Last weekend was Saboten-Con, the self-proclaimed "largest anime convention in Arizona", held at the Pointe Hilton Resort. I attended along with several Homestuck fans that I met back at Phoenix Comicon. The Hilton is incredibly nice on it's own, complete with several pools, a restaurant and a water park. When you fill it with anime geeks it becomes that much more entertaining.
The Price of staying in an actual room throughout the convention was steep. However, we made it affordable by employing a cunning method called "stuffing the room to twice it's occupancy". We managed to fit nine people in a suite meant for four. It was cramped, but ultimately worth it.
just look at the state of it.
Saboten's content is a little more niche than Phoenix Comicon. I was simply referring to the whole con as "Homestuck Camp", because our group did not go to one panel. We spent most of our time dicking around the hotel and taking pictures with other Homestuck groups (of which there were several). In fact the only anime-related activity we did was watch the Adult Swim lineup in our room.
Obviously the costumes were the best part.
Chloe I stopped this girl just for you
I want to know how they were getting around
Of course we all came prepared with our own costumes. At 4:13 on Saturday many (but not all) of the homestuck cosplayers met up for a photoshoot that lasted two goddamn HOURS. The crowd got massive, and by the end there were nearly as many people taking pictures as there were people posing.
"Come at us, Bro"?
Kanaya disapproves
a Jack is fine too
Getting into costume was more arduous than I thought. If you're going as one of the Trolls, every unclothed part of you must be covered in gray makeup. It took a good 30 minutes just to get an even layer on my face. I tried on my black wig; that was just not going to happen. I did manage to attatch some red eyelashes, even though squirting glue into your eye strikes me as a terrible idea. It was worth it for the pictures, apparently my character isn't frequently cosplayed.
the world must never know
I'm not likely to be dressing up in Troll makeup again anytime soon. After an hour in the shower with three kinds of soap my skin was still grayish. Other than that, It was a very good time. I had lots of fun and met more new people. Can't wait for the next one.
everyone's favorite picture of Guy, Rowan, and myself
I've recently gotten into classic horror, and just classic literature in general. I feel like some books have been around so long, they'd think it's rude if you didn't read them. The vernacular used in some books can be difficult to understand depending on what era they were written in. To some it's moon speak, but I like the challenge.
H.P. Lovecraft started me on my classic horror kick. This is appropriate, as most horror writers that came after him have been influenced in one way or another by his work. My little anthology, Tales of H.P. Lovecraft, includes most of the classics ("The Shadow Over Innsmouth", "The Call of Cthulhu", "The Dunwitch Horror", etc.), but there are still several I'd like to read that weren't included. Among others are Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley and The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. The latter was translated from French, and inspired one of Disney's darkest animated films.
As far as modern literature goes, if I had to pick a favorite I'd say that it's Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis (the guy that did American Psycho). The first time I read it it gave my brain a swift kick in the crotch. In my opinion the best stories combine realism with fantasy and humor with horror and tragedy. This book does it seamlessly. I've also just finished Snow Crash by Neal Stevenson, which was thought provoking but left a bit to be desired as far as the actual story went. Still a good read though.
What I would like now is a straight-up fantasy that doesn't even take place in the "real world". A story with actual magic and adventure would be a nice change of pace. A long time ago I read the Black Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop, which is like an Anne Rice novel on steroids. It was pretty much what I'm looking for now, if a bit more screwed up.
Long story short, my summer has been littered with fun, drama, and sour regrets.
Sometimes, life doesn't so much give you lemons as it does throw lemons at you in rapid succession until you bruise. When this happens, staying dedicated to a blog feels somewhat akin to having The Wife constantly nagging at you to take out the trash. And microblogging is the office fling.
I can definitely see the appeal of Tumblr verses full-on blogging. Tumblr has the personality of blogging mixed with the instant gratification of Facebook, and a dash of 4chan culture. When there's a major issue going on in my life, instead of sorting my thoughts out into a lengthy blog post, I can simply post a picture that sums up my feelings. So my Tumblr has been absorbing my feelings for the past few months.
The highlights included a trip to L.A., dating three people at once, one of my best bros visiting from the army, and attending Phoenix Comicon. Which was really really awesome.
Phoenix Comicon was the perfect warm-up convention, because it's much smaller than San Diego Comicon and is located relatively close to me. It was like heaven to my inner nerd, complete with guest stars like Leonard Nimoy and Adam Baldwin, a signing with Max Brooks, and panels for nearly every nerdy interest out there. Conventions are also major cosplaying events. I learned this the hard way when I showed up the first day without a costume. Nearly everyone dresses up, and if you don't you risk looking out of place.
