What Are You Doing New Years Eve?

Happy New Year! From my dear friends Zooey and Joe (Kapal! Hahaha)

The Year That Was 2011

Originally I wanted this blog to reflect my geeky side and nothing else. I've taken this moment to change that. I've been debating with myself whether or not I'd be making a new and more accessible blog but ended up getting annoyed at my 'ka-artehan.' I started asking myself, why not this blog? What's wrong with it? Nothing. Just being stupid. With that conclusion, voila! No more separate blogs. Hassle din kasi.


Anyway...


It has been a looong year hasn't it? Looking back, it was a great year. Met some amazing people, strengthened friendships, had my faith tested (in incredibly numerous amounts), loosened up more, relearned old lessons, and got a first-hand experience of just what God's perfect timing actually looks like.


That's just a brief summary of how my 2011 was like. To be honest, I don't actually remember the things that happened earlier in the year but I can say this much at least, there was nothing dull during these past twelve months. 


If ever I asked myself in January what my life would be like by the end of the year, I would never have guessed this. I'm actually a little sad that this year will be ending in a few hours and that another stage in my life is going to start. 2012 is beginning to look like a great challenge and I'm not so eager to face it head on. Thank God for great friends right?

----

Top 10 Lessons Learned in 2011

(not in any particular order)

1. When God's timing presents itself, you'll know it. Step up and present your doubts to God. It helps a lot.
   
2. It takes a lot of courage to be humble when asking for forgiveness. Something I'm still struggling over.
   
3. To unnecessarily worry about things you can't control is a waste of time. It just ends up getting me all irritated.
   
4. That God speaks to us in our prayers. We just have to learn to be still and listen.
   
5. In every season you go through in your life, God provides the means for you to face them if you just allow Him to do it.
   
6. I should learn to be more careful with my words. I find that I'm overly conscious about what I say to other people when the occasion calls for it. Still, there are times when hurtful words just slip out and I go back to point #2.
   
7. Friendship should not be taken lightly.
   
8. Sometimes I get frustrated at my inability to help a friend in need. It takes me a while to understand that the help that friend actually needs is something I can't provide.
   
9. Technology can never replace the intimacy of talking to a person face-to-face.
   
10. Tagish. The word of the decade.

----

I said in my previous post that I would make a summary of the things that happened this year but I ended up with this. Oh well. It's something at least. 

New Year...

...is close! In fact, there's roughly twenty-three hours and fifty minutes left 'til 2012. Can you believe it! 2011 was so eventful for all of us geeks and I hear it's going to get better next year. But alas, I was so NEGLECTFUL. Why the heck did I not blog about all the greatness of 2011? Egads again! I am going to make a summary of it in my next post. MARK MY WORDS!

It. Is. Going. To. Be. DONE.

egads!

I have neglected the blog! What has become of me? Laziness more like. Rather, not much inspiration in me to want to write anything at all. No, scratch that. I'm just lazy. There's actually A LOT to write about. Like me being part of a group making a VN for example. Don't want to write about that here since I want that to be a lengthy post.

That aside, it's November 18 now. So close to Christmas and yet we don't have Christmas decos. My grandmother would be aghast. I wonder...would we ever take the time to decorate?

Steven Paul Jobs, R.I.P.

A lot of people knew Steve Jobs as an amazing computer entrepreneur as well as an inventor. When you hear the word Apple, Steve Jobs isn't that far behind. That's how it is for me. Apple will always be Steve Jobs and vice-versa. It's practically his identifier.

That aside, what I want to thank him for above all others is his involvement with Pixar. It was thanks to him that the animation studio was able to continue from its humble and exhausting beginning to how grand and epic they are today.

Steven Paul Jobs, without you, Pixar would never have had that big break. Thank you. You made my childhood worthwhile. You will be greatly missed.

Steven Paul Jobs

(February 24 1955 - October 5, 2011)

epic epic just so epic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/onelug/

Check out that link! It's the album of OneLug's epic 7 foot tall lego work of art entitled The Last March of the Ents. I can't even imagine the amount of time they had to work on this. This is amazing.

alma

A freaky short about dolls. Really well done. This is alma by Rodrigo Blaas.

