The noise of randomness!

Of late, been having some rather oddball dreams.. kind of disturbing and not necessarily scary and Always subject to interpretation with ample consideration given for my mental as well as physical state under the circumstances. whew, that was a mouthful.

The weather here on this tiny part of the universe at large, has gotten colder. I think the weather where I am has finally decided to get on with winter and let the odd moment in time called "fall" to its own devices under the dead leaves, for another season. Being that I'm not a huge fan of ever-sunshine and the nothing but blueblueblue skies of summer. I welcome the changes. I really like clouds. My favorite kind of day, is slightly cool and cloudy with moments of sunshine throughout the day... peeking through the clouds.

Been youtubing a little of late, once again skirting the edges of the fascinating without falling too far over the edges of darkness. Watched a kind of documentary, asking the question of is there life on mars.. or the moon, and if we have bombed the moon. and once again, I feel the mad desire to give my own comments about the video. The primary thing that makes me laugh about all of the pictures, purporting to to be evidence of the existence of distant, blurry objects is.. you zoom in to a fuzzy original photograph, you encounter something known as pixelization. the 'noise' of the picture begins to take a bit of shape as sharp and blurred lines or hatchwork, and general interlacing. you look close enough to any picture/video on the net, and that's what you will get. no major mystery there. So I'm afraid that zooming in ultra close to a picture is no real evidence to me, of alien cities or towns on mars or the moon anymore then I have reason to believe said moon aliens have told us never to return. (that's to say little of the fact that most people, having been told to 'never return' often do... for the implied challenge if nothing else.)and filling up a long documentary of these blurry images, doesn't do anything for changing my thoughts on the matter. As for the claims of Photoshopped city skylines in those ultra close view of blurred photo scans... yeahh w/e. aww comon!
Don't you think that given the day and age we live in, just how easy it is to spend the extra moment to making the bluing of already blurred images a tiny bit more believable, wouldn't be something that was given consideration by the cover-up-ees? Now, I'm not saying there wasn't a cover-up, of course there are and have been with just about anything the government wants to pull the wool over our eyes for.. been doing so for ages already, and it'd take a rather acute idiot citizen not to see or have heard about that by now. I'm just saying, I'd think they would have just a little finesse about such things by now. Think about it... if you 'actually don't want' the world to wonder about the message on the wall, don't just take a random swat at it with a piece of paper.
so saying, the reverse is also true. you look at a blurred picture and think, what could it be? to the point of displaying said images of nothing, and start calling them mountains of mystery. Skunch over in the sandbox a bit and let the 'real' scientists have their say, already!

Now for the sum-up... do I think there are aliens on mars or the moon that may have told us to stay away? uhmm.. the jury is still out on that. I'd hazard a thought of my own as to the belief in aliens... I think it's presumptuous of humans to believe that not only are we the top o the intelligence mountain on earth, but also that we, in the whole of the universe, are the only 'intelligent' beings in existence. Even though I haven't seen actual proof, it seems fairly reasonable to me, they we are not, in either case. To think so, only limits what we can except or expect outside of that thought.
It is possible, as nearly anything is, that aliens exist. therefor, its also possible there might be such on the moon or hidden in mars. As for telling us to stay away, i don't think its likely. We human beings just don't habitually scare off that easily.. and for so long. Were it not for determined human curiosity, we'd still be sitting on our thumbs in the darker ages of antiquity. that blasted curiosity and determination has led us through miles of innovation.. through several wars, had us facing off through huge historical moments of terror and anger with each-other, and great strides of advancement in the sciences that even within a small handful of years, has given us more knowledge of how things work around us then has so much as been dreamt of before.

And speaking of terror... it has come to my attention of late, of a great deal of anarchy going on concerning a certain belief system. even here and on the other side of the planet... the braying of mighty jackasses can be heard. no really, that's what someone once called the situation to come.. and here it is. The heeyawwing of a whole bunch of people thinking they gots the corner market on the whole, what comes after, thing. So here they go, causing chaos and killing peoples right left and upside down who doesn't have anything to do with anything,.. never-mind the whole 'what comes after thing' just for.. what? because the governments are pissed at each other for killing scores of people.. who honestly had nothing to do with anything in concern to those doing the killing? why? because its easier to target innocents, I suppose. how cowardly,.. in either field. We -all- have to live on this mudball of a planet.. liking it or not. We either learn to live next to eachother, or we all die. end of sentence. Yeah I have heard about the whole 'what comes after' thing too. Some violent people think that by killing their enemies, it'll make them oholymeoh in what comes after... because that's what their 'good' book' says will happen. Others claim that if you are good to people, you'll get to be a part of what comes after. yet others think it doesn't matter, since there is no what comes after. But these bad guys, it seems, also think that anyone who doesn't agree with the way they do, then they can be lied to, cheated and killed.. just cuz... and the more they do such horrid things to others, the bigger their ohholymeoh position in what comes after.

If indeed this is the way of it, it doesn't sound like a very good place to be ohholymeoh of, to me. Remember Yurtle the turtle, after all. He claimed to be king of all he could see. the ohholymeoh of a all thats surveyed,.. is still a turtle in a mud puddle. get over it. why not just go sit in a mudpuddle somewhere lonely to start with and we will all be better off without your pain-bringing and braying. its old song and dance by now and this folks need a whole different routine.

I really feel for those people who's lives were forcefully changed because of some lame idiots with guns thinking they are gunna be ohholymeoh, yesterday. I also feel sorrow for those same idiots who actually believe violence is going to bring them good things later, when all it's doing is showing their own lack of human-born common sense and giving the very people they work with a super bad reputation with the world at large... much like a child molester or worse.

Hang in there guys, it wasn't expected to be easy when it got underway. Don't get lost in all the braying about. You arn't alone in defense.