I showed up in my Sis Strider costume the next day. Let me just say, it is an incredibly rewarding feeling to work hard on a costume, then have people recognize you and want to take pictures with you. Showing up to a convention in a good costume almost feels like being a celebrity. The more popular your costume is, the more often you're going to be stopped for photos.
I made a lot of new friends at Comicon, and I'm positive that I'm going to go next year. In the meantime, cosplaying has become somewhat of a hobby of mine. Right now I'm planning another costume for an anime convetion in Phoenix. Tumblr will still be hearing about it, but I'll do my best to keep with this 'ole thing as well.
I may seem fairly mild-mannered to the casual observer. The truth is I'm an incredibly angry person. You could say I'm a few manners away from kicking every fucker I see in the mouth. Manners and years of simply dealing with shit, years that have left me pretty much callous to whatever setbacks life doles out. I won't whine, give up, bitch or complain to pretty much anyone, but god help me, I will blog.
In case you haven't guessed, the theme of this post is Day 12: Pet Peeves/OCD Habits and my pet peeve is the general population. My OCD habit is holding in all the rage.
*Cracks knuckles*
First I'd like to quote Scott Adams, cartoonist of Dilbert, on one of his more revolutionary discoveries:
People are horny, selfish and stupid.
Now the first item isn't really an issue with me; sex is good for you, and it can be good for others and have little consequences as long as you can be smart about it. But therein lies the problem. When you throw in selfishness and stupidity you basically get this:
How have I still not seen this movie.
In my opinion, the majority of people are pretty stupid. That's mostly because I'm stuck up and think too much, so I end up feeling that other people don't think enough. Sometimes its not their fault, and I can understand that. Some people are just born slower than others. I'm not saying I'm a genius. Some higher math concepts still elude me. In order for me to see someone as intelligent, they must only be thoughtful and have common sense.
Selfishness is more difficult to get away with. It's lack of concern for others that makes most people do reckless things. Surprisingly enough it's also easy to be intelligent and defend being selfish. Why should I give a shit about a bunch of retarded assholes? I admit it, and that's what makes all the difference.
Take varying amounts of these qualities, add some lust for attention, and you get the "Poser":
Or "LOL I totally watched ALL the Harry Potter Movies. I'm such a Nerd."
Let's look at the opposite end of the spectrum. Some people are just a little too "smart". Go further and add hypocrisy, denial, and a whole lot of smug. You should then have yourself a "Hipster":
Because as long as she's heard of it first, she's better than you.
The labels go on forever. And if it can be labeled, it can be hated. Even I am guilty of most of the elitist behaviors that make a hipster. Its okay because I cover my ass with plenty of self-mockery.
I like to think that once you've reached the level of mocking the people who mock hipsters (who are the people who mock posers) you just stop giving a fuck. Everyone needs someone to mock, because it makes them feel cool. No matter how high on the satire food-chain you think you are, there will always be someone who thinks they're just "on a different level" than you. It's just human nature. And pretty much all humans suck.
I regard pets with pretty much the same attitude as I regard children. I don't like too much responsibility, especially responsibility over another living thing. I will admit pets aren't as daunting of a burden, so I'll probably be able to handle one in the future.
I could never deal with keeping something like a dog, for several reasons. Large dogs scare the crap out of me, and small ones just plain annoy me. They are wet and loud and can potentially destroy my possessions. I find some puppies cute, but that's usually where I draw the line. I've learned to be civil with dogs, but I would never want one.
The obvious alternative is cats, right? Not so fast.
Let me make one thing clear, I love cats. They are the closest I will get to considering having a large-ish animal kept in my home. As awesome and adorable as they are, they still pose the threat of tearing up furniture, knocking shit over, and pissing/shitting everywhere.
I'll never understand this scenario: someone's pet shits in their house, and they just clean it up and scold the animal. I would have no patience for that. I would dump the animal somewhere else and mentally chastise myself for thinking it was a good idea to get it in the first place. SOMETHING JUST SHIT IN THE HOUSE. I am not a nurse. I will never interact with shit and think it's okay.
Plus cat piss is one of the most unholy smells known to man.
So now that you know what sorts of animal I won't tolerate, what's left? Rodents creep me out, and maintaining an aquarium for fish is too much of a pain in the ass. Thus, my perfect pet:
Hey if Chloe gets a dog, then I get a spider.
Not sure if I'll want a tarantula, or some other kind of spider, but it has to be a manageable size. You know, so it won't get blown across the room when I sneeze.
This is actually an animal I would get excited about keeping an enclosure for. I know some people are creepy and like to let their spiders roam around the house, but I'm occasionally going to have company, and not everyone is as crazy about spiders as I am. He would get a really pimped-out mini desert landscape, probably kept in my room.
