Birthday • 1981-01-09 Gender •
Male Location • on Gaea, gazing at the Mystic Moon Member Since • 2003-08-30 Occupation • Don't Ask Real Name • Hal
Personal
Achievements • None to speak highly of Anime Fan Since • Escaflowne aired on Fox. Favorite Anime • Escaflowne, Last Exile, InuYasha, Wolf's Rain, Rurouni Kenshin, Cowboy Bebop, and Full Metal Alchemist to name just a few. Goals • Learn to draw anime style pictures and to speak Japanese Hobbies • Anime, reading, writing, drawing, and music Talents • Special effects make-up
myOtaku.com: CosmicSailor
Welcome to my site archives. 10 posts are listed per page.
All right everyone, I'm posting again, I'll get around to the sites when I can while I'm on tonight. I'm thinking of updating once a week again, I did it before for a little while, and it looks like I'm going to have to do that again, at least for now. I will get around to the sites when I update, I'll also try to get to them another time during the week while my time is idle. I'm working on scheduling my time to better manage it so I can get things like my art done, as well as get on here and be productive in terms of content and comments. Once I get a schedule down for myself, I know I'll be all right, and I'll be able to keep up with you guys no problems.
On a project note, I did put together some of my photos into a calendar for next year. I don't expect much of mentioning it here, but, if you know someone who likes calanders with pretty photos, have them take a look at it. At this point I wish I could give it away, but necessity dictates otherwise. That calendar is only one of several business projects I'm working on right now. I've got to take my financial situation more seriously than I have been, and every little bit that I can pull in helps. The other projects aren't important until they get off the ground, so I'll not bore you with the details there.
Another personal project of mine that I'm going to get started on tonight is another "article" for posting here. Some recent experiences have stirred a passion within me that needs to be expressed. That's going to take a lot of energy out of me to write, but it's something I have to do. Presenting the realism of the animé situation here, where I live, is something that I believe needs to be done, and it's an "article" that will have follow-ups later on as the situation changes.
Yeah, there was actually a couple I could have used, but none of them were in good taste.
Yep, those details biting my butt yet again.
I still have to find me some of that too, I want to try it.
I suppose so. I'm not used to that being a good thing yet.
I was watching the clips over on the Discovery Channel website the other night, that's one I skipped over there too, that whole thing is very scary for me. One thing they didn't get entirely right though, you can break car window glass with a key, they showed the wrong way (which, as you may recall, didn't work). Instead of flailing at the glass the key in your hand, you'll set the pointed tip of the key right against the glass, holding it firmly in your hand, then you'll belt that hand with your other as hard as you can. The key will act like that spring-loaded punch they used, and pop the glass. The glass is tempered yes, but it's designed to be "break-away" in case of an accident, so it doesn't take much to shatter it in reality, especially if you have more pressure on one side of it.
I've been told that I do have some physical resemblance to him, yes. You can see for yourself here, here, and here. And if this works, here is a point of reference for the uninitiated. Adam's the one, looking at the photo, on the right side (holding the stopwatch).
I still have a ways to go, but other things have come up that I'd like to get underway and can't till I get some more information. Thing is, I'm not the person who can actually go out and get that information, so I've got to get other people on that.
Well, there's a good and bad side to credit cards, like everything else. Living here in WV, I don't have a whole lot of choices when it comes to stores, and speciatly products, like the seltzer bottle, and chargers I'm looking for, and don't get me started on animé. Online is the only way to go, and for that one needs a credit card (I rarely see an online store with a print and mailable order form). There are prepay credit cards which are an option, if anyone hacks those, you'll only be out as much as you put on the card. When I have the money, that amount will probably be around $300, no more than that.
The art's coming along, but business comes first right now.
Well, a real vision quest is probably going to be beyond my reach for a while, but I'm studying up on them, and maybe I can do some things at home here to start the process along.
Since I can't really explain it without sounding stupid myself, I'll just direct your attention to the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft website. SOmewhere on there should be an explanation of what it is.
That's good. It's better than straining your eyes right away. You could also turn on the magnifier, it's in the same place as Narrator, that'll help some too, but probably not much.
It does drive me nuts, but I still don't have it done. I have to work on it in my spare time while I get something else off the ground first.
Seems we passed through a nexus of negative energy all at the same time, but looks like that's behind us now. I felt bad, and still do for inciting that rant from you in the first place.
That's a great idea, getting it on the search engines will improve traffic and that's a boost to the site.
I like to have the lyrics up with the songs, I think it helps people understand the song a little better if they choose to listen to it.
I know all those brands except Miranda, and they're all good in their own right, though I'm more of a root beer, birch beer, sasparilla, and my own mixed flavors person myself.
I'm afraid I don't know too much about redirects. I know they're used a lot on the web now adays, but that's about it. If it helps the page load, I don't see what the harm could be in trying it.
I do know that Photobucket is running faster than it had been for a while, that may have helped the picture load up.
First off, a quick little rally for the MyOtaku.Com founder. It seems Adam has been targeted by some identity thieves, and they managed to get a bit out of his name. We should all be ready to show him our support as he gets back on track.
Next up, I'll be taking a little bit of time off again, I want to get that artwork done, I really do, so I'll take a coupld days for now and see what comes of that.
I guess some people don't recognize their own potential. I don't have that problem myself I recognize my own ideas, I just seldom have the physical resources to see them out properly.
If I have trouble with them, I'll be talking to you first. My mom would love it if tomatoes took over our garden (though I wouldn't, I'd like the other plants to have a change, and the bathtub they're all in is kind of small).
There's a threshold I can't cross regarding some of those ideas not working, some details that have to be kept private because I promised, but I'm sure you know the saying: "The Devil is in the details".
There's a lame boat joke in here somewhere, but I'm just not in the mood to go there. I'll pass you the oars when I get tired. As for conventions, right now even looking for one that "might be" close enough for me to get to is a prospect that hurts to think about so I'm not even going to do that for a while.
Getting the CO2 into the bottle is the tricky part. I'd need a bottling machine so I could get the CO2 into them and cap them without losing pressure. As for the Patent and Tradmark Office, I have their website bookmarked.
Yeah, heat'll do that, but you'd notice a taste difference at room temperature, even the colors are different depending on the type of honey it is.
I deserved that.
Same here, though that one about the car going undrwater was scary. My two worst fears put together. Every time they rerun that one I can't watch it, once was enough for me. It's a unique concept to take urban legends and myths, and actually test the validity of them being able to happen in a scienctific way. They do it right by testing the facts, then duplicating the results if the facts don't lead to the results. I'd love the chance to meet them in person (not just see them though that would be cool too), but somehow, I think I'd either creep them out, or give at least one of them laughing fits because of my resemblance to Adam.
Edison not only had good idea for inventions, but he also had smart ideas in terms of logical thinking. I never give up on an idea when it's mine, or it's one that I can directly influence. I'm still on those ideas, I won't let them go, but some of the ideas I talked about are ones that involved myself, but weren't something I could play around with. I promised I'd not go into the details on those ideas, so that's all I can say.
When I'm hearing Creedence in my head, I know I'm really down about something. That's the only time I'll hear songs like that. I get a lot of Simon and Garfunkel in my head when I'm down too, but that Creedence one was the loudest. It's probably one of few English language songs I actually can sing on key, so pull up a mic, I'll take the chorus if you take the verse.
I'm not really in the frame of mind to challenge a quote with a quote this time. The things I fear would not seem so frightful to me if I were in better standing. Most of my fears in that regard deal with money, which isn't something that's easy for me to come by.
It needs some work, hopefully I'll be able to get it right with my next theory. Till I get it right, I'll ask if you've ever had sun tea. If not, you don't know what your'e missing, and Cali is probably a great place to brew it as any.
You can grow them in a pot on the back porch (or even inside near a sunny window) if vermin are a concern.
I explained in a comment on your site how to find the Narrator, but if you missed it, here's the steps again, wording is for Windows XP, but it's not hard to figure out in other OS versions:
Select the start menu
Hover the mouse over "All Programs"
Hover mouse on "Accessories"
Hover ouse on "Accessibility"
Select "Narrator"
Follow Prompts
That will set up an albeit annoying synthesized voice to read text from documents and web pages for you. I can't promise it'll work 100%, but it's better than trying to strain your eyes.
I can read it, and appreciate you stopping by. Give your eyes as much rest as you can.
I'll take care of them as best I can and hope for the best.
