Heliwood

Can Some One Find Me The Fates so I Can Kick Their Asses...

2009-02-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

http://www.jsonline.com/news/obituaries/40401132.html

[copy+pasted from Sheezyart]

Words can't even begin to describe the last few days, but I feel the need to try my best.

I attended Laura's funeral last Saturday. I didn't even plan on making through the school day, so my mom gave me permission to stay home until the service. Greg's dad gave us a ride to the synagogue, where everyone of the parking places was filled, spilling out onto the roadsides and nearby chapel's parking lot; every street corner clustered with people. We both entered the sanctuary and found 2 other friends to sit with.

As people continued to pour in, we stood, giving up our seats to those looking for seats. Even then, people were standing on every side of the synagogue, literally hundreds of people there to bid Laura farewell.

I hate to say it, but I kept telling myself it wasn't Laura in the casket, that it couldn't be sweet, innocent, smart, kind Laura lying there. I only thank the family for deciding on a closed casket ceremony.

The ceremony was a moving experience, though very heart wrenching. I don't believe there was a dry eye in the house, from those who knew her well. I know Laurel and I began to cry. Greg caught sight of the family from where he was standing when they left, and when I went to give him a hug, he completely broke down in my arms. Seth came over and helped comfort the both of us.

That for me was probably the hardest part of all this...seeing my best friend, someone who is always upbeat and cracking jokes, so upset.

God, just thinking about it now makes me teary eyed...

The day after though... god, it was terrible. The fake smiles at school, the laughing when I felt like crying, and trying to restrain myself from screaming "Don't you fucking realize she's gone!!"

I find myself randomly crying throughout the day, and really empty and tired... I'm either starving or not hungry at all, I'm not sleeping... I just want this roller coaster to be over. No 15 year old should ever have to face the world's unfairness and cruelty like this...

[/copy+paste]

It's been about a week since, and I'm recovering... I guess this is what people describe as "coming to terms" with it. School still seems like a joke, but I can at least focus on my homework and finish it.

I haven't been drawing much- my creativity has been almost completely shot since. *sighs* I don't know. I have to thank Chris though, he's managed to help me keep my head above water, and drag my ass out of the house when all I really felt like doing was crawling into bed and not coming out for while.

He really has helped me get my life back in order

We're all Here 'cos We've Lost Control

2008-12-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

Current Music: Die Tonight, Live Forever- Innerpartysystem

You can feel the pounding
Wrapped around your chest
Nothing's too excessive
When you've got nothing left

We're all here 'cos we've lost control
We're all here 'cos we've lost control
We're all here 'cos we've lost control
We're all here 'cos we've lost control

If we all should die tonight
We will have no regrets
If we all should die tonight
We will have no regrets

If this night should take my life
(We cant go back we cant go)
If we all should die tonight
(we cant go back we cant go)

You can see the plastic
Dripping off your face
We may not all be pretty
But we feel pretty fake

We're all here 'cos we've lost control
We're all here 'cos we've lost control
We're all here 'cos we've lost control
We're all here 'cos we've lost control

If we all should die tonight
We will have no regrets
If we all should die tonight
We will have no regrets

If this night should take my life
(We cant go back we cant go)
If we all should die tonight
(we cant go back we cant go)

If this night should take my life
(We cant go back we cant go)
If we all should die tonight
(we've got nothing left)

We're all here 'cos we've lost control
We're all here 'cos we've lost control
We're all here 'cos we've lost control
We're all here 'cos we've lost control

If this night should take my life
(We cant go back we cant go)
If we all should die tonight
(we cant go back we cant go)

If this night should take my life
We got nothing left
If we all should die tonight
We got nothing left

-Innerpartysystem

It's amazing the inspiration a single song and video can give a person. The artist have made it so that the video can't be embedded, so here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1GIT44jjkE

This post would be a little more appropriate with the piece included in it, but my Drawing & Design teacher has it at the moment; I'll make sure to update this post with the finished piece the minute I get it scanned.

Basicly for the last month or so I've been kinda of reserved, focusing more on my school work, my art, and the people around me. I've fallen out of a lot of internet groups and find myself lurking most of the time rather than posting and chatting with some of my online friends.

I want to say I feel really guilty about that.

In getting my school act together I feel like I'm loosing pieces of myself- I was always the anime geek/nerd who had their face crammed in a manga or spent their days after school watching the latest show from Japan- not so much anymore. I'll talk about anime with friends, but I don't find myself defining me as a little weeaboo anymore.

I guess this is what they call "growing up" and frankly I don't like it. I've noticed that a lot of my art now is very morbid or dark. The only reasoning I can think of is my inane fear of death. I've been raised in a Christian house my entire life and now after years and years of shit and pure unadulterated hypocrisy from "people of faith" I can't tell left from right.

Don't get me wrong- I know "right" from "wrong", but certain actions deemed "sinful" by the church just leave my head spinning. Being homosexual is a "life long sin/struggle"? What the hell? If this was true wouldn't God have made everyone gay? Why decide to select a decent size of the population to endure a "life long struggle"?

Not to mention the simple fear of the "perfection" of heaven. Granted there are some horrible atrocities of man that the world would be better without, but pure and utter perfection is a scary thought in my mind. If I were to die and go to heaven tonight, I most likely loose the friends I hold dear, or in an attempt to have a "perfect" heaven God would either remove memories of my "Un-Christian" friends on earth or create likenesses of them- only untainted- and completely unlike themselves.

Worst of all, I fear I'd loose everything that makes me, me. I don't want to be "reborn" in a new spiritual body. I like me just the way I am. I know it sounds really selfish, but I don't want to loose my imperfections, my likeness, and become "one of a thousand in white."

I love this world and all it's imperfections and I wouldn't trade it, or my friends, for some set of pearly white gates and white garb.

"It's Johnny!"

2008-11-01T19:05:00.001-07:00

Someone got their hands on "The Shining" for last night's obligatory "scary movie", can't you tell? :3

Amazing movie; I want to shake the music coordinator's hand. I usually don't scare very easily, but a ton of those music cues (or lack there of) made my heart race.

*walks off mumbling red rum to herself*

sings

2008-10-15T17:23:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MIDORI HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! :D

And just to pimp out my internet bff, look what OTOhime made for me:

Arigato OTOhime-chan!! *huggles 1000xs*

Haiku Fun

2008-10-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

Haiku² for heliwood
when i'm done i might see if i can go back and try and put shoes on
@

Created by Grahame

Wise, wise words my friends. Take them to heart.

...

XDDDD

Safari, Meebo, and totally awesome Stuff

2008-10-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

So for the last 5 minutes I've been using Safari, the browser a friend installed for me but never actually used. Basiclly I was trying to open the Maq #041 webpage and IE just hates me so much it decides to crash every fricken time I open it. So I launched Safari and voila, no more crashing, pages load a hell of a lot faster than before, and the appearance... oh wow, don't even get me started!