Rayearth

Magic Knight RayEarth

adapted by: http://come.to/animesl
~animoni~

Kami’y narito asahan niyong magtatanggol
Makikipaglaban…para sa kapayapaan
Ang lahat ng nilalang dito ay may karapatan
(sa magandang bukas!)
Kung merong nanggugulo ay wag mag-alala
Kami ang dakilang tagapagtangol nyo,
sa lahat ng oras
Handa kaming tumulong…
Ang aming mga kapangyarihan,alay sa karapatan
Kami’y narito asahan nyong magtatanggol,
Makikipaglaban para kapayapaan at kaayusan,
Kami’y asahan nyo
Hanggang sa dulo ng mundo

---

I remember watching this as a child and singing the intro song with these lyrics. Good times. Watching it now with original dubbing and soft subs. :^j

Bleach ch. 460

:^D Look at these guys! Didn't you just miss them!? I sure did.

RELEASE!!!

Found and finished downloading the whole Card Captor Sakura anime series. It feels like it took too long but considering that I just started the torrent last Friday and finished it awhile ago, I think it wasn't too bad. I am SO psyched to watch it all over. One of the best animes EVER.

What if?

My cousin's daughter posted these on her facebook. The 'what if' version of the Harry Potter world where the actors are put in different roles.

Daniel Radcliffe in:

Hufflepuff - He looks like a wee lil' Irish boy who's as persistent as Colin Creevey and seems to be easily surprised. 

Ravenclaw - Kinda reminds me of the boyish good-looks of Cedric Diggory. He looks like a serious guy too. 

Slytherin - Looks like he's sick and/or dying. With that sneer on, it's so tempting to smack him in the face with a broom.

Emma Watson in: 

Hufflepuff - I don't have anything against Bonnie Wright but - at the very least - this was how pretty Ginny Weasley was supposed to be. 

Ravenclaw - A very quiet girl. Somewhat timid but not shy. Would probably end up being one of Cho Chang's friends.

Slytherin - The IT girl. The mean girl. The 'you're the dirt on my shoe so not worth my time,' kind of girl. Queen biatch as it were.

Either way, she's pretty in all the versions. 

Rupert Grint in: 

Hufflepuff - So effeminate. Though I love the red hair, I can't stand that stare. Freaks me out. 

Ravenclaw - Another one of those boyish good-looks kind of face. A little too pretty I think. Is everyone in Ravenclaw this attractive?

Slytherin - Not too bad. Doesn't look as arrogant as Draco but definitely has some swag. The type that stays on the sidelines and gets amused at other people's misery. 

---

How about you? What do you think?

what's taking soooo long?

Most of the mangas I'm reading right now are taking so long to be updated. How I wish it wasn't so but beggars can't be choosers.

Bleach
Naruto
Skip Beat
Kimi ni Todoke

And that's just mentioning a few. So, to alleviate my thirst for manga, I'm re-reading a lot of already finished works. Right now, got Mekakushi no Kuni opened to quench the thirst.

Bravo!!!

I've been re-watching some episodes of Nodame Cantabile since I missed seeing their concertos that were just so nice to listen to. With me being so focused on the music, I actually forgot just how funny the anime was. The randomness of it all and the uniqueness of the characters were so well done. Now I'm contemplating on watching the whole thing instead of select episodes. Might as well, right?

Adieu Ms. Stephanie Brown

So, Batgirl ends at issue 24. What a let down. I don't know all the behind the scenes politics involved in the comic world but I've heard from a friend that a lot of illustrators and writers have quit DC due to the infamous 52-title revamp. This issue proved why. I mean, everything was going so well but they just had to end it like that. Boo to them.

As Stephanie Brown said, "It's only the end if you want it to be." As optimistic as the line suggests, it still makes me sad.

Adieu, oh great sarcastic Ms. Brown. You shall be missed.

Early Entry

Just got my congratulatory e-mail for early entry in Pottermore! :-D My happiness ratio for the day is overflowing.

~0~

Day 1 Clue 

How many breeds of owl are featured on the Eeylops Owl Emporium sign?

Answer: 5

Multiply this number by 49.

