| New challenge for the year |
[Jan. 13th, 2012|03:43 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  awake | ] |
So, in an effort to do something I've been meaning to do for quite a while now... I'm going to be taking the old concept of the 50 Book Challenge, and re-theming it a bit. Since I KNOW I can read that many books in a year. For me, the problem is that I tend to be an avid anime collector. DVDs, fansubs, I collect them both. But I rarely find time to watch what I've collected. So this year, I'm going to challenge myself to watch at least 50 of the complete series I have in my library. I figure that watching one series will take about the same time it took to read a novel, so we'll see what I can do.
I'll list the series, and what episode I'm on of how many total.
1. Yumekui Merry - 3/13 |
|
|
| FFXI Inventory |
[Jan. 1st, 2011|12:00 pm] |
So, since I tend to find myself being a packrat on FFXI, this is going to be a list of the gear I've got spread over my various mules. I'll organize it by equip type, and list levels and jobs for each piece. This list will probably be changing as I add and get rid of gear pieces, but I'll try and keep it as up-to-date as possible.
( Let the list begin! ) |
|
|
| Board games |
[Aug. 27th, 2010|05:17 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | board games | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  contemplative | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Ken Nakagawa, Daisuke Achiwa, Akira Tsuchiya - Future | ] |
So, I'll admit it here. I'm a board game addict. Playing them, collecting them, I love board games. And not just the 'old classics' oh no.
While yes, I do have a chess set (somewhere), and a Monopoly set (2 actually, one Lord of the Rings and one of the new electronic versions), I mostly find myself gravitating towards the esoteric and exotic games.
I bought a Go board and stones a while back, one of the most worthwhile investments I've ever made. I also have a set of Japanese Mahjong tiles (for those who don't know, there's about 15 different ways to play Mahjong all over the world, each using a separate set of tiles and using slightly different rules, I got hooked on Japanese Mahjong while watching the anime Saki). I also love games from Fantasy Flight, what some might call "Coffin box" games. Descent: Journeys in the Dark (with all expansions). Arkham Horror (again, with all expansions). Doom: The Boardgame and the expansion. Cosmic Encounter and the Cosmic Incursion expansion. Starcraft: The Board Game and the Brood Wars expansion. War of the Rings. And a couple other games from other publishers lying about here and there.
Why do I enjoy these games, over the "old classics" you may wonder? Well, for one thing I enjoy a game that isn't as predictable as, for example, Monopoly can be. Sure, there's a random element to Monopoly, in the dice. But there's no real _strategy_ to the game, when you get right down to it. The fact that you're not in control of your motion around the board, the dice are, is what keeps you from really forming any kind of long-term plans, since you may never land on that last property you need, and everyone may always skip right on past your yellows with hotels...
I like the strategic nature of games like Arkham Horror, Starcraft, and Descent. They're more than just "roll and move" mechanics. They're games where the players have to take an active, strategic role in how they handle their turns. In Starcraft, you have to be thinking two steps ahead of your opponents, and hoping they don't place their orders on top of yours to foil your plans. In Arkham, everyone is working together as a team to defeat the game itself, and it always amazes me how certain people tend to fall into certain roles, i.e. one player usually ends up the monster-hunter, two of us run around gathering clues and then diving into portals to (hopefully) seal them on our return, while another goes around gathering items and handing them out to those who can use them. A game where everyone has a role to play, you can't just sit back and let things go, you have to pay attention all the time, since environments and rumors can dynamiclly change the way things work for everyone. Descent is just plain "beer and pretzels" fun to me. The best way to describe it is "Dungeons and Dragons Light" since all it is is a pure dungeon-crawl (most of the time, the quests involve "Oh, go into this place and kill this boss monster for some reason"), and since it requires very little in the way of character setup (deal 3 character cards to each player, they pick one, grab their chits, and then the game starts), and provides for hours of fun as they traipse around and try to avoid the dangers the Overlord has in store for them...
