Wednesday, May 31, 2006

   Hey everybody. How’s it going?

I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to get to your sites until tomorrow. I have to study right now, and my internet shuts-off in an hour (I’m already pushing it by not studying at the moment O_o ), so I won’t have time tonight.
But, I’ll make sure to make my rounds tomorrow afternoon. b^_^

I’d appreciate it if you’d check out yesterday’s post, or at least skim it a little, if you haven’t already. It’ll provide some info on what’s been going on recently. You could probably skip the whole part about my most recent manga-run, anyway.

So anyway, here are some updates as to what’s been going down:

-My relatives have arrived: My aunt (on my mother’s side) and my 2 cousins (both around my brother’s age). They’re staying in a local hotel (thank goodness!), so they’re not here all the time.
Because I’ve got to study for my exams next week, I’ve had an excuse to get some time away from them. I guess it’s a good thing I don’t get out of school until 2 weeks after my brother (he enjoys our cousins, though, so he doesn’t mind).
It’s a good thing, because I’d go crazy hanging out with them. For the last two nights, my cousin (the older one, even!) loudly slurped his entire dinner of my mom’s spaghetti! >o< It was disgusting!!!
My dad dislikes having them over just as much as I do. My aunt is divorced, so all week my dad gets to sit and listen to her talk about how her marriage went so bad. >_< Sucks for him…

-In other news, as you read yesterday, I’m currently trying to cram for exams.
This is no fun, particularly because I’m currently experiencing a difficult bout of a lacking of concentration. @_@
This time last year, I was blazing through studying, and had been doing so for nearly a month! This year, we did little to nothing to review ‘till just this already shortened week, and they replaced all that other time in May with more new material to learn!
It also doesn’t help that I have a gigantic art-project to finish on top of that as well. >_<’ Grrrr, I don’t have time for petty assignments from the Art Kaiser!

*sigh*, I would really, REALLY appreciate prayer right now, everybody. Please pray that my studying will be productive, and that I’ll be able to learn the massive amount of things I need to know in time for my exams. Spreading the word to pray would also be greatly appreciated.
Please also pray for anyone else taking exams. Is anybody here in the same category as me? I haven’t heard anyone say anything about exams yet…

As for other issues…things just seem to keep deteriorating here in the anime-art community.
Things just keep getting worse and worse, and as obsessive as it makes me sound, the depression and stress caused by that is something I don’t need right now, ESPECIALLY this close to my already precarious situation with my Final Exams.
I was talking it over with Josh this weekend, and honestly…I think I may just have to do what he did about it. Namely, I’m talking about leaving the site….and that’s not something I wanna’ do (though I’m sure a lot of people would just love to see me do that, especially since they also suggested that solution).
I love this site, and I want to stay a part of it (look at how much it’s improved my artwork!). But what I don’t love is the toxic, ignorant atmosphere that’s accumulated here, and the people who have caused it. It’s absolutely disgusting how F’ed-up some people can be, and it’s gotten to the point where I can’t even enjoy the art-community anymore, and that’s a sad, sad thing….
Honestly, I’m tired of the bullshit, and I’m tired of people not supporting me (or worse, condemning me) in my fight against it. Though the community may redeem itself, I don’t want to be a part of a community that’s this polluted, depraved and caustic. It’s not worth the stress, the depression or the feeling of betrayal.

But hey, time will tell, ne?
I may be wrong about a few people (I at least sure as Hell hope I’m not right about them…), so we’ll see how it works out.

Quick Question for my Fellow Anime-Fans:
I’m no good with Japanese, so I need some translation help from you Japan-ophiles.
What does “Chotto Matte” mean?
I’ve heard it once or twice before and I want to know what that translates to.
I believe I heard The Erin-chan use it a while ago. It actually sounds pretty cute!

Here’s today’s Art-Feature (check out the one on the previous post if you haven’t already!!!)….
“Bomb-bounce” by Cipantolones:


A very cute, and very effective example of a quaint, colorful, almost video-game styled emoticon. ^_^

All right everybody, I’ll be coming to your sites ASAP!
See you tomorrow!

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Sunday, May 28, 2006

   Sorry, longish post....
Hey everybody. How’s it going? Just got back from my manga-run with Josh around 6 today. We had a nice, long run today (starting at about 1 or 1:30 =O ), but more on that later.
My parents are currently at a dinner-party right now, meaning I’m the baby-sitter again. But since my brother decided to be a smart-ass in the 5 minutes before my parents left, he’s been sent to his room until they get home. =)

As for the drama of the moment, I’m sort of starting to worry about my upcoming exams.
**begin rant-mode**
You all remember how hard I studied this time last year don’t you? Oh ho ho, I’m sure you do. From late April ‘till exam-time, I studied like a mo-fo. I remember being so exhausted and sick from studying all that time. You all remember that little spiel, correct?

