Thursday, September 29, 2005

   Back with a Vengeance!
I'm back, biz-natch!!!!
AD is back on the scene!!!! >:D

How's it going, everybody? Ja'miss me? <:) C'mon, be honest!
What's it been...2 weeks!? Sorry I was out for so long, but we just got the machine back up and working! But I'm just so glad to be back on The Otaku! ^_^

I bet you guys are glad I took down the "King Nothing" video, huh? After a month or so a song starts getting pretty old, doesn't it?

Allrighty, so here's what I need from you guys: I need you to tell me what all happened while I was gone. Important events I missed, new art you want me to see, all that stuff. I'd really like to get caught up with what's been going on.
So, what'd I miss!? :)

I found this spectacular pic of Juri-chan on the web somewhere. Check it out!:


Isn't that pretty!? Juri is just soooooooooooo cute!!! And the computerized shading and coloring in this pic makes her look even cuter!
I'd have to say this is my 2nd all time favorite Juri pic! (click here for my all time favorite. ^_^)

Let's see, what's been going down over here? Hmmmmmm...I had a Civ. & Econ. test today. I don't know how I did, but since Mr. Dickerson's grading it, my prediction is 'not so good'. -_-'

Ooh! And you'll never guess who's coming to visit Charlotte next week! (I live in Charlotte NC, in case you didn’t know. But don't tell anyone, OK?)
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is coming to our city on Monday! \^o^/
For those who don't know, the TSO is one of the most spectacular Symphony Orchestras in the world! They even co-preformed with Metallica!!! Back in 2000 and 2001, after the concert Metallica preformed with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (the "S&M" album), James and the boys did a series of tours with the TSO. On this tour, they did the reverse of S&M, meaning that rather then Metallica performing their songs and the symphony backing them up, the TSO would perform their songs and have Metallica back them up! They preformed several versions of classical songs together, including "Beethoven’s 5th", "The Carroll of the Bells", and "Mad Russian Christmas". It's great having such a proficient Orchestra come to our city! Woo-hoo!

Allright everybody, I'll leave you with a tight fan-art of Resident Evil!

Chris Redfield is so cool. Shoot them undead mutant mo-fo's, man! ^_^
Comments (5) | Permalink

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

   Hey everybody. How's it going?

I can't make this post too long, because I'm currently using my dad's laptop.
Why am I using my dad's laptop? Because my PC is screwed-over. Yesterday when I came home from school I turned on the computer, it booted up, and when my desk-top loaded it told me my internet had "little or no connectivity"? Well, I'm guessing it's more in the "no" range at this point. >:( Not only will my internet not work, but my computer also freezes up 30 seconds or so after loading my desk-top. It sucks! Sometimes it doesn’t' even get to the desk-top. It just freezes on the "Windows is starting up" thing.
My mom is going to try and fix it soon. I sure hope she can. My computer means a LOT to me.
Believe it or not, those of you who have known me the longest will remember that almost exactly 1 year ago I had a major computer problem. I hope this isn't as serious.

Please pray for me, and I'll get on whenever I can.
Comments (5) | Permalink

Monday, September 12, 2005

   Real photo taken of a flag displayed in Arizona:

All the liberalistic hard-assed atheists in America can try to remove, edit, omit, blank-out and erase references to God all they want, but the glory of the Almighty will still shine through.

Sorry. Just felt like a nice religious intro.
Hey everybody. How's it going?

I'm still sick! T_T Bah, oh well, at least I'm not as sick as I was Saturday and Sunday. My nose is all sore from being blown and wiped so much (Don't you just hate that?!). I need someone to kiss it and make it better.
XD OK, I won't make ya' do that, but I'd appreciate it! ^///^

Any who, before I go, here's the answer to last week's Brain Work-out.
Q: What's wrong with this picture?


A: Like I said, you're going to feel REALLY silly when I tell you.
The answer is simple. It's not the stadium, it's not the people, and it's not the seating. It's the court itself. Do you notice anything weird about it?
That's right. It's completely un-even. Though things closer appear bigger and farther away appear smaller, this blows that principle way out of proportion. Isn't that amazing how easily you can miss that!?

This Week's Brain Work-out:
Why was this Starbucks poster recalled shortly after it was issued?

Look at the picture long enough and you'll figure it out.

