Thursday, 09 July 2009
-
Shirt sloganing~
Heh, trying to stay awake, I decided to make up shirt slogans over at TypeTees. Vote for any that you like, if you like any at all, but know that I'm partial to the Sound of Music one. (/musical geek)
I'm itching to do a bit of fun designing with a couple of them, having strong images of their graphics in mind, and might just get myself a shirt at those print-on-demand places. I'm definitely going to get myself the sobriety one if I can one day...
Foreign Video of the Moment: 30 Years of Kasou Taishou. It's amazing how many creative variations you can do on "human(s)+costume = awesome".
Sunday, 05 July 2009
-
This Internet thing, I'm SO down it!
In the end, rather than rebuilding my photo gallery (which was hit by spambots last year), I decided to just upload my random photos to Flickr.
So far, I got the insect and pet albums up, with the rest following later.
Hm, should I have a return of Links of the Moment? Yeah. Why not.
Link-of-a-List of the Moment: Greg Rutter's Definitive List of The 99 Things You Should Have Already Experienced On The Internet Unless You're a Loser or Old or Something. Now... this is a nice tool to help gauge how much of an internet addict you are.
Before knowing of the existence of the list, I have already seen 66 of the 99 (two-thirds perfectly!) listed.
"What? I can't believe I never heard of this one." : Techno Viking (captioned)
"Oh, this is awesome, glad to know of it.": Best Wedding Toast Ever (Amy's Song)
As for the bonus NSFW links at the bottom, I'm sorry to say I heard of all of them--and actually saw goatse years ago before I knew what the heck it was (I quickly learned a lesson about trusting internet users indiscriminately--now, I just get rick-rolled). There are 3 other "most horrific" and well-known net videos I've heard of as well (I confess to have seen one in which I'm certain had resulted in painful and humiliating death), mostly because I watch reaction videos and like to stay on top of memes.
In fact, from the amount of things I've seen that can't be unseen, I sometimes feel so old compared to less internet meme savvy friends of the same age. Oh, sure, this makes it easy to get all the references in various media, but every few months I wish my brain has a "Delete this folder?" option.
Edit: Yes, it's pretty ironic that the Link of the Moment commentary is longer than the actual entry.
Thursday, 18 June 2009
-
The Villainous Quality
This is something I've brought up again and again, but never really clarified.
After reading many entertaining list humor concerning heroes and villains in entertainment (Top 5 of the Best/Worse/Stupidest/Smartest/etc. Heroes/Villains and such), I realized that I would give more leeway to stupid heroes (or heroes that make stupid decisions) than stupid villains--not because of the inherit "rightness" of rooting for the good guys, but because stupid villains does not a good story make.
To be a hero, you don't necessarily need to be a genius, or have a genius on your team, but I would consider a good hero simply someone who steps up to, or even beyond, his/her calling. And has luck. Lots, and lots, of luck. An indecent amount actually. (To which I attribute to God's justice, or cosmic justice to those that don't believe. Or the occasional lazy writing.)
But to be a villain--say, maybe even a super-villain--you need to be smart.You need to be an evil genius. Bad guys that aren't smart end up as thugs or the puppet of that shadowy adviser guy who always happens to disappear when smelly things hit the fan. They wouldn't make it up to a dozen satisfactory evil interns, let alone a whole Cabal of Evil complete with Cyborg Armies of Doom.
And as a villain, it's a given you don't need to be constricted by a pesky thing called morality--not like the hero. Your way can always take the low-ground. As long as you play your politics right among your evil cohorts (no one likes a backstabber or a complete lunatic--it's just bad practice, not evil), who's going to complain if you use a myriad of ruthless, blood-chillingly effective, and maybe occasionally creative, ways to destroy your enemies?
Yes, a lot of evil villains have some sort of personality disorder, making it quite difficult to achieve that pinnacle of world-domination before being defeated by the hero pouncing on some personal weakness. After all, if a person is completely sane, he/she wouldn't be an evil villain in the first place, I guess.