Well, guess what.
Up until this passing week, we’ve still been learning new material. That’s fricken’ crazy!
And we don’t even have a full week of school to review! We have tomorrow (Monday) off for veteran’s day, and then the rest of the week is as follows:

Tuesday: B-Day
Wednesday: A-Day
Thursday: B-Day
Friday: Weird wonky day where we have all 8 classes for 45 minutes each.

@_@ That’s not enough review time!!! We only have one A-Day to review, and the 2 B-Days aren’t much better! And that crappy attempt by the school board at giving us “extra review time” by having that weird double-day on Friday doesn’t help much, either!
-_- I gotta’ say, everybody, I feel really worried about these upcoming finals. Last I heard, they counted 25% of our yearly grade!!! WTF!? That’s too much for one test!
And like I said, unlike last year the teachers didn’t start preparing us for said exams yet.
I really, really hope they’re planning to compensate by making those tests a little easier.
**end rant-mode**

Speaking of exams, thanks for praying for Josh this week as he took his. ^_^
He finished his exams on Thursday, and according to him, they were extremely easy (thus why I’m thinking… er, hoping, that the exams I receive for sophomore year will be similar). He said he barely even had study.
Josh even got a 97% on his Spanish Exam! ^o^ Congratulations, Josh!
Though that was his most impressive score, he did an amazing job on all his other tests as well.
Now you guys see why I ask you to pray for these kinds of things? ~_^

Speaking of Spanish Exam scores that will put mine to shame, our beloved Erin-chan got a 100% score on hers! *throws magical confetti of joyfulness*
Whoo-hoo! Congratulations, Erin-chan!!! b^_~d
Three cheers for Erin-chan’s utter 0WN-AG3 of her Spanish Exam!

So, anyway, I had a fairly good manga-run with Josh today.
I finally got Josh to start reading Alice 19th today. He finished the whole first volume today. I’m not sure how well he’s enjoying it, but I know he’s at least interested enough to continue on to the second volume. *grin*
Josh got the game World of Warcraft in celebration of him completing his sophomore year, so he spent a good amount of time reading a strategy-guide for it. Although, the fact that he got WoW worries me, because Zack and all of his buds back at my school are all WoW-addicts, and it’s all they ever talk about!!! >_< So annoying! But, Josh knows about its addictive properties, and has vowed to not let it take over his life.
In addition to those 2 books, Josh is also reading a new manga called Battle Vixens, and as you probably guessed, it’s full of the over-sized, gravity-defying, nipple-revealing, spread-apart boobs that I myself find oh so un-sexy. :P Bah, but as hard as it is to believe, he’s actually reading it for the story, not said big, stretched-apart boobies. He talks more about how cool the male characters look than how busty the female characters are. Meh, it’s cool by me.

As for me, I read the comic-book version of George A. Romero’s 1976 classic, Dawn of the Dead.
It was… not very good. :p I don’t suggest reading it unless you’re a die-hard Romero or Dawn of the Dead fan.
(However, if it’s a good zombie-themed manga or graphic novel you’re looking for, I highly suggest The Walking Dead. Look around for it next time you’re at your book-store.)
In addition, I also read the first half of Alice 19th volume 7, which happens to be the last volume in the series! =o I can’t believe I read through that series so fast!
I only read through half of it because… well, I was sorta’ having a hard time relaxing & concentrating, and since it’s the climax of the whole series, I wanted to save it for a time I could enjoy it a little more. Instead, I read through a Resident Evil 4 strategy-guide. =) RE4 makes Logan-kun very happy.

Whoo, long post! Sorry about that. Thank you if you had the patience to read through it! (without skimming!!!)

I’ll be getting to your sites in just a second.
Oh, and by the way, sorry if skimped on commenting a little recently. As you all know, I’m extremely busy right now (exams and my stupid relatives coming over soon), and the gay little time-limit on Internet-access you all know about that was installed by my mom doesn’t make it any easier.
However, as I always do, I have been reading your posts, so don’t think I’m ignoring you all.
And when I do comment, if there was something particularly important in a previous post, I’ll be sure to comment on it.

Trust me, this’ll all change once summer hits. ~_’

Here’s today’s Art Feature:
“Listening to the Silence” by one of my all-time favorite photographers; gnato:

As I said, I’m a big fan of this surreal-photographer’s work. It’s her music-related work that I find particularly impressive, this piece being a fine example.
I love her white & bluish backgrounds, and how her lighting technique makes them look clean and sterile. Here, it contrasts well with the subject’s dark skin-tone.
Though I’m not usually a fan of the splayed-pose in photography, it works well here with the dimensions of the piece.
As far as I know, the disconnected head-phones and record held as to obscure the face don’t hold a deeper meaning, but are rather just a well-executed use of design principles. I love the shape of the cord from the headphones, as how the record seems to be a modern play on Rene Magritte’s surrealism classic; The Son of Man.

