I just finished watching Aliens, for the third time, and it got me thinking. Despite the hardcore action and sci-fi trappings, it's a tale that we see told more and more often now. In fact, I hope that some day films like it are used in sociology classes to depict what I think is a growing concern in society.

Watch Akira, seminal 1980s anime film. Play System Shock 2, an action-RPG from 1999. See the Alien films.

For every evil government research project, psychotic artificial intelligence and rogue android... there'll be a destructive amorphous lifeform, hive mind monstrosity and xenomorphic nightmare.

Contrast the animes Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion, the former depicting the loss of individuality that results from the implantation of the human mind into machines, the latter depicting humanity being threatened/consumed by massive biological entities.

Cables are tentacles, and vice versa. The thought of having one's mind made into a channel or linking point in a network is as terrible as the thought of one's body being a vessel or organ within a greater being. Personal preference will mean we find those polar opposites frightening in varying degrees. Machines are clean, and sleek, but cold and distanced from the mess of emotion and sensation that people identify with. Great biomasses are powerful and organic, but deformed and too far lost in primal biological urges.

Think of it like this, in System Shock 2, the rogue AI SHODAN has convinced herself she's a deity. In her mechanical thought processes, annihilating humanity is perfectly acceptable, seeing them as a mess in an otherwise clean and ordered environment. In Aliens, the Xenomorphs seem to have no interest in actions other than perpetual propagation, spreading their biomass further and consuming all alternate lifeforms.

We don't fear silicone or slime, and maybe not even death itself, as much as we fear the cessation of our being. Be it due to death or integration into an unfeeling network of either flesh or metal, this terror only grows in a society more and more able to determine its form with machinery and medicine.

The great ontological fears distilled: Will we be lost in a sea of virii and chemical weapons, or stripped of self in a bed of cold and unfeeling machinery?

Also known as "Fine, I'll have my own RivFur, with flapjacks and hookers! Actually, forget the Rivfur and the flapjacks!"

I'm not actually regretting staying back here in NSW during Rivfur, I'm trying to be well behaved with my money and I know an interstate furmeet would be too conducive to reckless spending.

I've been keeping busy though, on Friday night I hung out with a few infamous canines here in Balmain, there was much wine and much evil done. On a whim (and certainly not to procure more supplies) we went to Circular Quay to see Lupie's latest project. For anyone who doesn't know he's a draftsman/industrial designer for films and ads, and his latest work was on display there. I believe it's moved on now, which is a shame, it was quite impressive.

Saturday was mostly a vague drift through time and space, I walked more than I have in quite a while, wrote a sinful furry story and watched Starship Troopers. It was well produced, with intentionally tacky acting and uber-cheesy design. It was a good portrayal of the author's vision, though it lacked warmth. Funny though, very funny.

After Starship Troopers I played Team Fortress 2. It's funny, I've had it for months but barely given it a second glance. Then I stayed up til 4:30am this morning playing it. Here are my thoughts on the classes I like...

• Spy - The epitome of stealthy bastardry, requiring great finesse and the gaming equivalent of a poker face. Fun, but I lack the prerequisite face and finesse. Stabbing someone in the back is reward enough for any other failings.

• Scout - SPEED! Double jumping, dashing, the zippy little pistol... THE BASEBALL BAT! Very fun, though his weapons definitely lack in brute force... 'cept for the baseball bat. There's nothing more satisfying than knowing you're solely responsible for catching a point using the acrobatics and speed of the scout. Oh, and did I mention the baseball bat?

• Sniper - Probably the class I'm best with so far, this gruff, British sociopath seems to speak to some dark part of me. The dark part that sees the bastard Heavy who has just come out of Ubercharge and wasn't expecting to be a corpse so soon afterwards, and then laughs as he falls over with a "omgwtfbbq".  So obviously the sniper rifle is what it's all about, the sub machine gun's nice but weak, and frankly no Sniper should be needing the kukri knife.

Playing so late lead me to start distrusting my own judgement, such as when I could swear I was listening to an Indian man threatening to tell younger players' mothers if they kept swearing via voice chat. Especially after I'd gone to another server to watch some Pyros blowing each other up to see how far they could fly. When someone started pumping Queen through their microphone I decided to go before I was on the other side of the looking glass.

Oh, and today I was putting together a portfolio for a job interview, freaking out over where I could get photocopies done of important documents. Then I found a folder full of organised copies that I'd made ages ago. Thanks me!

Anyway, I hope all is well for everyone, take care!

Most people who know me would be surprised to know that I'm rather fond of modern gothic apparel. As someone tragically lacking in fashion sense and not prone to spending much on clothing, I don't exude much passion for it but I am particuarly fond of the Elegant Aristocrat style. It's been popularised in the west through most contemporary vampire fiction, and in the east through bands such as Malice Mizer and in anime along the lines of Trinity Blood.

It harkens to a somewhat imagined Victorian England, where the rapid development of industry and technology unveiled a world where anything was possible, a morbid but wistful world in which death and the new, cruel reality of commercialism weighed heavily on people's minds. So much so that this blend of the macabre, intricate and beautiful merged to form the infinitely complex gowns and dark but fanciful menswear that we associate with the style.

It is with this in mind that my inner geek is somewhat heartened to see that in the newest iteration of the Soul Calibur series (a game to be released on the PS3 and XBox 360) there is a very unique addition to the cast, one that's a nice change from the under-dressed stereotypical dolls that round out the female characters.

Behold Ashlotte!

As I farewell one friend, off to foreign shores for time indefinite, I welcome another, returning from the Land of Queens.

I'm facing increased hours at work... or much, much less money otherwise... which is going to complicate my plans regarding study. Living a life of halves, maybes and hopes is a tiresome enterprise at times.

With increased personal space and time, but less money, the life coaches would be telling me to "better" myself through cultural enrichment and making time for those I care about. Well, it's something to consider.

Writing has been more of a focus for me as of late, it tends to be a pursuit that waxes and wanes against my will, giving some purpose to my grayer phases, as they bring out my inner penman.

In that creative spirit my video gaming collection is falling under the hammer too, if any are interested in salvaging those digital gems before I cast them into the wind they should drop me a line. Such idle fixations only do me harm.

Otherwise, I hope everyone's well. At the moment, I'm not. See you all on the bright side of the moon.