There's three main brands of cola here in the US, each with their own following of loyal drinkers. Pepsi Cola (Pepsi), Coca-Cola (Coke), and Royal Crown Cola (known as RC). Of the three, I actually prefer Royal Crown, it has a nuttier taste to it that I like. Pepsi is kind of mellow, and Coke is, well it's got that really funky bite to it that I don't care for anymore. I probably wouldn't drink something like that if I knew what all was in it too.
I like to get feedback too, it helps me improve myself in many ways. I've learned a lot of good stuff, just from listening to others make suggestions.
I can't really help you there, your site is only slow for me when I use IE to load it (IE is painfully slow with a lot of sites to be honest). When I'm in FireFox, it loads fine.
I'm glad to know you read my posts, even if you don't always comment I like to know I have an audience. Magnus and I share more than expressive writing ability, but that's getting into personal things, and I'm not one to talk about people behind their back that way.
I could dig up Dr. Soran's line about time being a predator from Star Trek Generations, but Picard also had a wonderful rebut to that so I'll leave those out. Time is an overwhelming prospect when it takes over. It can be tamed, I just lack the energy to tame it right now.
Even though I don't have much luck with plants, I've always been interested in gardening. If I learned anything at all over the years in my attempts, I hope it's enough to keep these plants thriving.
It's easy to get an idea, sometimes it's nearly impossible to get it off the ground.
I'm familiar with that concept in other terms. The Native Americans believe in something called a "Spirit Guide" which is usually an animal spirit that guides and protects a person through life, and everyone has one. I'm putting together a plan to go on a real Native American vision quest to hopefully find out what my spirit guide really is, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it is some kind of reptile. I can't explain it, but I've always been drawn to reptiles, particularly dragons, and lizards, and the ocassional pizza scarfing turtle. ~_^
Be careful, CO2 under pressure can be pretty potent.
Those are very wise, and welcome words. I appreciate the thought, but I've been picking up the pieces, building and rebuilding dreams since I was about 14 years old. Honestly, I'm tired of cleaning up the messes other people leave behind after tearing down what I've worked hard to build. Or is it okay that my suffering can be a consquence of someone else fulfilling their dreams?
Never in a million years would I use a cover version of a Creedence song. I have yet to hear one I actually like. It's CCR all the way, and a good song for being down, at least for me anyway. Funny thing, I'm out of touch with my generation when it comes to music. Stuff from the 90's when i was in my teens doesn't interest me, I'm into stuff from the 80's and earlier in terms of American music, there's a lot more variety to the sound, and I don't know, there's more heart ot it I think.
We're birds of a feather there. I put my whole heart into everything I do that's worth doing, so I tend to take it hard when things don't turn out all right. I'm the same way, why only do something halfway from the heart, it's just not right.
I'm kind of weird about crowds. I can get along just fine in crowds so long as I'm among people who I know are similarly motivated. Basically, I'd have fun at a convention and not be too bothered by the crowds because they're all animé fans too. My budgetary constraints would be the sour note for me, there's no two ways about that.
I hope to see you back online be it here or anywhere for that matter soon, and I'm glad to know you made it through the move in one piece.
Runtime Error in the Microsoft Witty Title Generator!
Oddly, some of my moods, like today's, come with their own theme song instead of an image:
"Someone told me long ago, there's a calm before the storm,
I know, it's been coming for some time.
When it's over so they say,It'll rain a sunny day,
I know, Shinin down like water.
I want to know, Have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, Have you ever seen the rain,
Coming down on a sunny day?
Yesterday, and days before, sun is cold and rain is hard,
I know; been that way for all my time.
til forever, on it goes through the circle, fast and slow,
I know; it cant stop, I wonder.
I want to know, Have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, Have you ever seen the rain,
Coming down on a sunny day?
Yeah
I want to know, Have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, Have you ever seen the rain?
Coming down on asunny day?
"Have You Ever Seen The Rain" Creedence Clearwater Revival
There's a lot I want to say today, but I just don't know how to say it. It seems like a good idea isn't recognized for what it is these days. Lately I've seen a couple good ideas, things that were on track to help and benefit myself, fall flat. Suggestions for things, sources of income, and some other stuff I thought had merit too all seemed to be misunderstood, and recjected out of that misunderstanding. How hard is it to get a good idea, either on our own, or provided by someone else, and make it happen? Well, that's a loaded question when it comes to some things. I do realize that sometimes, costs are prohibitive of giving a guy a chance at something, but oh well, the drawing board is ready for another session.
In the past day or so, I have come to a decision though. I'm going to limit my exposure to animé/manga/gaming convention coverage. For those of you lucky enough to get to conventions, that means I'll not be commenting on convention related things because I'll not be reading convention related things for the forseeable future. I mean no offense or insult to anyone, but it's too much for me. I just don't have the heart or strength of will to put on that brave, "sounds like you had a good time wish I could have been there", face anymore. I'm worn out from doing that, and I guess I'm still sore from my own failures in the convention regard. I'm pretty much resigned to the idea that it'll take a miracle for me to ever get to a convention. I don't like it, but I accept it. Why is it that dreams don't cost a dime, yet their cost is so expensive?
On a more grounded note (no pun intended), I got all the plants planted that were supposed to be in the ground two weeks ago (and some that arrived yesterday morning). I really want the tomato plants and the herbs to survive, I love a good home grown tomato, and I had forgotten just how wonderful something like fresh basil could be. After those were planted, I helped put in some electic lights along the sidewalk (our yard really hates the soal ones we had, not enough light in that area). Needless to say, hours later, and I'm starting to feel the pain of the thousand shovels. Oh well, at least I managed to get some projects done, too bad none of them were my art or stories.
Soda Experiment: Final Results
A lot of you are wondering about the home-made soda, I'll cover that here I think, so I'm not repeating myself in comments. Overall, the soda turned out okay, but there are some inherent flaws with using yeast to carbonate anything. The project was a sucessful one in that achieved what I set out to achieve, but in terms of taste, at this stage, I think it's coming a little too close to actual fermentation (smells like it too), to be any good. It's not something I have time, energy or patience to finagle with just to get all the details right at this time, but at least I know it can be done. Carbonation levels are about what I'd expect for home made, there's no way under the sun home made soda will have the same level of carbonation that store brands do. Those guys who bottle stuff use high pressure to push CO2 into the soda, that process can't be duplicated at home. I have another theory on making a good Oolong tea, or any, soda, but that will have to wait until I can get a few things to try it.
The art's been in limbo for a while now, I'm working on it. I might have to take a couple nights off the net to get it done. I think I'll do that so it gets done. More and more it seems I'm doing that, taking care of myself and getting around here later. Still I like to keep up with friends as best I can.
Cola syrup (the stuff that's mixed with carbonated water to make Coca-Cola) is a treatment for nausea, and it actually works I've used it before. Some drug stores around here sell a couple oz bottle of the stuff. I wonder if I'd get some results from using that in a soda attempt.
I use a lot of reference stuff and actually have fun tweaking the references to make the resulting artwork truly my own. There's an old saying art imitates life, life imitates art. I don't see a problem in using reference works.
Whenever you go to a website, your computer sends and receives data, that's bandwidth. Slower connections like yours take longer to load stuff because the amout of bits per second that can be transferred to and from your computer is limited. I try to keep that in mind when I think about putting a feature on my site, and I'll probably never put video content on my site, mostly because my computer doesn't alway like to run those embedded flash players that sites like YouTube use to display the content.
Oddly, even when I'm down, my drawings are never "dark" in terms of atmosphere. I'm a freak, I know.
I give up, you want kill yourself or fry your brain taking meds the wrong way fine, just don't tell me you're doing it. I've done my part and warned you.
That's good to hear. I've been getting some e-mals from her too. I like to know people are okay.
I'm not sure when the art will be done, but it will be done soon I hope.
It's been quite a while since I had that dragon thing up, quite a while. I didn't know that patience wass a reptile virtue, kind of ironic that I call myself a dragon. People tell me I'm patient so I'm going to start agreeing with them on that point like I do with my art and writing.
I'm not giving up on it, but I'm putting that project aside for now.
Imprisoned on Rura Penthe for sneezing at the Klingon Ambassador.
It happens.
Still a lot of bugs to work out, but the patent idea is a good one. Once it's formulated properly.
I don't care for wildflower honey myself too much, I like clover or orange honeys, those are good. I've never tried sourwood, I'll have to investigate that. People don't fully appreciate the taste differences in honey till they experience it for themselves.