So, sit-back, and enjoy listening to that beautiful silence. ^_^

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Thursday, May 25, 2006

   Oww....
I went in to get my braces tightened this morning. >_< They're hurtin' a tad bit right now…
I had to go in and get em’ tightened at 8:30 this morning (I was supposed to go in during the afternoon of last Thursday like I normally do, but my dentist got sick and we had to reschedule). But, since I didn’t have to go to school until after my appointment, I was able to sleep-in an extra hour this morning! ^^
Because of that appointment I missed all of Art today (not that I miss that nasty old Art Kaiser! ^_^ ), as well as the first 15 minutes of English.

English I actually did mind missing, because those 15 minutes caused me to miss a bit of Schindler’s List, which we finished watching today.
Man, that was a great movie! I highly, HIGHLY suggest it if you ever get the chance to watch it. Very moving, very engaging, and as I said, the cinematography was spectacular (Steven Spielberg is THE MASTER!!!).

Let’s see, what else?
Oh, I scanned-in the first of the Symphony X CD’s Josh lent me; “The Divine Wings of Tragedy”, on Monday night. Excellent album, that one is. ^_^
I also started listening to the second one he lent me; “Twilight in Olympus”, last night. I listened to the first 4 songs, and I’ll save the rest for a bit later.
I swear, Symphony X is so friggen’ awesome. They’re just so creative and talented it’s not even funny.
I may just have to post some of their awesome lyrics here for you all to see sometime soon.

I spent a good while yesterday afternoon with my Dad digging out that area I mentioned last time. Believe it or not, we almost got half of it cleared away! o_o
And though it was tough work, I actually enjoyed it; being able to spend some father-son time with my Dad. We talked about some pretty deep stuff, too. It’s great to finally get to spend some time with him. ^_^

I think that’s about it for today. Please be praying for me as I’m studying for my exams!

Here’s today’s Art-Feature…
“No. 004” by ehime:


This picture is the fourth in a series called “Silent Prisoners”. Each pic depicts an eerie, zipper-mouth doll being tortured or killed in one way or another, with this one in particular standing out in quality and style.
Anyone who’s familiar with my style knows I have a bit of a thing for solid but abstract art, this picture fitting into that category. It requires no explanation (unless you yourself feel inclined to create one), but instead merely portrays a theme or idea.
And no, I don’t like artwork like this because it’s “creepy” or “sadistic in theme”. I like it because it’s creative, original, and emotionally thought-provoking. So there. >=P

Well, I’m off to visit your sites!
I’ll see you all tomorrow! ^_^
Comments (3) | Permalink

Monday, May 22, 2006

   Hey everybody. How’s it going?

I’ll be getting to your sites just a little bit later today. For the most part, I’ve already read your posts, but I’ll go back and comment once I’m not busy or rushed. =D

Please check out my previous post if you haven’t already for details on art and various other things.

Whew! I am tired after today! X_x
I think I was sleepier this morning than I have been on any other day of this school year. Glad that’s over with.

Apparently, my mom has invited my aunt & two cousins over for a visit at our house for the last week of this month. It’s a good thing I’m not particularly attached to these 3 (they’re kind of weird, and those 2 cousins are far beyond my age-group), because I’ll be too busy studying during the last week of this month to even visit with them.
But my point in telling you this is that since they’re coming to our house we’ve got to “get it clean & ready for them”. Namely, my parents have decided on the spur of the moment to destroy and pave-over the bark-based gardens on the side and front of my house, meaning I have to rake it out for them. >_< So stupid!
It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have to work with my jackass brother. I swear, the kid’s 13-years-old, but he acts like a 3-year-old! As you know, all he does is make obnoxious, repetitive noises, which doesn’t make yard-work any easier. He did it the ENTIRE time last time we had to do yard-work (I was ready to tear his face off by then). Plus, he’s a lazy sumva’ bitch, so I end up doing nearly all of the work. Sounds like someone needs their scrawny ass kicked….

Also in the field of exams, Josh is taking his final exams this week. Please spread the word to pray for him as he does so.

Oh, and speaking of Josh, our manga-run went well. ^_^ Oh, and guess what Josh loaned me. He loaned me 3 of his new Symphony X CD’s!
I swear, after Josh and I heard 1 or 2 songs from Symphony X, we were totally hooked. Symphony X has become, for the most part, our absolute favorite band. We LOVE Symphony X!
For those who don’t remember, Symphony X is that extremely talented Neo-classical Heavy Metal band that’s really into mythology. Symphony X writes some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard, and guitarist Michael Romeo is possibly my all-time favorite guitarist. Ya’ know, I may just have to post some of Symphony X’s lyrics here, and possibly even some of their music via Videodesk….