OK everybody, I'll see you tomorrow!
Comments (3) | Permalink

Sunday, September 11, 2005

   Hey everybody. Sorry to post so late in the day, but I just got back from a quick manga-run with Josh. Well, I got back at 4, then I was dealing with my family till now. My brother and sister were in here using the computer (which I can't stand!!!), but now they're at the YMCA. Serves them right if they catch what I have from sitting in my room (it'd be karma for a lot of things for my bro). They’re used tissues and Cough Drops EVERYWHERE. It's like this place should be considered a Biohazard. My room gets so messy when I'm sick! >_<

The manga run was tough to enjoy considering how I'm feeling, but it was worth getting to see Josh again (for the first time since school began!). He even let me borrow a Van Halen CD (no Resident Evil 4 yet, because he's still playing it, but hey, I can't blame him). We've both always known that Van Halen's cool, but Josh only recently got into his music. Naturally, I will also soon be a Halen fan. Josh has great taste in music, 'cause he got me into Metallica, CKY, Iron Maiden, and so on. Anybody else here a Van Halen fan?

So who watched Naruto last night? I sure did! Naruto's voice bugs me, but then again, Naruto himself bugs me. He's honestly one of my all-time least favorite anime characters. He has no redeeming qualities, plus he reminds me WAY too much of my brother (i.e., blonde, lame hair-style, loud, obnoxious, self-absorbed, a poor student, perverted, around 12 yr.'s old, and has a deep rooted evil lurking inside him). However, by the 2nd episode, Naruto's voice was greatly improved. When I thought it over, it sounded fairly accurate.
I'm glad the Sexy Jutsu/Ninja Center-fold was included (of course I'm glad, I'm a dude!). Iruka, Lord Hokage and especially the bad-guy teacher with the white hair, I forget his name, all sounded fairly or completely like I imagined. On a side note, I thought "Hokage" was pronounced "Hoke-aj", like the word "age".
Regardless of how crappy any dubbing in Naruto is, it will always be better then the Japanese voices. Naruto sounds like a friggen' 4-year-old in Japanese! Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist are the only anime's I've seen where the original out-ranks the Japanese.

Who watched Escaflowne last night? I did, and I was fairly disappointed. It had its good points AND it's bad points, such as...
*The animation was nice and smooth, but the faces were WAY to realistic (and thus ugly).
*The landscapes were beautiful, vast and detailed, but friggen' creepy. 0_o'
*The story had classic elements, but was very predictable. (i.e., "Oh. Well what do ya' know? Romance between the main guy and main girl. Did NOT see THAT coming!")

On that last note, we've seen that same plot incarnated 1,000 times over. Consider the following: The innocent, reserved girl from our world, the heroic, expressive, rash and fairly good-looking guy from another world, the girl having some magic power or prophecy to fulfill that even she didn't know about, the (quick to develop) romance between the 2, the list goes on and on. Just think of stories like Inuyasha and you'll see the similarities.

Boy, sorry for the long post! ^_^'
I'm off to visit your sites! Please ray that I'll feel better soon, and please also pray for all those being affected by Katrina. I'll see you tomorrow!
Comments (2) | Permalink

Saturday, September 10, 2005

   *Gurk*
Hey everybody. How's it going?

I was really hoping to go on a manga run with Josh today (especially since we couldn't go last weekend), but it looks like I won't be able to. I woke up feeling REALLY sick this morning, and I doubt I'll be able to go.
My throat's still sore as all Hell & fire, and my nose is clogged worse then Louie Anderson's arteries. I just generally feel like crap today, so I doubt I'd be able to enjoy a manga run. Plus, I wouldn't want Josh to catch whatever I have.
-_-' Man, this sucks.

Ah well, nothin' I can do about it. Besides, my parents are going out tonight, so I'd have to come home from the manga run early anyway.