That's one thing I've always been jealous over Mac users, is the design of each program. And seeing how much time I spend on the internet I like a slick browser. I know there are people out there who'll say that FireFox is the way to go, but just something about it doesn't sit well with me. Over time I've used IE, FireFox, Google Chrome (Beta), and now Safari, and I have to say Safari wins hands down! Of course take what I type here with a grain of salt.

Also, I just started using Meebo, a public version of AIM or any IM system they carry. It's pretty sweet, though I have yet to see how it will preform in Safari. Lets hope it, and mIRC, work, or I might just cry...

School is going pretty well; haven't heard much from the girl who was apparently "going to rip my reputation limb from limb", which is good. That and homecoming was really fun. I had a red dress for the occasion and a date (one who prides himself as being taller than my ex-bf) who got me a really gorgeous corsage. It had small white roses and (what I think were) miniature lilies. I may be wrong about the second flower, but they sure as hell looked like 'em. And it was hilarious to see my friend's reaction to our date. Right in the middle of gym after the security check in she just starts yelling at me. In a comedic way of course.

Totally worth it. XD Though now she made me swear that if I ever do something like that to her again, she will kill me. But she had a good time, so I guess the shock eventually wore off.

*runs to bed before the caffeine crash hits*

A Day of Rememberance...

2008-09-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

The Harassment of Kyon

2008-09-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

Best Haruhi AMV out there (provided by OTOhime/Ankoku-chan):

You're in High School Now, Bitch

2008-09-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

Oh lordy, lordy... I'm tired, sore -my shoulder feels like it's gonna fall off-, and the mountains of homework is not fun. Thank god it's Friday tomorrow. Thankfully I didn't get too lost over the course of the last 3 days. Being back with friends is fun, but confusion centered around guy friends isn't.

But I'm not going to bore you with it.

Seeing people from my old school (I transfered from one middle school to another towards the end of 5th grade) was really strange, but at least I'm not around them during the day, save for the hallways...

Anyways, OTO, I'm sorry, but I'll get around to getting your picture done soon; I've had like no time at all this week. I'll make a valid attempt this weekend. To make up for it, if you'd like, I'll send you the first sticker, free of charge. Highschool just has me reigned in.

That's why I still haven't finished the 2nd season of Higrashi yet, even though I only have one episode left. *beats head against the wall*

Now, I'm gonna go finish the homework I need to do before I can go to sleep.

~Mii-chan

Which Mentally Unstable Hinamizawa Resident are You?

2008-09-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

What Higurashi Character Are You?
Hosted By theOtaku.com: Anime

Oh God, Here it Comes

2008-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well, as I sit here nibbling on my homemade pocky (chocolate covered pretzels FTW), a thought suddenly hit me.

1st day of school tomorrow...

...Damn it! Summer can't be over yet! Ah well, as is the way of life. In my previous post I mentioned a Shion sticker that I was working on. I've got the lineart all done, but I still need to finish coloring it.

Here's the line art for those who are curious:

I'm about 75% done with the coloring at the moment. I hope to have it done soon, along OTOhime's sticker of Kanon. I did a quick sketch of him last night (stupid insomnia) and I'm pleased with how easy it is to draw him. Drawing sticker version of him shouldn't be too hard. I could also make buttons of the wing logo from Umineko... Or maybe even jewelry pieces... *money making ideas begin to stir*

Yesterday I (finally) got my hands on the Wolf's Rain manga which makes me sooooo happy! I've been looking for a more optimistic ending ever since episode 29 of the anime. The only thing that pissed me off was the fact that it was $21 for both books. My three set of Kare Kano was cheaper than that! Ah well at least it was worth it.

...Not like the second season of FMA. God all mighty, how the hell are they going to continue the freaking story with the way the series and movie ended? Unless they pull a Higurashi (which could be interesting) I don't see it being anywhere near sucessful. BONES is just milking their cash cow for as long as they can apparently.

I think I'll just stick with the manga...

Speaking of Higurashi, 1 more episode of Kai and I'm done!!! *jumps around excitedly* I just need too find the time today to watch it. That or I could watch it tomorrow morning while I eat breakfast and wait for the bus.

I'll post the picture of Kanon in another post once I scan it.

Til then, Ja ne!

~Mii-chan

Currently Music: Umineko no Naku Koro Ni (Game OP)

Current Mood: Scatter Brained/Excited

Quizes and Checklists

2008-08-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Second Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	High
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Low
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Moderate
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

Your element is Light: Innocent, beautiful, kind-hearted and pure. You are so sweet your almost angelic! You find joy in others happiness and cannot stand to see anyone in pain. You want to make everyone around you feel good about themselves and if someone is upset you can tend to become rather upset as well which means you are sympathetic and raise others above yourself. Being as kind and good-natured as you are people have most likely hurt you in the past but you pick yourself up every time. You may look fragile but you are stronger then most tend to see. Life is beautiful no matter how you look at it and you understand that people make mistakes. Not everyone is perfect. You try to see the good in the bad which is a talent few posses. Dont ever let anyone change you. You truly have a beautiful soul inside and a heart of gold.

__________________________________________________

1. Get 2nd Air Matress Blown Up

2. Every day this week cut 2 ART&R episodes

3. Get crap ready for highschool

4. Finish Shion Sticker

5. Relpy to OTO's comment (yesthat'showsadIamwhenitcomestorememberingthings)

6. Finish cleaning my room

7. PANIC!!!

8. Find backround music for the ART&R shpeel

9. Look into getting the Wolf's Rain boxsets

10. Rip WR dvds 1-3

You Are...

2008-08-27T19:00:00.001-07:00

Which SOS Brigade Member Are You?
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Music Meme

2008-08-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs.

1. "The Howling," by Within Temptation. After getting through the first 3 DVDs of Wolf's Rain that my friend lent me, I went and looked up AMVs on youtube. This song was in the first video I watched and, oh dear god, I love it.

2. "Cloud 9," by Maaya Sakamoto. Okay, another song concerning Wolf's Rain. Bite me, the sound track for this show is amazing, and Maaya Sakamoto has the voice of an angel.

3. "Heaven's Not Enough," by Steve Conte. Again, this OST is nearly flawless, and Yoko Kanno's compositions work so well and stand well on their own. Sometimes OSTs don't work without actual video to be a foundation. Not so with the music from Wolf's Rain. Every time I listen to this song though, it reminds me of a certain character's passing (the "runt" for anyone who's curious). A very beautiful song.

4. "Stray," by Steve Conte. Okay, last song from Wolf's Rain, I swear. Catchy tune that has me singing along every time. And it's a nice, upbeat way to remember the series.

5. "Wisemen," by James Blunt. Most JB songs tell a very direct story (You're Beautiful, High, Cry, etc.), but for the life of me I can not figure out what this damn song is about! And because of that it intrigues me.