Anyway, in case you were wondering which CD’s Josh loaned me, they’re Twilight In Olympus, The Divine Wings Of Tragedy and The Odyssey (their most recent, released in 2002).
On a related note, Symphony X’s new album will hit stores a bit later this year. Same goes for Iron Maiden. ^_^

Anyway, here’s today’s Daily Art Feature:
“SasuSaku – Taboo”, by Chevi:


o.o Yes, yes, I know what you’re all thinking. True, it is a bit racy, but considering the insane amount of perverted anime smut that gets pumped into The Otaku and deviantART daily, I think you can find room in your hearts for something that actually has genuine romance to it, and not to mention is extremely mild compared to most of the crap here. :P (Besides, I somehow doubt that Sakura & Sasuke’s actions will proceed to anything “dirtier” than what you see here. Yes, they’re presumably on a bed, but I doubt the artist wanted you to think the scenario would lead to the 2 of them doing the dirty together. I’m thinking it’s more just some slightly mature cuddling & snuggling, all on top of the sheets, thank you very much.)
Anyway, onto this piece. To be honest, I absolutely love it. X3 Are there any “SasuSaku” fans out there like me?
I love the colors in this piece. Sakura’s pink hair, red dress and emerald eyes all contrast beautifully with Sasuke’s stark features and the rest of the room.
Though the lining’s more angular and think than I usually like, it still works well with the piece’s overall presentation.
The anatomy & pose are exquisite taking into account the artist’s lack of experience. Not to mention the facial-expressions are perfect
And I love how she made it raining outside! I would have never thought of it if I had been creating this piece, but the rainy scene works so much better than a normal sunny one would have! It makes the interior feel a lot more cozy, and cozy is how you want a pic like this to feel. X3
Jeez, now it’s starting to make me blush!

So, what are your thoughts on this piece?
C’mon, people! I’m trying to start artistic conversation! Isn’t that what we’re all here for!?

OK everybody, I'll see you tomorrow!
Oh, and check out the post below this one if you haven't already!
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Friday, May 19, 2006

   Nazi-Sex?
Hey everybody. How’s it going?

If I haven’t commented on your site yet, I will just a little bit later tonight after I finish my homework, so don’t worry. :3

Again, if you haven’t yet seen the new art in my gallery, feed-back and votes are always appreciated. And as per usual, in exchange for more specific, in-depth comments, please feel free to be a lazy bum when getting around to them. b^_^

Speaking of new art, be sure to check out Miyoko-chan’s recent submissions. She submitted several new (and very well-done) pictures the other day, which I’m quite sure you all will enjoy, especially if you’re a Kingdom Hearts II fan. Click here for a short-cut to Erin’s wonderful gallery.
I’m probably not what you’d call a KH2 fan, but I’m definitely a Miyoko-chan fan, so I’ll be commenting on those works, too. ^_^
Oh, and while on that subject, I’d like to apologize to Erin-chan for not exactly being punctual in commenting on all her latest work. I stayed mostly with it up ‘till her picture of Axel, but I’m still yet to comment on her 8 latest submissions. Regardless, you will get those comments on your work from me, Erin-chan, so don’t worry about that. (I’ll be especially sure to comment this time around, mainly because one of her newest 8 submissions is a picture eerily similar to something I’d draw. When you look at her gallery, it probably won’t take long to figure out which one. ^_^ Heh, me and my reputation for solid but fear-inspiring).

My main reason for being a little lax in timely comments is that I’m being spread a bit thin at the moment. @_@ As you know, our teachers are laying on the homework, and with dozens of new submissions each day it gets hard to keep up.
However, expect that to change as soon as exams are over in 3 or so weeks. ^_^

Oh, and speaking of buddies here on The Otaku, remember how I mentioned a post or so ago that I started a special gift for a friend of mine? Well, I started another one for him/her, and it’s in a media that you all have no idea I’m involved in! Heh heh, you’ll all be quite surprised, especially the person whom it’s for! =)

I’m yet to call him back and confirm it, but all signs so far are pointing to Josh and I being able to do a manga-run tomorrow! FINALLY!!!! Man, haven’t seen that guy in a long time!
Josh had his first day of exams today, so he’ll be out pretty soon. I’d appreciate prayer for our Joshua-kun as he takes his arduous final-exams and comes to the culmination of the whole year. Thanks again to all who are praying! ^.^

In the fine-arts section of today’s post, we continued watching Schindler’s List today in Language Arts. Boy, it’s getting really good!
The funny thing was, the point we stopped at last class was at Oscar’s little sex-scene towards the beginning of the movie, so we made sure to joke with our teacher by telling her “We need to go back to the part with the Nazi-Sex!”. XD “Nazi-Sex”….I swear, the things that go through my mind at times….