If it's got real ginger in it, it sure does. Great for the stomach though.
Those fruits have a while yet to be harvested, but they're getting there.
I don't think any brand label is making an Oolong tea soda at the moment, so it's not likely you'd have heard of it. I'm the freak who mixes flavors at the soda fountain in Subway, I like things different.
After I escaped from Rura Penthe, I was ambushed by this ship and forced to repair the electronics on their mecha suits.
Never serve something you wouldn't eat yourself. That's a kitchen rule I learned the hard way, and it's one I stick to strongly. Always be first to taste your creations so you know exactly what you're presenting.
I try to keep up with friends, and I don't wany to worry anyone by not saying anythign for a while.
I know there's an aspartame infused green tea soda put out by Coca-Cola, I won't go near that kind of garbage, I hate the taste of aspartame. I'm making my own Oolong tea sods, nothing like it on the market that I'm aware of.
So do I, it'll mean less stuff I need to get done.
It's mostly idle time that I laze about not wanting to do anything, but I do put a lot of effort into my art as well.
Of Sobe's stuff I like Dragon(dragonfruit), Courage(don't know what's in it), Liz Bliz (Pińa colada), Black and Blue Berry Brew (blackberry and blueberry), Pretty muchy all the ones I've got the pics for my themes from, and the green tea. Basically, I haven't met a SoBe drink I didn't like yet. Out of all those though, Dragon is my all time favorite, and no not because of the name.
Improvement is a sign of learning. It also shows I'm taking my time more which is better for me, yay! Thanks for the compliment, I do try, and I'll get that art up soon.
I could never figure that out either. Teachers don't seem to remember that they were students once themselves.
Add some fresh spearamint to those strawerries and you've got yourself a soda. I mix flavors and stuff all the time too, people look at me weird if I fill my cup with one soda from a fountain anymore I'm so used to mixing flavors.
If I can make it work, I'll get the patent. I think it would be cool to go into a store and see something I created on the shelves, especially if it does well. People are beginning to expand their horizons in terms of the flavors they seek from soft drinks, so somethign lie that would hit the spot.
I didn't have much luck with my Bonsai tree, or my Venus' flytrap either. Hard to believe I'm the one being trusted to grow the tomatoes and and herbs outside. Good luck with the plant, talk to it every day, that does seem to help it.
Energy came and energy went, but still no art to show yet. I'm almost done one of the pictures, it'll be up ASAP. I also have an Oolong tea soda experiement I'm working on. So far the carbonation has been working out, and I take the first taste test today. If it works, I'll be a happy dragon, if it doesn't, well, I'll improvise. It's a learning experience all around for me, I've never made my own soda before.
I've been away for quite some time, I know I haven't gotten around to a lot of sites lately. I don't promise the world, I never do, but I will be trying to visit more often again.
I haven't been reported yet myself, there's no reason anyone should. I use reference works for a lot of my art, but I don't do straight copies of stuff, not even screenshots for existing anime anymore.
Yeah, I remember you posting about that. That was freaky. You've got the edge on that one if anyone does brign it up.
I know, but I did want to fix the momentary hang it was doing because of the way I had it coded. I also kept that in mind when I put the song up under my wecome card. I don't have that song autoplaying so it shouldn't choke your bandwidth.
I did make a lot of headway, but I'm still not done. I've just been a little lazy lately actually. Soon though, I'll have them done soon.
It is good tea, and honey is 20% sweeter than sugar, and it has a characteristic flavor to contend with as well, too much and you'll end up tasting hot honey water that's brown, green red or whatever color your tea happens to be (the apple tea is red). Sound to me like all that refined sugar and chemically processed high fructose corn syrup (sweetener in just about everything made ith teh US these days, it's cheaper than sugar to process) dulled your sense of taste if it takes a lot of something sweet to register. Then again, I'm not a medical expert so that's just a theory. Use what works, but keep in mind too much kills the tea flavor, and that defeats the purpose.
It's hard to find real ginger ale anymore, most manufacturers use cayenne pepper instead (they can call it "natural flavor" because it's not a chemical flavorant), but a real ginger ale is a great thing to have once in a while. I love the stuff myself. I like to have juice, and tea (not big on plain water myself), and when I have the choice over soda, I'll take juice or tea every time.
My eyes are trained to be drawn to bold an italic text, so I caught that one right away when I read the article. I think the absurdity of the posting is what made me laugh more than anything else.
I know that one from my own experience, though I haven't made it big myself yet, I'm on the right track.
I acted a little, but my strong points were doing sets and effects make-up. Artsy stuff that I could do with my hands, not my mouth.
Not for me they're not. I take one sip and I'm zonked out like a light. I've had Vault, MDX, and too many of those energy drinks in the doubleshot cans to count, the "energy sodas" are just soda with a funky taste to them to me, and the energy drinks all have the opposite effect on me, they knock me out. I have yet to try a Red Bull though, but the only wings it'll probably give me are the ones that fly me to my dreams, literally.
Still not done I'm afraid, soon is all I can say right now.
I do like to spend some time focused on my art. It helps me create and unwind.
I do try to respond as best I can to stuff that people say to me, it builds a relationship that makes peope want to come back on their own, and it's more personal, though public that way too. Patience is kind of subjective actually, I like to joke that I don't have that virtue, though it seems I may actually have some in these restless scales.
Go for it, and I'll check your portfolio when I can, I like to look at others art.
I gave her a heads up that I'd given you her e-mail, I'm glad to know she's answering you. Her presence here will be missed, but it's good to be able to keep in touch. I guess inspiration comes in many forms, glad I could help out in more ways than one.
I like it too, it gets me though a lot of things. I know the feeling there, I think I'm still coming ogff the cough I had in early March, and the renewed energy feels great.
I hate having people look over my shoulders, it drives me bonkers. I do like to have a deadline though, that pushes me to get things done. Since I've delayed things yet again for myself, I'm setting a deadline on the art projects I've mentioned here. Not going to say pubilcally what it is yet, but I'll push to get done before it.
If you're a bad friend for not getting here sooner what's it make me for not getting around to pretty much everyone's sites for over a week? You get around when you can, I don't care if it's on the day I post or not.
Soon. I keep saying that, but that all I can promise.
They get the job done while you wait for my own version of my username.
I'm always trying to create something, that's part of why I'm tired all the time, I'm writing three stories in my head right now, three Role Plays, and working out those visual pieces as well. It's insane. You can't foce creativity, it has it's own rules, so take it easy, and let the energy come to you.
Good luck with the move.
I certainly will try to keep things up over there more, it is a good community, like here, so I want to try to get a piece of that action.
Yeah, I've been really busy, and trying to get things done. I hope I didn't worry you too much. I will try to be on regularly again, I think I need the routine to level myself out.
A surge of energy, natural energy, is a good thing. I was in that state a day or so ago, but that was because I was up all night putting together a story chapter the night before.
No hurry with that, I'm still working on my own version too.
The fires will stir things up and bring out animals you'd probably never see otherwise. That would be both amazing and creepy at the same time for me.
Luckily for me, I dont' have schedule problems to worry about too much.
All right, I'm set up and ready to tackle as many of those art projects as I can today. I know I won't get them all done, but I'll be closer to having them done by the end of the day than I was yesterday. I am a little tired at the moment, but I've been putting some work into a few things that needed done. I'm in a good mood, and I'm itching to get on that art stuff. Since I've got this ball of energy, I'll go get on that art now. Have a great day everyone!
I can't afford to forget. I've gotten way too many nasty burns already. There's a really neat spray on kind of sunscreen I like to use because it's easier to apply and not as messy. I think sleep is something we all dream about, though few of us actually attain it.
ALERT - HOT-BUTTON ISSUE RANT: Never take a cold medicine to put yourself to sleep, EVER! Irresponsible use of drugs is what gets people hooked on them, and causes viruses to mutate into resistant strains. I'm as much a stickler on OTC abuse as I am on proper skincare in the sun. There are sleep aids out there without the cold medicines in them that are for that purpose, there are also natural alternatives. The best thing for me is a warm cup of Chamomile tea, and I'll be out like a light in no time.
Speaking of tea, that same company which makes the dandelion tea also makes a sweet apple spice tea (also caffeine free) that you've got to try as well. It's a very red tea.
When I first popped that article ".hack//Boobs" was the first thing I saw, I read through it briefly and caught the "Notebook of Fear" thing at the end. Since it was after the fact, I wasn't taken in at all, but I probably would have been hedging the fence on that one till I knew for sure it was a hoax if I'd seen it on April 1.
