the three step in. In a few moments they are up on the 60th floor, pushing open the enormous double-doors and crossing the threshhold into General Assembly Room 5C. The room is very spacious, with on ominously high ceiling. Its contents are limited to one or two paintings adorning the wall, a set of low-hanging ceiling lights, and a very large circular table, around which a grand assortment of people are already sitting. One particular figure is standing at the opposite end of the table which Charles, Jack, and Gertrude are now approaching. She calls out to them, somewhat excitedly:

Bridget: Ah! Excellent timing. I was hoping you three would have the decency show up. Now, take your seats, if you please. We have some business to attend to.
-------------------------

Sorry about that.
But is it such a crime to let the imagination run completely wild every now and then?
I should hope not.

That's just one crazy little possibility of what daily life at Neurocam might be.

What do you think?

Bridget's Mirror

2005-04-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, there is some buzz traveling around among the other operatives right now about an assignment involving Bridget Fischer.

I've been informed that the lovely Ms. Fischer is going to be gracing the West Coast Chapter of NCI with her presence in Los Angeles soon.

Maybe we'll be lucky enough to sit down and have a chat with our favorite enigmatic C.E.O.

Now that I have your attention

2005-04-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should say that I regret cutting off my blog and denying myself the opportunity to show off the interesting assignments that are taking place out here on the West Coast.
I could have started down a road to become the "Graham Henstock" of the U.S.

But what would be the fun in that?

If I served every juicy detail of my Neurocam adventures on a silver platter for the curious eyes of the blogging community to feast upon, that would just suck an element of intrigue and mystery out of it...at least for the ones reading the blogs.
Even other operatives are withholding a significant amount of information (I'm looking at you, Mr. Avery "Bombshell Droppin" Cardoza. Lady J. You too, Constance).
Perhaps even more than we realize.

The blogging trend seems to be a self-destructive cycle:
People seek out this little community, hungering for information, starving to know more of what they are too impatient to wait to find out for themselves.
Yet, once they get their own hands on something unique, they start to doubt and wonder whether they really should share it with the others. And then they become resolute simply not to share it at all, or only a little.
One could say that some derive a certain strange pleasure from the giving and witholding of information.
It is a prominant throughout all of this, because we know very well that it is part of Neurocam's modus operandi.
(Note: The above conjectures are simply conjectures. They relate in no way to me)

Now you ask: "Did you get any pleasure out of it?"
I say: "Not at all."

Well, then why did you do it?
Because I thought I might gain something.

Was there anything to gain from it?
Honestly I don't know at this point.

For now, I'll look at it as a loss on my part.
A type of detachment from the "group" that was perhaps created unnecessarily.

Of course, as always, there are instances where Neurocam forbids you to say anything at all.
I'm not overlooking that.

Keeping that in mind:
It seems as though I've had my chance, and I chose to wait it out in silence.

So it looks like I'm back...

2005-04-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

The question is: "Why?"

I'm sure all of you would like to know.

However, I'm not going to talk about that just yet.

Have a little more faith

2005-04-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

...and don't second-guess the ones who hold the reins.

When things are short-lived

2005-02-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

I've had a little more private correspondence with Maxwell Knight, where I was blunt and asked a couple of serious questions flat out.
Even though I was given some answers sourrounded in the usual vagueries, there were other parts of what he said to me that actually made a high degree of sense.

Taking all of this into consideration, I spent some time pondering, and have arrived at a decision.

For the time being, I am going to declare this blog closed.
I will no longer be making any public records of my dealings with Neurocam (until there is a point in time when it becomes necessary).
I know this may disappoint some of you, but others will perhaps be appeased.

If you have a geninuine interest in any further explanation (although I cannot promise much more detail), you might contact me about it.

So that's that. It has been fun while the novelty lasted.
Keep in mind that I am not completely dropping off the radar.

I'll still be lurking under darkness' cover.

Being introspective is dangerous.

2005-02-13T23:38:00.000-08:00

(The following statements are vague because I shouldn't give full details)

I'm one of those people who thinks...a lot.
I think about so many things that I people will never even get to hear.
When it's just you and yourself it can get very scary. Because there's no external perspective imposed on your thoughts. There is only the one way you think about it, and the severe extreme opposite that surfaces to counteract it: doubt.
Doubting is very very bad...but unfortunately there's no way to control it.
And once you start doubting you just keep doubting more and more and more, until you've dug yourself into so deep into a hole that it is impossible to get out.

I had a breakdown tonight. A really awful one.
And if things hadn't gone well for me, I would be back in the same state of being that I was about three or so years ago.

I hate the fact that I'm writing this, partly because it's cliché blog material.
But perhaps it has a place here, since it's food for thought--and that's what I originally made this for (besides having a nice orderly record of everything that happens).

