Blog 185 > Wikis & Evangelion Gothlolis

Dammit! Seems like my posts are taking longer and longer to assemble, lol. But no worries. It’s worth it. Including this week. Not only do we dive into the wretched world of Wikis, Wikipedia and Wookieepedia, we also float along a WordPress upgrade, and wade through a massive photoshoot of Evangelion Gothlolis, both red-haired and blue-haired. Did I mention Danny Choo too? Yup, no doubt, it’s a three-headed mega-post. But you know why? Ahh, to celebrate something else… My final figure. Interested?

From Wiki to Wookieepedia. Let’s start off with Danny Choo. Back in June 2008, you may remember my Blog 135 or Danny Choo post detailing the April deletion of the Wikipedia article “Danny Choo” for failing to meet certain “notability” guidelines. Well, during my random Wiki clicks over the last week, I found that not only was the article still “deleted”, but it was further deleted from both DOSGuy‘s Wiki pages and from the Deletopedia archives. Gone. Disappeared. Destroyed.

What? Why? Well, I have no clue. But like any decent Googler, I found an older version of the Wiki article saved on Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki, haha. Thank you LtNOWIS for your quick thinking back in April! Luckily, all that was missing were (1) the Trend Day 2008 conference at which Danny spoke and (2) the CNN feature on Danny and his father. So once I added those back in, the article was as good as new. Quite fitting. Saved by the Star Wars Empire, lol.

 


An Impressive WordPress. Now let’s press on to WordPress, lol. For those who don’t already know, I’ve been using WordPress.org since WP 2.0 in November 2006 [Blog 001] via GoDaddy hosting. But after almost two years, I finally ditched the buggy WP 2.0, and upgraded to WP 2.6 in August 2008 [Blog 148]. It was painless because instead of fiddling with the /toybox/ directory, I chose the one-click GoDaddy installation of WP 2.6 in a new /toyboxx/ directory. Now when WP 2.7 was launched in December, I hesitated because I wanted to avoid another directory. But more importantly, I didn’t want to go through the annoying hassle of backing up, deleting folders and files, then uploading replacements. Ugh. Why fix something that ain’t broke? So I forgot about it.

That is, until a few days ago. Yup, Justin nagged me with the GUI and future-upgrade benefits, haha. Okay, he didn’t nag me, but he did remind me. So I did some Googling. To my surprise, I found that GoDaddy offered a one-click upgrade from WP 2.6 to 2.7! Damn, how awesome is that? In fact, after the click, it only took 15 minutes for the upgrade installation! Here’s the screen-by-screen process below. First, I logged into the GoDaddy Hosting Connection.

WordPress Upgrade

Next, I noticed the link “WordPress Update Available”. Beneath that, I clicked the “WordPress” (Installed) link.

WordPress Upgrade

My current WordPress 2.6 is displayed. But above it, there’s another notice to “Install This Update”. So I clicked.

WordPress Upgrade

Here is the three-step process. I clicked to submit the request.

WordPress Upgrade

Here is the notification of my submitted request.

WordPress Upgrade

I checked back to see this “Pending Patch” status.

WordPress Upgrade

I checked back again to see the “WordPress 2.6.2” with “Pending Patch” status.

WordPress Upgrade

Then within 15 minutes, I checked back to see that “WordPress 2.7” was installed!

WordPress Upgrade

Finally, I logged into my WordPress.org account to find that it looks identical to my WordPress.com account. Nice.

WordPress Upgrade

For a flashback, here’s the old WP 2.6 look.

WordPress Upgrade

For an even older flashback, here’s the ancient WP 2.0 look, haha.

WordPress Upgrade

There you have it. I am now upgraded to WordPress.org 2.7. As painless as painless can be. By the way, congratulations to Lene-chan and Puppy-Chun on your recent moves to WP 2.7, and kudos to Meimi132, TT-chan and countless others for using WP.com. Umm, sorry to say that Blogger looks like a dying breed, hehe. And if we can believe the hype, upgrading to WP 2.8 and above will be even easier! It’s a beautiful thing. Well, other than anime figures. Speaking of which, lol.


Final Rei of Light. For the third and final part of our show, we come to our main event! The Gothloli Girls of Evangelion, Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley, lol. In fact, the “Gothloli Rei” at the top of this post is my 92nd and *final* anime figure. Yup, final. Final Rei. Final figure. That is, I don’t plan to make any further figure purchases for a long time, if not forever. Obviously, I can’t predict the future, but that’s my current plan until my financial situation blossoms, lol. So to celebrate this *farewell*, let’s bring out all 4 of my Evangelion Gothloli girls in this mega-photoshoot.