Tarantulas are a good choice for me because they pose minimal expenses, and minimal damage to your stuff. They even come fuzzy for you touchy-feely types. However, they are not without risk. A tarantula will bite if it feels threatened, but it will give lots of warning beforehand, and a bite is usually no more serious than a bee sting.
I once found a really chill tarantula outside as a child, and I kept it around for a few days. I made the mistake of keeping it outside though, and the poor guy was eaten by a bird. Sad day.
I've always found spiders to be really cool. I think their design is graceful and elegant. The best part is, tarantulas do not actually shit. They simply spit out the dry bits of their prey that they couldn't suck up. Best pet ever.
This entry was inevitable, really. Getting into a web-epic soap opera like Homestuck makes it hard to resist spouting incomprehensible plot-jargon at every poor soul close to you. But let's face it. This shit's just too damn nerdy for civilized conversation. And that's what the Blog was invented for.
What is Homestuck?
This is the part where I pop on my hipster glasses, sniff smugly, and say,"It's really obscure, and you've probably never heard of it." Maybe I'll get ballsy and add,"It's probably too much for your attention span."
Too smug for you? I guess there's always this:
I got sucked into Homestuck by chance. It frequently pops up on Deviantart and 4chan, so I couldn't help but note its intrigue. But this wasn't enough to get me off my lazy ass and check it out. I actually stumbled the first page, so I gave it a try. At first I stuck with it because I wasn't taking it seriously. I pretty much just read when I was bored, and skipped any pages I found confusing/boring. It was just funny, clever, and entertaining. As I kept reading, shit went on to get more real than you could possibly imagine. Soon I couldn't look away.
You never know what you're going to get. The comic takes itself "one panel per page". But a "panel" of Homestuck can be anything from a crappy MS Paint drawing to a full-blown flash video to an interactive game.
It's drawback is that it takes patience and a genuine attention span to understand fully. Once the story picks up, it's like an internet version of LOST, confusing but compelling.
Day 10: 10 Things You Want To Do Before You Die I'm going to avoid references to the Bucket List. Just because I think the term "kick the bucket" is the lamest thing since My Little Pony.
That's right, Morgan Freeman.
But anyway, things I want to do before I die. More specifically, things I want to do before I get old and decrepit. Since I plan on living to 150, at least.
Travel. I'm Pretty sure this is the biggest one for everyone. Seeing the world outside of where you live is the most substantial pre-death achievement. Japan is my number one destination, followed by various places in Europe and South America. Maybe even Canada, we'll see. When my financial life is under control, I'll probably plan a trip to another country every year or two.
Live on my own for at least a year. I mean live completely by myself. While hanging out with friends brings me much joy, sometimes I have just as big a need for solitude. At times, sharing a house with anyone can make me feel stressed and crowded. Sharing a room would probably be even worse. Having a whole place to furnish, decorate and be in charge of is a must, just to see how it feels.
Own/ride a motorcycle. I just get this itch of jealousy whenever I see someone weave through traffic on a sweet motorcycle. They cost extra to own/maintain/insure, but most of these resolutions imply that I'll be making enough money to handle it. Plus I would feel like a total badass on one. Mine would be small since I'm small, most likely a Kawasaki Ninja (the same model from Kill Bill).
Have an EPIC wedding. Some serious shit would have to go down before I'm ready to commit to anyone like that, but I plan on getting married ONCE, and only once. This means it would have to be one legendary occasion. Whether it take place in Vegas, Mexico, or the moon.
Have a "Hangover" style Trip to Vegas. You know, without the roofies. This night would probably be my bachelorette party, but maybe not. It could be someone else's bachelorette party, or just a night of debauchery for the hell of it. Either way, it won't be complete unless we wake up with a dangerous animal in the bathroom.
Go to San Diego Comicon. Basically, it's Mecca for Nerdy people. For the full experience I'll need an epic costume. I've already got a to-do list of autographs to get, most importantly Jhonen Vasquez. Once I've done all this I can proclaim myself a "nerd" without feeling like a poser.
Someone's gotta do it.
Get more tattoos/piercings. Obviously. I love the creativity involved in getting a tattoo, and making it something entirely your own. Tattoos are important things because you will never lose them. When a tattoo turns out perfectly, I'm incredibly proud. Piercings and bodymods are in my future because they are metal, and I'm pretty fucking obsessed with metal. I don't think I'll stop until I qualify as bionic.
Join the Mile High Club. I got this idea from my roommate. And personally, fuck yes. Here's some more information. Also, check the "see also" section. That's going on the list.