Anyway...I'll shut up about all this now.

I've been reading The Magus, and I like it so far (within the first 20 pages it was quite obvious why Neurocam has an interest in it).

It's a very unique book, and it's written in such a style that I'm really not quite used to yet, but that's part of why I like it.

I haven't gotten any more correspondence from Maxwell Knight, Charles Hastings, or Bridget Fischer regarding assignments and the like--beyond a nice little "thank-you" from Mr. Knight after I sent him some more specific (but general) information about where I am in LA.

So that's all that comes to mind right now. I'm really tired, and still have a lot of work to get done.

We know where you live

2005-02-08T01:10:00.000-08:00

So remember how I said I was e-mailing our buddy Maxwell Knight? Yeah. I sent him something, and he replied a while ago. And even though his response provided some assurance, two concerns at opposite ends of the spectrum have now surfaced.

Dear Mr. Knight,

Since your are head of the Human Resources and Security Devision, I have no doubt that you possess knowledge of all the current Neurocam operatives. With that in mind, and recognizing the fact that I was accepted as an official Neurocam operative as of today, I have a couple of questions for you:

1) Is there any more detailed information you require about the area I live in and how it influences mission proximity and my ability to get to certain locations? Los Angeles is a very large city, and it would be quite problematic for me to drive all the way out to someplace such as Woodland Hills or any other remote location that the city of "Los Angeles" encompasses.

2) Would it also be beneficial if you had some other form of contact with me as an operative besides electronic mail which can be utilized in more demanding situations? I have heard from some of the other operatives that they were contacted by cellular telephone for further information during assignments and such.

I hope your response will provide some more insight into these matters.

Best Regards,

-Midnight

To which he replied:

Dear Operative Midnight,

Welcome to the Neurocam team!

To address your queries - Your offer to provide additional location data
in appreciated. Although there is no need to be completely specific, any
additional data you are able to provide will be noted in your file and
taken into consideration during the planning of assignments.

In addition, at present we do not require you to provide Neurocam with
additional contact details. In the event that the procurement of such
details is deemed necessary, you will be informed of that fact via e-mail.

Regards,

Maxwell Knight
Head, Human Resources Security Division
Neurocam International
maxwell.knight@neurocam.com

Back to those concerns of mine:
1) Neurocam is so on top of things that they don't even need to find out where their operatives are, because they already know. Either that, or their roots are so extensive that it doesn't matter where you're situated. Scary thought.
-or-
2) Neurocam is willing to take the gamble of not having any clue where their operatives are located, beyond the general area of an immensely large city like New York or Los Angeles.

Right now, I'm kind of hoping that it's the first one.

ring "Operator." silence "I'm in...."

2005-02-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

The 'cam seems to be on top of things (and at very unusual hours of the night, I might add) because sitting in my inbox bearing a timestamp of 3:56am is the e-mail from Bridget Fischer informing me that I'm now officially part of the Neurocam crew.

...And I'm quite enthralled, because I think I would have had a conniption if they rejected that monstrosity of a perception assignment I sent in--which took me almost as long to type up as it took to actualy do.

I'm also going to be composing something to our friend Maxwell Knight to ask a couple questions about us non-local operatives, on account of the lack of information pertaining to the subject. (More speculation to come on that later)

So I typed up some things...

2005-02-04T00:28:00.000-08:00

and they wound up being a lot longer than I thought.

I would really like to post the entirety of my perception assignment, but somehow it amounted to roughly seven complete pages of text. (Charles Hastings is going to have fun reading this one)
If that isn't detailed, then I sure don't know what is.

Unfortunately, I do not know of a way to mimic LiveJournal's (Oops, I said the L-word. Bad me) system of "cutting" parts of blog entries, so for the moment I have posted it on a website I will be using for the display of lengthy Neurocam-related documents.

The Rundown

2005-01-31T22:24:00.000-08:00

Well, today was certainly a lot of fun. I had my doubts about it at first, since it was a weekday (and a day on which school took place, no less).
Luckily I was home a good half an hour before 4pm, so I had time to get my stuff together.
I didn't realize how fun the perception assignment would be.
At first I was worried that nothing would happen, but once I got into it I started noticing a lot of weird things--more to come later on that, once I condense this messy little pocketbook into a nice clean write-up.

Hopefully what I've come up with will be Neurocam-worthy.

Waiting & Anticipating

2005-01-27T16:16:00.000-08:00

So now that finals week is over, I have a 4 day weekend, which means even more waiting time until Monday.
I've dusted off my digital camera and bought a nice pocket notebook to fill up.

On another note, I've taken the liberty of ordering a copy of The Magus, as well.
It should be here in a couple of days.