I know a thing or two about the Shuttles. That's quite a profound statement for someone so young.
Honey is 20% sweeter than sugar is, all it takes is 1-2 teaspoons, never any more than that. You don't want to overpower the flavor of the tea with sweeteners, that's just wrong. I use a clover honey myself, but there are other varieties. Try a wildflower or an orange honey if clover isn't right for you. If I could give up soda I would in a heartbeat, but it's hard to give up something when that's the only thing the grocery shopper buys to drink cold. (I like a good juice now and again).
Yeah, he was told by every publisher he approached that his novel would never sell. He self published, and look at where it got him. Sequel novels, a movie, and TV series which had a spin-off series as well. Guess those guys are all kicking themselves now for not printing that book when they had the chance. That kind of story keeps me going and tells me that I can get somewhere if I work at it. For that matter, you can too.
Here are the pictures I've gotten so far for the challenge. More specifically a Soda Jerk was the guy who ran the soda fountain in the malt shops and drug stores in the 40's and 50's. As for sleep, I'm working on that too.
I wish I'd have known you were working on that, I could have helped with it. Macbeth(I read your post) is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
to the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
the way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
who struts and frets his hour upon the stage
and then is heard no more. It it a tale
told by an idiot, full of sound a fury,
signifying nothing." Macbeth Act V sceneV.
I'll certainly try, and the pics should be up soon.
From reading his news posts and comments, SomeGuy sounds cool. I hope you get to meet up with them. That's an opportunity I'll likely never get to experience.
I got that e-mail, thanks for passing it along. Now, while these aren't my official product from that suggestion, here and here are a couple cosmic takes on the username, courtesy of Yahoo! Avatars. My official artwork on that will be up soon.
I seem to have two modes when I'm tired. Grumpier and Grumpiest. It wears me out to be tired and irritable too, which makes me more and more cranky. I'm trying to get caught up on my rest, which means I'll be cutting some activities for a few days, but it'll be worth it.
Well, I try, and I do really good when I'm rested up all the way.
Hopefully I'll have the new art ready really soon.
Outright plagiarism is a bad thing, and it doesn't really make sense for a person to do it. The gray areas come when people use pictures on sites that claim the pics are legit when they're not. Accountability for that decptive info shouldn't be put on the person accused of takingthe artwork, it should be brought back onto the site making false claims about the art.
I think I fixed the code, so the pic should load a little quicker now. No promises though. Yeah, on the background he's a surfer lizard.
Yes it is. I haven't heard that, I certainly haven't had any problems with green tea. I don't have that many problems wiht anything except for that legal LSD called Mountain Dew.
The art will be up soon, and I'm keeping the new challenge under wraps till I post it. I'm sure it'll be a fun one.
Yes, sleep is good, and I'm doing okay at the moment myself.
I did change up the theme, and the lizard is actually on some SoBe product bottles. He looked cool so I "borrowed" him for my theme.
I haven't mentioned a whole lot about one of the projects, even in past posts, it was a request that was made to me off MyO that I want to do because it's a fun challenge for me. The Username piece that Yensid suggested, and now you as well, is going to be a good one. I have some ideas that I'm roughing out and you'll just have to see the finished product on that one. Yeah, I thought the lizardman soda jerk was a fun challenge for people, and I hope it'll be a good one form myself too. Good luck with it, and let me know when you get it done, I'll link to it here if I can. Hopefully my works wil be up soon.
Tired dragons are grumpy dragons, and grumpy dragons terrorize villages, attack castles, and torch knights in their armor. If everyone would have left the dragons of yore alone so they could sleep, they'd have been much more plesant to deal with.
I feel for you there. Course I was one of those troublemaking youngsters myself not to many years ago.
I never really got into TMNT, only because, my being the middle child, I had to settle for whatever the other two wanted to watch on Saturday mornings. Neither my older brother, or younger sister would watch that. The lizard does have that look about him though.
That's all right I understand. I never really set particulars for this challenge, it was open to interpretation in terms of the detail work. I'm a very patient person when it comes to my art, and my art challenges, so waiting wouldn't be a problem for me.
I haven't started it yet, but I'm curious to see how it turns out as well. I started this challenge mostly because I had an idea and couldn't get it to look right from my head to the paper. I wonder if I'll be able to get it to turn out this time when I try.
Grumpyland is Crazy's biggest attraction, it actually sits between Crazy and Margaritaville. Yeah, the pacing of the world is dynamic. some of it moves fast, others slow. No matter what moves though, there is always time for a rest. Which you and I seem to need, though you probably need it more than me right now. By all means try your hand at the lizardman soda jerk, and I don't care if it's colored or not, I've gotten both in the challenge so far, colored and sketched. Let me know whn you're done, I'll link to the work here if I can.
One thing I miss about Texas, we'd get lizards in the yard all the time, the little ones that change colors when the climb up the walls, and the horned lizards too. I don't think I've seen a single lizard since I've lived in WV that wasn't in a pet shop in a tank. Wildlife of any kind I like to look at.
That daylight saving time change was awful this year, I didn't go out of sync with it till just recently, so I think that's part of why I'm all turned around and confused. You can thank our President for changing the dates it changes though.
My health is improved a lot, I thing the cough is all but gone now, and I'm feeling fine in that department.
Oh Geez, I hate when that happens, it's annoying. Hope your computer can be fixed.
I don't know about that, there are a lot more elaborate sites than mine out there, but thanks. The format is one I've kind of polished over the time I've been here. It works for me, and the people visiting my site seem to do okay with it too. I did the card for Magnus because she's a friend of mine and I like to do that kind of thing when I know a friend is leaving MyO. I do try to get around to sites as often as they are updated, I don't get to do that every time, but I try to make regular visits to people.
There's still much debate on whether or not sleeping pills are addicting or not. My suggestion is to pick up a box of Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime tea (dark green box with a bear dozed off in an armchair on it), that's a wonderful chamomile tea that'll relax you and help you fall asleep without any dependacy developing. Given the choice, I'll choose a natural remedy over a pill for sleep.
It's a hobby for her, she just does it to amuse herself. How hard it is I coudlnt say I've never watched her make the actual animation part, I've jsust seen the finished products that she put on the computer.
Okay, I know what I really need a lot more of, sleep. I tend to get really grumpy, irritable, and generally foul-mooded when I'm tired. I've gotten some rest and I'm okay to go right now.
On the art I'm doing. I am still working on those, I have to print out some refs for one of the pictures, but that'll not be too hard. The other one isn't going to be hard at all, I've got an idea going for it as well (that's Yensid's suggestion which I really like of doing a piece based off my username). I am also going to try to do my own lizardman soda jerk when I get these guys done. I'll keep the challenge open for a while after I get mine done, but I'll probably close it after a while and come up with something else for people to draw.
No cake for me thanks, but a hot cup of tea (my sister found this sampler pack with some apple spice tea in it that's just wonderful) and a blanket will do just fine whenever I'm in a mood like that. I'm doing all right now. If I don't push myself too much and make myself overtired again, I'l be fine.
Most of my foul moods come from being really tired. I tend to push myself to get things done and not get enough sleep. That makes me a grumpy dragon.
The RP seems to be going all right. I'll know as it progresses how well I'm doing with it.
There's a right and wrong way to deal with things like that, he's not doing it the right way in my opinion. Just because a picture is on a site, doesn't mean it's the original work, like that one I showed you last night, that puts holes in using unverified "evidence" provided pseudo-anonymously. How many of his "evidence" links are rips from someone else's art on a site he hasn't seen?
There's really no point in it. If people would use the provided, legit, and proper means to report art that's in question, they'd be doing a lot more for thier "cause" that drawing unwanted hostilities and insiting conflict. Stirring up conflict is the only thing that will be accomplished in the long term by the users who seem to think vigilante justice is right (Even the Commissioner Gordon in Batman doesn't approve of Batman's crime fighting). I'm not going to get caught up in that.
Yeah, if I didn't know what day it was, I would probably have taken it seriously. The best part is, those pictures he used are 100% verified as being Jeff Borncamp himself. The little theif has an in focus face now.
Yeah, rain is nice, and I don't so much like the smell of cut grass, I just like to cut grass. Funny how using a reel mower actually produces less smell than a motorized mower. I think because it actually cuts the grass, and doesn't beat it shorter, it doesn't stir up as much stuff. I used to have a big yard, there's no way you could cut it with a reel mower.