Back in the moment

Yepyep.. back to the general lack of net statis.  Sigh..  just so expencive! ANYWAY, with everything back up in the air like a baloon with a never-ending supply of helium, makes it a little harder to find the time to do much of anything usefull.  Not that i did a whole lot of usefullness when i -was- in a constant connection.... short of updating my drama blog with watched dramas... and adding watched anime and music here. Instead, im back to using my phone and bloggers handy app to get the msg out there... untill further notice... or if i am in frame of mind while sitting in a local dan-herd library chair. Hehe, yeahsheright!　(^ω^)

Update: nov 1st..ish...
Back online for another month anyway... Time to catch up a little, clean up blog pages and check the drama i had been wanting to watch. It was something of a windfall really. Something someone left to others that i managed to get a few nickles to rub together with. Now, i need to teach myself a bit of wordpress.. i think.. or ways of working with cascading pages...

o.o <-- thoughtless look.. ummm.. right, well... urm.. what was I just talking about? All Hallow's eve has come and gone.. I went to a friend's to watch movies until it got late, then came home and went straight to bed..pretty much. I didn't even dress up in the spirit of the season. just wasn't in the mood. Sometime tonight, I'm told, is the start of what I feel is going to be a long week.. not for the days.. but for the nights. I just don't sleep well at night without some sort of company... and no, the neko o the place, doesn't actually count. Especially when he's been more paranoid of nighttime noises then I have been... and He's got better hearing! Sometime before.. or just after the new year, I am told, will come a great sojourn across the places i know for some of the places I haven't seen or been to in a long long time and frankly, I don't actually want to go. Not only because I have been down that road already and 'know' what I'll find there, but also the aforementioned neko doesn't travel very well at all... and I'll be fleeped before I let him stay with most of the people here-abouts that would take him in... for however long it would be for. Yes, this means there's another required move comin in the first of the new year. Even as I can understand 'Why'.. I don't care for the 'take a year off to tour the..' uhh No! 'it'll just be the lot of us crammed into a little car, for miles and months of traveling around the whole of the..' No! No! This wasn't what I had in mind at all! I said perhaps it was a good idea to find a smaller more affordable place.. but I didn't mean we should pack our lives into small suitcases and 'look for another home' somewhere else on the continent... at some point.. nonono! Thanks anyway. geez. If I'm gunna move, I want to know where I'm going, before I actually have to pack up. to take a bit of time, moving things from this old spot to that new one. Why doesn't anyone get this around here? I like it, it's a great idea! Why can't i know where I'm going, how i will get there, and just long that will take before I have to throw everything out and pack everything as small and tight as possible in an actual move? ....mBehhh
The whole subject is coloring my world in grey... again. Ehh Ill work on it, I guess. must be brighter sides to this then I am atm seeing.

I just got one of my b-day gifts.. late.. but not without joy for seeing! :D
Sims3 island paradise! yay! At last my happy little sims can learn to do a bit of diving!.. while avoiding drowning, being et by a shark or keel-hauled by a giant squid. in between to short moments of dashing around a part of france, egypt or china, looking for a golden shovel and avoiding mummies and the random meteor.

Think perhaps im either getting used to being without, or am losing my love for on-line games anymore. Hardly any want to keep up with the mabi halloween event, or neverwinter..at all.. or everquest 2.. which really is starting to look like its going downhill fast now. Daybreak, which took over from sony, isn't treating the game right. lost their edge with the helpful support tickets deal all-together, and have merged several servers and now bunches of people, me included, are subject to a 2+ hour waiting que just to be able to play a little. (or being able to check their characters names and guilds to make sure everything transferred.)

I want to look into flash again..

Some of my favs!

"Gai Bian Zi Ji"(HK&Chinese version)
Leeholm Wang


"Super Hot"
Fahrenheit


"One For The Win"
NEWS


"Joker"
D☆DATE

Music testing

"Obsession"
by Boyfriend
Is it a blank spot? Click to listen & then
mouseover to see player controls.


"Intuition"
by CN Blue
Is it a blank spot? Click to listen & then
mouseover to see player controls.


"Fantastic Baby"
by BigBang
Is it a blank spot? Click to listen & then
mouseover to see player controls.


"When you Hold me Tight"
by Yael Meyer
Is it a blank spot? Click to listen & then
mouseover to see player controls.

Random.. drama addict-ness

Listening to: Kat-Tun "Your Side", "Six Senses"
Shinee "Married to the Music" & B2ST "Bad Girl"
Watching: Penny Dreadfull & Scholar Who Walks the Night
Playing: Mabinogi, EQ2, Neverwinter
Reading: random html how-to's
mood: a little blurry-eyed, dern horrid eyesight!
Latest Rant: No such thing as good Free File storage/Web Page space without limits and required advertisements all over the place.

You know you are an asian drama addict when...
Linkiees


1. Watching Korean Dramas many episodes a day
Done that bin there...

2. marathons with friends
Ahh, if only I had friends who'd watch them with me.

3. expecting your love life to be like in dramas (perfect)
uhh.. .. nahh

4. dreaming about Korean boys
hmm ..mayybe..

5. wondering what will happen next in the next episode
Dmn straight!

6. being excited and can't wait for the next episode of your current drama
Still waiting on the translation for the Night scholar!

7. searching up "Korean dramas like..." (ex. heartstrings, bof)
naturally?

8. knowing what bof means
uh whats that? best of freinds? :D
whatever.

9. singing the ost of your favorite drama to sleep
yeahh done that one a time or two... either 'to sleep' or 'in the shower'.

10. announcing your addiction when in reality no one cares
see Answer to question 2.

11. saying "one more episode..." when you actually mean 5 more
oh gawd, yeah

12. looking up the cast from the drama you just finished and watching their other dramas
all the time.

13. wanting a Goo Jun Pyo
.... you mean Lee Min Ho? QT!

14. being mad at Jan di (bof) for picking Jun Pyo and not Ji Hoo or happy that she picks Jun Pyo
"looks a little lost" -who- picked Lee Min Ho?

15. Being a total Park Shin Hye fan and being jealous because of all the hot leads she got to work with
Heh.. yeah... dunno if jealous.. but envious, fursure.