Entertain myself with a bunch of near-death experiences. Skydiving, swimming with sharks, the basics. I plan to do several dangerous things for the thrill of it. I'd pretty much pretend that I'm Bella Swann, and Edward just dumped my ass.
Have a really kickass garden. This is one of my girlier aspirations. Even if I only end up living in an apartment, I want to have space for lots of plants. Ideally with tons of flowers, as I have a really lame weakness for them. I also had a pumpkin patch as a little girl, and I'd love to get one started again.
Day 9: Something that you crave Breakfast foods are some of the best man has to offer. Some have an entire day's requirement of protein in one serving. Some are just glorified desserts, and I love every bit of it.
By now it's common knowledge that your meals should start big, and get smaller as the day goes on. By that logic, I should eat as much as I want for breakfast with zero guilt, as long as I eat modestly the rest of the day.
I will admit, some mornings I wake up without much of an appetite. I'll feel like having something light, like egg whites. Then I come to my senses and save that sissy crap for lunch. To me, breakfast needs to be about overindulging. I figure the more I eat for breakfast the less I'll eat later, when I've got less time to burn the calories.
You know anything goes during breakfast because one of the most popular things to have is cake. Cake that's been drenched in sugary syrup and smothered in butter, and often comes with chocolate bits mixed in.
Fucking smart.
It's breakfasts of this caliber that take my inner fat kid and make her their bitch. It takes less than ten bites of pancake before I start to feel full. However, the meal hardly ever ends when I'm full. It ends when I hate myself. Each time I go overboard I swear off pancakes like they're the devil, but it doesn't take long before the effect wears off and I come crawling back like an abused lover. My personal favorite ass-kicking venue? Waffle Iron in Prescott Arizona.
Even an all-encompassing breakfast can't have everything though, right? Wrong.
A wise man once said, "You know what this needs? Booze."
I doubt that there's any one thing that I could do forever and not get just a little bit sick of.
There are, however, a few things I could stand doing for a very, very long time.
like your mom
Get your mind out of the gutter.
I could just make a general list of my favorite shit, but I'm gonna save that for day 20.
As long as I'm hanging out with friends, I'm pretty content. There's usually a constant shift between watching movies, laughing at the internet, having super serious discussions(or "hatertots"), and stopping every so often for a snack run.
Fun times like road trips and going to the movies aren't the same when I do them alone. I also find that the right company can drag my mind out of the most depressing places.
There's not much to it, but that's my condition for nonstop fun. Throw me a posse (or just my best friend) and we'll seize the day. And the night. We might even sieze some breakfast the next day.
For the record, magic is my general word for awesome. And there is nothing gay about it.
Last night I went to my first metal concert. I'm guessing it was more tame than usual, due to the tiny venue and all. I went to the Nile Theater in Mesa to see Protest the Hero, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, plus a few others that most people just groaned through. No they were actually pretty good.
I actually enjoyed the opening local band more than Tesseract, which followed them. The saddest part is I never even heard their name.
The theater was fairly empty when I first got there, I guess because most people didn't want to sit through the opening acts. By the time Maylene got on stage the crowd doubled in size. And once Protest went on, it was packed.
I was a semi-enthusiastic Maylene fan before I saw them live. Now I can watch their videos and recognize each one of them. I didn't officially "loose my shit" until Protest's frontman, Rody Walker, walked on stage. I was about a foot shorter than everyone there, and I had to ask a friend to lift me up so that I could scream my lungs out. I maintained a spot a couple feet from the stage throughout the show, and now I don't think I'll be able to see another band from any farther away.
A guy who was closer to the stage took a picture of the setlist that was taped below the mics. Luckily my favorite of their songs was included, "Limb From Limb", in fact each song included simply kicked ass.
My only complaint was that you pretty much couldn't hear Rody's voice due to how loud the instrument's were, but I watched him mouth the words from a few feet away, so it's okay.
Here's a video of them live so you can pretend you were there.
Some of my favorite shennanigans of the night:
Rody's rant on how racist Anaheim is towards Canadians
Tim came out on stage wearing obscenely short cut-off denim jeans. During one song someone cut off their pant-leg and threw it on stage, so Tim put it on one of his legs.
Rody pretended to play a keyboard toward the end of Limb From Limb because they didn't have a keyboardist
I actually hated this, but jackasses kept jumping on stage and getting pulled off by security.
I also got complimented on my tattoo. Shit was so cash. (lol yes I did just say that)
But anyway, more concerts are definitely in my future. In fact I actually hope that Protest does end up coming to Tucson so I can see them again soon.