Even so... there's no way I can fully enjoy a serious good vs. evil story if the supposedly ultimate-evil does things that a low-level manager won't do. Worse, if the hero team still find it difficult to defeat such a paragon of evil-without-competence. It just makes the heroes look dumber. And if the story isn't a comedy of some sort, I'll be feeling even dumber than both sides because I'm the one sitting there watching a bunch of idiots run around narrowly dodging explosions and spouting empty one-liners.
The great thing about the scarily competent evil villain is that his actions will force the hero team to constantly rethink themselves, their motives, and their actions. It doesn't have to be something stereotypical like forcing the hero to either save the heroine or the super Deus ex Machina Object, but the very basic of what to do when your enemy fights so dirty that keeping strictly to the moral high-ground will result in defeat and innocent lives lost.
In real life, debates about what's "right" or "wrong" in war happens throughout history--especially in recent times where we're supposed to be completely civilized even if the opposition isn't. Well, in entertainment, I find I like it better where most of the conflict is internal for the good guys fighting an evil that might necessitate a greater sacrifice of their heart rather than something physical. Losing a limb for good? Sacrifice. Going against your very morals, willing to bloody your hands so that others don't have to, and then live with the consequences... yes, I would think it's a sacrifice as well.
And if you're the evil villain, I imagine it would just be an added bonus to completely mess with your enemy in ways no weapon can do--simply by being your evil-self.
When a writer tells me a person is the ultimate evil-genius villain (note that this doesn't apply to all antagonists, just the ones in the super evil-genius category), I would be expecting someone who can only be stopped if he's 100% dead with no chance of resurrection. Someone who manages to make the heroes fight themselves as much as they fight him/her. Someone whose defeat can be truly called epic and a triumph for the forces of good.
My super villain moto? Don't become an evil super-villain unless you're determined that the only way to stop is irrevocable death.
Or at least before checking your plans against the Evil Overlord List.
(Yes, sometimes I do check my evil character's ideas against the list. It gives me a devil of a time figuring out a way for the heroes to triumph, but at least it's good creative writing exercise. Man, I probably need an "evil" tag for how much this topic appears in my blog. I can totally write a whole book on it.)
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
-
Which Student Are You?
This is pure brilliance on the different types of art students. (hat tip to Jes.)
Upon reading each, I could totally remember a corresponding student in my classes. "Ah, that is so that guy!" or "Lol, that girl was totally like that!" Some other students were a mix-n-match of the types, but a few were so spot on I had to wonder if some students were university hopping.
For myself, I'm the quintessential Average/Good Student. I go in, I go out, and try my best to leave as few traces of me as possible. I might have stepped into the shoes of Whiny and Loner/Alien Student more often then what's good for me--which probably pushes me to the brink of being below average.
The Metal Student one made me chuckle the loudest because I totally knew a guy who even looks a bit like the picture. He's scary at first glance, but dude, he's one of the nicest guys with one of the best work in the class. XD
Sunday, 07 June 2009
-
Good-bye, Ning
Ning, one of my maids in Indo, died a week ago. I just found out yesterday, and apparently it was because of some kind of surprise miscarriage--they didn't know she was pregnant as she was using contraceptives with her boyfriend.
Ning was one of those energetic, cheerful, girls that could be friends with anyone and was fiercely loyal to my step-mom and sister. I remember going to Dufan (the Indo version of Disney) with my step-mom, sister, another maid-nurse, and her, having fun and taking photos together just like any other friends--race and class lines were nothing in light of her natural brightness.
During dinner, when the family gathered downstairs, my parents would tease her and she would spar right back, leaving a many nights full of laughter. She would always complain my room was like an ice cave, marveling that I can survive at snowy temperatures such as 22°C. She would pop in at random hours checking to see if I needed anything to drink/eat especially when I was engrossed with something and neglected to consume anything for the day. I remember it took her a while to get used to me fridge-raiding with no intention in mind, preparing my own snacks/drinks, or even cooking, as I was used to doing some things myself. After the first year she would finally go back to sleep whenever I pop into the kitchen after midnight to make noodles, rather than standing around looking sleepy and fussing.
The tradegy of her death is that she was so young. I'm not certain, but she is either younger than me or we're very close in age. She had her whole life in front of her--maybe it's a quiet village life in her future, like so many other Indo maids, but a potentiallly fullfilling life still.