I thought I may have implied something. I like to to cover my bases. I know that feeling, I had to walk to a bank in subzero wind chills once because our car wouldn't run. It was out of commission for a couple months (it hated the cold among other things)
There's an advantage to being shorter though, and your friends who are guys should take note of this. You can more easily hit 'em where it counts if they act up too much. And believe me, when guys react to being hit there, it's not as painful as it looks, its at least ten times worse (don't ask!).
Sure. I hope the readmes doesn't read too silly. I think I was on cold medicine or something when I wrote them. How much use you'll get out of them is really up to you, but having them will be a help when doing BG work. Just remember not to drag them.
Thanks on the theme. I almost was fooled myself, but I realized that it was April Fool's Day, and Adam would have probably forwarded those "e-mails" to the FBI rather than deal with that loser again.
My weekend was like riding the Tilt-O-Whirl all over again. I still have to get my cousin for that one. No, I just put that Boxing Lizard ava up, it came with my new theme.
I have to burn to get freckles, and I take the sun very seriously since I burn that way. I kind of preach on that, but I practice safe sun exposure stuff myself, like SPF 35 sunscreen (I burn right through 15 and 20), and a broad brimmed hat and so on.
I can remember a time when Yahoo! actually took care of their users problems. Since 2004 they've been in the toilet when it comes to customer service. I can remember when they used to have support people on YM, the username would even show up in your contacts list. They don't even do that now.
Yes, it was, and I don't think he'll be able to beat that one for a long time.
I've been doing them for a while now, and I like the challenge.
This isn't the Salem of the Witch trials, that one's in Mass. As for recent sightings, a lot of people don't like to talk about it when they see him, so it's hard to tell if people have seen him or not. There's a rumor that he was seen before the 9/11 attacks, but that's unconfirmed. I can tell you that in 2004 I had en encounter with him myself. Granted it was in a dream, but the encouter still creeps me out because it came three nights before a major thing hit my family. It's a really cool place to visit, come on over to WV, just try not to talk to the people too much, you'll find them unbearably hillbilly.
The Mythbusters revisited their running in the rain findings, turns out running in the rain does keep you drier, but not by much.
The short of it is I was shuffled between a lot of people who didn't read my e-mails, and hey didn't seems to understand the basics of the problem I was explaining to them. To my knowledge, they still don't.
The problem people around here have is they see a picture on another site and automatically assume the user here took that picture without asking. Now, I traced one such picture to it's origin, or as close to it as I could get I think, and let me tell you, that pictures was on at least two dozen sites in one way or another before it was used here on TheO, and the image that's cited as the "original" work, isn't the original, it's one of the many copies posted online. For the people that are going to accuse someone of stealing a picture, they'd better do all the legwork and check to make sure the one source they have isn't also plagiarising the art.
Part of that's the coding I think. The MyO Edit Styles thing cuts the URL off so I had to put the code into my CSS to get it to show up at all. It seems to take longer to load that way, but I can't help that till they add ten characters to the limit in the URL field in that area of the backroom. It is also a huge image, so it may take a while to load up on slower connections.
I hope not too. Then I'd have to say something to someone.
Yeah, some people took it seriously. Even the cover art was a give-away that the article wasn't all it appeared. How often does FAKE get used as cover art of an article on TheO? some people really flipped out over that, that's what's funnier. I missed SomeGuy's article till you mentioned it. That one's a classic in and of itself. ".hack//Boobs" is sure to live on in the years to come on TheO. Both those were good jokes, and you know a sites got a sense of humor if they can post that kind of thing in fun.
Yep.
Given that I was five at the time, I had to see it on the news, but I remember that puffball cloud being shown over and over and over again on TV, and that tragedy fascinated me. Of the original three space shuttles, Discovery is the only one left. (Atlantis and Endeavor came later) The original three space worthy shuttles were Challenger, Columbia (which was built in 1981) and Discovery (The original shuttle which was built only to test the steering/langing controls was named Enterprise). If anything happens before the shuttle fleet is grounded permanently in the next few years (Lord willing it doesn't), it'll likely be the Discovery that it happens with.
You don't need to sell me on that, I use raw sugar all the time when I'm not using Honey. Honey goes better in tea in my opinion, but raw sugar is also a great way to sweeten tea. I haven't tried to find it in a store other than Big Lots, but it's sure to be out there somewhere. If you can't find it in a store, try theirwebsite, you might get some info on where and how to get it.
We walk the same path there. It's really discouraging to put a lot of effort into something to have it come up short. I'm working on the writng angle too, but I was thinking about self publishing. If I could find a publisher that's looking for unsolicited work I'd go that route easily. I'll keep Self publishing in mind, after All Richard Hooker built a pretty good thing for himself when he did that (He wrote the M*A*S*H novels) after being rejected by every publisher. Good luck with your efforts.
It's really big in theatre circles, especially effects make-up people. I learned it from a teacher at a conference one year.
That and "we're too lazy to read what you wrote to the other 15 reps we shuttled your complaint through."
I didn't catch that one either till you and timechaser brought it up. I got a giggle out of ".hack//Boobs", and some of the other little things he put into that article.
The RP is going all right, and my mood is okay too. Sleep helped out a lot.
I think it's supposed to be the same lizard doing different active things. He is cool, that's why he's here.
Out of curiosity, I had to check out that site you mentioned. Yeah, it's scary how similar they are, but I assure you that's just a coincidence. Goes to show that two people can independantly come up with similar designs by chance.
Yahoo! Messenger support is being completely stupid,go figure I should have expected that. More people are being victimized by harrassment in the form of plagiarism accusations, I'm none to happy about that, so I'm in a very sour mood today.
On a lighter note, Adam posted a gem of an Aprl Fool's joke on TheO yesterday. I don't think he'll be able to top himself after this one for a long time.
Anyway, I'm tired, annoyed, and have an RP project that starts later today, I'll go right to the good stuff. Oh, it did rain some today, which I really liked.
Since I do little else around the house, I kind of like to do at least a little bit. That's shoveling the wallks in winer, cuttign the grass in the summer.
It's amazing what a little inspiration and a bottle of Liz Blizz will do. I'm glad you like it.
Yeah, actually the comment threads really need a quote feature because sometimes people forget to put who they're quoting. That was one of them. I'm beginning to think I tend to read too much into things and react without taking the time to reason out my response, which leads to trouble.
Yes, I saw that, I saw a site or two relating to that as well. I've said it once, I'll say it again, that user's heart is in the right place, but his head certainly isn't. Getting hostile and antagonistic toward users over something like that really is harrassment, and it shouldn't be allowed on site either. Vigilante justice is not justice at all, that kind of "public service" doesn't make anyone a hero, it reveals a glory-hound for who he or she really is. That's all I'm going to say on the "P" word stuff going on now. the question of Mods being artists themselves is a tricky one to handle, it makes sense that people who have art experience do moderate the art submissions, but the real question should be whether or not they're allowed to submit art on a site the moderate. That's a difficult one to answer.
Best of luck with the move and all, I hope your return to the net finds you safe and well in your new home. Get on when you can, but don't push it to be here.
Point Pleasant is about an hour's drive from where I live, but WV does have a lot of history in it all over the state. I'm a space nut, I have been since the Challenger disaster, so I'd be loving that kind of view, heck, I'd be trying to take pictures of it.
Good news for you, the dandelion tea I tried is caffeine free. You want to try to find Mount of Olives Treasures, Soothing Dandelion tea. That's the one I tried. I thought it tasted a little funky, but I don't like licorice which is one of the ingredients in it, and that may have played a part. It really does soothe the throat though, and I had mine plain, no sugar or nothing (you want to use honey to sweeten it if it needs it - sugar ruins the taste of any tea.)
I'd put money on me being the slider since I can't seem to get a job in this universe. I'd like to think in my own I'd actually be working right now.
I couldn't put it better myself.
Yeah, that would take some doing.
An odd piece of trivia for you, in Hitchcock's Psycho, to film the shower scene where the "blood" is running down the drain, they tried stage make-up but it didn't show up on film very well, they tried several other things as well, nothing worked. They ended up using chocolate syrup to get that scene right. I'm not into Horror as a genre in anything really, I'd probably check out a "Horror" anime series where I wouldn't even think about seeing a horror film. I'll see if I can find a DVD volume of any of those around somewhere. I'd like to check those out.