No, it's not love. It's money. It's also the topic of
Day 7: Something That Stresses You Out
If you know me at all, You know that I'm not the most morally sound of people. I'll do damn near anything for money. I'm also one of those twisted fucks who believes that money can in fact bring you happiness, and conversely, happiness is pretty hard to have with none of it. At least for me. Sure, there are exceptions, and some people don't find it hard to be broke and happy. But to me, money equals happiness, security, and freedom. And to be without it stresses me out.
I've recently traded a job where the hours were constant but sparse for a job where the hours are great, when I can get them. I don't like risk being involved with my income, even if the payoff is good. The consequences of suddenly finding yourself penniless are huge. You'll find yourself with nowhere to live, nothing to eat, and nowhere to go. I've experienced the latter two, and I have no interest in going any further.
Within the next few years, I am going to get a job that I love that also pays well. I'm not saying my problems will cease at that point. I'll most likely just aquire far more expensive problems to suit my income. We shall see.
I'm not gonna lie, I've been putting off this update simply because I find it extremely difficult to wrangle myself a central thesis on "something I've learned". Instead I'm just going to share a few random things that have occurred to me lately, so that I can just get this bothersome subject out of the way. So here's
Day 5: Something You've learned
I guess.
-Having one large work schedule as opposed to two small ones has proved much more lucrative.
-Affiliating myself with Suicide Girls may prove to be a disgraceful mistake in the long run. However, I'm just vain enough to find out.
-In some ways, I am always going to be the guy in this relationship.
-Getting married (or even worrying about marriage) at 20 is only a social norm in this town because of all the crazies I grew up with. In my opinion the pressure it's ended up manifesting is stupid.
-I am 100% confident in my final career choice. Not only does it involve travel and have plenty of room for advancement, but the main point of it revolves around something more important than customer service. I have no interest in getting my associates in ass-kissing.
look at this smug asshole. I'm so taking her job.
-On a semi-unrelated note, I've learned that police cars have a separate set of lights to flash when they don't want to pull you over, but they do want you to get the fuck out of their way.
Oh wow. Should I go chronologically or in order of importance? That is, assuming I can even remember all the ones worth mentioning.
I've gone by many pseudonyms. Some stick longer than others, and more often than not are not chosen by myself. Let's see...
Early on I invented a future persona for myself, one that worked as a mild-mannered janitor by day and became a badass ninja/secret agent by night. This persona was named "Agent Honeytoast" by a friend of mine.
I've participated in one game of spin-the-bottle in my life. After said game I happened to earn the title of "pillow lips".
After replacing my father at his work, my bosses referred to me by my last name, "Deroy", because this is what they always called him. Since then most of my friends also began calling me Deroy, though the reason why remains a mystery.
When the name Deroy stuck at work, a friend of my Dad's who also happened to play World of Warcraft took to calling me "Deeeroooooy Jenkins", after the famous player Leeroy Jenkins. Over time this name has simply been shortened to "Jenkins".
As long as I'm counting work-related names, a friend by the name of Larry Cooper started addressing me as "Del-Tron". I liked that one while it lasted.
My boyfriend insists on calling me "Sara". Sure, it sounds right when you say it out loud, but the spelling is just absurd.
As of late, my main alias has been "Paula Schultz". It is my name used on Facebook to keep spying family members from accessing it. If you want to know "why Paula Schultz?", just watch Kill Bill. It's one of my favorite movies.
That's pretty much all there is to it. I know I've had several other names, these are just the ones that come to my mind right now.
Goodnight all.
I put Day 3 in quotes because I basically fail at this challenge thing. There has definitely been more than three days since I started the challenge. But lets pretend.
Well, there are my irrational fears, but they have hardly any bearing on my day-to-day life. My fear of old school Oompa Loompas stems from watching Willy Wonka as a child, followed by nightmares of being turned into a blueberry and juiced. I guess I'm also really afraid of whales/other large sea creatures, but you just don't run into those very often.
One realistic fear I have is having problems with my car. That is one of the only things that will fill me with instant terror and dread. Mostly because in my financial situation I wouldn't be able to simply have it fixed. My car represents my independence, as it makes it possible for me to get anywhere I want/need to go(sometimes on a whim). Without my car, I would either be stuck in the same place forever, or would constantly depend on others for rides, and both outcomes are the shittiest thing ever. I will never take having a working car for granted.
If you want to get deep and psychological, I suppose my ultimate fear is death. Or rather, that nothing happens after you die. From childhood to present, I've had occasional nightmares involving just plain dying. The cause is usually unknown. The dream just involves me waiting around for everything to just stop existing, for my perception to just end. The thought of that simply terrifies me; I like that my perception exists...
So I guess any day that I'm not dying in a car accident with an Oompa Loompa is a good one.