Solution: 245

Day 2 Clue

What is the number of the chapter in which Professor McGonagall cancels the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff?

Answer: 14

Multiply this number by 42.

Solution: 588

(Note: if you read the Day 2 clue in a language other than English you would have been asked to multiply the answer by a different number to ensure you saw the right language page.)

Day 3 Clue

In the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match, in Harry’s third year, how many points is Gryffindor leading by before Harry catches the Golden Snitch?

Answer: 60

Multiply this number by 35.

Solution: 2100

Day 4 Clue

How many students take part in the Triwizard Tournament during Harry’s fourth year?

Answer: 4

Multiply this number by 28.

Solution: 112

Day 5 Clue

What is the house number of the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix in Grimmauld Place?

Answer: 12

Multiply this number by 21.

Solution: 252

Day 6 Clue

How many chapters are there in HARRY POTTER and the Half-Blood Prince? 


Answer: 30

Multiply this number by 14.

Solution: 420

Day 7 Clue

How many Deathly Hallows are there?

Answer: 3

Multiply this number by 7.

Solution: 21

~0~

Reading this:
http://cassandraclare.livejournal.com/57281.html

If you haven't read CoG then don't read it. But otherwise, go ahead. It might make you blush :-D

things that annoy me in...

Mangas


(Not in any particular order)
1. Unnecessary nudity.
    Must be for fan service. Solution, to stay clear away from the types of genre boasting it.

2. Unexplained attraction to an irritating character.
    You know those types? The very naive, spineless, and - let's not forget - clumsy heroines. Wham bam, for some reason, the lead guy is inexplicably enamored because she's so unique. Go figure.

3. Cliff-hangers
    T_T ..... nuff said

4. The Sudden Death
    It's not what you think. When I say 'Sudden Death,' it stands for the sudden, abrupt ending of a good story that leaves you hanging.

5. Poor grammar
    But beggars can't be choosers can they?

6. The unending cliche
    Actually, I don't mind the good ol' cliche but it really depends on the execution of the story. Some mangakas nowadays give a good dose of drama that more than make up for it.

7. Art
    I'm not very critical about this but some styles just don't work for me.

[More to be added when I recall them]

five, forty-eight

I was reading Naruto again just now and this just about broke my heart.

I love this guy. :'-s

Bleach ch. 459

I can't even! FINALLY, Rukia shows herself! Can't wait to see the others!!! Woohoooo! :D

❤❤❤

in which Zeus declares rain

It's been raining almost nonstop for about three weeks now. I've been re-reading Percy Jackson books too. It seemed apropos. Incidentally, the god Apollo has had no chance to show his grandeur what with the weather so dismal. Interestingly enough, Apollo's also the Greek god of medicine (besides Asclepius) and a lot of people are sick now. Hygieia, daughter of Asclepius and goddess of health, has her work cut out for her.

But I digress. I don't even believe in Greek gods. Still, the rain...

I like the rain. Even with all the problems the rain is giving me right now, I still love the rain. I just wished it wasn't so hard to travel in it.

Now listening to Rent. It's gonna be a slow a day.

posts

I feel bad for not posting recently. Haven't found the inspiration to do it these days even after watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 and Captain America (both of which are quite good I assure you). I'll get to posting lots eventually. Maybe if I get another Pottermore account :-)

Pottermore

Ok. I'm a fan and because of it, all this Pottermore hype is getting to me.

Ever since this showed up, I've been extremely excited like you wouldn't believe. I'm actually really glad about this site. I can't take the idea that Harry Potter is over. Even after watching Deathly Hallows part 02 I still feel like there's more to come. That being said, I wonder if it's ok to have more than one Pottermore account? O.O

Harry Potter

Like I said from the previous post, I still haven't watched the last Deathly Hallows movie. I just thought that after watching that, I'd rehash all the movies and post the things I wished were in the films that were in the books. That seems like a fun thing to do.

boo!!!