Anyway, here’s today’s Artwork Feature before I get back to my homework…
“Rose-Kitty”, by Modesty:


SQUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*huggles*
So CUTE!!!
Anybody who knows me can tell you I’m a Rose fan, but putting her in kitty-form is even better! X3

Ahh, sorry, bit of a fanboy-moment there. Cute things are a major weakness for me. -_-

OK everybody, I’m off to visit your sites! I’ll see you all tomorrow!

Comments (3) | Permalink

Monday, May 15, 2006

   Hey everybody. How’s it going?

Sorry for not being around the past few days, but I had an absolutely horrific weekend. I could give you the whole shimmy on the deal, but I doubt you’d want to sit through that.
To make a long story short; my brother was a total dick this weekend. Even more so that usual. He took every opportunity he could to piss me off, and as a result he got my parents pissed at me; something I really, REALLY don’t need.
It also doesn’t help that my teachers are currently kicking our asses as far as homework, my grades aren’t looking too good at the moment, final exams are in 3 weeks, and I had to go another week without getting to see my buddy Josh.

And, as usual, all the bullshit in the art-community has continued to grow worse. I am just so sick of idiots ruining what used to be my only sanctum from the idiocy of the world. I can only stand being assaulted with so much perversion and general stupidity before I finally snap.
I’m just tired of logging-on and seeing 20 or 30 things that make me go “What the f*** is wrong with you!?”

Peh, whatever. On to the good stuff.

Comments on my latest artwork as always would be greatly appreciated. :3
Speaking of artwork, I finished my second Holocaust Ghost last night. As soon as people are finished seeing my newest submissions, I’ll be sending in the even newer stuff.

We started watching Schindler’s List today in Language Arts. Dear Lord, do I ever love Mr. Spielberg’s cinematography! I find the choice of Black & White interesting, because I’ve heard that the colors in that movie will come into play later.
Anyway, it’s a pretty good movie so far, but class was over just as it started to pick up. Feh, all the more reason I’m psyched to see it next time. :p
We have to finish reading “Night” by Wednesday. I’m already on the final chapter (the arrival at Buschenwald), but let’s still hope I’ll be able to completely finish it in 2 nights. That shouldn’t be a problem, though, since Night is such a page-tuner! Man, so many horrific events woven in such detail by the author. I highly, HIGHLY suggest reading Night if you haven’t already. It’s not very long, and trust me: It’s worth the read. :3

“Breathless For You”, by Kycha:



This is one of the most absolutely beautiful pieces of artwork I’ve ever seen.
The guy on the left is Isaac (original character of the artist), and the girl on the right is Daemon (original character of one of the artist’s friends).
This picture is so beautifully romantic that I can’t even describe how charmed I am by it. Well, except of course by going “Awwwwwww!!”.
Anyway, the colors here are spectacular. They’re as vibrant as they could ever be, yet flow smoother than whipped cream.
The lining is clean and smooth, making the characters look soft and lively. The artist obviously has great skill in drawing faces in profile.
The textures are amazing as well, especially in the hair. Combine that with the exert lining the artist used, you feel like you could reach out and run your fingers through either of the characters’ hair. Speaking of which, the gradation change in Daemon’s hair from the pitch-black to metallic green was done perfectly.
Both the outfits look awesome. The colors in Daemon’s outfit are a sight to behold, and Isaac’s outfit greatly reminds me of my own (I have a thing for suits & ties for my male characters, as you all know).
The eyes are not only full of life, but seem perfectly focused, making it look like the characters are totally transfixed on each other. (*hopeless-romantic sigh*)
And as often as you see cat-ears on characters these days, the artist somehow got the ears in this piece to look fresh and new.

*sigh*, this may be one of my all-time favorite pics. It’s just so beautiful and romantic……

*ahem*, anyway, I hope you all have a good day today.
I’ll see you all tomorrow! ^_^

Comments (5) | Permalink

Thursday, May 11, 2006

   Hey everybody. How’s it going?

First off, I have something I want you guys to check out.
You all remember Kylee (a.k.a. “SonicRocksMySocks”), correct? She was that ever-so-impressive artist that needed some support & prayer a month or two ago.
Well, Kylee has submitted a VERY impressive new piece that I’d like you all to see…

This one’s actually an audio-clip, so it’s on her Sheezy-Art account rather than deviantART (dA doesn’t allow any Flash, or in this case, audio, containing copyrighted music).
The clip is Kylee herself singing some original lyrics to a song from Fullmetal Alchemist called “Brothers” (FMA-fans will immediately recognize the tune once they hear it).

