just a few things i've made while bored this summer and wanted input on:
(oh, and if anyone's interested i can post source code/s)

first: 4level grayscale in axe using interrupts


second: a tilemapping method which could potentially reduce map sizes considerably

this routine checks the tiles around each tile that's being drawn and draws a different sprite accordingly. this could potentially be very useful because it would make maps much easier to read. i.e.:
normally, sprite data for a house would have to be stored like this:
[000000
[012230
[045560
[000000
using this method, though, it would look like this:
[000000
[011110
[011110
[000000
making things much simpler. furthermore, if you're using the half-byte compression method(i forget who's idea that was, but im sure you all know) then you could boost 16 tiles at your disposal to 192! alternatively you could use the first 6 bits for tile storage(boosting your total number of tiles to 768, i believe ) and save the last two bits to indicate if that tile is a warp point or if it triggers some event, etc.(taking away the need for a second data structure for this data) of course, this mapping method is a bit slower than others, but it's still fast enough for a zelda-esque mapping system, or even a low action scroller like FF or pkmn  !

third: the beginnings of my pokemon overworld walking routine with animated steps and the ability to turn in place(you guys are probably very familiar with this type of thing, but can have the code if you want nonetheless)

due to a bug in wabbitemu part of the wall seems to be missing  

fourth:a cute little gray drawing 'screensaver'

a free cookie for the first person to guess how i managed that without using the backbuffer

i had been up for a long time and was very frustrated when i posted this...
after a bit of tinkering i finally got it to recognize my 83+(although it's very delicate and any jostling can break the connection), but the 84+SE still doesnt show up. dont worry yourselves over it, im pretty sure the problem is just that my cable is screwy somehow(it's kind of funny that the comp link cable i bought is wearing out more quickly than the home-made, 10 foot calc to calc cord i put together at the same time ). i'll continue to work with it, but if all else fails i can just transfer everything to my 83+ first.
thanks for replying and sorry to bug everyone

my fav has always been megaman(he can shoot through walls, doesnt have any of the jumping problems the others do[especially simon], and can charge his megabuster). after playing the new one, though, i kind of like ninja gaiden's ryu

a friend of mine did beta testing and wouldnt stop talking about it
as for myself, i've been anticipating this release for years (i was on a starcraft server at midnight newyears eve )

my school has had many similar prank wars
our humane letters(combo writing, debate, and history class[i know, right]) teacher had us spend one entire class period using surplus promotional magnets the school had bought(they cant afford to make the roof not leak and the floor not be made of mold but are fine with promoting themselves ) to entirely cover his rival's car, filing cabinet, part of the fridge(yes, the teachers have their own house with a swimming pool, shower, fridge, and garden and we all have to cram into the tiniest rooms ever. it's a bit messed up), and all her other belongings.

as their prank this year our seniors built a 20 foot tall robot out of cardboard boxes overnight to welcome everyone to finals week.

i've also done the screenshot thing to create duplicate icons and messed around with screensavers a bit.

Edit: on a vaguely related note, the lavatories at our school exploded once so the teachers had to walk anybody who asked to the facilities at a school down the street. needless to say, quite a bit of test skipping occurred that day

double Edit: the teachers could have just let everyone use their personal bathroom, but i guess they would rather walk than have their property soiled in such a disgusting manner

speaking of link ports...
i once took a knife to the link port on my 84+ because i wanted to be able to use the headphone converter i bought. it still works(including teh headphones =D), but i have to be very careful that i dont push the cord in too far

regression is the second scariest thing i can think of(which is why i hate/loved flowers for algernon so much). the most terrifying is a situation like that of john forbes nash jr. where you suddenly discover, after years of being with someone, that that person is "not gone, not dead, but worse: had never existed"

as for the whole conforming to society thing there are definitely a number of things about which people stress unnecessarily, but that is no reason to pass off every deviation from the accepted norm as respectable in its own right. such deviations which cause suffering for other members of the society are not excusable and should still be dealt with somehow(preferably by moving the person to a society where such behaviour is not frowned upon or, failing that, basic manners (or in severe cases, incarceration).

one of my own personal comments on life: if the good times lasted they would become simply "the times"

edit: and thanks for starting this thread. it's nice to have somewhere to just talk about life every now and then

the mood swing 1/3 through definitely caught me off guard
i think this is my favourite so far =D
EDIT:(strike that, i love the vocals in fighting on. how'd you manage that? singing and then raising the pitch? however, this is definitely second)