Also: I do like how closely Neurocam seems to be following the blogs of its operatives.

Neurocam is...

2005-01-23T23:44:00.000-08:00

...something that affects those who aren't even fully involved in it yet.

That's only started happening to me in the past few days, really.
But even so, it's already changed me in more ways than one, and they relate quite well to that post Avery made yesterday.

Neurocam, this blog, the blogs of others, and several other factors have caused me to become immensely reflective and introspective.
I've thought about perception and the way I perceive things, the way I used to perceive things, and how I might come to perceive things later on.
I've been thinking a lot about myself and who I am as an individual, and evaluating some of the things that I've put out of my mind and dismissed as "troublesome" for a long time.
This has also spurred 2 very long and deep conversations with a close friend of mine.

So, bringing it all back in to focus now.
Neurocam's experience reaches far beyond the people who've actually been sent out to meet shady figures in shady places in shady neighborhoods, or those who have found (or been handed) a little red Neurocam badge to pin onto their shirt collar.

A New Breed

2005-01-23T13:25:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it's too early to even be thinking about this at all in terms of a timeline.
Nobody can say.

However after being surrounded with the entirety of Neurocam's history in the past few days, and being aware of its existence for a couple of months now, I see definite trends. Of course, this is all just my speculation, but there might be some validity in it.

From what I can tell right now, several others and I are part of what could be considered the Neurocam Second Generation. The members of this generation are those who, like me, have discovered Neurocam after some of its landmark evolutions have already occured, and are now stepping onto the playing field right at the beginning of another phase.

Neurocam's First Generation, for the most part, is comprised of the individuals who reside in Australia and have been following it since the days after that first billboard went up. They are the ones who have helped events progress to where they are now (in one way or another).

But now Neurocam is expanding. Something bigger is taking shape.
And no one knows what it's going to be like...except that it will be different.
It's like that eerie calm before the storm.

That's all I've got to say for now. Agree or disagree with my musings as you will.

Counting the Days

2005-01-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

I appologize for the utterly cryptic nature of the first entry I made.
Don't think about it too much.
In fact, I'm not sure why I even posted it.

Nevermind.
I've spent the past day and a half reading up on lots of things.
Graham, Tript, Xade, Lady J, etc.

Quite fascinating to delve into something, thinking you'd found the tip of the ice-berg, only to discover that it wasn't even the real tip, but simply a slice of the real tip.
And there I go with the crypticness again.

I'm waiting for Monday the 31st, and I've seen that a few others are waiting as well.
It will be the first step for me.
Perhaps they would not like it if I associated myself with people in my area already.
They'll be in charge of that.

But if you want to talk, then by all means: leave a comment and we can have a dialogue.

...and what signifies change?

2005-01-22T01:31:00.000-08:00

As a person I have certain morals and standards I hold for myself.
In the past, I have spoken of them.
They say time changes you, and I've observed that.
Some things about you that change are beyond your control.

This isn't one of them.
I do it by choice, and even though the right person might be able to come along and make me eat my words, I'll still do it.
I could do things differently, but it wouldn't be the same.

But when all is said and done, you've got to wonder: can a person truly change?

Under Darkness' Cover

STOP E-MAILING ME!!!

On being Covert and Drinking Tea

Shameless Promotion of the Music I like

The New Mind-Control

What the....

Nigel likes it...

Amadeus and fluorine

In winter, hot chocolate is king.

New Title

On Narratives

Obligatory Holiday Post

Aerial Envy

I gave this blog a once-over, for old time's sake

Caught up with life, only to discover I was still far behind...

More Activity, you know

Speaking of presents...

Thanks for the great birthday present, Neurocam.

Flipped out so hard I fell off my chair

You're not going to believe...

Boom Boom Dolla

Neuroveggies

In an upwards direction

Herbert "No Dice" Murphy

For Sale: One (1) Neurocam Intl. Slightly used.

Neurocam is not HotTopic

Hey kids, guess where I went?

Down

Career Advancement: No Longer a Myth

Back into the shadows I go...

It's Friday night. Do you know where your operatives are?

NeuroRadio - FM 124.9

The Nightlife

Just in case you were wondering

Neuro-IRC

Sugar, Spice, and Nothing but Business

Dust off your masks, PacOps. It's showtime.

Fiction Friction

Bridget's Mirror

Now that I have your attention

So it looks like I'm back...

Have a little more faith

When things are short-lived

Being introspective is dangerous.

We know where you live

*ring* "Operator." *silence* "I'm in...."

So I typed up some things...

The Rundown

Waiting & Anticipating

Neurocam is...

A New Breed

Counting the Days

...and what signifies change?

ring "Operator." silence "I'm in...."