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Wednesday, March 23, 2011


Back From The Abyss

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Long Overdue

I haven't posted on here in a very long time.

Since it's been years between posts, I won't try to actually post an update on things here. I'm more doing this to see if anyone is still on MyOtaku, or if people have either moved to TheO or elsewhere on the net. Anyone who happens to see my update is welcome here, or over on TheO where I'll tend to be more active.

There have been times I've thought about taking this page, accepting it as an archive and not posting here anymore. I'm still not sure about doing that though. I kind of want to keep up my posts here, the reason I stopped was all the tech issues that forced me to borrow a computer to get online. I don't have my blog template on this machine, so I'm kind of winging it today, and hope I get the coding right.

I will be posting an updated contact list here, I just need to collect the links. Google ate my Blogger account which I posted on here some time ago I think. Anyway, I'll have a current list, I'll have new links to other things up here as well, when I get the time and weather permits.

Here's hoping I'm not the only one out here. I'll know by next update if archiving and moving completely to the new O will be better for me.

Animé Dreams!

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Saturday, February 28, 2009


Quick Comment Coverage

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Comment Session:

Just covering local comments this time, not enough going on to make a full post across the sites. Will be doing more full posts on both sites in the coming weeks.

Comments:

Like Version Vibrant, the people who know what’s coming are keeping it close to the vest. There was a day when apparently Adam was testing art of it and accidentally had it in plain view of the site. My interest in the "Monster feature" is more reserved curiosity than real invested full-blown interest because it's going to be geared toward people who submit things (see here), not a major feature turn on for me because I'm not "prolific" and added to the trophy case, will most likely further irritate the old personal wounds that keep me from unleashing my full trophy case rant.

Member introductions is a good step for the site. It makes things easier for everyone, new and old members alike.

When the time comes, I'll see what I can do about getting a chapter online for promo purposes. I've seen that done with other books, but my guess is it depends on the publisher. Honestly, I didn't think I could write something of that length myself. the longest thing I've written before came out to about 15,000 words.

The blue seemed to fit the theme best. I did a lot of offline testing to get the color for this theme right. It's one of the 216 "all browser safe" colors too.

Member introductions is a nice clean and contained area for new members to make themselves known. I'm not impressed with the trophy case, but my reasons are personal, which is why I won't do anything drastic to try and force a change as I have done in the past. I would like to see the ability to "opt out" of the trophy case and not have it cluttering up the portfolio though. Thumb through Adam's "Founder's Diary" blog and you can find the posts about the monster feature. Only time will tell what it truly is, but I can say that if indicators are accurate, I won't be impressed with it at all.

I'll take all the good luck, dragon and otherwise I can get for the novel project. There are a lot of things working against it.

The performance here was at a community college, if there's anything at all like that closer that ridiculous to you (I used to live in west Texas myself so I know the pains of hour plus drives to get to the nearest anything other than a cotton field), check it out.

If I could explain the problem better, I think getting help would be easier. This is one of those issues that I can't even wrap my head around to fully explain it to others. I'll keep the offer in mind though, I may need to take you up on it.

I think I'm missing you more these days. I'm lucky to get online for a couple hours a week with this headache and a half.

For what it is, Version Vibrant is cool. It's launch could have been smoother though. There's a lot of extra stuff that's still not working correctly which needs to be taken care of and a few things I'd like to turn off myself, but those are points left to my off-otaku blog where I can be honest about these things and not have to deal with certain arrogance.

Hopefully I'll see you around the site a bit, but no promises.

I think we can call ourselves even given my lack of activity around here lately myself.

Yeah, it's been quite a year for the site, and for me personally. I'm just beginning to really decompress from all the action from this time last year. I don't think Adam will ever be done with the site, I don't think he'll ever be done with it.

There isn't a lot of info about the "monster" feature out there, just little blurbs in Adam's personal blog here and there. The only specifics I'm aware of are that it's geared toward prolific members and it'll probably go online March 3, the one year anniversary of the Version Vibrant launch. Wish I had more info, I'd be following it like I did the VV pre-launch.

I'm not all that prolific myself. My art is my hobby and my passion, I do it mostly for me. I don't make quizzes, I don't draw comics, so I know what you mean. For me the trophy case rubs salt in an old wound, which is why I don't like it.

Actually, I was surprised by the turnout in my area, they had to make people leave because the the theatre was filled to capacity. The show is absolutely stellar, Kuniko uses origami, masks, some amazing slight of hand, and simple props like a bamboo mat to tell stories and share myths. You know, I actually gained an understanding of some of the anime characters I watch from one story she told. I was the odd one out in my group too, but for other reasons. Even in jest, that kind of humor is just wrong.

Yeah, that was my first draft I was trying to get published last year I think it was. I decided to beef up the manuscript a little bit and try again, which is where I'm at now. I'm approaching the process differently this time too, going after an agent rather than trying to get published directly. Hopefully this round will be more fruitful than the last one.

If that wasn't the intent, it's a nice bonus for the feature.

Same here.

Yeah, we started out with snow, that turned to rain, which turned to freezing rain, which turned to sleet, which turned to clear skies just in time for the sunset behind the haunted tunnel 19, but the time we got out of the tunnel (only 1,000 feet) it was sleeting again, and that turned to rain when we hit Cairo, the end of our trip. Would have been cool to have a video of that, but I don't have a camera with the capacity or quality to do that. I'm saving up the money for a quality video camera.

I have my doubts about the "usefulness" of the monster feature given the little bits about it that are public. We'll just have to see.

Don't overlook arts programs that use school space either, it might just show up as part of an ongoing arts program like it did here. If you get to see it though, please do.

Animé Dreams!

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Monday, February 23, 2009


February Update

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Current Mood:

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Computer Issues:

Still a problem, doing my best.

TheOtaku.com:

The one year anniversary of Version Vibrant's launch is coming up, hard to believe this has been here that long already. More on that another time though. Right now, I'm seeing some new things around here as I pop on and off, some really cool things that will probably do the site some good in the long run.

The member introductions feature is a nice addition, allowing new members to have a place to get their feet wet on the site without falling prey to the old "self promotion" type spamming from days past.

The "Invite a Friend" feature is sure to see good use, hopefully drawing more anime fans and artists to the site through the people who are already here.

Still waiting on the "monster" feature that's been talked about, hope it doesn't turn out to be another over-hyped over-baked cupcake. Time will tell on that one.

The trophy case in the portfolio is probably a feature I could do without. It’s a personal issue, so rather than turning that unproductive energy into something destructive, I won’t say too much about it. When I can offer something productive, that’s when I’ll publicly discuss it.

Novel:

I have already started the query process to find an agent for my novel's second draft. Right now only time will tell. I can give you some basic stats though. The ending word count was 37,972 words, hopefully it will be enough to interest someone out there who's good at selling manuscripts. This is where I really try to pool my dragon luck and hope for the best.

Theatrical Experience:

In the last month, I was able to catch a performance, part of a local theatre/arts program that fascinated me. Kuniko Yamamoto provided a window into Japanese myth and performance art, it was a great experience, but the local handling of the artist wasn’t that great. The venue was too small, the event had blatantly obvious planning issues among other things. That didn’t detract from the performance though.

Check your local arts calendars, see if Kuniko is performing near you. It’s a show well worth getting out to see, but get there early, you might have to fight a crowd to get in.

Comments:

Getting good photos in inclement weather isn’t easy. I do have a good one of the trail covered in snow that I’m trying to sell. I wish I had the resources to take video of a whole trip on the trail. Travel Channel it wouldn’t be, but the experience of so many different types of weather in one day kind of has to be seen to be believed.

Animé Dreams!

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