16. If all of these are you, you definitely have a kdrama addiction and what's the cure for kdrama fever? THERE IS NO CURE :)


and another... Linkiees

1. Weekends Are for Drama Marathons
no Duhh

2. You Consider Back Hugs to Be ‘Second Base’
Not especially.

3. You Think All Men Should Look Like This..
All men should be semi-dressed and ever-so-cool like Rain in “Fugitive Plan B.” I mean, really?! He’s so hot, he set that car on fire.

ahheheheehaha

4. You’re Learning Korean or Another Language
True enough. I'm teaching myself 日本語.


5. You Think Kissing With Your Eyes Open Is Totally Normal
It isn't? wait...

6. You’re Often Sleep Deprived
Exactly why Am I still up, typing this?

7. You Think Piggy Back Rides Are an Efficient Form of Transportation
I only wish.

8. You Suffer Physical and Emotional Pain While Watching Dramas
When a character dies — you’ve been known to not leave your house for days. OMG, do we have to bring up “King 2 Hearts” Episode 19?
Oh no, don't bring that one up again. ugh! so sad!

9. You Think All Showers Should Be Filled With Angst
Ａｎｇｓｔ?。。。。Hot guy in shower scene, angst or no angst is perfectly good with me.

10. You Can’t Contain Your Excitement for a New Episode and Watch Without Subtitles
Sometimes those translators are just sooo slow!!


And just cuz its funny.. Linkiees>

7 Things you never did before you found K-dramas

Congratulating myself for only watching 4 episodes in one sitting.

Belting songs at the top of my lungs even if the lyrics are in a foreign language.

Prioritizing something over sleep.

Love at first sight with someone who lives on the other side of the world.

Envying a guy's makeup.

Faking sick to watch a show.

Getting price alerts for fares to Korea.

Neverwinter

Hello, and welcome back to another exciting round of Find That Well-put-together "Free To Play" world. This time, the portal swirled into existence and dropped me off in the city of "Neverwinter". No, thats not "Neverwinter Nights"... but yes, it is the same city name. At first I managed to get totally lost in this sprawling city, located, i believe, on the side of a steep hill. Man, those steps were killer! Right away there was a lot to do and no help to be found anywhere, But eventually I blundered me way through, making like a certain silver-haired paladin being wild with a mace and shield.
I was thankful to eventually get a little assistance in the form of an over-eager-to-please healer I called Chance. But i dunno for just how long his usefulness will be to me. I even utilized a loaner horse for some of those longer trips outside the city.

(It's dark because the game seems to lack a screenie ability on my computer, so I had to pause the game to use a snipping tool, and pausing makes the game go all dark. Screenshot folder? nopesir, never found a single one listed anywhere on my win8 computer os in connection with this game. As you might be able to tell, the text commands under the lower bar, are teensy. far too small for my, by now, tired eyes to make out. You are unable to change those and your movement keys... and its totally not made for a lefty ... which I am. so.. left hand is needed on the mouse for fine control and right on the wasd keys... jump is on the space bar behind my right hand... no thumb on that side... makes jumping forward a little hard to do for me. They -really- need an in-game HELP just to show just what keys do what things, and particulars on just how to augment your gear and train the companion. Oh, and what the fleep is with the purple boxes requiring me to buy something, showing up in my rather limited inventory every-time I turn around?!)

Other then that though.. it's a lot of fun.. if you run out of quests.. or you need another level to get onto the next one, check out the 'foundry' quests located on the city billboards. The loot found in them is random for your level, as is the quest itself, but the stories.. of the ones I have so far tried, are quite good..

yaoi vs shonen-ai and other matters

Just to clarify my title a bit..
Yaoi means sexually explicit guy on guy kind of romance... Shonen-ai is non-sexual Boys love.
So, for all of you having heard of or have watched an anime called Loveless.. that anime.. if anything, is Shonen-ai. As far as I have ever seen of the series.. a moment of kissing or two and a declaration of love was its extent. Not mentioning other types it may or might not have had... but Yaoi, it was not.

*steps off the soapbox with a sigh*
Did rather make me wonder if the author was just adding the 'romance' of the series simply for its hook, snagging that genre's audience. I thought it had a workable plot line anyway. Soubi was a looker but his story was a total.. euw. and Ritsuka.. needed a new sibling... and a new 'true name' as well... desperately!

Loveless

"MmBlaugh!" "Dmnit Soubi! You said you wouldn't Do that!" -- Ritsuka

Loups Garous


Another interesting anime was Loups Garous... and no, it isn't really about werewolves. About a future time of sorts, when people mostly interacted with monitor screens. Only the school children were given the means to actually meet one another face to face on school grounds. There is a series of murders and a set of 4 kids set out to find answers before they too are targeted for death.

A Mabinogi Moment

Just to impart... concerning the .... Quest called "Hat Delivery" in Mabinogi... the point to it is to make the hats. not to hang onto them. So far as i can tell anyway... the counter stays with the number you have made, if they are somehow stuffed, all 30 of them, into your inventory or not. so, make 10, get rid of them, make 10 more... get rid of those, then 10 more. Malcolm won't talk to you about them until you have made all 30 anyway.

I am once more taking a look at free to play open game/sandbox pve mmo's... maybe a return to Tera's shores? but thus far this year, I have been getting a sinking feeling of defeat, again, vs the powers that be.. around me... and not just with games vs lagless space on my computer but with education as well. little by little... its slipping away... again and I feel an overwhelming wincing oppression to just.. stop, since the uphill battle simply cannot be won by me. not in this lifetime anyway. Everything and everyone is saying so without actually using the words to do so. So.. looks like no more schooling for this meow because the only real way I could continue, is to pay out of pocket the whole way... which we -all- know the odds of that becoming a reality. yeah sheright!

And now I also have to indulge in a search n hunt for pen, paper and stamps to snailmail my snarglefest relative simply because they live out in the boondocks with a backward sense of communication that I never truly developed. Seriously!

Anime visiting.. open the door!

Watched another good anime.. and re-watched some older favorites, for me anyway. here they are..

Sword Art Online
2 seasons 25 episodes, 10 extra episodes + "special" movie

'Romancey' mixed with enduring friendships and the action of an vrmmo rpg. Welcome to the world of SAO.

The programmer of SAO went a little wacko, drew in a whole lot of players, then closed out the logouts. Someone has to beat the game to free the lot of them. This then is the story of a young player, Kirito, who strives to beat the overwhelming odds within 2 long years, stuck inside this virtual world.

In the second season ALO, Kirito, in the form of a spriggin, sets out in a similar virtual world to locate his love, who was caught up inside when SAO ended and is now a captured part of ALO, with its hidden experiments on the emotions of the human brain.