OK, I'm rambling a bit, I know. To get back to my point, I think that board games in the modern day teach skills that many people could stand to work on a bit: Critical thinking, planning ahead, and teamwork (in certain situations). Old games like Monopoly rely mainly on luck to carry a player to the win, Scrabble is a battle of attrition hoping you get better letters than your opponent(s), Chess has very little in the way of surprises, since the pieces can only behave the same way in every game. Give me a game that's unpredictable, where the winner(s) truly feels like he earned his/their win, and not just "got lucky" with a good roll or draw. |
|
|
| Random thoughts after re-reading Nobilis |
[Aug. 27th, 2010|12:30 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | fiction, nobilis, rpg | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | creative | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Akira Tsuchiya & Takashige Inagaki, Haruka Shimotsuki - White Night Imagination | ] |
A sour look crosses the man's face as he turns to regard the only other being in the room with him. "What are the Excrucians, you say? The Children of Harumaph, riding on their dark horses, swinging their swords and taking little bits of what makes us, us?
"I'll tell you what they're not. They're not like us. They exist only to consume. To ravage the Beauty that the Angels send down from the fields of the Heavens, to quell the Corruption that springs forth from the roots of Hell. To take the light, the power, to take everything for themselves, and leave us with nothing.
"Why do they do it? None knows for sure. But I think that there must be a dreadful lack of things outside the Weirding Wall. After all, why struggle so hard to take what is ours, unless they have nothing for themselves?
"Our world is filled with one thing, that they must desire above all else. Outside the Wall, there is only darkness. Infinite blackness, as far as the eye can see. What they want, I think, is Color. Something to bring life to their barren lands. That is why they come to us, to take the Color that radiates from us, and make it their own.
"And that is why I resist them. I may not have the raw power others may, but I do know one thing about fighting. You can't hit what you cannot see. And that is why I am the Power of Colors... should I wish it, no one will ever see me, or the death that awaits them, should they cross my Familia." He pauses for a moment, and smiles. "Or anything else, for that matter. On that note, I leave you now."
Turning his back, the man's form seems to shiver slightly, and then it vanishes entirely, as if he had never been there at all. Until the room begins to fill with a dizzying array of colors, looping and blending together to form shades never seen before, until finally leaping forwards to engulf the poor soul chained to the chair in the center of the room.
And far away, the Shard felt it's Anchor's pain as it's own, knowing that it had failed in it's mission... |
|
|
| Toaru Majutsu no Index |
[Feb. 28th, 2010|01:41 pm] |
On to the next review, sorry it's taken so long. Been having trouble sleeping lately, but I'm getting better now! So, on to Toaru Majutsu no Index (A Certain Magical Index).
On the whole, a very, very enjoyable series, with some slight flaws that I'll go over in a minute, but they can be overlooked. Index is adapted from a series of light novels by the same name. The main character is one Kamijou Touma, who lives in Academy City, a combination city and research facility into chou no ryouksha, or ESP abilities, where those with potential are taught how to harness their power. Touma, however, is not quite that lucky. Or rather, his entire life is plauged by a distinct LACK of luck, of any sort. He is a Level 0, meaning he has no ESP power. His one saving grace is that his right hand contains a power known as Imagine Breaker, with the ability to cancel any abilities it comes into contact with.
One day, Touma awakens to find a young girl in a nun's outfit draped over his balcony railing, claiming to be hungry. He learns from her that her name is Index Libratorum Prohibitum, and she's from England, a member of the English Purist Church's branch of magicians Necessarius. She is being hunted by other magicians because her mind contains the text of 103,000 grimoires the church deemed too dangerous to allow access to, but which they might need to know to combat other magic-users. Over the next few days, Touma learns that not all is as it seems with Index, and lands (with his typical misfotune) smack dab in the middle of a hidden conflict between the world of magic (magicians), and the world of science (ESPers).
Overall, the characters are well-developed. Touma and Index are both individuals, with distinct personalities, as are many of the other characters. And this leads to my first minor gripe about the series. The overload of characters. Since this came from a series of novels, there are a literal ton of characters. Just watching the OP, we see flashes of 19 characters. One of which is only seen during the course of the series in _two_ scenes, both of which are only a few seconds in length, another shows up a few times as the "myseterious manipulator" character, and is only given a name in the final minutes of the last episode. I think the animators were looking to cram as much from the novels in as they could, and it sometimes leads to the non-active characters being given roles as exposition-factories to give them screentime. The teacher and the miko and even Index herself fall into this in the third or fourth story arc.