Yeah, Mothman drew a lot of comments and interest (just read my guestbook and see), but I'll save him for maybe Halloween, he's got that spooky look to him. Time to get active for the summer anyway, so the sports enthusiat lizards are a good look.
That's all right, you get around when you can. the people who saw the real one first-hand are the ones who don't like to talk about it, and they wish they never did see him. In a nutshell, cutting the grass is tiring. Hopefully you can see the new theme now, and funny you should mention it kicking some butt given the new avatar is a boxing lizard.
Nice to see you, and don't worry, I don't handle power mowers either (string trimmers are another story - I have steel toed boots for that), I just use an old classic, the Reel Mower, and it cuts the grass beautifully (better than a gas powered mower if you ask me). I tried to make it an odd one thast fit my personality. I'm glad it worked.
It's fun for me, but it does take a lot out of a person physically.
I hope the new theme shows up for you by now, if you see lizards on almost everything, that's the new theme.
You know, I had a bit of an epiphany when I was writing that e-mail. I realised that if I sent it, I'd be starting down a road that may not be a good one for me. I'd like the staff to know me, but not as the guy who stirs up trouble over every little thing. I'll keep that comment in mind and if I see another one like it, then I'll be more comfortable with bringing it to the site administrators' attentions.
Yep the lizards are everywhere, and I hope these guys are easy on the eyes for some of my visitors too.
Poor me on the weeks I have to wait to cut the cause of the rain. I love cutting the grass. At least the yard is small.
I'm not entirely sure where the ditzimplication came (apologies for that), but yeah, I try to post pics of everything I mention. It's a matter of getting a relative to get me to where the photo ops are.
Well, I can tell you that I know I'm 6' exactly, that's to give you all a point of reference, so you can look at something in a picture, like the Mothman statue and know how big it is. As for associating that with being "tall" I don't really make that distinction.
Yeah, the pendata for Pixia are bitmap images, that's as simple as it gets. Okay, these are .zip files, so you want to extract them to the "Pendata" folder for Pixia, they should create their own category (click the arrow next to "Group 1" with all the round pen tips, you'll see a list, Group 1-5, and maybe Oblique, if you extract both of these correctly, you should also see Leaves and Grass listed there). Here are theLeaves, and here are the Grass Pixia pen tips I made. Be sure to check the Pendata folder for the readme files, that's probably where they'll be put when you extract everything. I put some tips in the readmes that might be helpful if you run into problems.
The lizards are actually, well I'm not sure whet they are, they're graphics on SoBe labels. Inspiration hits me in the oddest ways. I don't use power mowers, I'm not big on the noise, and I don't trust myself with a machine like that which could cut my foot off. I use a reel mower and it does the job just fine. I don't have critter holes to worry about , but twigs can be a hassle.
Being able to take the time to just sit back and appreciate nature is a wonderful thing. Cherish that time. It's very important for us to take some time to relax, even if a mountain of things needs to be done. They're swinging for me, but I can't tell which direction yet.
Ah, another day, another dollar I don't have. Anyway, cut the grass yesterday for the first time this season. I'm going to have to do something about the front lawn which don't like to cut very well. Anyway, that, my artwork, and my new theme which will be up soon are all taking their toll on me so I'm sleepy today. After I get some rest, I'll be ready to go. I think I'll have my new theme up and ready later today, maybe tomorrow. I've been waiting to get a picture to work with, I got it now so I'll be golden.
I didn't think about that, sorry. Yeah, Point Pleasant is a nice place to visit, it's kind of hard to get to (it's not on a really main road), so living there probably wouldn't be ideal, but visiting is always fun.
That's the impression I get. It is possible that no one's really noticed, but something should be said. I think I'll take care of bringing that to Adam's attention today, and I'll let him decide if anything is worth doing.
I'm not sure, but I don't think that one actually came from the Silver Bridge, but I know it is representative of the ones used on it. Being able to be right in the area where history happened like that, that's a priceless treasure.
Sweeten your tea with honey, and you'll be surprised how well it soothes the throat. Another tea I'd recommend, though it doesn't taste all that great to me is dandelion tea. While the taste wasn't too pleasing for me, I did notice that the tea warmed and soothed my throat in a way that I've never had tea do before. I know what you mean though, Like some people are to coffee, I am to tea, I have to have a cup of tea sometime during the day, and I'll probably get into white tea more now that I know it's taste is mild and pleasant.
I was in Theater in high school all three school years. Yeah, I loved every minute of it, and that's what kept me in school was the theatre class. Are you sure we're not the same person from parallel worlds?
For the full effect, you should see what I posted in the comment thread for that podcast itself:
CosmicSailor
Otaku Legend
Posted 07/17/06
". . .for anyone who didn't get to make it, if you weren't part of the 42,000 people who made it this year, you suck. . ."
To the hosts of this podcast:
It's blatantly offensive remarks like the one quoted above, made in this week's podcast, that will drive listeners away from this podcast, not keep them coming back. Anime Expo was in California, that's not a convenient trip for people with no money on the east coast to make by any stretch of the imagination. Jesting or not, you need to consider your audience before going off half-cocked with critical comments against the members of your audience who aren't as fortunate as you are. We aren't all made of money, we can't all just drop what we're doing and fly across the country to spend a couple days playing around being completely engrossed in our hobbies, as much as we would like to be able to do that. Now I can't speak for any of the other theotaku.com or myotaku.com users you insulted with that remark, but I can say that you will be one listener down from here on out because of it.
Good day sirs (and I use that term loosely).
Thanks for respecting my opinion on the matter, I think we can agree to disagree and move on without troubles. I suppose I'm harboring this whole thing unnecessarily, but I know I'd end up saying the wrong thing to the wrong person over there, and it's kind of embarrassing to get kicked off a board where you know someone on the staff. I've had that happen before, long story I'd rather not get into.
It would be I'm sure.
Since it was a gelling mishap the theory involved the pectin. Either it wasn't put in, or not enough was put in. If I can get a couple pounds of grapes, I'm sure I can figure it out. The taste is unique.
I can hardly afford everything either, but I do like to keep my options open. Check your bargain bins you'll find a lot, particularly at stores like Dollar General if you have any of those. There are a couple shows I didn't even know were on DVD that I or my sister found. Oddly, I can make gore effects (effects make-up was my specialty in theatre) but I can't watch Horror films. My overactive imagination really gets me. Animated it doesn't bother me either.
A little confidence booster now and then is a good thing. I should try to give those kinds of boosts to people more often.
I went back over it, and the post you're referring to is actually quoting the orignial poster of the comment that irked me (note how it's in italics followed by plain text - that's how some people indicate a quote is with italics). The post you read was referencing some other "communities" that do that sort of thing, and well, it's not a community if it doesn't welcome newcomers, it's garbage. DA failed to impress me, that's why I'm not there often. I guess I don't really feel like it's a community it's more of a portfolio site to me.
People complaining about the content restrictions here need to understand that this isn't an adult site, so there has to be some measure of control to keep things appropriate for the younger viewers (appropriate by definition of COPPA). I've noticed some politics in the approval process myself, but I'm not going to complain about it. I'll just keep submitting pictures till I hit the point where my number of submissions lets me bypass moderation too.
Thanks. You know, I've heard that before about my likeness to Adam Savage, I wonder if there's money in being a celebrity look-alike for him. I'd actually do some of the stupid stuff he does to boot. I found that shirt at Ames (out of business now), and I like it, it's got a dragon, a guy fighting the dragon, and the guy's got tattoos of dragons on his arms. I wear shirts like that all the time, but I can wear my blacks too, people tell me I look a bit intimidating when I dress in black, so I like to wear black out some times. That is a fascinating story about evil spirits, maybe that explains why WV is in the pits now, no whirlpools in the rivers to drown the evil spirits anymore.
I try to be expressive and articulate when I can be. If I have something to say about something, I'm not going to just say as little as possible about it and that's it. I'm going to speak my mind. However, there are certain things I've learned, as a guy, not to elaborate on, one of which is the female gravitation toward talking. ^_^;
I'm doing good now. I think my being really tired, and irritated at something else (can't remember what now) all came together with the news and, well, this dragon can't handle that much pressure at once.
It's a great place, come on over and see it sometime. As for the bizarre things that have happened there, some people believe that Chief Cornstalk cursed the land when he died there. What brought about the Mothman is something no one knows for sure, but his first sighting wasn't in Point Pleasant believe it or not. It was much further north, and more east near a little town (that's on the Rail Trail I've posted pictures of) called Salem. How he got so famous in Point Plesant is another story, it relates to the Silver Bridge, and some other things going on down there at the time.