The movie is mostly a recap with an extra quest story.

Sword Art Online 2
24 episodes + 8 extra episodes


Based in part on several light novels from the author, Reki Kawahara, this follows the adventures of Kirito and Asuna in the virtual world. (as well as the more mundane rl)
Kirito is 'invited' to take a look at another virtual world called Gun Gale Online where there is said to be someone Pking in game, and having the deaths occur in rl as well. There he meets an ally, Sinon, who helps him to acclimate to the game as well as to assist him in defeating and old rival he wasn't fully aware he had.
Afterward, he returns to his virtual home of Alfheim Online(ALO), and goes on an adventure to recover a famed sword and save the virtual world while they are at it.
Then, there comes news of a powerful fighter taking on all comers and it becomes a contest of might, which asuka wins. She is then invited to join in a 'last' big run, to get the party's names on the immortalizing "firsts" board.


Nurarihyon no Mago
or.. Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
24 episodes


Good storyline about a youth going to school, who was 1/4th youki and heir to the Nura clan. At first he balks at having to take on the responsibility of leading a clan of evil youki, preferring to stay as a human with his friends. but after trouble finds him, not exactly for the first time, he grows to accept his youki night-life.. struggling to keep his human friends and the demons of his heritage from having to face one another.

too-risty things..

Saw a blog posting today, that spoke of evil things tourists often do when visiting other countries. Some I agreed with, some were debatable, most I simply wanted to add to. So I give listing title and maybe a slight overview then tell what I think about it.... since I don't seem to have much else to do with my time. *grin* Here's a link to the post, just in case you gotta see it. Link here.

1. "You don't respect the country's cultural norms and dress inappropriately."
Somewhat self explanatory. The picture though was of a bike team posing before a cross outside a place where the pope holds mass.

There is something of a grey line in this one. To me, the bike team, while not wearing, what might be considered the norm for a church type place, wasn't wildly inappropriate. Ok fine, it wasn't holy robes or anything, but they were still being fairly sensible according to what I could see. Picture aside though, I generally agree with the statement. Don't be wearing hoochy hot pants and half-sized muscle shirts to a church.. or short-skirted dress with spike heels for a hike. that's just.. gross. It's bad taste on anyone's part, not just on tourists. Common sense is a good thing, folks, use it.


2. "You take pictures when and where you're not supposed to."
Shows a pic of someone taking a picture in a Chinese temple. caption spoke of someone having kicked a bell that caused issues.

This is another of those grey lines where common sense is needed.
If the sign says No, then really. its no. If there's no sign... different story. Also, there's a different story behind kicking a holy bell, and taking a picture. One is contact. the other is 'looking'. Now, if the sign says 'No Flash' its common sense to know why. The flash of light could cause damage if there are items or people in the room that are sensitive to the sudden light.
If you have a camera that doesn't have the ability to use a flash or not. then don't use the camera, simple as that. There's also the reason of, one flash could ruin the pictures of 100 photographers. It's happened more often then you might think. Incidentally, This also applies to taking pictures in a concert. Not only might you be blinding your favorite idol on the stage, but you could also be whiting-out many of the pictures others are also taking nearby.
One of what should be written in every potential photographer's rule book, 'Look, don't touch... and don't ruin other people's pictures if you can at all help it.'


3. "You expect everyone to speak English and make zero attempts to use the language of the country/city/region you're in."

ok then, a double-edge... yes, its that whole "When in Rome, do as the Roman's do" thing again. It's true, when you go, prepare! This includes an idea of how to get around, verbally. It's a good idea to learn the language, if not all of it, at least emergency words. like maybe, 'bathroom', 'help', 'please', 'yes', 'no', and 'thank you'.
Especially so if it's a country where they are not even remotely concentrating on knowing your language for the sake of tourist bucks. You might be able to get away with knowing very little of the country's language such as going from America to Taiwan. Where many people there might know at least a bit of your language.. it's better to not expect it. Because, you never know, You might find yourself in dire straights and the locals having not the slightest idea as to what you are babbling on about. Can't really blame the locals, now, can you? So don't be gettin all high-handed and in their face expecting them to know your own language just because -you- are the guest in -their- country. This is -not- you're own backyard. Being a guest means to be on your P's and Q's so to speak. This is their home. It's not their problem that they don't understand your language. Pay some respect and be on good behavior.

As for the people of the country you have gone to.. (actually, this goes for both sets.. the tourist and the local) Please be understanding. Not everyone is willing to spend several years learning to speak your language just so they can visit for a week. (some of us might try.. most of us aren't likely to learn much past 'help', 'please', and 'thankyou' though.) Don't be a better-then-thou just because the tourist (or local) doesn't understand you... It doesn't give you the right to laugh and make fun of them. That's just plain rude.. in any language.


4. "You make disparaging remarks about the country's practices and customs (particularly if they inconvenience you) without attempting to understand why things are the way they are."

yyeaahh... ok, I kinda got the idea of this one, Generally speaking, Yes, I can agree. Don't be pushing your ideas of how things are sposta be onto another culture. This is bad form. You could get pummeled for being an idiot at the very best, or jailed for speaking out in an area that will not tolerate it, at the very worst.
Please be on your better behavior when visiting another country. Don't make waves of discord if you can help it. Even if you are not planning on it, It's still nice to know you are being invited back.

You -should- know your rights as an international traveler. Know before you go. (see no. 10) If something just isn't legally right to you, find your nearest embassy to ask them the questions you have. If you can't handle the laws in that country, go back home and be happy.

This also goes for the people who live in the country that's being visited. Is it so hard to be tolerant of a temporarily staying tourist? Give them some slack already... even if you have little good to say about their country, they are not likely to be in yer hair for very long, and if you have had a run-in with an obnoxious tourist, you might be in an area that gains profit from tourism. You could be biting off your own nose to spite your face... in other words, you might be hurting your area of needed tourist moneies just by being a butt-head about their existence in your day. If you just can't handle it anymore, hold onto you're temper and exit stage left, quietly, without fanfare. usually, that's all it takes.


5. "You "other" the locals and treat them as props in your "perfect" Facebook and Instagram posts." Picture shows person, in a group, taking a picture with a standing guard in London England.