6. "Naraku no Hana," by Eiko Shimamiya. A very pretty song that I managed to learn all the lyrics to and sing in a half decent fashion. Eiko Shimamiya's work never ceases to amaze me. Her style is also something I've learned to enjoy.

7. "Gravity," by Maaya Sakamoto or "Taishou.a" by anNina. Argh! I can't decide between these two songs! Both are beautiful, gentle songs (something my iPod seems to lack) and have great shows attached to them. Wolf's Rain and Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai, respectively.

Picking 7 songs is really hard for me, but in the future I'll end up doing this again. My favorites change constantly. Something about rotating through a weeks length of music causes me to gather quite a few "favorites" playlists. *laughs*

Anywho, I deleted the previous post, because after I went back over it and realized how hormonally driven it was, I got really embarrassed. That and it was practically over nothing...

I'm usually not like that, I swear! *blushes*

Well, I'm tired. Time to call it a night.

~Mii-chan

It Appears That...

2008-08-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

what flavor pocky are you?

[c] sugardew

APOCALYPSE!!!

2008-08-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's scary what my boredom can actually lead to... (see sketch left). That's not the worst part. I did something I haven't done for months.

I painted my nails. They're shimmery purple. *Apocalypse*

Well I guess it's not all bad. I mean I did manage to get my second desk up and working all by myself. Woot! And I have the Wolfs Rain DVDs my friend lent to me while she went on vacation. That and I took the time to create a personalized banner for Heliwood, so I guess it's not all bad.

School's starting again soon. Blarg. To quote my favorite author: "High school is not meant to be enjoyed, only survived. College is when it gets fun."

.Hack//Outbreak is going pretty well, considering dumb I was for a good portion of it. Sometimes its easier to follow the guides, but I can't do that in good conscience. If I'm really truly stuck, I'll look, but only to get out of that one situation.

The last couple of days I've been going over to my friend Julia's to have a chance to marathon some anime and catch up. I ended up showing her most of Higurashi while I was there. I'm still not sure if she hates me for it or not, lol. She liked 5 Centimeters per Second mostly because of the gorgeous artwork; she wasn't as impressed with the storyline.

Scratch that, she didn't like how some of the characters were portrayed, and the fact that the story was just down right depressing. I really can't blame her. She had a hard time with Socrates in Love due to how emotionally draining that damn thing is. Amazing for a one volume manga.

We both previewed the anime of Paradise Kiss, and I have to say, I'm gonna have to check the rest of it out. It's absolutely beautiful (that opening scene was messed up though) and the story is really interesting. I tend to like fashion too... *guilty pleasure* Costume designs are good and the music is entertaining (I swear I've heard that ending somewhere before!). Ezabella is great too. Trap-san!!!

Currently Listening to: Hold Your Colour by Pendulum

Currently Mood: Relaxed

Surprise Surprise!

2008-08-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

Holy cow, this is something I wasn't expecting to see on yahoo. This is good news for the site, now that the worry of server costs and bandwith are no longer a problem. It'll be neat to see the subtle or not so subtle changes to the site.

~Mii-chan

Oh Shit!

2008-08-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Spoilers for episodes 1-13 of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai and all of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

Holy eff'in crap! Lotsa information in these past 13 episodes. So much so in fact that I've been keeping notes so I can go back and try and make sense of scenes later. 4 and a half pages in fact, front and back.

Now comes the spoilers.

The fact that Rika is the center of the illness, or Hinamizawa Syndrome, is an interesting concept. Kill the shield, everyone goes berserk.

Symptoms of the Hinamizawa Syndrome (and examples of such):

The victim becomes possessed with extreme paranoia
They suffer from Visual and Auditory Hallucinations
They act extremely violent towards others
Stress leaves the victim more susceptible to paranoia and hallucinations
People with "Level 5" symptoms are suppressed by being given an injection

This explains the first arc of the first season (arc= Onikakushi-hen), when Keiichi becomes extremely paranoid of his friends after finding out about the "Curse of Oyashiro-sama". It also explains why instead of seeing the marker in Mion's hand he saw a syringe, as well as the needle in the ohagi.

Also, the fact that Keiichi received a shot from Dr. Irie when his paranoia of the people of Hinamiza was rising at an extreme rate reveals that he was at "Level 5" or even past that, and the injection didn't take any affect, or only suppressed it for a little while. The fact that he immediately went and talked to Oishi afterwards possibly counter-acted the injection.

Also, this explains the flashback (I believe, Rena has) where Rika tries to give Rena an injection, but Rena refuses, and Rika decides to wait until the next Hinamizawa.

Living in Hinamizawa prevents symptoms from occurring
Leaving Hinamizawa triggers symptoms

If this theory is true, that also explains why Rika attempted to give Shion an injection during season 1 (arc= Meakashi-hen). Although it does not explain why Rika then commits suicide, other than to escape Shions torture.

It does explain why Shion became paranoid of her own family and the village leaders. If Shion was living outside of Hinamizawa from the time of her birth to the time when she came back, shouldn't she have gone a little cookoo and the illness surfaced while at her school? Or since she barely lived in Hinamizawa, would having coming back awakened the illness within her (thus causing the "At that moment, the demon within me was born" line)?

Sometimes the symptoms settle down, but usually, the victim is not cured
A complete cure has not been found

Either way, not everything has been explained or revealed yet.

Is Hanyuu an incarnation of Oyashiro-sama?
How did Rika get suck in an ever repeating Hinamizawa?
What exactly are the men in grey after?
Why is Dr. Irie commiting suicide?
Why in the first arc of Kai, did the nurse not answer Satako's call for help/let her die/kill her?
Who sniped Oiishi and Kuma?

I hope the end of Kai ties most, if not all, the lose ends presented in this fascinating series.

~Mii-chan

Those Who Need Titles are Pompous As- Oh Wait...

2008-08-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

437 pages in, and I'm really enjoying Breaking Dawn. No spoilers until I finish the fracking thing... God all mighty, for someone who's never taken on a Harry Potter length book, this one's a monster!

The premiere was pretty fun. I got to hang out with a group of my friends and write explicit things slandering Jacob on a public board (don't ask). Though that wasn't as scary as the "EDWARDxJACOB" written in pink. *shudders* Or the 40 year old man who, not only was a fan of the series, but was with there with his wife... That just screams creepy on so many levels.

The winners of the costume contest at our local Borders was a couple, a boy and a girl, dressed up as Jasper and Alice. They were absolutely adorable together! I'm glad they won. Lots of people dressed up as crazy Twilight fans, which were entertaining, but not really what the contest was about.

But enough about the release party, I finally got around to re-organizing my anime/manga collection. That was a monster of a task, seeing as many of the books didn't fit, so my boxsets got moved to the very bottom, with almost 2 whole shelves worth of manga (roughly around 60+ volumes). Almost time to start double stacking or get another shelf or clear some desk space. The top would work nice.