Part 1 of 3. Here is the first pair. My 34th figure in December 2006, blue-haired “Gothloli Rei” is in 1/6th-scale polystone-resin, who also appeared in my Blog 042. And my 70th figure in January 2008, red-haired “Gothloli Asuka” is also in 1/6th-scale polystone-resin. Both were sculpted by Suzu (Atomic-bom) and manufactured by Amie-Grand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Part 2 of 3. Here is the second pair. My 22nd figure in August 2007, red-haired “Gothloli Asuka” is in 1/6th-scale PVC. Haha, in this photoshoot, she is the *genuine* version of the *fake* Asuka who appeared in my Blog 085. And as I mentioned earlier, here is blue-haired “Gothloli (Noir) Rei”, my 92nd and final figure in January 2009 (seven months after I first ordered her!), also in 1/6th-scale PVC. Both were sculpted by Naoki Nishimura and manufactured by Kotobukiya.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Part 3 of 3. Finally, for the final part of our main event, I present “Gothloli (Noir) Rei” by herself. She is undoubtedly exquisite. I don’t even think the hat was necessary, lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well? Got any favorites? Ahh, I love this last photo. But overall, I really like how the black-and-white backgrounds worked out. Yeah, especially the forest background. Complementing both the black-and-white outfits, making the colors pop out, and at times, enhancing a stark or desolate mood. I also used a mix of techniques. Either with the external flash or the in-built flash. Either with a stand or hand-held without it. As well as the multiple backgrounds. In a nutshell, not bad. But if you’re wondering, just because it’s my last figure, doesn’t mean it’s also my last photoshoot, lol. I’ve still got dozens of boxes unopened and figures unpacked. The problem is precious time. As always. ^_^

44 thoughts on “Blog 185 > Wikis & Evangelion Gothlolis

  1. I only started blogging for real in Dec ’07, and now that I look back I only shifted from Blogger to WordPress (own host, thanks to a free host called Dasaku) in August. That was a long time. Never turned back.

    Also I had no idea anyway if my host provided a one-click update to 2.7, so I waited a while and did it the old-fashioned way – uploaded everything. Had to do it twice for each blog since it kept giving me errors. -_-

    But yes, WordPress is, by far, the best free blogging platform yet out there, and it is well developed and looked after by its users, in terms of plugins.

    Dammit I got Xecty. Wrong elf.

    Panther´s last blog post > My Close Support Maid – Sangou-chan

  2. @O-Dan: Hey thanx dude. Really? Haven’t seen or read “xxxHolic” yet, but if u mean the elongated CLAMP style, then yeah, I know what u mean. Especially with Asuka’s *longness*. Very “Geass”, lol.

    @Panther: Five months doesn’t seem *that* long. But in internet terms, maybe you’re right, lol… Yeah, exactly, the clunky old-fashioned way is why I hesitated for a month or so. But I agree, WordPress keeps improving and surprising me from 2.0 to 2.6 to 2.7. Fortunately, Xecty is waaay smexier, lol.

  3. @Miko-chan: Hehe, sorry, I tried to throw a more *normal* topic into my post. But more *otaku* stuff snuck back in, lol. I’ll try to talk about New York and non-anime news next time. Hopefully. ^_^;

    @Coco-chan: Agreed! They definitely look awesome together. Even separately too. But you gotta consider the background, lighting, and Photoshop-tweaking, right? I mean, a background of pink-polka-dotted battle-cards wouldn’t work, now would it? Haha… Hmmm, I just did a quick Google search. Couldn’t find an illustration for either Rei version. But one’s gotta exist, doesn’t it?

    @Lene-chan: Hahaha, I should’ve guessed! As someone who’s fascinated by demonic thorns-and-ivy, of course you’d be the type to prefer chains… and probably crackling whips too, lol. Am I right? >_<;

  4. @Coco-chan: Haha, I’m glad we agree on the pink… Heyyy, nice memory find! She looks awesome. But I still don’t agree with that hat, lol. Any idea if there’s an illustration of her pose? Even if it’s in a different outfit?