Any who, on to the fun stuff:
When you guys were in 4th or 5th grade, did you ever go through that fun period of book and author jokes? I sure did! And I still enjoy those!
If you're not sure what I'm talking about, I'll give you some examples. This was the absolute most popular one at my old school when I was 10:

"Under the Bleachers", by Seymour Buttz

XD You get what I'm talking about? Here are some more I remember from back then. I wonder if any of these are names of ACTUAL books:

"The 100 yd. Dash to the Bathroom", by Willie Makit and Betty Wont
"Rusty Bed-Springs", by I.P. Freelee
"Head and Shoulders", by Dan Druff
"The Spot on the Wall", a collection of traditional Japanese Haikus by Hu Flung Dung
"Black Mail", by Al Killya
"I Survived a Tiger Attack", by Claud Ballz
"The Big Book of Come-backs", by Joe Mamma

A lot of times it can be just a funny sounding name and doesn't have to be coupled with a book title. Ya' know, like when Bart calls into Moe's bar on the Simpson's? X) Of course, these are usually pretty dirty...

Heywood Jablomy,
Oliver Closeoff,
Hugh Jass,
Homer Seckshual,
Harry Johnson, etc. XD

Are there any I forgot to list? These can be pretty funny.

Anyway, here's the pic for today:


Awwwwwww, that's so sweet.
This is from the Kenshin manga, or is it? Maybe it's from a dream-sequence in the manga. Could it be a piece of concept art? Or a fan-work? I'm not gonna' tell! :P I don't give spoilers, so I'm not gonna' give it away! You'll have to read the manga for yourself to find out! Ha ha! b~_'

Thanks for your time, guys, and I'll see you tomorrow.
(And please pray that I'll feel a bit better by then! >_<)
Ooh! And don’t forget to watch the premiere of Naruto tonight on Toonami! Let’s just hope that this epic series will redeem Toonami for the mistakes they’ve made since March!
And after that, make sure to watch the premiere of the movie “The Legend of Escaflowne”, tonight at midnight on Adult Swim! ^o^
Comments (3) | Permalink

Friday, September 9, 2005

   The Floydian Slip
Hey everybody. How's it going?

Does anybody here know if in Windows Media Player you can take a still-image of the video you're watching? I'd really appreciate some help if anyone can offer it.

Man, I'm REALLY sorry for neglecting to comment on your posts! Please forgive me! I promise I'll get it done a little later.
However, I have taken the time to READ your posts (as I always do), so EAMR, Miyoko-chan and everyone else out there, please don't think I've been ignoring you or anything! I always at least read what you guys post, because what you have to say is important to me. Plus, it's pretty interesting for the most part. ^_^

Boy, I have a SORE THROAT!!! T_T It hurts really badly! It didn't start until mid morning today, but now I'm frantically hunting down the throat lozenges we've had in the medicine closet since 1985. I sure hope these things don't have an expiration date... *sucks on lozenge*

As you probably guessed by today's title, today's post is mainly about Pink Floyd!
Are any of you out there Pink Floyd fans? I'm not the biggest Floyd-Fan myself, but I do enjoy there music a lot. I'm sure I'll be a big fan by the time I get some of their albums.
Anyway, did you guys know that Marilyn Manson did a cover of the PF classic "Another Brick in the Wall"? (As in, "We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control," etc.)
Well, though I have a VERY BIG grudge against MM for several reasons, this was actually a decent cover. It was really cool hearing the guitar-riff played on a bass. He TOTALLY mupped-up the vocals, though. It sounded more like it should have been called "Another Marble in my Mouth". XD

I've also been watching something called the "Dark Side of the Rainbow". Have you ever heard of the Pink Floyd album "Dark Side of the Moon" syncing up with the movie "The Wizard of Oz"? Well, that's what it is, and it's pretty freakin' awesome! If you're interested I'll post more about it next time.

Before I go, I'll commemorate this post with a Floydian picture:


Dark Side of the Moon.....in LEGO.....^_^.
Comments (4) | Permalink

Thursday, September 8, 2005

   Hey everybody. How's it going?

I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday. I was busy with lot'sa homework as well as a new little doo-hickey on my computer that I had to mess with. But...I'll tell you about that later.

I don't know why, but I'm in a great mood today! ^_^ I was tired as all Hell & Fire could be this morning, but by early afternoon I was just alert and cheerful. That's what makes getting through another school-day easier.
I guess this is the upside of teenage hormones. It's good to feel up for no reason at all after about 8 months of feeling down. I guess part of it may be that my...*ahem*...BROTHER IS OUT OF THE HOUSE!!! =D Yeah! He's at some overnight school trip or something. SCORE! Sucks though that he'll be back tomorrow. -_-' Ah well, all good things must come to an end.

