Monthly Archives: August 2008

Blog 158 > Deconstructing Danny – Part 3

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“You will know… when you are calm, at peace, passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack… No, no, there is no why. Nothing more will I teach you today. Clear your mind of questions.”
~ Master Yoda, Star Wars Episode V.

Previously in Part 2 [Link]

  • Mish [waves]: Hi Katt!
  • Katt [waves back]: Hey Mish! Wow, I like the red!
  • Mish [touches her hair]: Thanks. Just had it done. Hi Takeshi.
  • Tack: Hey Michelle. Looks really good!
  • Mish [smiles]: Thanks… So what’s so funny? I could hear u guys all the way from the library.
  • K: Haha, it’s nothing. Just some stupid guy talk.
  • Mish: U sure?
  • K: Yeah, we’re sure.
  • T: We’re stupid. Can’t u tell?
  • Mish: U guys aren’t stupid. Just “otaku”.
  • K [shocked]: Hey! When did u learn to use that word?
  • Mish: What? Otaku? U guys taught me that just the other day!
  • K and T [look at each other]: …
  • T [turns to Mish]: Really?
  • Mish: U forgot already?
  • T: Ahhh, wait… Oh yeah! The mall!
  • K: Hmmm, that’s right.
  • Mish: Yeah! U know, sometimes I think u two are hopeless.
  • K: Yeah.
  • T: Well, u just missed Jimi. She practically yelled at us.
  • Mish: Hehe, but Jimi’s too cute.
  • K: If u say so.
  • Mish: Anyway… I meant to ask u, since you’re the experts.
  • K: Sure. Go ahead.
  • Mish: Do u know where I can find some cute cat-ears?
  • K and T [look at each other]: …
  • K and T [together]: Hahaha!
  • Mish [confused]: What? What’s so funny?

Part 3

  • Tack [laughs]: Haha, so u haven’t seen Jimi yet?
  • Mish: Ummm, nooo. Why? What? She isn’t wearing cat-ears around campus, is she?
  • Katt [smiles]: Yup, u got it!
  • Mish: Nooo wayyy! You’re joking, right?
  • T: Would we joke?
  • Mish [thinks]: But now that I think about it, it definitely fits her. Hopping down the hall. Skipping up the steps…
  • T: Scratching our eyes out.
  • K: Haha, no question. Unfortunately…
  • Mish: Unfortunately?
  • K [turns, winks at T]: You’re right. We were joking.
  • Mish: What!?!
  • T [nods at K, turns to Mish]: Haha, yeah, you’re such an easy target!
  • Mish [smacks K’s shoulder]: I can’t believe u guys. Really, I can’t believe u.
  • T [laughs]: What? Didn’t u just say we were hopeless?
  • Mish: I was just being polite.
  • K: Haha, polite? How is that being polite?
  • T: Hahaha!
  • Mish [looks down]: Forget it. I’ll ask somebody else.
  • K: Hey wait, wait.
  • T: Come on, Mish, we’re just teasing. So why do ya need cat-ears?
    Continue reading →

Blog 157 > My Anime Roommate?

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So what do u do when the summer is so hot that your female roommate starts walking around the house in her panties? Answer: Nothing, since u can’t change her mind anyway. Then again, it’s no big deal for me to sit at my laptop in my boxers. Hence, it’s no big deal for Lisa either, lol. >_<

In fact, today, it suddenly hit me that Kallen from “Code Geass” reminds me of Lisa. Not only in their similar swings of melancholy, confidence, lovesickness and cheerfulness, but also in their variety of outfits, even their reddish hair. I mean, if she really wanted to, Lisa could definitely cosplay as Kallen! But I doubt she even knows what cosplay is. Too bad, lol. For more on the history of Lisa, check out my Blog 123 > Frumpy Orange Photoshoot and Blog 145 > Vegas in July.

As for myself, who do *I* resemble? See answer below, lol. >_< Continue reading →

Blog 156 > Deconstructing Danny – Part 2

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“But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.”
~ Master Yoda, Star Wars Episode V.