  5. Nice pictures! Did you use your Monitor as background?Those trees look pretty mysterious therefore perfectly fitting.^^

    Hmm that DC stuff is pretty mysterious…I wonder why it disappeared from other sites aswell.I dont think DC was the reason…

    I have a nifty WordPress Update Plugin that does all the nasty work for me ^^

    Blowfish´s last blog post > Dengeki G`s Festival Deluxe Vol.13

  6. @Blowfish: Thanx! Whoa, you can’t tell I’m using a monitor? Awesome, now that’s a definite compliment! Hint~ Compare the close-ups to the wide-shots. Same background?… I agree, that DC Wiki drama is pretty odd. I guess the Wiki folks didn’t think Danny was “notable” enough beyond the internet. But when he gets his “Miracle Mirai” eroge produced, then he’s *automatically* assured of a Wiki article, right?… Wait~ What plugin? Where? Well, it doesn’t matter with WP 2.7+ anymore, but you’re saying u had an upgrade plugin even before 2.7?

    @TT: Aww, thanx! Well, here’s the thing~ The same reason that “keeps u staring” is the exact same reason I had to “keep shooting”, lol. Gotta get *all* the best angles, eh? Once I put them back in their boxes, it’s a bit harder to take them out and photoshoot them again, lol. Definitely, I agree on both points… and I noticed your Fraulein Rin post. I’ll get to her soon! Btw, I have the Figma Rin, haha.

  7. Yo, beautiful photoshoot as usual, x-man! Just can’t get some good figure shoots right without bring out my *lousy* studio /facepalms

    I always wonder, do you have proper lighting system around the house? Like a portable lamp or something? Or maybe it’s your room setting that set the ambience… Need some tips from the pro as you and Danny ever so often take photoshoots from your desks ^^ I’ve got my figma Mikuru sitting on top of the LCD at the office and Nendo Melissa Seraphy on the case and just wishing “Hi” (and wishing none of her master’s colleagues get a hold on her! ^^)

    The same thing crossed my mind about purchasing figures this year. With the economic recession being bad (and the yen increasing every week or so), I sometimes think whether I should continue purchasing figures. The cost of living here in Malaysia is okay, but after I leave my workplace to the college life, it’ll be back to square one again (higher costs). Maybe I should cut back on some figure purchases? Who knows? Maybe if I get a dream freelance job, I can earn the money for new figures! ^^

    jusuchin85´s last blog post > 10 Best Anime Wallpapers – Week 1, 2009

  8. @Coco: Haha, millions? Are u volunteering to search? >_< @J85: Thanx dude. Hmm, let's see, I didn't use it until this "Gothloli" photoshoot, but I have a 500W halogen sitting on the top of my bookshelf about 10 feet away. For the "Edelweiss Fumie" photoshoot, I used a smaller 50W halogen only inches away. But I don't think this helps nearly at much as the external flash unit attached to my Rebel XT. I typically point the flash to the ceiling or to the wall to provide more-indirect but still-ample lighting. Then if that isn't enough, I tweak the brightness in Photoshop, lol... Yeah, the recession. Even without figures, I still need to pay the mortgage and car payments. Though it mostly depends on how passionate u still are about figures, doesn't it?... As for comment-threading, do u mean the nested comments u currently have? I'm not clear on that terminology, lol. ^_^

  9. @xJaymanx: Well I did select the follow up thing last time I commented here, but I never got any emails about replies. So I don’t quite know whats going on there lol.

    And ollway tay ouyay ollway. Did it so parents would not see what I’ve been spending… i.e…too much…. lol Paid £33 for an original BNIP digimon digivice tamagotchi….impulse ofc… don’t regret it yet lol.

    Meimi132´s last blog post > 30,000 views! Thank you!

  10. @M132: Hmm, that sux, lol. But I’ll look into it… Well, so far, I’ve done a few tests, the follow-up seems to be working fine. Hmm, oh well, blog-hopping ain’t so bad, lol… Ahh, I see. Nice anti-parent strategy! LOL @ your “don’t regret it… YET”. >_<

  11. @Kris: Hahaha, I think u mean 8 more to reach 100. That’s about $400-$500 I’d like to hang onto, lol. But isn’t this kinda like telling a chocoholic to eat “just a few more” M&M’s or KitKat’s before officially quitting? LOL, dangerous.

  12. Comment threading is just like what I’ve implemented in my blog. Or a better example would be like Danny’s. The comments are built to allow some sort of discussion/debate for visitors to participate and enjoy.