I'm hoping to be able to do something with Josh this weekend. Last weekend, even though it was a 3-day weekend, we were never able to get together. Here's hoping' to this one. I really miss Josh, and I want to borrow Resident Evil 4 from him REEEEEAAAALLLLLY badly. 0_o' Must...kill...zombies!!!

Before I go, here's an awesome picture of Rosette. She looks freakin' awesome in Cow-girls style!


Pretty awesome, neh?

I'll see you all tomorrow!
Comments (4) | Permalink

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

   'Sup?
Optical Illusion/Illusionary Artwork of the Day:


"Bite Me", created using Photoshop. So simple, so clever.

Hey everybody. How's it going?
I have to study for that test Mr. Dickerson is giving tomorrow. -_-' He...grades..TOUGH!!! Ah well, such is the price of him being funny, clever and a down-right good teacher.

I didn't sleep at ALL last night!!!
@_< I couldn't have slept for more then 30 minutes or so! Ugh! Isn’t that annoying!? I hate it when that happens! I was tired as crap this morning!
Jeeze, maybe I should stop researching Silent Hill before I go to bed...

*shiver* Oh yeah! That's definitely it! No more deep psychological symbolization or nightmarish creatures before bed for me! >_<

I see you're all having trouble figuring out what's wrong with the Tennis Court pic.
I'll give you a hint: It has nothing to do with the surroundings, setting, or people at the location. It's something even simpler and more obvious then that! You're probably just over-thinking it. Try and keep it simple and you'll see it.
They’ve always said "The smarter you are, the easier you're fooled" (referring to things like figuring out magic-tricks and what not). In that case, then we're a bunch of friggen' geniuses! XD

Here's a quick Kenshin gif I found recently:

XD Kaoru's always beatin' on the Kenshin! Poor carrot-topped, red-dressed girly-man. (Many of you should have caught something right there.)

Every week or two, I'll and make a list of the upcoming manga releases. I'd really appreciate it if you read through it, because these are a LOT tougher to make then you probably think. Since everyone has different tastes, I included all the upcoming major manga releases, not just the one's I like. I even got the info from a more reliable source this time.
Here we go...

New Releases! ^o^:
Fruits Basket vol. 11, available now
Naruto vol. 7, available now
D.N.Angel vol. 9, available now,
Samurai Deeper Kyo vol. 15, available now
Angel Sanctuary vol. 9, available now
Trigun vol. 3, available now
Bizenghast vol. 1, available now
Mobile Suit Gundam: SEED vol. 5, available now
Shaman King vol. 7, available today
Case Closed vol. 7, available today
Ruroni Kenshin vol. 18, available today
Fullmetal Alchemist vol. 3, available today
Whistle! vol. 7, available today
Orphan vol. 3, available today

Coming This Month:
Lady Snowblood vol. 1, available tomorrow
Fruits Basket vol. 12, available September 12th
Samurai Deeper Kyo vol. 16, available September 13th
Mahoromatic vol. 7, available September 13th
King of Fighters 2003 vol. 3, available September 19th
Hellsing vol. 7, available September 21st

Coming Down the Pipe in the Near Future:
Full Metal Panic–Overload! vol. 3, available October 3rd
Inuyasha vol. 23, available October 4th
Yu Yu Hakusho vol. 8, available October 4th
Ruroni Kenshin vol. 19, available October 4th
Bleach vol. 9, available October 4th
Angel Sanctuary vol. 10, available October 4th
D.N.Angel vol. 10, available October 11th
Fruits Basket vol. 13, available October 11th
Kingdom Hearts vol. 1, available October 11th
Devil May Cry 3 graphic novel, available October 11th
Fullmetal Alchemist vol. 4, available November 1st
Ruroni Kenshin vol. 20, available November 8th
Samurai Champloo vol. 1, available November 8th
Naruto vol. 8, available November 29th
Ruroni Kenshin vol. 21, available December 6th
Bleach vol. 10, available December 6th

Thanks everybody. Please keep me in you're prayers, and I'll see you tomorrow.
Comments (4) | Permalink

Monday, September 5, 2005

   Today-borday is Labor Day!
"Here Comes The Flood", by Steve Gonslaves:

This is one of my favorite pieces by him. It plays off the fact that water cannot be distinguished from a reflective flat surface.