Which leads to the second point I wish to make. The fact that it has novels as source material does come across in the way that the story jumps. Index covers events from the first 6 novels, out of 19 so far. And while the adaptation is faithful to a fault, the problem is that one story ends, and the next episode simply skips the intervening time period, be it days or sometimes weeks, and plunges straight into the next storyline. It leads to a certain disjointedness in the feel of the show, though it starts to even out near the end as the time-jumps get smaller and smaller.
The animation is crisp and clean, and characters are visually distinct. From Touma with his black pants and constantly untucked shirt, to Index in her saftey-pinned nun's robe, to the 3-foot tall teacher with pink hair, to the miko with her long black hair, to Tsuchimikado with his ever-present sunglasses... each character is visually distinct. The way that the various abilities are presented is also crisp, from the teleporter just blinking in and out, to Railgun's electric powers, to the sound that accompanies Touma's hand cancelling some kind of power. No complaints here.
Overall, I give Index a "fun watch", but it does leave one wanting more. I hope that more anime is in the works, showing events from future novels. They have 13 more they can animate, and one story from the fifth they skipped, so there is plenty of material.
Side note: There is a companion series to Index, known as Toaru Kagaku no Railgun (A Certain Scientific Railgun) which focuses on the character codenamed Railgun, the electricity-master girl. I plan to watch it sooner or later, but I think I want to take a break from Academy City for a while. |
|
|
| Next review: Bartender |
[Feb. 1st, 2010|02:16 pm] |
|
So, looking back through my lists, I found an older series that I had almost forgotten about. But I'm glad I kept it around, because it is just as marvelous as I remember. The name of this show? Bartender. A simple, elegant, and romantic series about a small, quiet bar named "Eden Hall" and the bartender that works there, Sasakura-san. A bartender par excellence who understands that the job of a bartender is to listen to his customers, and create a cocktail that fits their mood.
The animation is nicely done, since the series is set in the real world, there are no fancy gimmicks or funky camera work. Sometimes we do see things like the characters changing outfits (as in episode 4, when a pair on a date drink glasses of French cider, they imagine themselves in farmer-type outfits), but on the whole, such is just for embellishment.
The series is very mellow, with most of the talking being simply narration (sometimes from characters who appeared in previous episodes, acting as the spirits of the bar itself, pun intended) and quiet conversation between Sasakura-san and his customers. And somehow, this all adds up to make a series that is extrodinarily magical. It's not fancy, not showy, not glittery... but the magic is there. It isn't for younger audiences, as teenagers would never understand the issues the (mostly older) cast bring with them into the bar, but for people who do understand what burdens these customers, they can see just how magical a good cocktail can be.
I highly reccommend Bartender to everyone who has an appreciation for liquors, romances, and quiet shows that don't really go anywhere... and don't have to, because the story is in the telling, rather than the destination. |
|
|
| Shion no Ou: Finished. |
[Feb. 1st, 2010|12:42 am] |
Ok, having taken the time to finish watching the series today (damn me and my obsessive need to KNOW how a mystery turns out), I can fully say I think Shion no Ou is a brilliantly plotted series. The clues to the mystery were seeded well and fine, and when it all comes together, it makes perfect sense. The murderer, as most do, had a reason for his madness, but in his mind, the ends justified the means. That's all I'll really say about it, go watch the series for yourself if you want to see what happens. Live-eviL did the fansubs I watched, and as usual they did an excellent job.
Now then, what to watch next... I'm debating either 11eyes or Shikabane Hime Aka. Thoughts from those of you out there reading? Or if there's another series you'd like me to watch and review from my lists, let me know! |
|
|
| Review the first - Shion no Ou |
[Jan. 31st, 2010|02:32 pm] |
Ok, for my first anime review, I'm going to be talking about the series "Shion no Ou." So let's get right into it.
Shion no Ou starts off with a bang. A young girl named Shion, late one night, is witness to the murder of both of her parents by an unknown assailant. The attacker catches her, but for some reason spares her life. The only clue left behind by the murderer? A single shogi piece, the King, placed on the forehead of her dead father.