Another 2-sided statement. Yes, I agree in that, its really not good to marginalize people no matter where you are. They are not objects. They are not there just for you to pick on or make fun of. Stay on your good behavior. Be polite.

No, I don't think there is anything wrong with taking pictures while standing beside an unsmiling, unmoving guard. Generally speaking, its a better idea to ask to take the picture beforehand though, especially if there is no sign stating it should not be done. Again, if they say No. No it is.

Yes, I do think there is a problem with trying to take pictures of that guard's nose hairs, or trying to get them to do something other then what they are already doing for a laugh or some such. Don't show your idiocy. You do that kind of crap knowingly, and you give the whole tourism idea a seriously bad name. Don't be of poor taste.
Best idea is that hosts as well as guests, be on better behavior then might otherwise be normal.


6. "You're cheap: you don't tip."

Yes and no. Yes, in that it is polite in most countries that have tipping. A tip in America, for example, is always welcome. Makes everyone's day a bit brighter really.

No, it's not a dastardly requirement of you. Yes there are places where a day's tips mean everything for a waiter/ress. Yes, it seriously sucks to not receive needed tip money. Especially when it could mean the difference between a roof over your head and food on the table,.. or neither of those two.
Ultimately though, It's not really the tourist's responsibility. It's the restaurant's management decision to make, and the wait-staff themselves for accepting that rule when they took the job. It's also the gov's problem for allowing such practice to take place in the first place. Its kind of a dumb way to do things if you ask me. (of course the downside of not having tips would be, they arn't getting the extra money to help with the "other" needed things of living that often do not get considered when the movers and groovers of Gov. are making up the minimum wage limit >.<... like a sudden rise in electricity bills, medical issues not covered by any sort of insurance, unexpected car repairs, or a child's required and unexpected clothing/school supplies bill.)

There are also countries that don't accept tips. In Japan, for example, They have personal pride in good service so do not accept tips. (see no. 10) Seems to me it's a better way to be really. They aren't needfully squabbling over tip money, for one thing. They aren't being so obvious about squeezing every dime they can from the tourists either.


7. "You're cheap: you bargain excessively and everywhere."

Again with the cheap! the word should be frugal! sheesh. Ok.. bargaining.. hmm.. yeah alright... kind of an odd thing to gripe about. There is a time and place for such things as bargaining. A lot of places don't bargain at all. Listed price is what it is. that's that.
Some places do bargain though so.. (Read no. 10) I agreed with the author's statement that was along the lines of 'state you basement bargain, and make to walk away.' You run a risk of losing out by doing that, but at least you arn't taking all day and hogging all of the clerk's attention.


8. "You specialize in cultural misappropriation."
Picture of a blond lady getting facial application from an Indian with a red turban. Stating also that "There is a fine line between appreciation and appropriation."

Well, this is true up to a point. It is true in a general sense, for example.. not to be wearing a toilet urn on yer noggin, because you think its funny or you are just being stupid.
But If you really have no concept of what it's for... surely you can be excused, and hopefully someone will quickly enlighten you... with as straight a face as possible, that its not exactly the thing you should be doing.

Its better to have an idea as to the culture of the country you are visiting. I know bumbles are still quite possible, but at least you are learning as you go, don't get all pissy with the person trying to politely inform you, with that straight face, that you're new hat,.. isn't really meant to be one.

As for the people in those countries, please refer to no.3 on this list... it applies here as well.


9. "You forget your manners and act as though you are single-handedly supporting the entire country's tourism industry." Picture shows a tourist standing on a stone fence with his arms up 'supporting' the leaning tower behind him.


yeah ok, the first part is the intent of the paragraph. forgotten manners.

There's not a major issue with goofing about.. but.. when its rude.. yer being an idiot. Stop that! Stay respectful and with good manners throughout your entire stay. This way, not only will you be able to have a great time, but the people there will have a good opinion of you when you leave.. just in case you might care to return someday.
Wouldn't you rather be remembered as a good an respectful person they would be pleased to see return, than as a some horrible trouble-maker they hope to never see again? (and if they -had- to see you again, they might not be as caring or polite to you as they were the first time around)
Best to leave a good impression... especially to help gloss over the possible mistakes you may have made.

To those living and working in the visited country... Please don't judge all visitors by one person's bad attitude. We are not all the same. Just because some of the people of a country are bad mannered, doesn't make the whole country's people horrible. Try hard to remember that when you see one or more foreigners giving locals trouble. Yes, those particular foreigners could use a bit more time learning from their manners books..(maybe as badly as a cuff upside the head!) They likely well deserve the trouble they get in return, but, we aren't -all- like that. Seriously.


10. "You don't research your destination before jumping in that plane/train/automobile." Mentioned in the paragraph is, "Know where you're going and what you're getting into,"

Yes. yesyes. Do look into your destination before you go. Google is a great source for learning about other countries. Type your target countries name into the search box and away you go! Also be sure to look into the nitty-gritty of how your going to get there, how much for both ways? what airline is the best to use? What might you need to take? Check on needed passports and visas needed. Where will you stay? where will you visit? do you need tour reservations? Start a checklist. How do you plan to get around? is anyone expecting you? how and where will you eat? do you have everything needed?

Make sure you got all yer ducks in a row before you step onto the plane. it will save you a whole lot of grief and stress to prepare beforehand. Be knowledgeable.
Remember your patience, manners, tolerance, and politeness abilities. don't forget them. Brush up on laws, rules and expectations for travelers in each country you plan to visit, Be aware of where you can go in emergency. Be aware of culture differences and learn what to say in case of need so the locals will have a better chance of understanding you in order to be of help.


annd to snag the conclusion...

"Lest you forget, travel is a privilege. The fact that you have the time, money and passport needed to travel doesn't mean that the world is at your disposal. So don't be a terrible traveller-- respect, tolerance, cultural sensitivity, and a bit of research can go a long way." - The Huffington Post - Oneika Raymond

Truer words have ne'er been spoken.
...just my 2 cents worth.

A brush-by with a vampire

I remember events o the past, as I am want to do when feeling a bit nostalgic. lol! I once said to a friend of mine, who thought I should write it all out in a book, that I would try to put fingers to keyboard and share a little here.