Still haven't watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2!

loli galore

So I finally watched the animes I dled last week. I'm a bit lazy right now so I'm not going to be adding screen caps in this entry like I did previously with Sacred Seven and Ikoku Meiro no Croisée. Before I get on with it though, just wanted to mention something I noticed with this season's anime. There are a lot of loli characters with the new set of animes and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about that. That aside, I'm just going to dive into this and get on with the reviews of the anime I posted last time plus three more that I just recently dled.

(Production I.G is best known for works like Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire, and FLCL. Clamp is best known for Magic Knight Rayearth, Card Captor Sakura, and xxxHolic)

So, there was speculation whether or not the Saya here was the same as the Saya from Blood+. That being said, "Can I watch this without having watched Blood+?" Yes, you can. In fact, if I didn't know anything about Blood+, I wouldn't have known to compare them. They're similar in a sense that she's fighting those Teropterid beasts and Saya's amazingly adept at killing these monsters even though she appears clumsy and ditzy in the day. Also, the characters are so Clamp-like that it's hard not too compare them with previous Clamp characters. And, for those Clamp veterans, you also won't be able to help yourselves and notice that the girls actually have boobs! 

It's tempting to go off tangent so I have to now force myself to recall what I actually liked from this anime. First off, the animation is pretty good. With a pair like Production I.G and Clamp, it's easy to see why. Too little was actually shown about the characters making it hard for me to decide if I like anybody yet so I'm saving that for the next two episodes. The fight scene was great. Lots of blood and kick ass moves. Other than that, nothing but curiosity would pull me back to watch this again. It's great and all, but I'm hoping that it won't end up as a total let down.

(Feel studio is best known for anime titles like Honey and Clover, Da Capo, and Kissxsis)

*sigh* Let me summarize this whole episode. Boy has mother and sister who are addicted to martial-arts/wrestling leaving him to be their punching bag causing him some serious trauma and fear against women. Once in school, daughter of the principal is introduced with a butler. Boy later finds out butler is a woman. Blackmail ensues to keep gender of butler under wraps and there you have it. Thinking back on it, I'm somewhat irritated at watching this. When a person's bored, he/she hopes for nothing but entertainment when he/she decides to watch something. This episode left a lot to be desired. It's predictability and overuse of plot is making me rethink on continuing with this anime but I'm giving it two more episodes before completely deciding if I should drop this or not. 

(Bones is best known for Wolf's Rain, Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha, and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Whenever Bones releases an anime, I find myself attracted to their art style and animation with plot coming afterwards. This was no different. Plus, what interested me more was finding the two lead characters looking so different from the image up there with Shion looking younger with brown hair and Nezumi with a more ratty (no pun intended) appearance to him. Admittedly, the whole futuristic thing leaves me a bit cautious as to where this might lead but with the first episode giving off an even paced story-telling, I don't mind sitting back and finding out where this show is going to lead. 

The plot does intimidate for those against anything sci-fi and even the interactions of the characters seem to give a lot of foreshadowing even on the first episode. From all the anime I watched from Bones, intricate plot twists are the norm. So, if you're against drama, complicated political intrigue, and character death, I suggest not watching this. Then again, I just might be predicting what's not there. Watch at your own risk.

(A-1 is best known for Fairy Tail, Working!!, and Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai)

The setup of the first episode goes very similar to the game. Personally, I wouldn't know since I've never played it before but if you've played enough RPG and whatnot, you'll understand what I mean. The episode starts off with a brief introductory spiel about Idols (as in Japanese superstars). Then, from there, the show goes off on a series of character introductions of the talents working under a certain agency. The whole thing was done in a cameraman's POV and you get a certain feel of how the talents are going about their training as future idols. 

Though the episode was somehow off-putting for me, it still made me watch it out of curiosity. To be honest though, if this series continues in that particular POV styled editing, then I probably won't continue to watch it. Actually, even if it wasn't, the plot isn't something I'm interested in and there's a high possibility of this show being dropped. For those who like 'kawaii' characters though, you gotta see this.

(Production I.G is best known for works like Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire, and FLCL.)

I like this. I've read the manga and it brings me great joy to find that the characters are drawn exactly like how they look like in the manga. The art actually works for the story and seeing how similar it is to the original work makes it easier to watch this. Without having watched three episodes of this anime, I am sure I'll be continuing to see this without further encouragement. Though the animation style is a bit odd, the plot really is sweet.