As a result of that night, Shion no longer has the ability to speak, and communicates with gestures, facial expressions, and by writing things down on a notepad she carries with her. 8 years have now passed, and Shion, having been adopted by her neighbor who also happens to be a high-ranked shogi player, is ready to enter the world of the female professional Shogi player, at all of (I think) 13 years old. Along the way, she meets several other young women in the professional circle, and slowly begins to rise in the ranks due to her careful playing style. But someone is watching from the shadows, and could it be that her advancing career as a Shogi player may lead to the truths behind the murder of her parents?
Overall, the series is well-animated, being from late 2007 to early 2008. The lines are crisp and clean, the characters move smoothly, and the characters are each distinct in their own way. From Shion, to her adoptive parents, to her rivals, to the various people in and around the Shogi Association, every character gets a good amount of time to develop their personality. Though I have yet to discover the motives behind the murder (I've only seen up to episode 13/22 so far), the clues are slowly coming together, and forming into a rather elegant picture.
I discovered this series when chatting with some people online, having been lamenting the fact that I'd seen Hikaru no Go and Saki, which cover two of the three main 'Japanese' games (go and riichi mahjong), and wondered if there was one based on Shogi. Whereas in HnG and Saki, a lot of time is spent seeing the games played, Shion no Ou focuses on individual moves and how they will affect the board, so if one doesn't have at least a basic grasp of the way the various pieces move and the rules of the game, it can be a bit confusing at times.
Overall, I give Shion no Ou a 'fun watch,' since while it does get a bit confusing with the actual shogi, the storyline is strong and the characters vibrant. I will be finishing this one soon within the next few days (probably going to shotgun the last half of the show on my days off). |
|
|
| Just for shits and giggles, really... |
[Jan. 30th, 2010|03:44 pm] |
|
So, since I have, over the years, accumulated a massive, and I do mean MASSIVE, amount of anime, either purchased on DVD or downloaded fansubs, I think I'm going to try something new this year. I'm going to try and reduce my backlog, and as I watch through the series I'll write little reviews of them here. Will anyone care? Dunno, really. But maybe someone will find some use out of them. Now, where to start...
Here's my list of anime that I need to watch, in two formats. One is from MyAnimeList.net, which is where I have most of my fansubs listed. The other will be my collection of DVDs. There's some crossover, but not everything is listed in myanimelist yet, so thus I'm showing both.
http://myanimelist.net/animelist/Tuxedoian
and
http://www.invelos.com/DVDCollection.aspx/Tuxedoian
If anyone reading this sees anything in either list they would like me to review, I'll take requests. After all, with so much to watch, I kinda don't know where to start, you know? |
|
|
| Thoughts on the State of the Union |
[Jan. 29th, 2010|02:32 am] |
So, since this time has come again, let's take a look at some of the things Obama's promising us in his speech.
-A $10,000 tax credit to families for a 4-year college. What about people who only do 2-year? And what will or can be done about lowering the costs of college outright?
-Writing off student loans after 20 years, even if they're not paid off, and 10 years if you go into 'public service'. Gee, that's a great idea. Let's give money away and then say "Hey, we don't expect you to make enough to ever pay us back."
-Freeze 'discretionary spending' for 3 years, starting 'next year', but we're not including National Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Yeah, and how is that 'tightening the belt' if you make exclusions? Just gives clever legal writers easy ways to divert funds, earmarking them as 'defense spending'.
-Oh, so you've identified $20 billion in savings? Why wait for 'next year' to get rid of them, axe them all right now, and then watch as people's money stops evaporating so they _can_ pay for things without government help.... oh, wait. Then they wouldn't be beholden to the government anymore. Can't have that...
-It's not a 'deficit' if it's from previous years. A current year's spending is a deficit, a past year's spending is a debt.
-You want to eliminate the national debt and 'refuse to pass it on to another generation?' All well and good... but where are you going to get that kind of cash?