Goddamn, if there were ever a subject that is difficult to define. Even more important than figuring out which love was 'first', is which, if any of my past relationships even fall into that category. Also, would you define "your first love" as the first person you loved, or the first person you shared mutual love with? I haven't exactly had many relationships, but each one had a surmountable degree of awkward to them. I've had relationships that I can easily brush off as poor judgement or hasty starts, that almost always ended with me just loathing the person and phasing them out over time. However, it's just as easy for me to single out the first instance where the guy genuinely meant something to me, and where that feeling never went away, but only got more and more intense.
Forgive me, but details are not my favorite thing to reminisce in this context. I will say that I spent a disproportionate amount of time building up to this relationship to the time I actually spent in it. My feelings had built up for a good four years, sometimes on the backburner, usually in the front of my mind. When it seemed like I'd squandered enough time and chances I took a risk, and it ended up paying off. This thing was not perfect. There were issues among various third parties, and the guy himself had not ended up being the same one I fell for (four years of high school can change a person). But relationship-wise, it was the most glorious few months I've ever had.
We had similar interests on nearly every spectrum, everything he wanted to do I was up for, and vice-versa. Every insecurity I had was immediatly put to rest. This was the only time I felt genuinely cared for and thought about. A day came when I really couldn't handle being alone, so a class was skipped in favor of getting ice cream and seeing a movie together. He's still the only guy to ask me if I wanted to see the stars with him, then actually deliver on it. There was even a goddamn metal rose constructed from a can of Dr. Pepper. I had become so accustomed to all the little things that it never occurred to me that I'd be missing it in the future. I have no desire to discuss how all of this was ripped away from me, but I will make it known that when I did end it, it wasn't because I was ready.
Kind of a badass name, not gonna lie.
This challenge was put together by a friend of mine. It's made up of the severed bits of other challenges, and apparently exist as some sort of juicy, horrendous abomination of 30-day-challenge nature. To break it down:
Day 1: The Meaning Behind Your Blog Name
Day 2: Your First Love
Day 3: Something You're Afraid Of
Day 4: Your Nicknames
Day 5: Something You've Learned
Day 6: What's In Your Bag? Things You Don't Leave Your House Without
Day 7: Something That Stresses You Out
Day 8: Something You Could Never Get Tired Of Doing
Day 9: Things You Crave a Lot
Day 10: 10 Things You Want To Do Before You Die
Day 11: An Animal You'd Love To Have As a Pet
Day 12: Pet Peeves/OCD Habits
Day 13: Your Favorite Book(s)
Day 14: Your Favorite Song(s)
Day 15: Your Favorite Movie(s)
Day 16: Your Motto: Words You Live By
Day 17: Favorite Quotes
Day 18: Something You Want To Buy
Day 19: 3 Wishes
Day 20: List 20 of Your Favorite Things
Day 21: Your Dream House
Day 22: A Song Matching Your Mood
Day 23: A Photo Of Yourself From Three or More Years Ago
Day 24: A Bad Habit You Wish You Didn't Have
Day 25: Places You've Traveled To
Day 26: Favorite Super Hero(s)
Day 27: Songs You Listen To In Different Moods
Day 28: Something You Are Recently Proud Of
Day 29: Your Earliest Memory
Day 30: Things That Make You Think "What If I Had___Instead of___"
Some bits I like, some I dread. But overall it's the best one I've come upon. So here's
Day 1: The Meaning Behind Your Blog Name.
My blog name comes from the first H.P. Lovecraft story that I actually read. It's called "The Colour Out of Space". I like space, I like colors. But a whole new color that comes from the stars? There's a trip. However, this color does tend to cause insanity and suck the life from a family of innocent farmers. Go figure. Also, it may have become a sentient and sinister entity over time.
"The Colour Out of Space" is by no means my favorite Lovecraft tale. That spot's reserved for "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" followed closely by "the Call of Cthulu". But neither of those really translated to a decent blog title.
Well I'm already pretty stumped as far as new updates go, and I don't feel like starting one of those 30 day challenges quite yet. So get ready for some opinions!
Robot Unicorn Attack: Heavy Metal, surprisingly epic.
If by some miracle you haven't played the original Robot Unicorn Attack (the flash game by Adult Swim), go do it now. It is fucking magical. Sure, it may be nothing but a simple side-scroller where your only options are to jump, double jump, or dash through obstacles. But coupled with the mesmerizing tune "Always" by Erasure, you will reach absolute zen, and possibly make your dreams come true.