I remember meeting a vampire. Oh I know what yer thinkin... there is such a creature though. and the one I met was in a crowded hall of a convention. Yeah I know, haha.. just someone pretending etc.. you have any idea just how many times I have heard that one by now? There was nothing in physical that made this guy stand out in that hall to me, other then he was tall and had a stately carriage to him. but He spotted me at the end of the hall first. All the mental alarms went shrieking into life, and startled, I looked up from my aimless saunter down the hall to see his dark-eyed gaze and the slight bemusement haunting around his lips. Everything in me screamed to run away and yet it was all i could do to maintain a balance on my own feet, as he neared. He wasn't human. this was something I just 'knew' with every fiber of my being. there were others with him, i think, but i couldn't see them at the time. he too, seemed to know I was hovering being stiff stillness and outright flight, and i think it amused him. He had totally surprised and unnerved me within the span of a single thought and I suddenly broke and ran pell-mell for an open door. I really had just seen a vampire. I'm sure of it even to this day.
I have no idea what sort of vampire he was, but surely a dangerous one.

Cgi love for the movies..

I have loved the idea of CGI realistic enough to fit in with a live action movie without missing a beat.. ever since I saw the opening scenes of the flying owl in labyrinth. Since that time, many movies have copied the style, improving amazingly as time goes on. seamlessly fitting into the live action so well the watcher barely notices, if at all, the differences between the two.
just look at the differences between the changes of the werewolf in American werewolf in London, to the changing werewolf in twilight, They're gasp-worthy!. and Movies are getting better and better in the 3d CGI use.. like LOTR and the hobbit past and present.

Tonight I watched a set of movies, Dracula untold, and Seventh Son. Such epic battles in both.. the flying bat/vampire descending on the army of the enemy and a showdown between the master and his apprentice and a whole collection of bad guys with special and spectacular powers. Or, as I'm reminded, the evil Chinese dragon in the night watchman. just... all of that is so fascinating to me!

Of course this then leads me from a fiery passion for many years now, to a lack of direction.. or is it willpower? to apply my passion to an occupation. Maybe its the realization of mortality catching up that has me despairing?
In my last semester, I took a class on 3d modeling. I loved it, but for the issues of getting the program to stay stable long enough to let me do what I wanted... which seemed fraught with freezes, crashes, and corruption booboos. I received compliments.. but didn't feel even close to the par of some of the students there with so much more experience and ease in getting the program to work for them. It was frustrating!
Now I sit here for the whole summer, half thinking I know more now then I did.. but still don't really know what to do with the knowledge.
I could perhaps find a way, as my confidence grows with experience, start with a digi children's book. I think I can still do that, once I can get all my scattered ducks back in a row.. which hasn't happened as yet. Its not animation, nor is it something over the current knowledge bar, but I think it could work... maybe. Just don't have a whole lot of confidence to make it happen. I will keep it in mind though... so it will happen, even if its just to finish the first one. Ive wasted the summer thus far...

What were the writers thinking?!!

Was looking at drama reviews today.. read about one, a JP drama called Sapuri.. which I regard as the worlds most booring drama I have ever tried to watch. It wasn't really funny.. or romantic.. but dull, uninteresting, depressed office work with a sprinkling of witty and wise sayings. I didn't even make it all the way through this drama.. maybe 6 or so episodes in.

I mean.. ok, I'll give you something for the whole "different strokes for different folks" thing. Some people watch movies/drama's to cry their eyes out, while others prefer being frightened half to death. I'm more the sort who would most enjoy laughing over funny films and enjoying my day after it has ended. I'm just like that. So, following that pattern, I enjoy romcoms... especially if they have something of a fantasy feel to them. I have also been a fan of asian drama's for some number of years now, just check the earliest date of my drama blog then add about a year, and youl have a better idea as to how long. So I like to think I have a little experience regarding them anyway. (it all got started with a good friend recommending My Girlfriend is a Nine-tailed Fox and it scored a direct hit in my fascination criteria list.)


I loved The drama Flower boys Ramyun Shop. It had a good mix of comedy and romance throughout, along with conflict needed to make a good drama. It even had quotes worth remembering, and scenes worth rerunning. There were dark sad situations and light sparkling flavor that ended in a happy manner.
Koizera, on the other hand, was a total bleh for me at the beginning and got worse and worse.. dragging through the mud of tragedy until it finally, mercifully, ended. It wasn't funny in the slightest, and was not even really worthy of a smile. At the end, I was left wiping my eyes and wondering just why I chose to watch it in the first place.

I even liked the Coffee Prince really. Even though I will often skip over the 2nd lead parts. (boring parts) I loved the fact that the girl in this story was just not a girly girl, or a girl 'pretending' to be a boy so much as.. it was simply not something that stood out in her basic personality.
She needed the money, was how it started. Why she kept it a secret... was simply because she didn't want to lose her job. And then, when it got complicated.. she didn't quite know how to come clean about the original (not really important at the time) oversight.
That in itself, was probably the main reason I liked the whole of it, in spite of the other distracting and rather boring parts of the drama.

And then to top it off,... There are the dramas That either just lose their meaning before the end or simply do not sit the genre that people assign them well at all. (this being the main point of my rant/rave session here)
Blood Had a good start.. it had an ok storyline that seemed to flow from one thing to another fairly well. and then, it was like as if the writers or some-such abruptly gave up on it before the end. what happened? did they suddenly run out of ideas.. or time? Seriously, the drama was going along well, I thought, until the ending episode or so. Make me want to shout with the unjustness of it all.

Writers please!! Its ok to take a little of the 'silly license' when your already dealing with a fantasy/unreal/futuristic style subject.. but don't fall over a sudden cliff into the absurd and unbelievable! People won't like it if they lose the "believable" connection. Even fantasy stories have this connection, you know. Stretching it a bit is one thing, breaking it will kill the story outright.

I have also run into several drama's that people label as this or that genre, that really have nothing to do with the drama in question. Seriously, Raters and Reviewers, did you actually bother to watch it? This is a bit like the common complaint in question/answer forums. Don't be answering the question if you don't even know what the questioner specifically asked about. I suppose its alright to over-answer.. in stating it was this genre because of this, and that because of that.. As long as you are actually answering the question. was there romance in the drama? was there actual comedy? was there? I mean, not just a single moment where the characters smile at eachother or something, but scenes that were actually funny? Was there enough of these scenes to actually say there was comedy in the series? If not, then don't put it under the comedy genre.