Honestly, saying you'll do something "next year" in government is meaningless. The next year, congress can forget about any 'resolutions' that were made before, and do whatever they want to do _now_. And stop blaming the Republicans for the state of the econonmy, look at your party, Mr. President. They had control of congress for a year, and couldn't get anything substantive done.
There was more, but I think I'd just end up ranting more if I went on at this point. |
|
|
| Dum de doo... |
[Jan. 20th, 2010|11:23 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  hungry | ] |
Well, late is better than never, I suppose. Anyways, here's the latest update on my life.
Work continues to be as much a pain as ever, but it pays the bills, so I can't complain too much. One gets tired of seeing the same idiotic behavior night after night, though. I always wonder just when, or if, people will stop themselves, and often they can't, or won't, until the choice is made for them by running out of money.
Yesterday, I had my car windshield replaced. After my beloved Monte Carlo got smashed in December, I went and got myself a used 2004 Honda Civic, in very good condition, except for a large crack in the windshield. The dealership agreed to pay for the replacement, so yesterday I went and had it done. So now my car has the faint whiff of the adhesive when I sit in it. :p
In other news, I've been studying Mahjong, Shogi, and Go in my spare time, and making good progress in playing all three. I may not be able to win, but I at least understand the basic strategies of the games, and the ways they're played.
My roommate will be taking a trip next Monday, and I'll have a week to myself, it seems. Though I admit, I'll miss her company while she's gone.
Not much else going on. So I'll write again next week. |
|
|
| Weekly update |
[Jan. 12th, 2010|01:02 am] |
So, time for another update here. Let's see.
Work's been going about like normal. Nothing really unusual happens while I'm there. I take money, pay money, drop money in the toke box, it's gotten fairly routine. I'm not even really all that fazed by the amount of idiocy some of these people continue to display night after night.
Nothing to report on the personal side, though I'm still looking around in various ways. Hopefully something will come along before too long.
I'm still working on my first book for the year, mainly because I'm reading it on breaks at work, to help the time pass quicker, and 10-minute reading increments don't let me read more than about 30-40 pages a night.
I've got a go board, mahjong set, and a shogi board now, and am studying all three games and learning how to play them.
That's about all for now, I suppose. |
|
|
| 50 Books Again |
[Jan. 3rd, 2010|04:57 am] |
So, since a new year's begun, I thought I'd start a new 50 Book Challenge log. I won last year, but I still have a shelf filled with books I bought and never got around to reading. So! Here's to another year's jaunt into literary history taking off. This time, I'll just update with the book names as I begin/finish them, then at the end of each month put up a running tally. I think that'll be easier than how I did it last year, having to repost the entire list with every entry.
Starting off this year, I'm currently reading:
Dragons of Autumn Twilight: Dragonlance Chronicles Book I by Weis and Hickman. |
|
|
| Thoughts for a new year |
[Jan. 1st, 2010|02:50 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | depressed | ] |
So, we're starting the last year of the first decade of a new century, and a new millennium. And where am I?
Alone.
I mean, sure. I've got my friends. I've got my roommate. I've got my parents. But that's not what I really want.
I'm sure you all know what I mean, right?
And to put the capper on the cake... I just found out yesterday that the girl I'd been thinking of as my girlfriend for the past 3 months had lied to me, and was actually dating a guy that's 40. No wonder I hadn't heard from her in almost 2 months, school or no school. And my heart feels like someone is about to tear it in half if I think too long on it. *sighs* I don't know why, and that, I think, is what bothers me the most. The fact that she couldn't even be honest with me, and tell me "Hey, I found someone else, don't wait for me." I could handle that. Silence, and then learning about it from a blog post she wrote on the site we met... it's inexcusable.
So bleah. I'm single again, against my will, and I have no prospects at present. And I don't know if I should feel angry, or sad, or a mix of both together. It just... I just don't know.
Work continues to go as it has always gone. Not much really changes in the casino life, people come, lose their money, get pissed, and then pull out more money to lose. It's a vicious cycle.
And I work tonight. Ugh, that's going to be a nightmare. Not as bad as last night, I'm sure, but still we're going to be crowded to the rafters with suckers.