    A good system, just introduced to WP 2.7. But, don’t really think many will prefer this type of commenting. May ruin the overall design though…but it normally depends. ^^

    I’m planning on getting myself some proper lighting, since the ones I took earlier didn’t turn out that good (no Wow’s and Ooh’s about it). Could be the fluorescent light issue, so I plan to get Halogen just like what you and most people mentioned. Could be a slightly expensive setup, but I hope it will be worth it. ^^

    jusuchin85´s last blog post > 10 Best Anime Wallpapers – Week 2, 2009

  13. @J85: Ah, gotcha. That’s the “nested” comment structure I meant. I’m not sure how I feel about it as an administrator. But as a commenter, it can be annoying finding replies within a nest, as opposed to simply scrolling to the bottom or near-bottom, in a linear fashion. In fact, for purposes of discussion, the “linear” way might allow more commenters to participate. I’ve seen this on my blog, and done this myself on other linear blogs. Conversely, I think nests tend to keep debates within their own nests. But you’re right, it depends. Since DC.com can have 50-100 comments per post, smaller nests might work better.

    Yeah, halogen produces the brightest light for an affordable price. Definitely look into that. Much cheaper than an external flash too, lol. ^_^

  14. I see. Well, I guess different people have different preferences to the system, ya? ^^

    But, what you say is true is another way. Let’s say if people would want to comment and read the last comment and say, “Hey, I agree with you…” or “I oppose to what you say…”, it’s easier to continue the conversation.

    Yeah, I could get halogen, but like I said the prices here in Malaysia is quite steep. Gotta get myself a bargain somewhere. T_T

    jusuchin85´s last blog post > 10 Best Anime Wallpapers – Week 2, 2009

  15. @J85: LOL, yup, to each his (or her) own… Well, if not halogen, u could always steal the power of the actual sun! Then again, the Malaysian sun may not be as consistent as the Vegas sun, lol. P.S. Although it rained here yesterday. >_< @Lene-chan: Haha, I thought u already had a transformation. Into Shadow Trooper-ette, right? (1) Your clothes disintegrate, (2) the black-bondage leather materializes, then (3) the thorns, whips, chains, and black Trooper helmet click into place, right? Don't forget the chains, lol. ^_^

  16. @xjaymanx- I’ll look for it when I go on a Eva-picture searching spree. 8D

    Sorry for the super late reply >.<; I haven’t really checked blogs the past week.

  17. @Coco-chan: Hey, no worries! I think u just replied to four different posts, hehehe… Actually, I found a bunch of Gothic pics from that “Eva” calendar. But not that specific pose, dammit. >_<

  18. @Jem: Yeah, she’s pretty exquisite. Unexpectedly so. But here’s the thing. If u already have the Kotobukiya “Gothloli Asuka”, then the matching Rei would be even *tougher* to overlook. Maybe even irresistible. That’s what happened to me, lol. Proud (sad too, but still proud) to *end* my collection with her. ^_^

  19. What do you mean “end”? Do you not intend on buying more Rei figures in the future. I am not particularly into Rei – which is a byproduct of not being intimate with the details of the series -, but Kotobukiya has another looking Rei maid. I am totally digging the chair that she sits on ~.* Plus, she is maid so win-win for me. I’ve seen Asuka that matches Rei and I like her as well.

    OneandonlyJem´s last blog post > Tweets for Today

  20. @Jem: Ahh, it’s even more dramatic than that, lol…

    “Final Rei of Light. For the third and final part of our show, we come to our main event! The Gothloli Girls of Evangelion, Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley, lol. In fact, the “Gothloli Rei” at the top of this post is my 92nd and *final* anime figure. Yup, final…”

    Hehe, curiously, while Gothloli outfits tend to catch my eye, maids don’t seem to interest me as much. Go figure, lol. Is this the Koto Maid Rei u meant? Maybe if her dress and stockings were black, and her apron was deleted, haha…

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/3202000644_7925c83d48_o.jpg

  21. Maid is total win for me. I am not very fond of gothic punk style. I’ll even do ecchi or overtly sensual/sexual looking women because there are some figures from eroge who have come hither looks and beautiful sculpt to boot. I just really like gorgeous women and my collection, at least I hope, reflects that ideology.

    This is sad that you are not gonna collect anime figures anymore. It sucks because you don’t know what hot and sexy thing is gonna be announced in the future.