Spent the rest of the day laying mulch down in the flower beds. My hands, arms and feet are sore, but I feel great. I think I'll get a nice night of rest (if that makes any sense). Hopefully the painful blister on the inside of my thumb will go away soon so I can finish coloring a peice of lineart I've been working on feverishly for the last couple of days.

Well, speaking of rest, I need to sleep. G'night all!

~Mii-chan

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

The local Borders is having a late-night party for the release of Breaking Dawn, something I'm super excited about. Hopefully I won't have to drag my annoying little sister along for the entire thing. Apparently she just wants to get her own book while there... (During a 4 hour event? WHT?)

God, I really hope I don't have to drag her along... Annoying little gremlin...

Current Mood: Excitement/Dread

Procrastination is Worse than Crack

2008-07-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

Being in deep shit is never fun. I'm going to get my ears screamed off if I don't get to my work, but I just don't have the drive right now. I wanna ride my bike down to the local Borders and pick up vol. 2 of Trigun and the first issue of Yen Plus (the Higurashi manga is premering early in it!) That or order the boxset for Princess Tutu.

I think I'll go for the manga. I mean, both Soul Eater and Higurashi together? As well as Maximum Ride in manwha form? Hell yeah! Take a look at (what I believe to be) the cover:

Either way, when I'm done, I might see if I can. Least it's not as hot as it was before. I got a slight tan over the weekend (shocking, really) and no sunburn so that's a good sign. May wanna try tanning again later today.

Shitty blog post, I know... Sorry wanted to write at least SOMETHING.

Currently Listening to: Taishou.A by anNina Closing for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

Current Mood: Content... maybe?

Utena's Going Under

2008-07-28T18:02:00.001-07:00

Video's like this make me want to see Utena now... *Goes in search of the DVDs*

Voice Actor Quote Request and Dot Hack Class Quiz Results

2008-07-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

What Popular Voice Actor Quote Request Are You?
Hosted By theOtaku.com: Anime and Fandom

What .hack Class Are You?
Hosted By theOtaku.com: Anime and Fandom

Why did I have the feeling I was gonna get Twin Blade?

33 Posts that Go Nowhere

2008-07-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

I beat Cubia, finally. Turns out having 2 Wavemasters is a good strategy. Right now I'm dealing with freaking personal issues, that make me wanna just crawl into a corner and avoid the world. I wanna sit down and just play MUTATION for 10 hours straight. But no, obligations are keeping me on the front lines. And I have no medic to make me feel better. Well maybe OTOhime is my Medic and Higurashi is the happy blue pill, but still... I can't watch Higurashi for quiet a while.

Until Julia gets back from a mission trip, I'm left to fend for myself. Wahhhhh! Come back soon Julia-san!! *curls up under her desk, listening to her iPod*

Currently Listening to: Earth Defender Maoh-chan by Anime Round Table and Review

Current Mood: Wanting to Crawl into a Corner and Disappear for a While

.Hack; Trials and Tribulations

2008-07-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Cubia is evil. I can't stand this stupid boss. To defeat it, you have to adjust to constantly switching between Physical Combat and Magic Combat. What's even more annoying is his types of attacks. Granted he doesn't have the ablility for Data Drain, but he sure does have a nice slew of attacks up his non-existing sleaves.

The problem with gamer guides is with .Hack, there are so many factors in choosing who you should bring to help you try and defeat Cubia. One I read said I should bring Black Rose (Mistral is nessicary) and another one said I should bring Elk. I kinda like the idea of having another Wavemaster, but seriously, that leaves only me to deal out physical damage...

The gamer who posted his stratagey on youtube used Elk and Mistral and had defeated Cubia within 8 minutes, while a guide I pulled off a website said it'll take quiet a while to defeat him; one of the longest fights you'll have in the game. Ah well, I guess I'll try both ways. Maybe I'll get randomly lucky and win.

Also, happy B-day Ma! You know I love you!

~Mi-chan

Being a Women Sucks

2008-07-25T14:56:00.001-07:00

Blah, I feel awful... Headache, cramping, and all over exhaustion.

I wanna go back to sleep.

If I don't post tomorrow, I'm dead... or just busy. What ever.

*Laughs at my icon and then crawls into a corner*

My Toes Were Meant to Live

2008-07-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

Currently Listening to: Meant to Live by Switchfoot (Oh, the irony)

Let's see if I can beat the maintenance.

Well, since I can't really go anywhere thanks to these sore spots on my toes, I've been working on getting the ART&R 100th Episode Specail together. It's a little nerve racking but I do have quiet a few weeks until I have to have it in.

But these stupid sore spots on my feet are driving my crazy! They're like little mumps or something, that tingle (painfully) when I walk. It turns to a stabbing pain when I try and put shoes on, or put just a little too much force on my toes. The lumps also make it almost impossible to bend my big toes...

I have an appointment tomorrow with the doctor, so hopefully she can tell me what's wrong... *crosses fingers*

I have pictures of the little painful bastards on my camera to show you lovely folks once I get the connector cord. My digital camera sucks, but I did manage to get at least one good picture of my worst of my two feet.

Woo! Beat the fall out time by 5 minutes. Well, Ja ne for now.

When Trust Bites You in the Ass...

2008-07-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well... I'm going to go through bitch mode for just one post, so forgive me. Quick summary, if you don't want to read the entire bitch-fest: I told my friend on vacation (you can guess who that is) my idea for Diary of Jane, she took the idea, twisted it, and claimed it as her own.

Now the long winded rant:

I asked Katie, if I told her, she wouldn't have to swear not to take my idea. She agreed, I told her and then she says the worst thing any plagerist motherfucker can say:

"Oh, yeah, I had an idea just like that."

Yeah, sure you did Katie... Now, the idea isn't %100 original, but seriously. She even took the title, the concept and the characters! She's like freaking Dean Koonst! I'm expecting her to start rewriting Frankenstien.

For anyone who knows me, knows how difficult it is for me to create an oringinal story and I was really excited about Diary of Jane, so to have someone say that their going to write their OWN version of it and submit it to a publisher, that's going to piss me off!

She even had the gall to say, "If either of us gets published, we can dedicate it to the other."

Excuse me, if she wants to dedicate it to me after I GAVE HER, she can just forget it. It's MY STORY, MY CHARACTERS, AND MY IDEA!!!!! I don't care if you rewrite it, IT'S STILL MY IDEA!!!! It's not something you get PUBLISHED AND CLAIM IT AS YOUR OWN!

*pulls her hair out*

Jeez, she thinks if she can make one person cry with her grad speech, she can steal an idea and try and get it published...

She's a freaking Dean Koonst incarante...

Hehe, a podcast I'm listening to is talking about the short before the WALL-E movie. That was aboslutely hystarical. The Carrot is a Lie! That and for any computer nerd, Wall-E's start up tone is the Dell start up. That made me laugh. Pixar is amazing.