I know I've said it before, but I plan to make a habit of writing entries here every week. I'll try for every Thurs or Friday, and make it into routine. I look back over my journal, and think about all the things I should have written down, things I should save for future memories, that now just reside as faint memories in the back of my mind.
I've been working on School of Darkness again, starting over from the ground up, and making the story fresh again. It's been three years since I last worked on it, and my writing has improved trememdously in those years. Maybe, someday, I can actually get it published, like my friend (whose name I won't mention here, since the book was written with a pen-name) who got one published late last year.
To everyone out there in LJ land... I'm still alive, just heart-weary and tired over the events that ended my year. Here's hoping 2010 will be a better year for me... |
|
|
| Short update |
[Apr. 29th, 2009|04:58 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | nerdy | ] |
Since it's been a while, figured I'd put in a small update here. Not much has been going on lately, just pretty much working, coming home and sleeping, then either playing some video games, or reading, before I have to go back to work. On my days off I've pretty much been spending my free time reading, reading, and reading some more.
On that note, here's me latest update to the Challenge, since I haven't put the last few books on here:
( Long enough for a cut now )
Currently reading:
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa |
|
|
| Meme time! |
[Mar. 11th, 2009|04:44 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | awake | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Mizuki Nana - chronicle of sky | ] |
From ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=88.8) amelia_seyroon: Comment to this post and I will give you 5 subjects/things I associate you with. Then post this in your LJ and elaborate on the subjects given.
1. One Piece
Hmm. Well. One Piece has been a favorite anime of mine for quite a while. Hard to really say why though, there's a couple reasons that come to mind. First off, I think that the main characters are a very interesting bunch. Luffy is almost always trying to be cheerful, Zoro is the 'serious business' type, Nami has her love of money, Sanji with his cooking and his infatuation with Nami, Usopp with hic cowardace and constant lies, Chopper with his desire to be the best doctor he can be, Robin has her search for the Poneglyphs... Each character has a distinct 'drive' that motivates them. And each of them also has a well-fleshed out background. They aren't just "here's how they act," OP actually shows us their childhoods and their histories, which go a long way towards explaining what drives them. I think what I also enjoy is that even though the Mugiwara Kaizoku are pirates, they aren't bad people. They care about others, and do whatever they can to help those they encounter in their travels that are unable to defend themselves from those who would harm them, regardless of whether the ones they're fighting are other pirate crews or the Marines. The other thought that comes to mind is that for the most part, the Mugiwara don't learn new 'styles' of fighting, so much as they figure out new things to do with the talents they already have. Look how inventive Luffy can be sometimes with his Gomu-Gomu attacks, or Sanji with his legwork. Though Usopp is an interesting break in this trend, once he dons his Sogeking mask and begins using dial-powered weapons to fight after the Skypiea arc. That's about all I can think of for now.
2. Work
Heh, were to start on this... Well, first off, let me say that working in a casino is quite unlike any other job I had held before. I mean, sure, you see it on TV or in the movies, where people walk in, place a bet or two, then walk off rich. Well, sweetcheeks, the real world don't work that way, I'm sorry to tell you. And the number of people who think they are going to come into the casino, plop down on a table and make off with a ton of money in a short period of time are living in some rather lofty dreamworlds. After almost 4 years behind the table, I've come to learn there are a few distinct types of people who come to a casino. There are the casual gamblers, those looking to have a good time and maybe win a few bucks, but they don't throw a fit if they lose a couple hands. Then there's the 'serious business' gamers, the ones that think that know everything about how a game works, and that if they can get everyone doing what they want (very prevalent on blackjack tables, for the most part) they can walk away with a profit. Usually ends up pissing off both the other players, and the dealers if they get too aggressive. Then there's the addicts. The ones who come in regardless of how much money they have, they just HAVE to make that next bet. They're the easy ones to spot, they tend to get VERY upset every time they lose a hand (for example, we have one grouchy bastard that will cry when he loses, it's sad really). But on the whole I enjoy what I do. I get a bit of a rush from all the energy flowing through the air in the casino, and I get my own bits of private amusement from watching the stubborn ones beat their heads against walls over and over again. It's one of those "you have to do it to really understand it" things, I think, since you wouldn't think that watching someone lose thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, would be amusing in the least. I guess I just have a dark sense of irony and views on karmic retribution.