(A-1 is best known for Fairy Tail, Working!!, and Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai)

DROPPED. I couldn't. I really couldn't stomach watching this. Lots of bishies, sure, but I just gave up. First few minutes of it and I just stopped the whole thing. Sorry. If you like reverse harem types, go ahead. If you liked La Corda d'Oro, then go ahead. As for me, I'm out.

(Zexcs is best known for: Kamichu!, Rental Magica, and My-HiMe)

Let me start by saying this. I really dislike anime with characters having neon colored hair and other pastel colored themes. Not enough shadows and the colors just make everything seem ridiculous. Just to get things straight, I don't hate pastel colors in an anime but the overuse of it is just irritating. I got that vibe when watching this anime. BUT, surprisingly, I actually liked it. For a somewhat loli-type anime, this has lots of blood and gore and this is just the first episode! That, for me, is reason enough to continue this. The characters still need a bit of work but the plot seems promising. If you're squeamish against violent scenes, then don't watch this anime. If you're not, go for it. You might end up liking it too.

(JC Staff is best known for: Shakugan no Shana, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun and Kaichou wa Maid-sama!)

Beware! This anime is 40+ minutes long and heavy on the drama. It's not for kids. There's no porn or anything but the issues are kind of adult so I highly discourage the kids on watching this. As far as crime-drama goes, this was ok. I just felt a bit shortchanged at the end. The mystery the "NEET detective" was solving was getting so hyped up every minute of the episode that once I finally got to the end, it wasn't all that great. I was expecting more hoopla but the big reveal was just...bleh. The characters didn't seem to mesh well together, the females mainly bullies, and the male protagonist a pushover. That's not entirely true but that's what I got from the episode. I hope it gets better though. I had high expectations for this anime and I'm disappointed it fell short. Here's to hoping!

(AIC PLUS+ is best known for: Nyan Koi!, Ah! My Goddess, and co-produced Seto no Hanayome with Gonzo)

Lots of females and female cat persons. That's what I thought at first but it wasn't that bad. Despite all my critique of bad and good, I'm actually easily entertained. The surplus of all the cuteness in this anime was enough incentive for me to see this. Again, for those who love 'kawaii' things, watch this. It's lighthearted and it's enough to make a person smile. The lightheartedness of it makes it easy to have all the numerous characters to be introduced and still not feel overwhelmed. Besides, this is the type of anime that does not involve much thinking. It's a nice change to all those animes with a serious plot. 

Finally, there goes my shortened review of all nine episodes I watched recently. Currently waiting for a few more new ones. Oh, and before I forget to mention, Sacred Seven seems to have redeemed itself. The plot is promising and the action just gets better. I can't believe I'm saying this but, I'm looking forward to the next episode. Combat butler and maids aside, it's actually quite good.

That's all :D

teaser

The Dark Knight Rises - teaser poster

Need I say more?

huwat?

 Haven't been going online for the past few days and was surprised and frustrated at the number of new animes that came out while I was away. Now, I'm downloading six new shows and hopefully would get a chance to like at least one of them.

(Production I.G is best known for works like Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire, and FLCL. Clamp is best known for Magic Knight Rayearth, Card Captor Sakura, and xxxHolic)

 (Feel studio is best known for anime titles like Honey and Clover, Da Capo, and Kissxsis)

 (Bones is best known for Wolf's Rain, Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha, and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

 (A-1 is best known for Fairy Tail, Working!!, and Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai)

(Production I.G is best known for works like Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire, and FLCL. Clamp is best known for Magic Knight Rayearth, Card Captor Sakura, and xxxHolic) 

(A-1 is best known for Fairy Tail, Working!!, and Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai)

The net's slow today. Nevertheless, hope the downloads finish soon so that I could watch these animes already.

why bother writing if nobody even reads it?

It's therapeutic? It's like I'm reading to entertain myself. What's so bad about that?

new anime

I make it a point to watch new anime whenever it comes out. This season's line-up is just starting to pop up and I don't really check out everything. Just those that seem promising to alleviate from the boredom. Yesterday, there were two titles that I checked out.