I still want to see The Dark Knight like crazy. It looks absolutely great. The Joker actually looks insane, compared to all the other forms of media he's in.

Well, I'm gonna sign off, I've ranted enough, and hopefully it won't get me in trouble.

~Mi-chan

Icon Madness!

2008-07-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

Currently Listening to: Naraku no Hana by Eiko Shimamiya from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

Is madness spelled with two d's or one? Ah well, I'm not going to check... On to the dumping of all the 150x150 icons. If you want a 100 by 100 icon, you can either ask me for one that size or just resize the one you want yourself. It's not that hard.

Rules Regarding Icon Use:
* You may redistribute as long as credit is given

* For basic use, no credit is necessary

* When in doubt, LEAVE A COMMENT & YOUR EMAIL (if you don't have a Google account)

* I do take requests, but make sure to be SPECIFIC about what you want and be PATIENT

*Please leave positive feedback! I just started making icons, and I would like your thoughts on them! I can only get better with practice and helpful prodding. *laughs*

Kaworu Icons:
#1 & #2

#3 & #4

#5 & #6

#7 & #8

#10

Tabbi Icons:
#1

Sorry, I don't know what happened to the sizing on #8... I'll post a fixed copy once my shoulders stop aching... Blame the weird angle I was sitting in while photoshoping these. My favorite is #2, mostly because it uses lyrics from one my favorite songs. It fit way to well so I couldn't resist using it. :3

I also spent way too much time on #1. Maybe it's just because that part of the manga bothered me so very much (for anyone who hasn't read it, Kaworu kills a stray kitten, saying it would be kinder than letting it starve). Either way, the end result wasn't half bad.

~ Mi-chan

P.S. Fuck < div > tags. They kept throwing the HTML formating off and when I went to remove all of them, it took forever! Jeez, talk about annoying code. XP! I had to do it 3 FUCKING TIMES, until I figured it out that they were throwing it off! *pulls gun on blogger software* Die you MutherFucker!

Title, What Title?

2008-07-17T16:12:00.001-07:00

Currently Listening to: The Walking Dead by the Zebraheads

Well, today I've been doing the basics. Cleaning the house, doing laundry, and other minute tasks that I've put off for a while. Yesterday I fell asleep after laying down for a little while since I had a killer headache. The headache's almost gone but the crummy feeling is still there. Must've been from the water I got up my nose from swimming yesterday.

So while my mom and sister went to the pool today, I stayed home and did house work... I'm giving off freaking Cinderella vibes...

Well, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai seems to be getting good. I don't like how their feeding the ALIENS, IT'S ALIENS theory fire, so hopefully they'll move away from that plot device soon. Seems the arc changing was something that actually happened and is not just some story telling device, which is really interesting. They only scratched the surface of that idea last season, so hopefully they'll go more indepth with it in Kai.

Well, off to finish making up my bed!

~Mi-chan

More Moe Sycthe Goodness

2008-07-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hehe, after seeing OTOhime's version of MoeSycthe I had to draw her human form:

Speaking of the ART&R Forumites, Wednesday night chat was a blast this week. Lots of hugging, earbiting and boob grabbing. Laci pulled a Haruhi on me and Darkest took it there, lol. That and Quartears seemed to enjoy me freaking out every time he gave me a hug. I wonder if Sunday's chat will be as crazy. *crosses fingers* It was really funny.

All I have to say, is that's the last time I go into a closet with Kaworu, lol.

.hack//INFECTION: COMPLETE

2008-07-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

Currently Listening to: Hope by Apocolyptica

Current Game: .hack//MUTATION

Oh, god all mighty, I finally did it! 2 years (total- 32 hours of actual game play) of beating virually corrupt bosses and leveling up, and part 1 is over. Makes me kinda sad, but I'd rather just laugh at Skeith.

I kicked your ass, fucktard! MUWAHAHAHAH!!! *insert more Higurashi style laughing here*

Speaking of Higurashi, check out my new review for Hey Hey Anime. I also finished the 26 episodes of mystery and blood yesterday. For those of you who haven't seen Higurashi here's my five scentances or less summary:

"The first episode is rather normal stereotypical moe: New guy, Keiichi Maebara, moves to Hinamizawa, joins the after school club, goes insane, kills his friends, and claws his own throat out.

Wait, that’s not right…

Well that didn’t work. Hit the cosmic reset button Oyashiro-sama, and let’s see if it works out the 2nd time around…"

I sooo want my own cosmic reset button.

Well, I'm off to make more icons. In truth I have about 20 of Kaworu, almost 40+ of shion/mion, and I think well over 60+ of Rena. But you can never have too many icons, lol (I'm not an icon whore, I swear).

~Mi-chan

You May Call Me Cuddleslut

2008-07-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

Your result for The Attachment Style Test...

The Cuddleslut

You're mostly secure, but sometimes you need a little extra reassurance to make it through the tough times. You are usually affectionate and sweet, and you find it easy to fall in love. An encouraging word from a crush or a loved one can motivate you for weeks.

Fictional character with whom you might identify: Kaylee (Firefly/Serenity), Hiro Nakamura (Heroes)

Take The Attachment Style Test at HelloQuizzy

Chu Chu Lovely Hinamizawa!

2008-07-08T13:28:00.001-07:00

Finally after days of searching I've found the best one (IMO):

Chu, chu, rami, ni- Stupid song, get out of my head!

A Little Better...

2008-07-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Well thankfuly my mom let me sleep a little longer so that I could get some sleep. I still don't feel the greatest, but a lot better compared to this morning.

Oh, I just remembered. About a week ago my dad ordered The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov (one of my favorite sci-fi writers) and yesterday my mom took me to the library to pick it up. So, I went in with my mom's library card, asked for the book. The following happened:

1. I had not ID so I wasn't allowed to use my own mother's card

2. Her card was expired

3. My own mother, my dad's wife, is apparently not allowed to pick up a book for him... but she is able to cancel his order (wtf!?!?)

Thus my mom proceeded to play the system. She canceled my dad's order and since no one else had a hold on it, she was able to place her own hold on it. Then she went and renewed her card, and picked it up. The checkout librarian was shocked.

It was really entertaining to watch. (^_^)

Off to drink more coffee!

Sleepless in Seattle

2008-07-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

I don't even live in Seattle, yet I still have sleeping issues, what the hell? I've had serious sleeping issues for the last freaking week, and now I think it's gotten me sick. My cheeks are bright red and I'm feeling slightly feverish. Blech...

But seriously, you know how people sometimes complain about being tired and not getting enough rest and bullshit? And how they'll say "I didn't sleep at ALL last night," and then proceed to yawn to prove their point? Well, most likely they got some sleep, even if it was a few hours worth. That's why they feel so tired. Me on the other hand, I was 100% aware of what was going on the entire night, I could give them a long, detailed explanation of what I did over the entire course of the time, and never once did I fall asleep.

At all.