3. Anime
Anime for me is something I've been into for so long now, it's hard to imagine that it started so simply. Way back when I was a sophomore in high school, I used to watch TV like any other teen does at that age. Then I remember seeing something on USA one day. It was a strange little show called "Sailor Moon." And it just kinda hooked into me. The fact I came in in the middle helped hook me, since the first episode I saw was the first one with Sailor Jupiter, and I was all "Wait, why is she changing into a short skirt, and why did that guy just have a crystal fly out of his chest before he turned into a monster?!" So I started recording it, and soon enough it started over. Then I started doing web searches. And it just kinda went from there. I learned that there was a group in the next city over that met weekly to watch anime and play import games (which I learned about through a classmate) and which I started attending when I could. That's where I found out about things like fansubs, and started to learn about the fan culture (this was back when fansubs were still distroed on VHS tapes, and you were only paying for the tapes and shipping costs when you 'bought' them from a subber). I saw Kenshin, Evangelion, Kare-Kano, Rayearth, and so many other things that we all thought would never be commercially released (this was before the big boom too, before DVDs were big and you would pay $30 for 2 subbed episodes on a VHS tape and LIKE IT!). Over time, my fannishness grew as I was exposed to more and more anime through the years, and now I've become a voracious consumer of the anime 'subculture' as it is. Though I've only been to a few cons, I enjoyed the ones I went to, both big and small. I watch tons of DVDs and fansubs every year, and my library is one of the biggest in my circle of friends. Now I am the one hosting people and supplying the anime to be watched when we get together.
4. TV
To be honest, these days my TV habits have fallen by the wayside. I think it mostly has to do with the dearth of good programming on networks these days. I far prefer to tune my TV to things like the Discovery channels, or to TruTV. I can't stand the so-called 'Reality' shows (some of which are so obviously scripted that it's laughable). About the only thing I watch on network TV these days is Kitchen Nightmares, since I got hooked on the BBC version, and wanted to see if the chefs here in the USA were as stubborn as they are across the sea... and found them to be even MORE of a hassle than the ones he has to straighten out 'back home'. For the most part, though, the only reason I even turn my TV on anymore is to either watch a DVD, or to play a video game on my Wii or my PS2.
5. Friends
Ah. Friends. What would the world be without them? Though sometimes, I find myself in a bit of a like/hate relationship with my friends. I enjoy spending time alone, since I like to read and play RPGs on my PS2, both of which don't really need other people around. On the other hand, there are times when the silence and the quiet get to me, and I like to hang out with my friends, be it for a meal, or having them hang out to play games or watch anime at my place. I try to get out and about when I can, but working the night shift leads to an interesting double life as far as sleeping when people are awake during my 'work week' of Fri-Tues, then back to normal hours on Wed-Thurs. So my times to actually see my friends tend to be precious to me, even if sometimes they do get on my nerves in various ways.
Dunno what else to say about these for now, just kinda rambling in my after-work 'blah' mood. Ask for any clarifications if you like, I'll answer as best I can. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Mar. 10th, 2009|05:04 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | 50 books | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  amused | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Mizuki Nana - Still in the Groove | ] |
1) Rogue Angel: Swordsman's Legacy by Alex Archer
2) Thunderbird Falls by C.E.Murphy
3) Coyote Dreams by C.E.Murphy
4) Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
5) Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
6) The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
7) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 1 : Siege by Christopher Golden
8) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 2 : Sanctuary by Christopher Golden
9) A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
10) B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
11) C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
12) Running With the Demon: The Word & The Void Book 1 by Terry Brooks
13) A Knight of the Word: The Word & The Void Book 2 by Terry Brooks
14) D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton
15) E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton
16) F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton
17) G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton
18) House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
19) The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
20) Dhampir by Barb & J. C. Hendee
21) Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Currently reading
Thief of Lives by Barb & J. C. Hendee |
|
|
| Reviews of the books so far |
[Mar. 3rd, 2009|01:57 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | amused | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Mizuki Nana - First Calendar | ] |
Gonna put this under a cut so as not to spam you people to death.