Previously in Part 1 [Link]

  • Jimi [points]: I think you’re both wrong.
  • Katt [surprised]: Oh shit! Where’d u come from?
  • Jimi: Huh? I was sitting right there. U just didn’t realize it. As usual.
  • K: Yeah, whatever.
  • Jimi: Hmmm, wasn’t Tack here a second ago?
  • Tack [runs back, blushes]: I’m here! I’m here! Hey Jimi.
  • Jimi: Hey Tack.
  • K [annoyed]: Christ, are u cosplaying again?
  • Jimi [sighs]: Why do guys always ask me that? Just because I’m wearing cat-ears doesn’t mean I’m cosplaying. I just couldn’t find my other hair-band, okay?
  • K: And the mini-skirt?
  • Jimi: So now I can’t wear a mini-skirt? It’s the only thing that matched my outfit. Jeez!
  • T [blushes]: I think it’s cute.
  • Jimi: Thank u, Tack. I think so too.
  • K: Wait a second.
  • T and Jimi: What?
  • K: You said we’re “both wrong”? How’s that?
  • T: Both wrong about what?
  • K: She said we’re both wrong about Danny. Right?
  • Jimi: Exactly.
  • T: What? How can we be BOTH wrong?
  • Jimi: Because I’m right.
  • K and T [look at each other]: Huh? Explanation please?

Part 2

  • Jimi [sighs]: You guys were talking about popularity and enjoyment and sensitivity…
  • Tack: What’s wrong with…
  • Katt [shrugs]: Yeah, so?
  • J [sits]: Oh god, u guys sound like old ladies. Did u exchange apple-pie recipes too?
  • K and T: …
  • Jimi: Reality is much darker than that.
  • K: You’re wearing cat-ears and you’re gonna talk to us about reality?
  • T: Hahaha, good one.
  • Jimi: Who else? Because like every other guy, you’re too distracted, or too stupid, to figure it out. Playing with your little dolls. Lifting up their little skirts. And peeking at their little panties. Awww, how cute.
  • K [annoyed]: Christ, here she goes again.
  • T [blushes]: They’re called figures…
  • Jimi [ignores them]: But since you’re not as stupid as other guys, I’ll tell u anyway. Because u…
  • Jimi and K [at the same time]: …don’t have a choice.
  • K: Yeah, we got it, we got it. Are u gonna tell us?
    Continue reading →

Blog 155 > Holy Crap, I Got Carded!

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Hey, holy crap, listen to this! This afternoon, Saturday (23 Aug 2008), I went grocery shopping like I always do. Got my food, got my drinks, even picked up another bottle of white zinfandel to help me sleep at night (NaTasha’s suggestion, lol). Just so u know, I’ve never been a regular drinker, and when I was younger and heavier, I looked much older, so ID-checking has very rarely come up.

But when that bottle of wine reached the checkout lady (she was cute for someone who looked to be in her 40s, possibly 50s, but definitely not absent-minded or elderly), do you know what she did? She carded me! Hahaha, yup, she actually asked for my ID! And for the reasons above, I think this was the second time I’ve ever been carded in my life! ^_^

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Blog 154 > Starting From Scratch

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Yeah! After Puppy-Chun’s blog post triggered my long-time Amazon wish, I finally received my silver “Wacom Bamboo Fun” tablet on Thursday (21 Aug 2008), lol. Then with the artsy addition of Orange-Mimi’s blog post, I started playing around with the tablet on Friday. Unfortunately, my digital efforts were so pathetic, they weren’t even worth saving. T_T;

Hence, after years of using my trackball mouse, I finally came to the realization that *before* I could pursue experiments on the tablet, I needed to re-acquire at least *some* of my lost pencilling skills. So what did I do? I started from scratch. Doodling. Sketching. Practicing. With pen on paper. With a bit more focus than I’ve had in years. Not much, but a bit more. As u can see (at the bottom), I’ve got a long way to go…

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Blog 153 > Deconstructing Danny – Part 1

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“I’m taking an awful risk, Vader. This had better work.”
~ Governor Tarkin, Star Wars Episode IV.

Part 1

  • Tack [smiling]: Hey Katt! What’s up?
  • Katt [lazily]: Hey, not much…
  • T: What’s wrong? U sound bummed…
  • K: I just visited DannyChoo.com this morning. He had another figure post…
  • T: Sounds cool!
  • K: …mixed with some of his inspirational wisdom again.
  • T [confused]: What’s wrong with that? U like those, don’t u?
  • K [nods]: Yeah, I do. Usually I do. But something bugged me this time…
  • T: Oh, really?
  • K: Yeah…
  • T: What’s that?
  • K: Well, u know that Cosby quote that Danny always likes to reference?
  • T: Oh yeah, something like “…the secret to failure is trying to please everybody.” Yeah?
  • K [nods]: Yeah… Actually, it’s pretty similar to that Lincoln quote “… can’t please all of the people all of the time”, yada yada.
  • T: Hey, that’s true! So what about it?
  • K: Well, I got to thinking about it… If Danny isn’t trying to please everybody, why does he keep on floating his polls and requests for opinions, et cetera. Isn’t he trying to please everyone?
  • T [laughs]: No way! Come on, Katt! Wait, you’re talking about his new portal design, right? He’s definitely not doing that.
  • K: Are u sure?
  • T [nods]: Yeah! He’s just trying to design the best experience for regular and potentially-regular visitors. But not ALL his visitors.
  • K: Huh? Potentially regular?
  • T: Sure! Why would Danny want to keep new readers who didn’t like figures or anime?
  • K: Yeah, that makes sense.
  • T: Not only that, if he wanted to please ALL his readers, he’d design his site for IE6, IE5, IE4… But that would be stupid.
  • K [nods]: Yeah… Or he could just be lazy, and not make the time to be backward-compatible.
  • T: Hahaha, good one. I guess that makes us ALL lazy, hahaha.
  • K [laughs]: Hahaha, yeah… I dunno.
  • T: What?
  • K: It still bugs me.
  • T: Really?
    Continue reading →