And trust me, you can tell when I haven't slept at all. I seriously look like a freaking crack addict going through withdrawl when I do. That and when my body realizes it's not going to get any sleep, it goes into hyper active mode, where I am literally pacing my room trying to get rid of the pent up energy. That only lasts for nearly an hour or two, and then I fall into auto pilot. This is basicly where if I sit down or lay down for even a minute, even after I've had a cup of coffee and a can of diet soda, I will literally go comatose for about 2-3 hours.

So next time someone you know says they stayed up all night and never slept once, take a good look at their behavior. If they're yawning a lot or their eyelids are droopy, that's probably just not enough sleep. But when someone says they haven't slept at all and they look like their gonna explode from an adrenaline overdose, tell them to go home and sleep, because it's sure as hell not healthy.

-Midori

Kaworu Died for Your Sins!

2008-07-07T13:43:00.001-07:00

I want this sticker:

I'm just not ready to shell out $200 for a series I didn't really like, save for 1 episode and a movie. Maybe I could just make one in photoshop... *evil grin*

Either way...

I forgot to mention, but I lit my hair on fire during the 4th of July. Nothing too serious, everything still looks normal, but the right side of my bangs are thinner than the left.

Moe Sycthe

2008-07-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

OTOhime's design for my MoeSycthe form (if you don't get what I'm talking about, vist the ART&R forums and look at the moe castle).

Thank you very much my MoeMeister! I need to draw the human form now... *creative gears in head begin to turn*

-Mi-chan/MoeSycthe of Doom

Higurashi is Like Crack

2008-07-06T03:36:00.000-07:00

Currently Listening to: Animal I Have Become by 3 Days Grace

God do I love Higurashi. I've been setting off finishing it for quiet some time, mostly because I could never find the time to watch it without the risk of my parents walking in on a disturbingly violent scene, but now that I tend to watch my anime at night before I go to sleep I've rediscovered why I gave it a 9 on MAL in the first place. Who can't love a show where you can make merchandise like this:

But really, I absolutely love the way this show is set up. The people who are my friends tend to think that I really abhor violence or that I don't like scary movies, but obviously they don't pay attention to the anime I watch. I mean half the reason I like Higurashi is because it dares to be so violent, despite how cute and innocent the characters may seem.

I tend to like the rush horror movies give me and with Higurashi, it has a great underlying story. Like, I just finished episode 21 where there is basicly a repeat of an arc that happened earlier in the series (those who've seen the series know what I'm talking about) but from a different perspective, which was really neat and really showed that everything in this series isn't what it seems.

It's sad to hear though that the anime doesn't follow the game and actually makes the characters seem slightly more heartless in the anime (Shion for example: in ep. 21 she was actually supossed to survive the inital fall, come to her senses, and then die by ending her own life, with a famous line that I shall not quote for spoiler reasons) I really wish I could speak Japanese and had a region 2 PS2... :[

...And doing a little more googling it seems the french company Editions-Anima wants to include one of the Higurashi games on the 6th disk or give it a seperate release... YES!!!!!!!! Thank god out of all the languages I decided to take in middle school and highschool it was french! That'll give new incentive to learn it and learn it well. *does happy dance* So what if it'll 4 years until I can get my hands on it and there are no plans to release it in the near future? As long as I know I can get the game somewhere I'm happy. :] <3

And a final thing. I've noticed quite a few AMVs for Higurashi featuring the song I'm listening to right now. The idea is stellar, it's just the exacution falls flat on it's face. I mean, I don't think I've seen a single Higurashi video that didn't have subs, more or less any effects... and it's sad to see too!

This is probably the best one I've found so far (bare in mind I haven't looked very hard) that doesn't use Animal I Have Become:

I take that back, this one is:

Either way, it's still hard to find a good Higurashi video.

And yes I am up at an ungodly hour, but I screwed up my sleeping pattern because I wasn't feeling good yesterday and I slept till 5 in the afternoon. To get myself back to my normal patterns I have to basicly stay up all night and go to sleep early the next night. But I won't rest until I've watched the rest of Bokura ga Ita and listened to ART&R's discussion on it.

Well, I'm gonna go type up the review of Battle Angel I wrote (by hand) last night and this morning for Hey Hey Anime and then get ready for church (If I was catholic, confession would sure be interesting, lol). See ya!

-Midori

Anime Marathoning Requires Training...

2008-07-04T01:56:00.000-07:00

Ick, god I don't think I'll be doing much of this during the school year...

It's 3:57 AM and I just spent a good 4 and a half hours watching the rest of Habun no Tsuki ga Noburo Sora (spelling may be off- so sue me) and the first four episodes of Bokura ga Ita. I wanna be done with BgI by sunday night (that means about 8 episodes a day) so that the ART & R discussion doesn't ruin it for me. I could always wait till the next week to download the show, but I like listening/participating in the chat during the live show.

Which, now that I think about it, I need to work on the specail something I'm cooking up for the 100th episode. Why does Audacity have to hate me now????? Of all times- honestly. Well at least I managed to get most of the episodes I'm gonna be cutting up into it (that was the hard part) so now I gotta sacrifice a few puppy dogs and virgins and pray it doesn't crash when I least expect it to.

And if that wasn't stressful enough as it is, I just got a position on an anime podcast (well, more like I get to write reviews for the blog (www.heyanime.blogspot.com), but w/e) and I gotta submit a review soon. I might end up posting some I've already written. They were originally for a review website I'd intended on running, but that failed and I still have the Word documents left untouched. Or I could do something short like the Battle Angel OVAs (anyone who thinks it's Battle Angel Alita can... oh forget it).

4:10 Damn... I'm gone...

ART&R Wednesday Night Fun

2008-07-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

* OTOhime shoots quartears with a moe beam

* quartears dodges slyly

I was thinking of making an anti moe union on myanimelist

* Midori arms herself with a death sythe*

** Yomi is now known as MoeLeader

YAY!!!!!

Nooo!

* OTOhime is cheering

hahahahah

Sarkozy knows that children around the world aren't downloading ColdPlay or Bullet for my Valentine

* Midori is amused

*** Zim is now known as Robo

Oh dear god...

they're too busy downloading MC Solaar

*** Robo is now known as Roboleader

shit, who's who now...

* quartears stays out of moe/robot conflict and deals with International Copyright

Yomi is the MoeLeader apparently

I don't bother keeping track any more.I'm me... but nobody knows me... sooooo good luck with that

and Zim is Robo

* OTOhime shoots moe beams at Roboleader

Ah...

Don't worry I'll convert you all

To my side!

* quartears files a lawsuit in International Court prosecuting the defending OTOhime for crimes against robots

With a healthy mix of Giant Robo and Votoms

* Darkest runs to where ever Esper is hiding

* MoeLeader denies the lawsuit as the judge, jury and executioner of all things ART&R

* quartears appeals to Supreme Court and Scollia convinces others to go along with it.