A good romance can stand in that genre alone if needs be. Just as a funny sitcom or such can firmly sit amidst the comedy genre all by itself. It's ok, It doesn't 'have' to be a romcom to be good. (Although being a romcom 'can be' make the difference of who/how many watches it imo)
Just don't call something funny if it isn't. and if you care to state 'eye of the beholder' to me, that's fine too. while your own sense of whats funny might be unique, or even uncommon, when you rate a drama for genre, you are rating it for the general public, not just you, right? I see that you call it a romcom, get all excited to watch it and.. get so disappointed, I not only abandon the drama part way through, but consider you as having lost creditability in my book of sites/links to return to. So there ya have it. Straighten up and fly straight or I'll take my ball and run away with it to play in someone else's lot. lol!

Seriously though, genre raters/reviewers and answerers, please give a complete answer -After- you have read -All- of the question first. What genre was the drama in? You can always explain further in the review without giving away too many spoilers. If the questioner is asking for romcom dramas, don't be giving them horrible, tragically ending, horror movies. I may have been your all time favorites, but that wasn't what they asked for!

In the odd news..

Idly surfing about the net netted me some interesting news bits, I thought it was idle enough to be worth the comment.

From the 'Rocket News' blog posted Here comes a piece about a youngun who was given the Japanese equiv of about 10 bucks and told to use it however he wanted. and because he chose to turn it into an art project. he got.. how was it put.. "got scolded very badly" for it. ~.~
I can easily agree with the blog poster. good to know that at least someone taught the kid to use scissors.

To expand on that thought though.. both the person who gave the money to the child, as well as the child could use a bit of correction... any maybe a little applauding. Smart creative kid you gots there. creative enough to make something cool out of the money, and smart enough to possibly take it that way... on purpose or by accident. out of the mouths/minds of babes, as the saying goes.
Shame on the person giving it to the child for not only giving so much to a youngster free and clear.. but also for not better defining what was to be done with it. they did say 'use it' not 'spend it', you know. and then getting upset with the child for 'using it' however he/she wanted to, afterward.

So the question following the whole deal should be.. Was the artwork worth 1,000 yen of goodies to the child who made it? if not, then perhaps he/she should properly know to spend it on more worthwhile ideas after this. If so then, yay!! go you, kiddo!
and to whomever gave it to the child, perhaps you will better know to further define whats to be done with the money, and also.. know for the next time, to teach said child what else can be done to 'use' the money properly, better knowledge, smarter decisions.

critters that go bump in the night... or not.

hey there... just for serendipitous sake, I occasionally check out youtubes oddity vids. you know, feeling idle if not outright bored, so you click on the odd vid link to watch the top 5 who-cares kind of stuff. As much as I abhor posting in comments to some of these things, I do have my own thoughts on them at times.
Today I came across a vid on a viral vid concerning what looked like a huge 4-legged.. spider? crawling up the side of a building. here The commenter in the vid, stating their reasons why the vid was a hoax. Besides the bad grammar, the commenter seemed to have actually examined what could be seen in the vid.. the commenter had apparently discovered the name of the original poster of the vid.. hard to do as is, nevermind that it was a vid title that had to be translated. but I was willing to just go with that. we are then shown another vid of this same creature, again scaling the side of a building. at this point, I an wondering how it was this video folks just managed to randomly be running their cameras in this particular direction just as this creature came into view? and.. what.. no comment about the changing length of its limbs? We are then told that some.. paranormal investigation team, located the original poster of.. (the second vid?) and asked what program they used to create the video. (again, this second vid was in another language, even though the question was posted in English. They was told the program used was Blender, a 3d modeling/animation program. Ok, got that, back to the first video. The commenter then states that it was unusual to see the creature reflected so clearly in the windows of the facing building on such an overcast day, why the movements seemed so jerky, and why there was no damage to the building
the window reflection doesn't prove a hoax either way really. reflections are not shadows. On an overcast day, a shadow on, say, the opposite wall, if any at all, would be indistinct. but a reflection.. if there is good ambient light, will reflect on a window or mirror quite clearly. So either the reflection in the windows was just that, a reflection of the creature crawling on the outside wall .. or someone paying really good attention to detail in the forgery. It would be much more unnatural if there had been no reflection at all. As for no damage to the building... think on this a sec.. do actual spiders damage the walls they walk on? No, they don't. Ever wonder why?
The shaking of the camera in taking the vid is just as bad as what might amount for the jerkiness of the creature so it's difficult to say one way or another but.. as the creature goes up over onto the roof, its movement does seem a bit unnatural.
it's like it simply stops using its back legs really, and slides onto the roof and out of sight.
And since we are on the subject of unnaturalness (it all is actually) why did the camera man not talk with the dwellers of the building the creature was crawling over, just to see if anyone else happened to be looking or glancing out the window right when that thing went by? Would have given the video some credence if it was a real deal. Even given that some had shades drawn, there's a whole lot of windows facing the right direction, would have been a seriously easy thing to spot. If fake however, it would make better sense to let it lie as a mystery with just the video.

Kind of reminds me of a certain Godzilla movie where an anchorman, facing away from the many windows of a highrise office, is complaining about not having a really sensational piece to talk about, when the huge lizard strolls on by, seem by pretty much everyone but the anchorman.

Now here's a fun one. ghostly activity in a retail store. here
Several blankets falling off the shelf in the middle of the night, caught by the surveillance camera. that's strange. Ok, there is mention of earth-shakes, that could have done it.. although, as commented in the video, it didn't also cause the big ones on top of the rack to fall. (shaking the big blanket shelf afterward proves nothing to me.. other then the shelf she was shaking nearly caused one of the big blankets to fall)
Now, the blankets .could. have been balanced 'just so' so that when the earth shook a little, it was just enough to unbalance them.. causing the first one to fall, then eventually, the other two.. possibly in another low rumble. That sort of thing has happened before... with or without earthquake assistance.

toothy woes, Gojira roars

Been having issues with a trio of bad teeth since spring break's end. blew up the right side of my face like a chipmunks cheek food storage pouch. Ended up having to have them removed.. so now having to deal with that and several stitches. thankfully my teacher is understanding. I got reassured and my absences were excused. I'll have to hop-to on my homework though if i care to catch up. edit: now, why is it that that huge load of tutorials i have for reference, will not answer my questions!!?
I dropped my govt class. was causing the worst stress! Still have a history class to make it through.. already have several test fails to somehow make up for. think i can do it though.
edit: oh yeah, I gots a certif of academic achievement in the mail the other day, seems last semester won me a dean's paper of honor. lol! i tacked it onto the cork wall board and giggled over it for a time. betcha my adviser would be steamed if she saw that.