Blog 152 > Afro Samurai Attack!

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Finally! A little late, but who cares? Some 18-19 months after its original broadcast, I’ve finally finished my 25th anime title of the year: “Afro Samurai”. Stylishly violent and almost-romantically post-apocalyptic, this 5-episode gem paints quite a refreshingly retro-futuristic view of hell-on-earth, life-long revenge, and inexplicable survival. Haha, Samuel L. Jackson voices the titular lead as well as his babbling sidekick, and why not? A bad-ass playing a bad-ass. Nuff sed, lol. Despite the brevity of the miniseries, the revealing flashbacks cast a shadowy depth to a seemingly simplistic quest. Quite impressive. Four of five stars. Can’t wait for the second season!

Now that that’s outta the way, time for some red-eyed ranting, lol.

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Blog 151 > Christine the Blade – Part 3

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Well, yesterday (Saturday), spent a few hours experimenting with a new “Blade” design; integrated (1) previously drawn art, (2) recently downloaded Photoshop brushes, and (3) new geometric elements. And I’m definitely pleased with the results! But pleasing Melanie and Christine is an entirely different matter, lol.

On a more puzzling note…

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Blog 150 > Colonel Panic!

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Yeah-yeah, I know I’m cheating, lol. But Danny’s post “Kernel Panic” is another gem. Besides, if Danny can hijack my posts, then maybe I can hijack his? No? Meanwhile my comment was as follows. LOL.

The BSOD is pretty rare on my 2-year-old Dell/XP laptop. But forget about that~ Wouldn’t it make a *great* anime name? Colonel Panic! Colonel Panic! Where’s Lieutenant Distress? ^_~

Blog 149 > Britannia Versus Galactica

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Ah, finally caught up! Yup, over the last 5 days, caught up with the last 18 weeks of “Code Geass R2” (scheduled for about 26 episodes). Still such an ambitious and wide-sweeping storytelling scope! And just like the supernatural chess-match strategies in “Death Note”, still one of the most-intellectually engaging 5-star series in recent years. But if there’s any downside to such a broad tapestry of characters, it’s the relative lack of any resonating emotional depth among specific characters… so far. Thankfully, now that I’m caught up, the threat of spoilers has been drastically reduced, hehe. ^_^

However, while “Code Geass R2” and Lelouch have been magnificent, a half-hour anime can’t compete with the best one-hour live-action sci-fi dramas on television.

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Blog 148 > Lelouch Commands You

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“Jump complete!” Well, after a Saturday of exporting XML data from my old WordPress 2.0 “Toybox”, installing the latest WordPress 2.6 “Toybox”, duplicating the template, importing the XML into the new template, then a Sunday of (category, link and post) cleanup, I’ve finally upgraded to the newest version of WordPress.org! So hopefully, this blog will feel a little less glitchy and a little bit quicker. ^_^;

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Blog 147 > Christine the Blade – Part 2

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Hey, this time, she’s finally finished! Remember my *Blade* black-white art almost a month ago? Well, here’s the color version! Like I’ve mentioned many times, *Blade* is based on the Muay Thai (kickboxing) fighter Christine Toledo, commissioned by Alias Fight Wear, and obviously drawn in an anime style, lol.

But a couple weeks ago in July, I met Christine for the first time and saw my first Christine fight! So here’s my photo story, lol. ^_^;

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Blog 146 > Human Pets & Masters

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Hey, ever heard of Human Pets?… If you haven’t, it’s a community which was born within the Facebook network, where humans buy, sell, feed and pet other “human” pets (or themselves), and have a fun time being animals, lol. But because this is gonna be a weird multi-topic post, I’ll leave the “Human Pets” for last, haha.

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