Now the newer version, subtitled "Heavy Metal", has undergone a re-design which replaces the rainbows and fairies with fire, blood, and banshees. It's been out for a while now, but I had yet to really play up until recently. I had assumed that due to the bland gameplay it would be unenjoyable without the song. The new song, however, gets the job done. "Battlefield" by Blind Guardian won't help you achieve enlightenment or fill you with joy, but it will get you pumped and ready to blow shit up. Blind Guardian tends to do that. Just look at "Turn the Page" or "Mordred's Song".
As much as I enjoy Robot Unicorn Attack, I will admit I'm kind of shit at it. I don't think I've ever gotten more than 30,000 in one round...
Soul Eater: ...Why Not?
The moon does this. That's all you need to know.
First things first, this anime is longer than most (unless your counting Bleach or DBZ), a sizable 50+ episodes. Despite that, it downloaded in just a few hours. The basic premise: There are certain humans who posses the ability to transform into weapons (swords, guns, scythes, etc.). Each weapon is paired with a "Meister" who wields them, in a sort of "wand chooses the wizard" compatibility trial. Whether or not a weapon and meister can work together depends on a few things, like "matching soul wavelengths" and other complicated jargon. Weapons get stronger by consuming corrupted souls, as well as the souls of Witches, the series' main form of enemy. The story takes place at a school established by Death himself for aspiring weapons and meisters.
plus it's got this guy.
The animation quality is good overall, just what you'd expect from an anime by Square Enix. Its attempts to be cute and light hearted while being quite disturbing at times is reminiscent of Fullmetal Alchemist (also by Square Enix).
The characters... eh, they seem a tad forced. I enjoy Maka as the main character because she's the one thing that no central anime female can be: she's plain. I mean really plain. Ambition is her defining characteristic, and at the same time she isn't overpowered to the point of being unrealistic. Black Star annoys the shit out of me, just to get him out of the way, and "Death the Kid" can be amusing at times. Soul Evans is easily my favorite, probably because he was designed to be THE favorite. He's got darkhorse quirks galore, and his entire personality seems to contradict itself at times, what with being wild yet cool, and selfless yet detatched and aloof. He's everything, so he can appeal to everyone.
The Asshat, The OCD, The "Strong Female", and The Omnibus.
It's not bad if you're bored and looking for a different show to watch. My final verdict? Like a cross between Bleach and Naruto, only without the loudmouthed, blonde asshat protagonist (interperet that however you want).
First things first, a tattoo MUST mean something. To you. It doesn't have so be specific, the idea can be vague. But dear god, the excuse should never be,"Ummm.. I dunno! It just looked cool/pretty!".
That said, lately I've been fixing to get a design set for a tattoo on my sternum (yeah, the spot between your boobies). I'm currently stuck between two very different ideas: a Shoggoth from Lovecraftian fiction, or the Saiyan crest. They each stand for very different sides of myself. Now for some background.
Saiyans: Your crash course!
Basically this design
Yeah, I'm talking about the steroid-riddled monkeys from Dragonball Z. My hate for monkeys aside, the Saiyan race is a huge source of proverbial inspiration concerning all things physical. Known as the biggest badasses in the galaxy, Saiyans lived to fight and overcome deadly situations. They were taught to show no fear or pain, and take whatever they want. The Saiyan crest was on all of their flags, as well as the armor of their king. On me, it would remind me to stick to my ambitions, do what I want, and not pussy out so quick on my morning runs (lame in comparison). I also plan on getting into some form of self-defense class before starting college, rendering it even more relevant.
please don't kill me
And then there's our friend the Shoggoth.
This one's harder to get a solid design for, mostly since a shoggoth is an amorphous, horrific blob of eyes, mouths, and tentacles. And lots of win. We all know I like my Lovecraft, but enough to get a tattoo? We shall see.
I thought this was a great design. Only on paper and styled a bit more simple.
As the tales go, Shoggoths began as servants of the old ones, they built their cities and guarded them through the eons. At some point they grew brains and rebelled, attempting to start their own society modeled after that of their masters. When encountered by humans in Lovecraft's stories, they cause madness and destruction.
I'm a little messed up, or at least the things I'm into can be. And since shoggoths can be any shape, they are the logical symbol of choice to represent my stranger side. Fun fact: if anyone reads Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, there is a monster that bursts from Johnny's wall that I have always wanted to get a tattoo of. However, I faced a similar issue of how to do it, as this thing is also a sort of horrific amoeba. It occurred to me that this monster may have been a shoggoth the whole time, or at least modeled to look like one, since Jhonen Vasquez is also into H.P. Lovecraft's stuff. Seriously, do a google image search of shoggoth, and they're basically the same thing.
lawl
I don't have to get the shoggoth tattooed on my sternum, though. It just seems like the most simplistic area. I'll have a good several months to decide, due to my mandatory wait between the time I get an idea for a tattoo, and the time I actually have it done.