    OneandonlyJem´s last blog post > Tweets for Today

  22. @Jem: LOL, yeah, sad in a way. But just cuz I’m *stopping* my collection (for now) doesn’t mean I don’t still have dozens of boxed figures left to open, lol… Ahh, seems like what *maid* is to u, is what *gothloli* is to me… And when u mentioned “ecchi” and “come hither looks”, my “Queens Gate Alice” (by Excellent Model) came to mind! Still haven’t opened her up (pun intended), lol.

  23. *jealous stare* I already prepaid mine, but it is taking forever for her to ship. She was supposed to come out in December supposedly along with my Noir Clalaclan. If you want come hither look, check out Max Factory Another Blood. I really love her and I’m weak to frilly things. <~~~girl comment

    Anyways, 92 figures isn’t so bad to tell you the truth. I have over 300+ and only about 15 of them are actually opened/displayed due to laziness of putting them back in the box and lack of a beautiful cabby. Sorry for cluttering your post with incessant comments. Waaaah

    OneandonlyJem´s last blog post > Tweets for Today

  24. @Jem-chan: Heyyy, lol, why’s everyone giving me the *evil stare*? But wow, that “Another Blood” is almost-unbearably frilly! Hmmm, would this one be frilly enough?

    Damn, 300+?!? All are 1/8th-scale or larger? At one time, 50% of mine were opened. Then when I planned to sell the house, I boxed them all up. But in this obvious real-estate market, I decided to stay put. Hence, only 3 of my Figmas and Kotobukiya “Storm Trooper” are opened and displayed, lol.

    Nahhh, incessant is fine. For now. ^_~

  25. I wanted to buy that Fumie, but decided against it. She is nice, but I had to prioritize over her.

    I have let me see…
    http://figure.tsuki-board.net/profile/shinobi2u

    I haven’t added everything because it is a bit hard to find pictures of figure limitations that are 4-5 years old. Yes, the majority of them are at least 1/8 scale. I own more than 1 resin (Samus, Chun-Li, Isoroku, Morrigan and Lilith), but they don’t consider it for some reason.

    I pride myself in limited and hard-to-find figures at really good prices. So, 92 is not a bad number. It make me look a little crazy in this hobby O.o

    OneandonlyJem´s last blog post > Tweets for Today

  26. @Jem: Yeah, compared to my 92 (including a handful of limited resins, Kotobukiya Star Wars characters, and a couple of Tomb Raider Laras), 300+ is still pretty insane. I guess I’m pretty *tame*, lol. Looking at your Tsuki-board list, we share 17 of the same ones (whatever that means). Maybe I should get my own account?

    + MF Asahina
    + Koto Elwing
    + Koto Sana
    + MF Ignis
    + GSC Kino
    + Figma Lelouch
    + GSC Shuraki Mishiro
    + Vice+Alter Motoko Kusanagi
    + BOME Tenjho Tenge Aya
    + BOME Tenjho Tenge Maya
    + MegaHouse Blood+
    + Alter Revy
    + Beagle Ribbon Style Girl (Murata Range)
    + Alter Saber Black Dress
    + MF Haruhi
    + GSC Tenma
    + Koto Xecty

    P.S. So many Moon Phase Hazukis! But I seem to own one 1/8th Alter Hazuki (in white dress, sitting on floor) that isn’t on your list. Curious! ^_~

    P.P.S. Here’s what might be my rarest figure. If you’re curious, lol.

  27. DO EEEEEEEEEET!!!!! ^6

    Well, it’s never too good to look too crazy, y’know. I think there’s no harm in getting an account. It’s a fairly good way to see what is new and hip in the pvc world and to chronicle your owned, orders and wants.

    Kotobukiya Star Wars is awesome!!! I wish I had more. I got the ALTER trading figure because I thought they were cute. Lol, I actually want that ALTER scaled figure, but I fell asleep through an auction and just never pursued her. She ended up being part of a backlog.

    OneandonlyJem´s last blog post > Tweets for Today

  28. @Jem: Hahaha, are u pleading? Or are u just acting crazy again? Yeah, you’re right, no harm to sign up. And might be cool just to see how their headshots look all arranged on one page anyway. LOL, new and hip? Ehh, maybe not for that…

    Yeah, I know! Gots me Darth Vader (opened but stored), Storm Trooper (desk displayed) and Darth Maul (unopened yet). So huge! Oh man, speaking of crazy, u should check out my wild-n-wacky Blog 160 photoshoot, lol… Awww, sad to hear about that. Well, maybe not, since you’ve got like a dozen other Hazukis! ^o^

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