I’ll go ahead and tell you; it’s one of the most delicate, heart-wrenching songs I’ve ever heard.
Kylee sings positively beautifully. Sure, a few minor notes are a tad off, but keep in mind that Kylee is only a little bit older than me. It may not be perfect, but considering she’s still an amateur, I’d say it sounds pretty amazing.
On top of that, keep in mind that Kylee wrote these lyrics herself. Obviously, she didn’t write the tune, but the lyrics are all from her. They’re some of the most poetic lyrics I’ve come across, and that combined with Kylee’s haunting, angelic voice is something that must be heard to be believed. I swear, this song makes me so sad, and I don’t know why….

Even more so, It’s awesome that she was able to write the lyrics about the Fullmetal Alchemist story itself. FMA has been a big inspiration for Kylee (as it has to me ~_^ ), and the lyrics work wonderfully with it.

Here’s the link to her submission: Click Here.
Just click the “Full View” button. There you’ll be able to hear the song and read the lyrics.
Trust me guys, you’ll enjoy this. Check it out. =)

In other news, I don’t think I did very well on my Civics & Eccon. Test yesterday. T_T To be honest, I doubt anyone else did, but Mr. Dickerson has never been one to curve tests.
I’m serious guys, that test fricken’ destroyed me. That was probably the hardest test we’ve had so far from him this year. Ugh, I can’t wait to see what that did to my grade.
I’m not sure how I did on my Chemistry Test today, but we got back some of our previous tests from the quarter and mine didn’t look too good. >_<
*sigh*, I hope I can improve enough to do well on my upcoming exams….

Though, I’m definitely not the worst-off in my family at the moment. My dad is going in for a…..uh, “rectal inspection” tomorrow. Yep, he’s at that age where cancer could be just around the corner (he’s already had Melanoma and survived), so it’s colonoscopy time for him! XP
Though I’m sure the actual doctor visit will be plenty hard, the harder part is the preparation: He hasn’t be able to eat anything but clear-broth since midnight last night, and he’ll have to keep that diet up until noon tomorrow (anything colored could be confused with blood or something when they send the camera in). On top of that, he’s gotta’ eat/drink this big box of some kind of medicine-powder that will…..“Clean-out his lower track”. He’s a brave man, that dad of mine….

As for other trauma in my family, my brother just got fined $50 for not cleaning up his room. Yep, $50.
Now don’t start feeling for him just yet; my brother’s a lazy little jerk and has a chronic messy-room, so he deserves this treatment (even if he doesn’t, it still serves him right for all the unfair things he’s put me through). My mom’s at her wit’s end with his messy-room, so she’s charging his $5 for each thing she finds out of place.
As appropriate for him as it is, it pisses me off that she hasn’t taken the same measures for when he’s making me miserable. Hmmmm, shows how her priorities are.

Anyway, before I go, I have some new art in my gallery. ^_^
Yes, yes, I know, you’re probably bored of zombies by now, but these are good ones. Besides, after this I promise some new stuff for a change.
I was particularly happy with how “Zombie 17” came out, even though it’s in Black & white. I love how the textures came out on him.
As always, in-depth, specific comments are preferred, but in exchange you can take all the sweet-ass pimp time you want on getting around to them.
Be on the look-out for more new stuff on the way. ^.^

“Fat Donald” by DonMak:


In a society that’s increasingly aware of the ever-growing health issues associated with the American fast-food business, we’ve become evermore suspicious of the major companies’ integrity and value. This piece, revolting and off-putting as was the artist’s intent, plays off our opinions, ideas and worries pertaining to such problems in our capitalist little system.
What’s your opinion on this piece? I don’t know about you, but I’m lovin’ it!

OK everybody, I’ll see you tomorrow!
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Tuesday, May 9, 2006

   Hey everybody. How’s it going?

Grrrr, I had a fairly good-sized post typed up on Sunday afternoon, but 4/5’s of the way through it I accidentally exited the page. *smacks forehead* And it was a good post, too!
Ahh, oh well, nothing can be done about it. I’ll re-type what I was going to say and post it some other time.

I won’t bore you with the details, but I kind of had what you’d call a fairly crappy day today. On top of things from the various predictable other sources of stress, I was extremely depressed all day today. And sadly enough, most of that depression was due to all the bullshit that’s going on on this site.
It actually made me wake-up angry today. That sort of feeling is no fun; being pissed-off before you even finish making your bed. I know it sounds shallow and obsessive, but the art-world is supposed to be a place for me to relax, and it just gets me angry when I start thinking about all of the bullshit I’ll have to deal with when I’m trying to use it.
I’m just disgusted with the attitude of the current art community, and I can only stand so much.

