Monday, August 20, 2007

Commenting on your comments… Not a whole lot to say in this update. I haven’t had time to catch a breath lately, which means I’ve had even less time for online ventures. And now that I’m taking on a major consulting job outside my current work, I’m going to have even less time (at least for a little while). You never know, though, I think I can probably arrange things so that we can still get some stuff done on OtakuBoards. There’s always a lot to do over there, after all. master hiko: Thanks for the kind wishes, I am sure Amira will be feeling better soon. She’s still showing strong signs of improvement! (And she’s putting on weight, which is good – in the first week she’d lost almost a kilogram, which isn’t good when she only weighed about 3.5kg in the first place). I use Paint Shop Pro 8. I don’t think PSP exists in the same form anymore (apparently Jasc Software was taken over by Corel and the newer PSP programs are more photo-dedicated). Still, I’ve always loved Paint Shop Pro – I got used to this software well before I began using Photoshop. I learned some Photoshop while studying graphic design, but I’ve never liked the layout. Photoshop often seems to require five steps for things that take a single step in PSP. I like that PSP is a slightly more stripped-down version, with a bit more in the way of manual control in some respects. Still, I wouldn’t say PSP is better – Photoshop can probably do more. It certainly has more filters and stuff. It’s just that I personally am comfortable with PSP. As for the network, it doesn’t quite work that way. First of all, Adam owns the network. All of the network staff are volunteers, so nobody is drawing a wage from this place. Secondly, the network largely supports itself through advertising. There are additional projects like Art of Otaku – these projects make money, but that money doesn’t all go to Adam. Some projects are entirely designed to raise money for charity, for example (like Artrepreneurship). Art of Otaku pays for its own publication but I believe that once sales reach a certain point, the artists themselves receive a share of the income. So that’s basically how it works. The only exception is OtakuBoards. OB is funded by the network (and luckily we’ve rarely had to have advertising on it – it isn’t a huge drain). However, I have invested my own money in OB recently. And that will continue in the future. So I think I’m really the only other staff member who directly invests cash into the network (via OB). That is purely my choice though; I do not expect to see a financial return of any kind for that. Hopefully that clarifies how it all works! Sesshomarufan: Heheh, the staff don’t get paid, no – they definitely don’t get paid to moderate. But I am paying certain staff for particular non-modding projects (i.e. site construction type things). I figure that asking them to dedicate extra hours of their time to site development is probably worth paying for. And it allows them to earn some extra cash while doing a service to the network. But yeah as I said to master hiko, I don’t really think PSP is better as such…it’s just my preference. I do think it’s worth experimenting with different programs though. I don’t think Photoshop is necessarily the be-all and end-all (despite how good it can be in the right hands). Darren: The good thing about huskies is that they only shed at certain times of the year. Plus, we regularly brush our husky with a special brush – it seems to keep things in order for the most part. Although I’m sure she’ll go through her first big shed as summer gets nearer! I definitely think it’s worth waiting for Wii unless you’re a big Nintendo fan. By the time you get one, it’ll have a more solid library and be more value for money. One game I’ve read brilliant things about is Metroid Prime 3. Seems that MP3 may exceed the standard set by the original game, which is quite incredible. I’m slightly curious to know how Twilight Princess feels on GameCube, considering I bought the Wii version. I doubt I’ll ever end up playing the GCN edition though. SunfallE: Hm, funny you mention the pet salon – we were thinking of hydrobathing Amira a couple of times a year (not so much for that purpose, but more for general maintenance). We bath her by hand right now but this may not be so easy when she’s bigger! Thanks so much for your advice though: I should definitely consult with you if I have any grooming questions in future. ^_^ Jon: She’s just become such a different dog – but in a good way. At first she was totally lethargic and timid. Now she’s a real puppy…lots of energy and playfulness. It’s a relief actually. I was worried she’d remain a zombie for the rest of her life! The praying mantis actually sounds very cool. How long do they live for? I will probably get Eye of the North, even though I still haven’t finished the other two expansions. I was going through Factions a lot recently but stopped playing again. We’ll see how that goes, haha. EotN does look good from what I’ve read though. Hal: Ah I see what you mean about OB. Now it all makes sense. It’s all good though, you can decide what to do in your own time. ^_^ And you’re right about the credit card. Sometimes they are necessary (so I’m glad I have one), but they can be a pain at times as well. There’s always a negative side to things I guess. Minako: Yeah I didn’t like seeing her in the pet store. She was too big for the enclosure…and she was with about four brothers. So it was crowded. She was definitely the most unique of them all – she was the only red husky. But also, the others were jumping around like mad, whereas Amira was just sitting in her corner alone. She’d come up to the glass for a little sniff, but then she’d go back to her corner and mind her own business. The only time she really did anything was when a brother tried to take some of her food – she got quite aggressive about that, haha. So from day one part of it was that we wanted her, but we did also feel relieved to get her out of that environment. Now she’s got a big yard, lots of toys, big bones and a massive park to run around in next door. She’s living the good life! And thanks for commenting, it’s nice to see you around. You may be another person I can come to for puppy advice! ^_^ Aaryanna: It seems like your dog is very well-loved, so I’m sure she’s a very happy girl. ~_^ I don’t remember you saying anything offensive with regard to things being removed from the site…so I wouldn’t worry. Considering some responses we get from members now and then, I don’t think you ever have to be concerned about rudeness! Haha. Anyhoo, I can’t wait for the concert…I’m counting down the days! You have a good weekend when it comes around. ^_^ Dagger: Yeah, for sure. Although when I see picture of adult Siberian huskies…they look so beautiful. It’ll be interesting to see what she looks like as a grown-up. Hehe Crystia: Funnily enough I sometimes get an allergic reaction to cats…but not dogs. Weird, huh? I do love cats though – I love both. If given the choice though I’d probably prefer a dog. You have a good week too! Hope all is going well. ^_^ Chabichou: We have some free medical cover (to some extent), but the pet store still really gouged us. I think we’re probably out hundreds of dollars as a result. Luckily she’s doing better…if she had continued to be really sick, I would have made the pet store refund us all our costs. We had the vet on our side with that too. Still, we also bought pet insurance, which may prove to be very beneficial, given how expensive vet costs can be. Adam: Heheh, you owned a husky? You never told me that! What type was it? What was it’s name? Spill the beans! And at some stage you’ve got to tell me all about your trip, too. All that travelling you’re doing is making me envious. ~_^

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