( Reviews ahoy! )
Ok, that's enough for now. I'll write more reviews later, when I feel up to it.
Currently reading:
H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton
Dhampir by Barb & J. C. Hendee
Currently watching:
When They Cry
Romeo X Juliet
Mnemosyne |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Mar. 2nd, 2009|04:40 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  lazy | ] |
1) Rogue Angel: Swordsman's Legacy by Alex Archer
2) Thunderbird Falls by C.E.Murphy
3) Coyote Dreams by C.E.Murphy
4) Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
5) Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
6) The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
7) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 1 : Siege by Christopher Golden
8) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 2 : Sanctuary bt Christopher Golden
9) A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
10) B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
11) C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
12) Running With the Demon: The Word & The Void Book 1 by Terry Brooks
13) A Knight of the Word: The Word & The Void Book 2 by Terry Brooks
14) D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton
15) E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton
16) F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton
17) G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton
18) House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
19) The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
And now, since I saw someone else doing it, I'll give a short blurb about each book and what I thought about them in a new post. |
|
|
| They keep piling up... |
[Feb. 19th, 2009|08:37 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | thoughtful | ] |
1) Rogue Angel: Swordsman's Legacy by Alex Archer
2) Thunderbird Falls by C.E.Murphy
3) Coyote Dreams by C.E.Murphy
4) Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
5) Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
6) The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
7) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 1 : Siege by Christopher Golden
8) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 2 : Sanctuary bt Christopher Golden
9) A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
10) B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
11) C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
12) Running With the Demon: The Word & The Void Book 1 by Terry Brooks
13) A Knight of the Word: The Word & The Void Book 2 by Terry Brooks
14) D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton
15) E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton
16) F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton
17) G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton
18) House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski |
|
|
| Two more to add |
[Feb. 14th, 2009|01:25 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | lethargic | ] |
1) Rogue Angel: Swordsman's Legacy by Alex Archer
2) Thunderbird Falls by C.E.Murphy
3) Coyote Dreams by C.E.Murphy
4) Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
5) Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
6) The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
7) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 1 : Siege by Christopher Golden
8) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 2 : Sanctuary bt Christopher Golden
9) A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
10) B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
11) C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
12) Running With the Demon: The Word & The Void Book 1 by Terry Brooks
13) A Knight of the Word: The Word & The Void Book 2 by Terry Brooks
14) D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton
Currently reading
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton |
|
|
| And one more, at last... |
[Feb. 6th, 2009|12:34 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | 50 books | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | drained | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Lordi - Shotgun Divorce | ] |
1) Rogue Angel: Swordsman's Legacy by Alex Archer
2) Thunderbird Falls by C.E.Murphy
3) Coyote Dreams by C.E.Murphy
4) Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
5) Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
6) The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
7) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 1 : Siege by Christopher Golden
8) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 2 : Sanctuary bt Christopher Golden
9) A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
10) B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
11) C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
12) Running With the Demon: The Word & The Void Book 1 by Terry Brooks
Currently reading
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Been a while since I finished my last book, but blame that on the two books I've been reading. Brooks is very detailed in his works, as anyone who's read one of his books probably knows. And House of Leaves is most assuredly not for the faint of heart. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Jan. 25th, 2009|08:16 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | blah | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Nobuo Uematsu - Nostalgia | ] |
1) Rogue Angel: Swordsman's Legacy by Alex Archer
2) Thunderbird Falls by C.E.Murphy
3) Coyote Dreams by C.E.Murphy
4) Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
5) Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
6) The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
7) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 1 : Siege by Christopher Golden
8) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 2 : Sanctuary bt Christopher Golden
9) A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
10) B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
11) C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Jan. 24th, 2009|07:31 pm] |
1) Rogue Angel: Swordsman's Legacy by Alex Archer
2) Thunderbird Falls by C.E.Murphy
3) Coyote Dreams by C.E.Murphy
4) Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
5) Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
6) The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
7) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 1 : Siege by Christopher Golden
8) X-Men: Mutant Empire Book 2 : Sanctuary bt Christopher Golden
9) A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
10) B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