*sigh*, sorry guys. I’m just not feeling too good today. I’ll move on….

I could use some prayer for my progress on my homework. Here’s why:
I have another Civics & Economics test tomorrow, and Mr. Dickerson said it’s going to be even harder than normal.
Then, I have a Chemistry test on Thursday. T_T
On top of that, I have a project for Principles of Business due tomorrow that’s ready to go but won’t save to a disk!
There’s a whole ‘nother mess brewing in my Sci. Vis. class, but I’ll save that for another time…..
Grrrr, my school’s gonna’ give me a complex by the end of the year. XP As usual, prayer is greatly appreciated. XD

Allrightie, so, on to something less depressing. ^_^

We’re going to be watching Schindler’s List in my Language Arts class (as you remember, while reading the book Night, our current study in that class is the Holocaust).
Has anybody else here seen that movie? I haven’t yet, but from what I’ve heard it’s a pretty powerful, moving experience. I hope I don’t get too sentimental….
Anybody here know if Spielberg wrote Schindler’s List? He didn’t actually write the story for Jaws or Jurassic Park; he just directed them (which I was real disappointed to learn D: ). Is Schindler’s List the same way?

In other news, you all remember Dead Rising, correct? Well, at E3 (which is currently still going on at the moment) today, they announced some bad news about the game.
Dead Rising, which was supposed to come out this month, has been pushed back until August. T_T
ARGH!!!! That’s not fair! I want my zombie-killing horror now in the spring/early summer! Not in the unequivocally boring month of August!!!! Damn it, Capcom! *shakes fist*

Meh, anyway, speaking of zombie-killing horror, be on the look-out for some new art by me soon.
If you happen to see it, please remember that in-depth, specific comments are always greatly appreciated, but in exchange you can take your time on getting around to it.

Oooh, and speaking of art, I’ve got some goodies ready to submit for you guys.
Just recently I started my new ghost-subject: The Holocaust (see the influence our reading has on me?). I’ve already completed my first Holocaust ghost, and I’m currently drawing the second one.

On top of that, just last night I started a special gift for a friend of mine. ^_^ Though it’s long overdue, I think he/she will still really enjoy it. Heh heh, I can’t wait to show you guys some of the awesome art I’m ready to submit. b~_^

“Anbu Kakashi” by Rub-a-Duckie:



In contrast to my normally long art reviews, I can only think up two words here: Fricken’ Awesome.

I’ll see you all tomorrow!

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Friday, May 5, 2006

   *WHEW!* Just got done cleaning & vacuuming the house. That only took 2 hours longer than it should have. >_<'
Remember how I said we got a new, working vacuum to replace that old one that's circa '62? Well, it turns out that my mom has this delusion that the old one actually works better, meaning I have to use the old one every 4th week. Since that piece of crap is one of those double-apparatus models (meaning you hold the head in your hands, and it connects via tube to its tank which rides around on the floor on wheels) and it's so busted that the top of the tank isn't secured to the bottom, it naturally spilt icky, stinky water everywhere. And guess who had to wipe it up: *points to self*
So, now my sister's room smells like crap (thank the good Lord it wasn't my room) and it took 3 times as long as it should have. >_<' I hate that stupid vacuum!!!

But, even though it's already 8:30 PM, I'm officially done & showered-off, so I'm nice and squeaky-clean! ^_^

My parents are both stressed to the point of cardiac-arrest, though, from chores and having to deal with my brother & sister. -_-'
My brother keeps saying that my sister is lying about him to mom & dad to get him in trouble. Well, I sure as Hell hope she is. You know why? Because my brother has been doing that to me FOR YEARS! (He's still doing it, as a matter of fact!!!) That little bitch needs a taste of his own medicine. He needs to be put through the same Hell he put me through.

Allrightie, enough about me, on to the fun stuff!

Unfortunately, no manga-run with Josh the weekend (*hysteric ranting & cursing*), but I'll probably go on a solo-run tomorrow.
I've been trying to call Josh and ask him how the Yngwie concert last night was, but he's not answering. Speaking of Yngwie's concert, I have some bad-news: Josh won't have any photos for you guys to see. -_-' Apparently, they didn't allow any recording equipment in the stadium (damn boot-legers gotta' ruin it for us all!). Oh well, at least well have Josh's stories. ^_^