*** OTOhime is now known as MoeAssasin

or however the hell you spell his name..

Antonin!!

a while later...

* Midori switches Death Sythe to Moe Sythe

* MoeAssassin puts up moe shield for protection

a short time later...

* Midori think OTOhime should be a meister and I'll be her death sythe

it's cool

It's time like these that I wish Mystery Science Theater 3000 didn't go off the air. ok, good

I'm relaxed because I'm listening to WMP...

* OTOhime is liking Mi-chan's idea

hehehe...

now I'll listen to something that keeps me sane... the Getter Robo OP

* OTOhime sells Moe Katana and Moe Dagger for Mi-chan the Moe Sythe

Hey...

no more Moe v Robo...

okay...

* Midori stays in human form

God, I love wednesday night chat. XD

Note: some of the quotes maybe incorrect just because the names didn't show up properly when I pasted. Other than that, I can't wait to see OTOhime's drawing of my Moe Sythe. Moe patrons, unite!

The Empress

2008-06-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Now & Then, Here & There; Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku

2008-06-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Last minute thing before I crash. Here's a review I wrote not too long ago for Anime Obsession on Now & Then, Here & There:

Wow, where to begin? This underappreciated series is one every anime fan should at least try once. Anything I type here would not portray how much I love this series and how much of an emotional impact it has on it’s viewers, so I’ll jump right into the meat of this review.

Plot
Our story begins with our main character Shu on a walk home from Kendo class. He spots a girl sitting atop one of towns smoke stacks and climbs up one beside her to great her. She tells him her name is Lala Ru, a being from another world, and before she can go further they are both attacked by a woman and countless robots. They both then get whisked away to an alternate universe. Now, before I go further, the first episode is what it sounds like. Cliché, I know. But let me tell you it gets much better.

This new world they end up in is ruled by a vicious dictator known only as King Hamdo. This man is ruthless in his methods, willing to enlist children as soldiers, and torture and/or kill anyone who stands in his way. He wants Lala Ru captured because she has a pendant that withholds an entire reservoir of water, something Heliwood (the land/aircraft they live in) is severely lacking. In a twisted turn of events, Lala Ru’s pendant ends up disappearing and Shu becomes enlisted in Hamdo’s child army. There he meets Nabuca, a conflicted soldier who is willing to do anything to go back home. He cares for a little boy around the age of 5 named Boo, and used to be friends with a disturbed boy named Tabul, who favors Hamdo’s methods.
At some points the plot does tend to drag, though the finale manages to deliver the emotional punch to the gut that, frankly, left me depressed for a week after. This series is one that builds the emotion bit by bit, until the very end, where all hell manages to break loose. By the end of this series I could barely keep track of how many main and side characters had died. And since I have to mention this somewhere: This show is not for the impressionable, young, or easily depressed. Believe me on this one. There is implied rape, attempted on-screen rape, violence, torture, violence and torture against children, slight nudity, and overall dark, mature themes. All of these themes of course, are portrayed in a negative light, though it does not make them any less shocking.

Animation
Simplistic art is sometimes the best, and this show is a perfect example of this. Done in 1999, this show makes use of absolutely gorgeous backgrounds, including sunsets, sunrises, desert and rocky cliffs, that put some backgrounds of today to shame. Many of the characters have simple designs, which lend to very fluid animation. In a few instances the characters seem off model, but these are far and few in-between. Also, the simple model design lends more detail to the face and facial expressions, which to help make a scene in this series.

Music
Both the ending and opening themes are memorable. The opening, which carries the same name as the series, has no lyrics, yet is an enjoyable tune, though it doesn’t lend itself to a re-listen more than 3 times. This of course though, depends on your personal taste. The ending theme is a soft, soothing lullaby that is probably meant to calm the viewer after the many horrific scenes this series includes. This one includes lyrics. The background music though, is forgettable. This series, on the other hand, does make good use of silence, not overwhelming a scene with robust music.

Voice Acting
I watched this show subbed, mostly because I didn’t have a dubbed copy available to me. Each seiyuu fit each role very well. The voice actors that did end up playing characters that meet their untimely demise enacted their roles perfectly. In some ways, I was sad I didn’t have a dubbed copy available to me, mostly because I had read Dan Green (of Yu-gi-Oh! Fame) did the voice of my favorite character, Nabuca, which scares me. I can only pray to god he didn’t screw it up.

Overall
I believe that any anime fan out there should at least give this show a try. Some people will be turned off right away, while others may burn out part way through. But for those of you who enjoyed Grave of the Fireflies or Saikano, this should be the next thing on your list. Though don’t watch it right after watching GOTF or Saikano, you will kill yourself if you do. It’s a show that will leave an impression on you weeks after your done, something anime rarely seems to do anymore. This is one that has become a personal favorite of mine and one that managed to make me cry by the end. I’d suggest it to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, provided that they know what to expect.

So, there ya have it. Watch this:

'Kay, good night!

Photo Manipulation Fun: Diary of Jane cover

2008-06-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Currently Listening to: Aozora (Piano Version) by Lia, AIR OST

Well, I have to say I'm possibly the worst author ever.

I tend to get really excited about a story idea and then do practically every but write it! Ah, bloody hell. This is what I worked on from 2 am last night to 4 in the morning:

Credit goes to the Deviant Art stock artists:

*PersephoneStock- for the crying girl and the girl with her arms spread wide
*fetishfaerie- for the girl with the ribbon tied across her eyes
*Encaged-Tsubasa-hime (me)- Manipulation :D

Well got back from vacation yesterday. It was fun, though Katie tended to be quite...hmmm...interesting... I'm to tired to write everything up, but I highly suggest Fort Wilderness if you're a Christian looking for a good family camp.

Well, I'm going to go rest. Bye.

Vacation Preperations

2008-06-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

Currently Listening to: 鳥の詩 by Lia

So the last couple of days have eaten away at my time in front of my blog, and all the craziness that goes along with it. And I finally managed to get my hands on a copy of the Special Edition Eclipse, and I have to say, the first chapter of Breaking Dawn is great! :3 I can't wait 'til August. Speaking of which, the local Borders is gonna have a midnight party for the release. Oh, I am so there!

I also got my hands on a couple of other things, including an art book for Fullmetal Alchemist, and I have to say Hiromu Arakawa is a goddess with a paintbrush! One of her pictures of Ed and Al actually made me stop and gawk and the impressive brush work and detail. The amount of control it takes to be able to do the outlining with a very thin brush, that would reveal a jittery hand in an instant, is just mind blowing! I actually thought she'd colored it with prismas, the shadowing and highlights was so smooth! Seriously, I want to try acrylics myself now. It's also neat to see the character design sheets for the FMA video game (I love this kinda stuff). Definitely worth the $20. I mean when my dad (who frankly doesn't really like the anime style) is impressed, something like this, it's just- wow!

Well it's almost 12 here (the blog post time doesn't match, apparently) so I need to get to sleep.