That's all right too, you're here now and the kind words are appreciated.
Walking in the rain isn't so bad, I like to do it once in a while myself, but I do have my limits to how long I'll be out in wet weather.
You can't actually see the markings they describe because they are on top of the stone, not on the side they have facing the fence. It is neat to look at something like that and to know more of the culture of an area from before Europeans settled here. I should point out that I have at least two Native American mounds near me, and one that's a little further up (in Moundsville where the prison is) that I'm going to try to shoot sometime soon. Finding out the Native American history from further back than settler times is a wonderful look at this area's heritage.
I suppose I am a bit tall, I've never really noticed. ~_^
Kind words, even though they're a little late are very welcome to me. I know you'd have been here if you could have been.
Pixia is a good basic program for doing things with art, but it does have it's limitations. Oh, I'll link them later, but I actually made a couple brush sets for Pixa based on the leaves and grasses from Photoshop Elements (they're not on the desktop computer so I have to transfer them first). Just remember to stamp with them, not drag. Did you get the help files and the additional filters installed? Those things help out a lot, and there's a few other things to install for Pixia that make saving JPG and PNG files more user friendly. If I could find a program that made coloring easier for me, I'd be all for it.
Now that I think about it, I could use my Pen Name's info for that kind of thing, but still I can't register the program on my laptop, because the laptop isn't connected to the net. I don't load any program onto my desktop (because my family shares it) without testing on my laptop first.
I was back in Point Pleasant yesterday, so I got a couple more photos to show off. I'm not showing them all today, but here are a few I think you'll find interesting. No mood pic today since I've got enough pictures up as it is.
Pictures:
Cell 1: Shawnee altar Stone (read inset for details)
Cell 2: Same stone without inset
Cell 3: Information about the Silver Bridge (Inset shows "eye-beam" referenced)
Cell 4: Me next to the Mothman Statue (for the record I stand 6' tall)
Cell 5: Notes
Cell 6: Me next to the Eye-beam
Thanks for being there for me everyone, I really needed the support and you all cem through for me. I am in better spirits today thanks to you all.
MyOtaku is a great community with a lot a great people. It surprised me to see that kind of thing being said. I guess maybe that staffer doesn't get out into the community that much to really know how great a place MyO and TheO really is.
You've been a great help to me too, a lot of people have and that's what makes this place great. If you have a problem, mention it in a post and all kinds of help and feedback usually come.
There hasn't been a reaction yet, but if no one brings it to their attention, there probably won't be one.
I'm glad you stopped by and saw that. A fitting tribute to a good friend.
I'm so glad you said that, I'd be worried sick if I didn't hear for you at least once in a while. You know, you have to keep in touch with me so I can keep my promise to tell you when my novel is in print anyway.
It's been a little rough for me, but I'll get through it. Hopefully things will improve as the year goes on.
I'll just point you to this since it's easier to do that than try to get into the nitty-gritty here. NOTE:The code is still buggy, so you may need to scroll down the page a little to get to the content.
I don't take friendships lightly, so even when a person choses to go a different path, I like to keep in touch to know they're all right. I've been e-mailing kout3uka lately too, it's nice to know how people are coming along after they chose to move beyond MyO to other things. I'd worry if I didn't know how they're doing.
It wasn't an unexpected incident, but your concern is appreciated. Last night was the result of giving a very tired dragon some unexpected news. I could pull a gem of a quote from Ster Trek V, but that movie was terrible so I'll just say I know I've got a lot of good friends here, and you've stood by me when I needed it, and been there to pick me up again when I fell. That's priceless.
You and I are a lot alike because those are the very things I do to ease my troubled mind. Nothing beats a good cup of hot tea, sweetened with a little honey. My sister found some white tea for me yesterday, that's good stuff.
I've been on both sides of that line at one point or another, and I'm happy to say I like it on this side, the side with common sense than the other. Reacting on impulse is good in theatre, it's not so good when maintaining some measure of respect for yourself is important.
I can't say that I was 100% sound when I posted this, but that's the post that covers my reasons for not listening to the TheO podcast. If you want to hear the offending remark from so long ago, I have that too. My personal opinion is that yes, it's a good thing you haven't listen to it from the beginning, but it's not really an objective one, so I can't say. I'm sure the community there is great, but I'll stay away from it for their sake, I'd only end up causing trouble due to my bias, and no one likes a board troll.
Wow, that's kind of scary to think about, but it's a great example of that doctor's dedication to his work.
It's been years since we made that stuff, I'll have to try to talk my Mom into helping me figure out what we did wrong the last time so we can get that syrup again. It's good stuff, goes great on French Toast, pancakes and waffles.
I'm picky about stuff, but I like to keep an open mind in terms of animé. I like to check the bargain bins at stores, that's were I found some real gems including Gasaraki which, made in 1998, eerily reflects the political climate and resulting US-led Invasion of Iraq in 2003 It's kind of cool actually. I haven't read the Kenshin Manga yet, but I've seen the animé (some of it anyway) and that's been pretty good.
There's a lot going on in her mind that makes her that way, but I do think seeing positive feedback on the art will inspire her. If nothing else, she'll be asking me to draw someone else in a ridiculously out of character moment, which I have fun doing. I used to be very shy about my art too, it took me a while to put my first piece up online here, once that went up and was well received, I started putting more up.
I hope we keep in touch too, I'm one of those people who worry about friend when I dont' know how they are. I think she's being very responsible with respect to handling the problems she's mentioned in her posts here. It takes a lot of courage to turn and face those things about us. I have my e-mail address up to give people a way to get in touch with me off MyO. If you ever do leave, take that with you and drop me a line once in a while, that's all I ask. Oh, and don't hit me with it when I'm tired either.
'm sure there's a word for it, but I couldn't come up with it to save my life yesterday. A lot of things have happened, but I think because they happened so close to each other, that kind of compounded till something had to give. I'm doing a lot better now, thankfully some rest and the little side trip was some good medicine. Yeah, it helps to have someone listen, even talking out problems to a tape recorder (sounds silly) is a help because it lets you release some of the emotions that are jammed up. You've probably noticed by now that I'm a bit more expressive than most guys, I probably learned that in theatre, and that's another help when your feeling down. Get out that collection of Edgar Allen Poe stories and read "The Tell-Tale Heart" out loud, and in character, you'd be surprised how frightfully insane you appear when your'e working with emotional energy. I should record my reading of that and put it online for you to hear. I've never been called sensitive to my face, but I've been given the impression some people think that of me.
Some people would see a constructive comment like that one as bad, but I don't. I welcome comments that suggest other ways to do things, that's how I learn is through the feedback I get. Yeah, there's a lot of high end stuff out there for the big boys in the business, but when it comes to simple stuff, the tutorials can be universal. I think I know where to find some info on coloring/shading in layers that I might be able to port over from Photoshop to Pixia.
I may be out of the sinkhole, butI won't know what the future brings till it comes, so I'm hoping things will be brighter than they have been for me too. I've suffered enough without having a job these past seven years, I think the Fates own me a few breaks.
Intelligent, witty, and pulling surprises out of nowhere, not to mention her giant spider pets, and those crazy questions, Magnus Lensherr has been a friend of mine on MyOtaku for a while now. She has decided to follow a new path, one that guides her away from the community here and on to other things. All I can do is wish her all the best, and hope that she does keep in touch in one way or another.
Magnus, I don't know if you'll even come around to my site to see this, but I'll sure miss you, please don't be a stranger, and at least send me an e-mail once in a while, just so I know you're okay?
This is shaping up to be one heck of a year for me so far. I lost an Otaku friend in January, AnimeFF screwed over my chances of putting together an animé convention, my aunt died, and now I'm losing another MyO friend. To be as honest as I can, I'm not feeling too good right now. The last time I felt like this, I was still in school, the odd man out, even in Theatre which I called a home. It's disturbing to me that I'm feeling this way because there's nothing I can do to make myself feel better. I'm feeling low and sick all at once and it's distressing to me. Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow, only time will tell.
Sometimes it feels like I'm going to hack up a lot more than a hairball, but I manage. Having a Fisherman's Friend (funny name for a cough drop but they pack a punch) when I have a coughing fit usually helps. Usually my allergies get my nose and head, not my bronchial area.
