24-Jan-2012, 4:15 PM
Andrew Bennett, alias The Manipulator General, and also masquerading as jybt, quadrupleplay, SyndicCalls404, Octavarium64, bethlehem316 and outprogged42. I've been an active Chipster mostly since I was 11, though I played since I was around 5, and have attained high rankings in CC1 and CCLP2, also holding the top spot in CCLP3 until the rest of the world caught up; my work here has also included much of the CC Wiki, ChipWiki, other strategy guides, AVI solutions, shameless CC promotion and two levelsets, one of which should probably have combustible lemons thrown at it and one of which still needs somebody to play it.
http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~pieguy/chi...t=andrewb1 new (eh)
http://cczone.invisionzone.com/index.php?/files/file/26-manipulatordat/
I am also known nowadays as the Chip's Challenge world's leading promoter of progressive metal, to the chagrin and/or good-natured derision of certain posters; my top five bands are currently Dream Theater, Pantommind, Redemption, Riverside and Zero Hour. I find this style of music, based in freedom of expression, nonconformity to traditional song structures, lyrical themes and instrumentation, contrasting moods (with the heaviness factor of metal an additional dimension as such) and exploitation of technical proficiency in the process of creating original works, speaks to my own perspective on life: a roller coaster of emotions, feelings and moods that, though it is immensely difficult at times, can be overcome through faith, will, perseverance and spirit, and what awaits afterwards is well worth whatever trials and tribulations compose the journey.
On that particular note, I also stand out in the CC community as one of its most openly Christian members, which has been increasingly true in recent weeks, and thus this cannot be left unexplained for the initiated and the muggles. Like a surprising number of Chipsters, I have Asperger's Syndrome, and though I count myself blessedly lucky to have been surrounded by a reasonably well-to-do family, been specially treated by a majority of my teachers, and raised within a supportive church, my condition has been a source of imposing difficulty. My life definitely was not under control for much of my childhood, and threatened to spiral out of control until, within my confusion and dissatisfaction, I finally started to seek God as a real being, not just the indifferent guardian of the universe. That process slowly deepened for years until recently, around October 2011 when it finally converged into a true revival, the combination of searching for concrete, rational reasons for my belief and learning enough about spirituality to truly connect with God. (What those reasons are is for another topic.) From there on, I have trudged through even more arduous challenges, but continually manage to crumble each barrier, and I sigh in wonder each time something new happens; my dreams are becoming fulfilled, one by one, in the perfect time. This is the brief version, and my story of dramatic change and restoration is best contextualized within the CC community: my epiphaneous personal shift has begun to squeeze out less important worldly activities, with Chip's Challenge high on the list. My years-long obsession with competitive play disappeared in mere weeks, the CC Wiki and ChipWiki still gather dust, and my activity on the newsgroup is almost nil. This is mainly because I have comprehended the shallowness of my dreams in comparison to the future awaiting me on the vine. I won't leave the community for some time, because the memories are too precious and the game and your friendship has been instrumental in forming my unique personality, but I'm definitely more of a lurker than I've ever been in years.
I may wish I hadn't spent so much time fruitlessly burning myself out on random or boosting levels, I may wonder why so much untapped talent has been imprisoned within me because of my condition, and I may wonder why I was allowed to suffer through so much and often learn the hard way, but wiser eyes have honestly retrospected to find the resulting greater good and ultimate reason behind every major misfortune, and I wouldn't have changed any of it. The list of awe-inspiring successes and victories is too consistent for me to believe I won't scale the numerous hurdles still remaining, especially with the source of my strength behind me every day, and that there isn't a reason why hurdles have been permitted to impede my path. I'm a person who finds strength in weakness, lessons in failure, and light in darkness, and my life story is all about these balances. Someone who truly understands me will come away a wiser individual, and that's one of the chief lessons I seem meant to teach the world. I hope you have enjoyed this brief insight into, and explanation of, who and where I am now. The Manipulator General signing out.
http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~pieguy/chi...t=andrewb1 new (eh)
http://cczone.invisionzone.com/index.php?/files/file/26-manipulatordat/
I am also known nowadays as the Chip's Challenge world's leading promoter of progressive metal, to the chagrin and/or good-natured derision of certain posters; my top five bands are currently Dream Theater, Pantommind, Redemption, Riverside and Zero Hour. I find this style of music, based in freedom of expression, nonconformity to traditional song structures, lyrical themes and instrumentation, contrasting moods (with the heaviness factor of metal an additional dimension as such) and exploitation of technical proficiency in the process of creating original works, speaks to my own perspective on life: a roller coaster of emotions, feelings and moods that, though it is immensely difficult at times, can be overcome through faith, will, perseverance and spirit, and what awaits afterwards is well worth whatever trials and tribulations compose the journey.
On that particular note, I also stand out in the CC community as one of its most openly Christian members, which has been increasingly true in recent weeks, and thus this cannot be left unexplained for the initiated and the muggles. Like a surprising number of Chipsters, I have Asperger's Syndrome, and though I count myself blessedly lucky to have been surrounded by a reasonably well-to-do family, been specially treated by a majority of my teachers, and raised within a supportive church, my condition has been a source of imposing difficulty. My life definitely was not under control for much of my childhood, and threatened to spiral out of control until, within my confusion and dissatisfaction, I finally started to seek God as a real being, not just the indifferent guardian of the universe. That process slowly deepened for years until recently, around October 2011 when it finally converged into a true revival, the combination of searching for concrete, rational reasons for my belief and learning enough about spirituality to truly connect with God. (What those reasons are is for another topic.) From there on, I have trudged through even more arduous challenges, but continually manage to crumble each barrier, and I sigh in wonder each time something new happens; my dreams are becoming fulfilled, one by one, in the perfect time. This is the brief version, and my story of dramatic change and restoration is best contextualized within the CC community: my epiphaneous personal shift has begun to squeeze out less important worldly activities, with Chip's Challenge high on the list. My years-long obsession with competitive play disappeared in mere weeks, the CC Wiki and ChipWiki still gather dust, and my activity on the newsgroup is almost nil. This is mainly because I have comprehended the shallowness of my dreams in comparison to the future awaiting me on the vine. I won't leave the community for some time, because the memories are too precious and the game and your friendship has been instrumental in forming my unique personality, but I'm definitely more of a lurker than I've ever been in years.
I may wish I hadn't spent so much time fruitlessly burning myself out on random or boosting levels, I may wonder why so much untapped talent has been imprisoned within me because of my condition, and I may wonder why I was allowed to suffer through so much and often learn the hard way, but wiser eyes have honestly retrospected to find the resulting greater good and ultimate reason behind every major misfortune, and I wouldn't have changed any of it. The list of awe-inspiring successes and victories is too consistent for me to believe I won't scale the numerous hurdles still remaining, especially with the source of my strength behind me every day, and that there isn't a reason why hurdles have been permitted to impede my path. I'm a person who finds strength in weakness, lessons in failure, and light in darkness, and my life story is all about these balances. Someone who truly understands me will come away a wiser individual, and that's one of the chief lessons I seem meant to teach the world. I hope you have enjoyed this brief insight into, and explanation of, who and where I am now. The Manipulator General signing out.