Sometimes awesome dreams happen. Like the sort that seem so real that I'm genuinely surprised (sometimes relieved) when I actually wake up. They can be so scary or disturbing that that terrified feeling sticks with me for days. that one hasn't happened for a long time, but this particular instance seemed epic enough to blog-ify. This Dream happened a few weeks ago, but I still remember it well.
So I'm sitting at a table, in a classroom type setting. Outside it's bright and sunny. Next to me is my buddy Chloe, and the room is full of attractive, if a bit skanky-looking girls. An older chick is at the front, explaining the facts of being a Suicide Girl (this is weird, because at this point I was really not into the idea). I got the feeling this was some kind of training or try-outs. Each girl basically stripped down to their underwear and was scrutinized for the class on their best and worst traits. I know all of this has nothing to do with being a Suicide Girl, it's just the way it worked in this dream. I get this feeling of uneasiness, and I wonder what I'm even doing here because there's no way I compare physically to any of these girls. So my turn comes, I get nervous, and I ask if I can go into the next room to change. And things get weird.
I step into an empty room adjacent to the classroom, one with a large window running from ceiling to floor. I notice that not only is it now dark out, but I'm several stories above the ground. I walk up to the window and stare up at the sky, and It looks much more vivid than normal. Like I can see planets up close and in detail, and the blackness between them sort of sparkled like glitter. So I think,"Chloe should see this, she'll be all wtf," and I go back to the classroom and grab her (I think everyone else just went on without me). We look out the window, and I get completely mesmerized by what I'm seeing. Suddenly, out of nowhere a fucking giant reptilian eye appears in front of the window. As it moves back I scream, and the next thing I know this giant alligator jaw has smashed through the window and bitten down over me and Chloe. We're still standing on the floor, only now we're surrounded by the roof of this alligator's mouth. anywho, it reopens its jaws, giving us a chance to dash the fuck away from the window and into a hallway.
What comes next is a lot of running. Running down stairs and around various buildings, hoping that I lost the thing. A frenzied sprint through the city reveals that there are several more of these giant alligators, apparently staging an invasion from space, and eating lots of people as they go. I've lost track of Chloe at this point. I reach the edge of the city, an area somewhat resembling the Dells, and it's nearly morning. A group of survivors are taking a motorboat away from the attack, and I run after it, jumping off a cliff and barely making it aboard.
Fast forward like a year. I guess that gave the giant alligators time to conquer Earth and convert its government into a depressing totalitarian one. Everyone works in gray buildings and anyone who steps out of line is fed to the giant alligators. I guess I've become part of the resistance, and we are attempting to infiltrate the city and rescue several of our friends. Select people are given positions of power, and told they won't be eaten as long as they turn in troublemakers regularly. We sneak into a building where our friends are being kept, and more running and fighting ensues throughout. Toward the top of the building I am stopped by one of these people in charge, and the funny part is I think it was Chloe. I'm grabbed from behind and dragged off, then find myself tied to a chair, waiting for the alligators to show up and pass judgement. I get the idea in my head that Chloe might come save me, but I'm really too terrified for that thought to help me calm down. This is the first point in the dream where I realize that I might actually be dreaming, and I desperately hope it's true. While I wish for some sign or something to wake me up, I feel the ground shake with heavy steps. Luckily, this is when Zane's alarm clock went off, and giant alligators quickly became a thing of the past.
I know, you'll be surprised to hear I wasn't smoking a thing that night.
Songs are fun. I've never been very into MGMT, but this is my favorite song right now. So happy and mellow ^^
Speaking of Lovecraft, the part where the people pull the moon down and cut it open really reminds me of "The Colour out of Space". But if that rainbow goo really were the shit at the center of the meteor, they really shouldn't be rubbing it all over themselves like that 0.0
"If you love the Internet so much, why don't you marry it?"
Geez, maybe I will.
I've never been one to blog. My attention span wanes quickly, and I have issues with commitment. I've always seen blogging and similar practices as something you have to work at, and have patience for, sort of like a serious relationship. After a failed tirade with Fanfiction.net, Facebook has been my go-to gal (you know, in the "instant gratification" sort of way). And 4chan? Er... call him my abusive booty-call that I reserve for the wee hours when I'm bored.
However, the Internet deserves better. I believe the day is drawing nearer when you will be defined by your Internet identity. There is no denying its power for good or evil. It can't be tamed or limited, or charged for by the hour (the government can keep dreaming, MY Internet is no whore).
So, here goes. May be we can start over and try again.