First it was this:

Yeah, the picture alone should have discouraged me but I gave it the benefit of the doubt since it was made by Sunrise (just so you know: they're mostly responsible for the Gundam franchise). So, okay, dled it and watched it.

Typical pretty boy. Reminds me of the Code Geass characters. This is Tandoji the protagonist of the story.

That dude there is the bad guy. What is he and what does he do? Well, he's a stone statue that goes after these gems of power and takes it for itself. He beams people with the powerful stare of the medusa head he's holding and turns people into stone. So, it's fine right? I don't mind. But then, things turn strange.

Friggin' maids start to block off the road! Obviously, only a high-powered, rich individual can afford such a luxury. So, enter rich girl with combat-esque butler!

Yeah, you get the picture. Ok, sorry. I might be getting off tangent here. To be honest, I don't really know what to say about this anime. It's painfully predictable, easily forgotten, and just silly. The animation was good, of course - what with Sunrise being the makers - but the story leaves a lot to be desired. Going to give this one three more episodes before I decide if I should just give up on this. First episode was a big disappointment.

(Redeeming quality perhaps? You should be the judge of that.)

The next anime I saw was more promising. 

The setting alone won me over. I love period pieces. The network that decided to take on this project did animes like Shugo Chara, Gene Shaft, and Fairy Tail. This anime is based on the manga of the same title and story. If you love France during the 1800s like I do, this will be something to enjoy just to see the sights alone.

The setting of the story revolves around a shopping district where the ironwork shop owned by one of the protagonists is located.

The backdrops in the anime are so picturesque that it helps that the characters are drawn simply. The blending of the two only helps along with the story. But, for me, the highlight of this episode was when Yune, one of the stars of the series, is introduced.

Kawaii!! She looks like a doll. Even the people in the anime think she looks like a doll. Meanwhile, the lead guy is a young man by the name of Claude.

I don't want to get too into it in fear of causing too much spoilers. Suffice it to say, the first episode was a lighthearted introduction into the characters' lives. It's really nice to watch their interactions with each other. The cultural differences of the two even play a major role in the story. Sad to say that I haven't read the manga counterpart of this so I can't give you a comparison between the two but that will soon be remedied.

This anime has a nice, downplayed feel to it compared to other real-life-genre animes probably because of the era of the story. Everything is slow-paced and somewhat genial and if you don't want much action but would settle more for the drama, I think this would be a good show to check out.

just watching telly

Turned on the television this morning and suddenly found myself curiously watching a dokyu in HBO titled Trekker. Obviously, it's about Star Trek fans and the ST conventions, paraphernalia, and whatnot. Mostly they showed Trekky fans (hardcore ones at that) going about their daily lives in their Trekky uniforms. I bet when some people watched that, they thought, "Man, these guys need to get a life" or "Wow, weirdos." For me, I thought they were SO COOL. The dedication and time they put into it are amazing. I can't imagine showing my devotion to something I love like that. Then again, when I think of Supernatural, I would LOVE to go to a convention all rock salt, holy water, and sawed off shotgun ready and be done with it. That would just be epic.

happy dorks

This was taken during this summer's PGA worship camp. Hope the gif works :s

chit-chatting

I had a good dose of whispered conversations with two of my friends today. Or rather, last night. To be more accurate, just a few hours ago. Anyway, not gonna be writing down what we talked about but just wanted to say that I felt that next time I have to make an effort to be the one to share stories instead. It's not because I feel a sense of self-importance. It's just that, it doesn't feel right that I know so much about them but they don't know much about me. They even hinted that it was my turn to tell them something about my life.

Note to self: Make an effort.

Dean Winchester

So, I came across something a fan posted about Dean Winchester's looks being downplayed by the TV network and that they want him to be more rugged and not so pretty.

Pictures of Dean from Season 1

Pictures of Dean from Season 6

Frown more pronounced, face looking angrier, but still looking oh-so-gorgeous. He can't help it. Teeth more gritted, Dean Winchester goes on about trying to save a post apocalyptic world with his brother, Sam. I hardly think that looks should matter with things that hectic and complicated. Either way, I don't really care. Still love Dean.