*starts head-banging to "Riot In The Dungeon"*

Oooh! And guess what my mom found Tuesday night....
Two baby birds! ^o^
They're big enough to still learn to fly & survive on their own, so we wanted to save them before our neighbor's cat got them. They're just learning to fly at this point, but not quite ready yet.
Hee hee, they're really cute. I got to hold them while my mom fed them mushy cat-food and store-bought worms with a set of tweezers (it was tough because I had to hold tight enough to keep them from getting loose and flopping away, but loose enough as not to crush them).
They're currently hopping around, happy as clams, in my late hamster's cage out on the back-porch.
I may need to take a photo of em' for you all. =^_^=

*leaves*
....
....
....
....
*comes back*
Sorry, my dad got home with dinner. He brought pizza! Mmmmm, pizza. *drool*

Lindsey-chan's question of the day today was about our favorite (non-anime) TV show.
Hers was Mystery Science Theater 3000, proving once again that Lindsey-chan is one of the coolest people on the planet. ^_^ God bless that woman.....
Anyway, MST3K is definitely one of my favorite shows as well. However, it does vie with another of the few television programs I actually like: Mythbusters!
Mythbusters is one of the few shows out there that's actually gotten better as it progressed. You also actually learn something from watching it. I've been a science-boy ever since I was a little kid (did anybody else here watch Bill Nye; The Science Guy when they were young?), and Lord knows I love explosions, and I have a big taste in Urban Legends. It's like Mythbusters was made for me! ^.^

In honor of this jewel of a show, here's a very well-done Mythbusters mini-comic by humon (in anime-style, no less!):


Not only is this entertaining for Mythbusters veterans like myself, but it also serves as an analogy for the basic plot of an episode and how Adam & Jamie interact. ^_^

Good night, everyone! I'll see you all tomorrow!

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Tuesday, May 2, 2006

   Hey everybody. How's it going?

I've got a Spanish test tomorrow, and I need to learn a bunch of complicated grammar rules because of it. >_<' Please send some prayer for me on that subject, if you could. =D

Yngwie Malmsteen will be coming to Charlotte on Thursday, and as far as I know, Josh is going (I'll call and check with him tonight or tomorrow). He'll be taking plenty of photos, so maybe I'll be able to showcase some of them once he's back. ^_^
Hooray for Yngwie Malmsteen! Feel that Rising Force! "A burning Inferno, it soars ever higher, leaving the demons behind!"



We're currently reading "Night" by Ellie Wiesel in English class (last book of the year). Anybody else here ever read it?
I read it back in 8th grade, but at the time I didn't really like it. But oddly enough, as I'm reading it now, I'm getting really engrossed! Odd, eh?

For those who don't know, "Night" is a sorrowful, dark novel about the Holocaust.
Perhaps my new-found liking for the book is due to my well-known recent obsession with WWII. I know it sounds weird when I say I'm "interested" in something as dark as the Holocaust, but it was an interesting time full of emotion and conflict between good & evil.
Another reason I may be enjoying it so much is that many of my ghosts in Ghost Hunter will be from the Holocaust. Many of the most powerful ghosts in my series will be those of Nazi Officers (a ghost's strength comes from their emotions, and Nazi Officers are pretty well-known for having plenty of hatred and cruelty).

I'll tell you one thing: Nazis did not f*** around. They're responsible for some pretty twisted sh**.
I'll move on to what was done to thousands upon thousands of innocent Jews later, but get a load of some of the things Hitler did to his own soldiers (keep in mind this is only stuff I've heard, so it may only be 90% accurate):
Hitler experimented with cutting-off some of his infantry’s' eye-lids in an attempt to make a soldier that never slept, but only fought. Naturally, it didn't work for obvious reasons.
A common Nazi Officer training exercise was that in basic training each soldier was given a puppy. They slept, ate and trained with the dog every day for several months as basic training progressed. Then, at the end of basic training, the soldiers were made to kill the dogs with which they had bonded with. As you could guess, this was designed to make the Officers emotionally tougher and less humane.

If that's the kind of stuff Hitler did to his own soldiers, you can imagine what kind of things were done to the innocent Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, cripples, scientists, artists and multitude of others held in his camps.
I'll be talking about that kind of stuff in future posts. Not only will it give you some background to some of the ghosts you'll see in Ghost Hunter, but it will also serve as a great source of historical & philosophical discussion where we can exchange opinions, facts and ideas.

"Presents New Art", by dutchie17:



I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting this here. These are only supposed to be used on deviantART, but I'm not "using" it, I'm just showcasing it as artwork (well-done artwork =) ).
Anyway, this is a cute little gif for someone proudly displaying a new deviation of theirs. I think this one was done with high enough quality to be a standard option for use on deviantART. What do you think?

Anyway, please check out yesterday's post if you haven't already, mainly because I did a fairly in-depth art-review I'd like people to see.

Thank you, and I'll see you tomorrow!
Please pray for me as I take my Spanish test! ^^

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