But before I go (put your headphones in kiddies, this isn't appropriate for the parents):

Yes,
I know how it's wrong
I know why it's wrong
but for some reason, I can't stop laughing!

TekTek!

2008-06-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

Seriously the Dream Avatar program is sooooo addicting! Basicly I'm just gonna post the different avatars I plan on using:

For the new ART&R Forums (I've gotta live up to my monicer, Midori)

&

For myanimelist.net and everywhere else

I may make more, but what hte hell. I'm tired, getting sick (again) and I need sleep. Kudos!

Vacation

2008-06-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well, in about a week, my friend Katie and I will be going up north with my family to a family camp (for some reason that entire sentence didn't make sense to me. Maybe you'll be more lucky in deciphering it). It'll be interesting, considering it is a Christian camp, and seeing as how the majority of the time we tend to act homoerotic (KATIE CONTROL YOURSELF!). I almost feel bad for anyone who sees that. Almost.

One week in a camper. Sharing the same bed. Oh god, the things people will hear during the night.

Also, note to Katie who I know reads this, you can make comments on posts without an account. XP I set it up that way, specificly for you, so be greatful dammmit! Now excuse me while I consider commiting sepukkuu. (heaven forbid if the spelling is wrong, you get the idea)

Epic Fail

2008-06-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well, that party was a complete and utter bust. Note to self: A good setup does not guarantee a good time. Seriously, no one wanted to do ANYTHING! The DJ had to pull out an iPod for the dance contest prize to get people to participate. Other than that there was just lots of drama, and being the oblivious fool that I am, ignored most of it.

I still have a pair of the cheap sunglasses ment to be party gifts that say 'Best Grad Party Ever~' on 'em. Excuse me while I get a sharpie, I have some editing to do.

2 Dances in One Week? THE MADNESS!!

2008-06-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I put off RSVPing to it, so I'll have do that tomorrow. Gomen, Sophie! I have to say though, so many people are insane about graduation. All I have to say is...

FRESHMEN!!!

Diary of Jane: Seana Character Sheet

2008-06-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Art whoring:

It always helps whenever I'm working on a writing piece, that I draw out any original characters before hand. Seana is one of my main characters for a piece I'm working on (and will hopefully get published @ some point) and it's taken me, literally forever, to get my vision on paper. I tell you, rain does things to your brain! I highly doubt I'll turn any of the story into a webmanga, though I might do a oneshot if I get bored over the summer. The sketches are more just for my own referance while writing. In the future I may be posting some of the chapters up, but I know it'll be a while before that happens. In fact, once I'm done here I'm going to go back and make some major edits to the first chapter.

Also after the Graduation party, I got my grad gifts from my mom. 2 sketch pads and binders to hold all the art in them. Oh yeah, best gifts for my art addiction.

Graduation

2008-06-10T09:56:00.001-07:00

Never knew that the world cared so much about an 8th grade graduation, or at least our school. The morning classes were replaced by a breakfast for the students and their parents. Then it was onto practice for the ceremony. That lasted for about an hour and a half. I'm never good at handling long events. I happen to get really bored, really fast. I start picking at my nails to relieve my inane boredom. They now look they got chomped on by a lizard with pointy teeth. Afterwards, we just hung out outside until our parents came and picked us up.

I'm going back later tonight for the actual ceremony and the dance afterwards. It should be interesting.

Well I gotta finish fixing my dress (straps were way to loose, revealing way too much) and then take a shower. Before I go though, after I finished watching Now & Then, Here & There I went AMV hunting and I'll leave you with a few of my favorites:

The second one was my first exposure to The Cranberries and "Zombie" Oh, and obviously, major spoilers for NT, HT! :3

I'll Spend it on Beer and Skittles!

2008-06-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

Well the storms seem to be gone, but we still have rain. Lots of rain. And flash flooding. So much for that trip to the beach. Well, end of year trip will be to the bowling alley. Joy.

Now excuse me, I'm gonna go drown myself in the ditch (it's definatly deep enough for that).

Bad Weather Part Deux

2008-06-07T23:11:00.001-07:00

'Nother tornado warning this afternoon, so I spent most of the day sleeping in the basement, while the dogs tried to hide (quietly thank God) on mom's lap. The forecast says that we'll probably have the same situation tomorrow. I'll be ready in my swimsuit after the torrential rains to take a quick dip in the ditch out back. Freaking thing is nearly a lake now.

IT'S THE APOCALYPSE I TELL YA!

Weather Gets Worse

2008-06-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

So remember how I was upset about the weather before? Yeah, I take it back. Today was probably the STRANGEST weather I have ever encountered in my life (so far anyways).

As I got on the bus after school today, the sky had gotten really dark, kinda charcoal grey, and over the school speakers they'd announced to the staff and faculty that we were under a tornado warning (there had already been a watch around noon'ish). Stepping outside only reaffirmed that fact; the local tornado sirens were at their peak. The entire bus ride home people kept making jokes about who's house was gonna get hit. I ignored them, got off the bus, and in my obliviousness, didn't realize my mom wasn't home... I get in and the alarm she has in her room is going off, the dogs are freaking out, and I panicing, unsure of what to do. I took both them downstairs (where they nearly drove me crazy) and flicked on the TV. Within a matter of minutes the tornados were out on the lake. We're still under a tornado watch as I type this, but the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and apparently all is supposedly right with the world.

But not for long... MUWAHAHAHAH!!!!

Anywho, as any female on the ART&R forums knows, I recently said yes to one of my friends who asked me out. We're SUPPOSED to go on our first date tonight (through lots of deception of the parents, lol) but apparently my dad and mom were planning on going to see Sex & The City and have stay back with my sister and baby sit the little devil. Damn! So it's either "okay but make sure to take your sister to your movie and we'll go see this" or "no you should stay home and just baby sit". *bangs head against desk*

I think this first date'll have to be postponed.

Damn...

Zombie by The Cranberries

2008-06-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I'd listen to this song for forever and a day if I could.

Sick with Only 3 Days of School Left? Fuuuuuck...

2008-06-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

Well you read it right. I'm sick. Nothing too serious at the moment, but just to be sure, I've been choking down cough drops for the last ten minutes in hopes that my throat doesn't cave in and my head doesn't explode. Sure I've had worse headaches, but come ON! 3 days left and I have a freaking cold!?! Not to mention the stupid weather up here. I know Wisconsin tends to have stupid weather (and especially cold too) but it was nearly 50 today and wet and rainy. In freaking JUNE! What the hell!? I'm supposed to be enjoying my last couple of days trapped in the hell hole know as my school, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, but instead I'm stuck in a pair of jeans and a heavy sweatshirt.

...

DAMN YOU MOTHER NATURE!!!!!

Well, I'm gonna go take some cold medicine, eat, take a shower and try and get some rest. Maybe I can manage to nip this in the bud before it gets worse.