If you tell the guy what you posted in your blog, about not wanting to hurt him more, I'm sure he'll understand. A little pain now is worth the cost to prevent far more damaging pain later on.
A lot of people seem to think the vigilante system is the way things are done, I don't like that and I report that kind of user moderation, because when you boil it all down, one user telling another user "TAKE THIS WORK DOWN IT AIN'T YOURS" is harrassment plain and simple. On the TechTV message boards, the moderators were as hard on "user mods" as they were on trolls (the posters who regularly posted spam and flamed topics).
Thanks for the comments on the artwork (that applies to everyone), I do appreciate them, and for that last piece, so does my sister.
If I didn't like MyO, I would have left in 2003, but when I joined up, I saw a community that was small, but very friendly, and possessing the potential to turn into something spectacular. Is it spectacular yet? Well that depends on who you ask, but I have not been let down by the community yet, except for one user I know having to leave because of repeated plagiarism accusations and general harrassment (maybe that's why I don't like to see it now).
I have been to other animé communities and non of them are on MyO's level. Even TokyoPop's site leaves a lot to be desired, but I'm only a member there to get the free manga magazine.
Tell me about it. I'm the master of firing off hot letters without thinking. I still haven't taken action on this yet, I'm not sure if it's worth it at this point. By now I'm sure Adam sees my e-mail come up is is like "What's he whining about this time?"
That's a possibility, but it shouldn't be an excuse. When I was younger, I had a measure of common sense, self control, and knew a thing or two about something called tact. To be respected as mature, it has to be proven in word and deed that a person is mature and knows how to handle matters of honor with diplomacy and grace. A lot of my friends here do try which I applaud, I don't think I've seen any one of you guys posting rude messages about possibly plagiarised art.
I wouldn't fit in on Anime-Pulse, I'm still offended by the podcasters' comments back in Episode 9 of the TheO podcast which they never made amends for. Since I know it would be a combative situation, I won't put myself into it.
Some doctors are brainwashed by the pharmaceutical companies into thinking that chemical drugs are the only solution to all ills. the Chinese have been using herbs and natural remedies for thousands of years, what makes a couple decades old experiment any more valid than 2000+ years of proven results? Kudos to your doctor if he's open about natural treatments.
It was a happy accident, we don't really know how it happened to not gel like it was supposed to, the leading theory is either it didnt' get enough Pectin, or it didn't get any at all. Actually we used white grapes, so it was very mild, and the right blend of sweet and tart when it came out. If I get enough grapes again (the house I lived at in TX had grapevines), I'll certainly try to make the syrup.
That one's on my backlog list, along with just about every other manga known to man. Not having a job really sucks. She was thrilled to see the comments, she's like me in terms of being creative, but she's a little less open about showing off her works, so I had to put up that collab project because it was just too good not to show off.
It was a shock to me, and that's all right, I didn't know how to respond either, that's why I brought it up. Just seeing that others are finding the comment out of line is telling me my feeling wasn't so wrong.
Yeah, I think the cough is a bit of the cold that's lingering on, my sister had it for two weeks at least. Funny you should mention Chuckie Finster. I used to be like him in many ways (scared of my own shadow, timid, easlily walked all over by the Tommy Pickleses of society who don't know how to leave a scardy cat alone) now I just have the red hair and goofy glasses.
Really? Now that's a coincidence if ever I heard of one. Is your violin teacher a man or a woman?
A lot of people would disagree with that comment, yet no one's said anything about it in the comment thread about it. I have yet to se another animé site come close to the level of community MyO has.
I wish I could make more sense of it for you, but I'm still trying to figure out how someone who's on the news team could say something like that and not raise some contention. When I first came online back in 2003, I was on the TechTV message boards, and I was here. Both were welcoming communities that encouraged and taught me a lot, not only about animé, but about the web, and even HTML, and now CSS. I've been welcomed here, and I've met a whole host of good people here, people like you, and all my friends, who have stood by me when I needed it, and haven't been afraid to ask me for help or advice when I could give it. What's so wrong about that? How is that a bad thing? At least I can say I don't agree with that staff member's opinion of TheO and MyO, I think much higher of it.
That makes a lot of sense, if the community isn't doing it for the that staffer anymore, why stay on? I'm still not sure how to officially react, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.
It's at the very bottom of one of the early comments, and the comment is quite lengthy. Just look for all the usernames with "News Team" under their name and read those posts, you should see it.
Hopefully in a couple days I'll have something up, I don't want to promise that, but I'll sure try.
The OtakuBoards and I havea love/hate thing going on, I'm registered there, but I haven't posted yet. I used to be a member there, but technical issues, coupled with a rude response from the boards technical staff made me stay off of there for a long time. I recently joined again, but because of their double sided approach to enforcing the board rules, I'm reluctant to post anything at all. A forum is no fun if you're constanly under the big brother-esque fear of stepping on the wrong toes and being banned.
The O is my homepage, and I read the comments to everything, especially the podcasts. I don't listen to them anymore, but by reading the comments I can gauge how the podcast went. The Offending comment is in relation to something that must have been said on the podcast, I haven't heard it yet so I don't know. I know it's inappropriete for a staff member to say that kind of thing about the community they serve.
I'm not aware of too many mainstream ones anymore either. I have seen a few come and go from the spotlight. MyO's blog is by far one of the best, I have yet to see any other community that lets the user create his or her own formatting and page designs to the extent one can do here. Most other sites use that contemptable WYSIWYG editor for their blog posts, no thanks, I like being able to combine CSS with HTML in my posts so that I get just the look I want.
For me, numbers don't matter. I appreciate the votes and views I get, but I don't obsess over "OMG I g0tZ 22 vus 2day!" kind of stuff. I learned in theatre that a comment I may not like is usually the one that's the most truthful about how I need to improve. I like getting that kind of feedback because I can't improve if I don't know where I'm suffering. I welcome constructive negative feedback because it helps. The advice you gave me the other day about using multiple layers for shading to add depth, some people would have thought that was a negative comment. I welcomed that advice and as soon as I'm done working on my current projects, I'll open up Punk Scout again, dig up a tutorial on how to do that layer shading like you mentioned, and give it a go as best I can. If it makes the art look better, I'd love you to no end for helping me improve. Some people just don't see that when someone is pointing out a problem area, they're not doing it to be mean, they're doing it to help.
I can't even begin to figure out the wallpaper thing. I go the safe route and take my own screencaptures and use those to make my pieces. Ther are a lot of open ended questions about what is and isn't plagiarised in terms of wallpapers, I've seen a lot of different wallpapers made from the same base image, submitted by different users.
To me, flaming is posting any deliberately rude comment with the intent to hurt the person the comment is directed at, the plagiarism accuations are the best example of that I have. I don't think profanity is an issue because a person can be just as insensitive without using vulgar words as a person who uses them (I fit that bill myself, I can insult a person far more eloquently without using vulgarities). Blog entries are ambiguous in terms of "should this be reported or not" because it's hard to report a blog, and questions of free expression would undoubtedly come up. Now every comment has at the bottom a "report" link, so if a comment on your site (or anywhere) offends you, that's the right way to go about handling it. The same with a piece of art. Say you're browsing and you see that someone's taken one of my pictures. I'd be really upset if anyone came to me and said "I really gave that theif what for for taking your art." I'd expect everyone who saw it and knew it was my art to find the "report" link thats under the stats on the left side of the pane with the comment link in it, and use that (and of course tell me about the artwork so I could go report it too). The same applies to Wallpapers too.
Never apologize for sharing your opinion with me, I woudln't have posted that if I didn't want a full and fair look at it.
That's a truth in and of itself. I've known grown adults to act like immature children, and children to have a maturity beyond their years. Age is a number, it doesn't mean a person is any more mature than someone who's number is lower. I'm mulling over some thoughts on responding, all of which are in good taste and tactful. I think I'll let it go another day or so, to let my mind find it's center again after this hectic week.
PSP is just way too high end for me, I just don't need all those bells and whistles and do-dads yet. I kind of took a crash course in layers back in 2003 when I tried Pixia for the first time, so I know a little bit about them, I havne't mastered all the subtle things that can be done with them in Pixia yet, but I'm getting there. Because I don't have a lot of patience, I just don't think PSP is for me, I need something I can crash my way through and still get a halfway decent end result. It is a program I would recommend to someone who wants a high end image manipulator and can't afford Photoshop though, I will give it props for having a lot of neat tools and stuff.