Been biding my heal time watching old Godzilla movies. (gojira is short for gorilla and whale. hence why he kind of looks a bit like an ape, and is often first seen in the water, which he breathes, right?) I love these old films! I wonder if anyone has ever done a picture and data list of all the monsters Godzilla has come against.) edit: there is! try the -link- here!

favs thus far.. Tokyo s.o.s., Final war, and am laughing it up with Godzilla's revenge.

A little bird has flown the nest and I already miss the ticcing of keys at the table next to me. :(

and, since I am on the woes portion of this post... losing another friend this evening. one I have known for many years too. At first I thought to befriend him, then to defend him, then when it became tested, i thought to advise him... he ignored me, and thought to push around me to others I care about. It's finally enough. I'm done. There is still politeness to be had, graceful steps to be taken. But enough is enough,.. after all this time. There really is nothing more i want to do.

Oh and Mabinogi?.. Fix your graphic card issues! Many of the PC laptop OS's running windows 8 cannot play the game at all! and Don't give me the whole "roll back yer own card drivers" claptrap. it doesn't work. we'd have to roll them back beyond the working ability of several programs already on edge of non-running status for win8 just to get the game to work. so, update your own driver requirements! My laptop can see far better graphics then mabi has just fine, no complaints, no issues. so why You giving me grief huh?

Kita and Talono of Mabinogi

mehs, blehks and a cool pic

Hey there. school isn't going to hot but well... there ya are... hope i make it to another semester without having to pay through the nose for my class failures... some grant.. ever hear of a gift you have to pay back? still sounds like a stinky loan to me. Classes are all right.. i guess.. dismayed with my history and government classes though. gov teacher speaks legalese on his tests... can't understand much at all of what he's trying to ask. history isn't fairing much better, even though she seems nice enough.. maybe its the online-ness of it all. 3d class is kinda fun.. even if it is just trying to learn an expensive huge program that I don't have a chance in hey of affording. Guess that's the way of it though.

Sobbing real tears for the spent spring break.. i have only just started relaxing! Why couldn't it be just a tiny bit longer?!

Been in the worlds of mabinogi a fair bit this semester.. and in dragon nest. don't seen to have enough time for eq2... heard they have changed company hands... sure hope its someone who cares a bit about the game.. enough to keep it alive with actual updates.... instead of sitting on it until it truly dies. (shades of creatures 3 and docking station... poor thing.. such a good game too)

dragon nest has changed a lot since i last was there.. added 3 new classes, changed the crafting system .. added fishing and cooking O.O some terribly confusing things in that. crafting is confusing.. i know they tried to make it simpler.. and I applaud them in the effort. just.. uh... the spark thing, i'm lost. picked up a plate the other day, and it required a diamond splinter.. I mean fragment.. only they don't drop those anymore. hrm.. still kinda funny to be sent in-game mail from npc's. Who else does that? Love their sense of humor. hehe





Lancea - dragon nest


edit - update

well, as my luck goes, I do have the day off. fault being, a tooth decided on a quick abscess
into my cheek, last night, and the earliest i could be seen by a DDS is tomorrow. so here I sit hopped up on drugs (Aleve, I love you!) and feeling like i have a balloon plastered to the right side of my face. Went to the store and could feeeel the stares so.. no, not going anywhere but the dentist tomorrow, and hoping for antibiotics.

I miss ceramics class. people might seem real.. but its really only temporary. unless you somehow manage to retain an actual friend. Still, some of the teachers have amazingly real personalities. Ms Green was the best. lol! visiting another classroom just for hugs and giggles. Embarrassing yet surprisingly fun. ^.^ I won't soon forget her. I really like my 3d class as well... love the nifty program... feels like a lot of work though. ..and so expensive.. don't know when I'd have the chance outside of the class, to use these new skills anyway.

too loopy for dragon nest this evening. most of the rest of the household has gone a little manic with that world. Lol! guess it was time.. or something. I've only been talking about it for... some while now.
amazingly splashy kill-em-good skills and a bit of fast action.. where you can't even see what you are attacking at times. just keep swinging and hope one of those hotskills hits the intended big bad guy.

re-greets and anime hi-jinx!

hi there. its me again! ^.^ thats right, I'm back.. at least for the semester..on a new laptop! (one with keys and a spacebar that doesntlike to work all too well. -.-; I'll try to correct but please bear with the meshed-up words. school has been going along.. with few bumps.. at least up to thisone.. dern, Govt is such an horrid subject! I'd almost rather take a math class! ..bet you never thought you'd hear me saythat one! and it worse then usual because its an unnecessarily tough online one. Anyway, atleast I still managed one sweet art-related class! ... even if it was against the advice of the adviser who chewed me out for about 30 mins about this one class before realizing i had others listed online. mehhwell, after a couple of snow days and iffy weather, its finally spring break! a whole week of... catching up. -.- and a few animes and some game catch-up as well! so hangonto yer sweaters,coats and warmwear, cuz its that long awaited anime review time!


First up is ..

Kaichou wa Maid-sama!


Funny storyline even if the irate vs deadpan personalities get a little old after a bit. still, it gave me a couple of chuckles.

Its about an serious student president who takes things waaay too seriously in keeping her fellow students in line. and this very calm and determined cute guy who only seems to have eyes and heart for her.


Pom Poko


Rather humorous film..even if the toilet humor got old quick toward the end. I really enjoyed the spooky parade.

A local tribe of racoons encounter trouble when a development company moves into their habitat area. Endeavoring to do something to stop it, they take to mischievous transformations.