Hey everybody! How's it going?
It's Labor Day today! No School! No Work! t0t411y 1337 r0x0r, lol!!! Er, whatever that means. (I can't read that jarb any better then you can).

Please check out yesterday's post if you haven't already.

Let's see, as far as Otaku news goes, ElvesAteMyRamen submitted her new Inuyasha & Kagome drawing! Please check it out (linked on her post), and please vote & comment!
I actually owe Elvez an apology. Lindsey actually planned to put extra highlights into Kagome's hair and Inuyasha's kimono. Though I didn't realize it until she told me, both of those would have gotten lost in the background due to their hue. Heh, I guess this just goes to show that Lindsey's always a step ahead, neh?
Anyway, this piece has a spectacular background and a wonderfully 3D presence (which wouldn't work minus the highlights). Please give it a look and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Another impressive Inuyasha pic has been submitted by Vankalla 86. Rosa has continued to improve on her shading and coloring, as evident in this latest piece. Please offer her your opinion by clicking here.

I didn't get to sleep until 4 last night either. And even worse, my alarm clock's been broken, so I didn't wake up till noon! I hate when that happens! It feels like I totally loose the day! And it wasn't even restful sleep either! It was just weird dreams and semi-consciousness. >_o Ugh.

Before I go, here's a quick still-frame from Chrno Crusade:

Chrno and Rosette eating soup somewhere. As you can see, Rosette is really miffed at something at the moment, and whatever that was she's probably going to let it affect her appetite.

Alright everybody, I'll see you tomorrow! Oh, and please pray for me as I turn in my essay tomorrow and study for the test (from Hell) Mr. Dickerson's giving us on Wednesday.
Comments (5) | Permalink

Sunday, September 4, 2005

   Objects In Post May Be Shorter Then They Appear (so please read ^_^')
Optical-Illusionary Artwork of the day:
"Roots and Wings", by Steve Gonslaves.


There are 2 conclusions you can arrive at on this piece: one which is completely possible, and the other which is wondrous fantasy. It all depends on how far away you think that top-fountain is. Is that a small bird-bath connected to the 2 below it, or is it a large fountain that's just farther away?

Hey everybody. How's it going?
If you didn't see yesterday's post, please check it out, K?

Ugh, I didn't get to sleep until 4 AM last night. Then, I get woken up an hour early to go to church because my brother says he's required to get there early. Then, when we get there, we find out that the service has now been moved to a later starting-point.
@_@ We spent over an hour sitting in the car waiting for church. That was time I should've spent sleeping!!!
Ah, whatever. I don't mind it that much. I (jokingly) guess this is God telling me I need to get back to tithing and stop sleeping in on Sundays. I can't remember the last time I tithed, and Heaven is NOT the collection-agency you want tailing you! XD *snicker, I can just imagine an angel showing up at my front door in sun-glasses and a suit & tie reminding me my 10% payment's due (I'm kidding, of course).

Whew, sorry about that. Went off on a bit of a tangent there, didn't I? Sorry, random thoughts right there. ^_^'
Now on to the fun stuff:

In Otaku news today, ElvesAteMyRamen may submit her new Inuyasha & Kagome portrait by the end of today! I can't wait!

Since a lot of you may have missed it when I put it up on Friday, here's this week's Brain Work-out:
What's wrong with this picture?

Y'all are gonna' feel reeeeeeeally silly when I reveal the answer, trust me.
As usual, free huggles and a cookie to anyone who can get it right. b~_'

Call me the perfect example of a testosterone-driven teenage guy if you must, but I found this hilarious:

*gasps for air after extensive laughing fit* One Pikachu bitch-slapping and pimp-slapping another Pikachu, over and over and OVER again! He's absolutely wailing on him! That's just too funny! XD

Before I go, here's an adorable little mini fan-comic for Inuyahsa done for the Halloween season. Please remember, this is to be read as if you were reading an open Left-to-Right manga book, meaning that the first panel with Chibi-Miroku starts the second page.


XD So cute! I just love it when an un-complicated idea is combined with a clean yet soft CG style like this. Pretty funny, neh?

Alright everybody, I'll see you tomorrow!
Comments (3) | Permalink