Ning was still smiling and laughing the morning and evening the day she died. My step-mom reported that she left with her boyfriend near midnight when sometime afterwards her "womb broke" and she started bleeding heavily. As they discovered she was pregnant, I guess it meant she had a very bad sudden miscarriage.
The hospital couldn't stop the bleeding--or she didn't get to it in time, I don't know the details yet--and her low blood pressure dropped her into a coma. Five hours later she was gone.
Understandably her parents were in shock and her village in an uproar. They even suspect my father of "pake ilmu", or using sorcery, as Ning's death was considered very unnatural. (In a way, the dangers of pregnancy is very real and natural in a woman's life--but still it shouldn't have caused such a young and healthy woman her life so early in it.)
The constantly doubting part of me, conditioned by too many crime entertainment, wonders about the boyfriend and the causes for the "breaking" of her womb. Such sudden and heavy loss of blood in a pregnancy that's at most three months (Ning was slender and petite, everyone would have known she was pregnant if she was along any longer), is that possible without trauma?
I don't want to suspect anyone of foul-play, it maybe might have been an accident, as her boyfriend had been there for years and to my knowledge a fine young man, but the uncertainty just makes one question. Death always makes one want to understand, I think, or it becomes too alien and frightening. I wish they had done a proper autopsy, if only for her parent's peace of mind.
Through this all, I worry about my baby-sister, just recently turned seven. Ning had been with her almost all her life and I wonder how Chia-Chia is taking her first death of a person close to her. I'll call them later tommorow morning when everyone's home.
It'll be weird going back without Ning there. I even find myself constantly having to backspace as I keep writing about her in present tense.
One of the saddest things was that she was interested and receptive to the subtle encouragements to be a Christian. I can only pray for God to have mercy, and for Him to support her loved ones that she left behind.
Good-bye, Ning, we'll miss you.
Saturday, 06 June 2009
-
The Manly Rant
On top of my current wish list is Frank Miniter's The Ultimate Man's Survival Guide. (Found via Instapundit.)
Short version: I really would want a husband who's a "gentleman warrior" like in Miniter's interview. Since I'm pretty dominant and masculine in character, I so want an even more dominant and masculine guy to whom I can totally depend upon, especially when I'm sick of trying to be competent and strong. A husband to whom I can be completely, and comfortably, girly and useless when I need to be would be my ultimate dream guy. (Oh, Lord, I pray you saved one for me! XD)
TL;DR version: While I do think I'll be getting a good share of knowledge that even a 5'1" Asian geek-nerd chick could use, I find I really enjoy these "man-uals" because, quite frankly, I'm fascinated by the male gender. It's the same reason I like reading humor sites that pander to the male audience; guy humor is endearing and interesting to me while gal humor is boring.
I certainly coo over cute stuff and sigh wistfully at a beautifully designed interior or a perfectly baked cake. I can list the common female complaints of men and do have my moments of female silliness (I try so hard not to, but once in a while I find myself tilting my head and saying something utterly stupid and female--if I could time-travel a future me would probably appear and slap me upside the head). I do enjoy the occasional mall-meandering where I try on pretty but unreasonable shoes and spend half-an-hour matching bracelets with my skin tone.
But most of the time I would rather hang with the guys.
I think this is so because I wish to adopt masculine qualities that I'm attracted to into my own character. Straight-forward speaking, protectiveness, rationality, decisiveness, an age old code of honor.
All these I see in the men I know in different levels and forms and therefore, as a woman who find these traits attractive, I find myself sometimes more comfortable in a group of guys that I trust rather than with a group of girls (bar a small number of girl friends whom I can be totally insane with, in public no less)--mostly because hanging with girls just feels... normal. Unfortunately, "girls = normal = boring" to me in many things.
Back to manliness.
It's really sad, then, that today's feminism end up emasculating men to "equalize" the genders. Really, why the heck would I want a husband who's basically a lesbian who went through a sex-change op? A husband who's so completely "civilized" and "gender-equality conscious" that he's not a man, only male. How utterly boring--and really weird if my husband has more elaborate grooming habits than mine.
I know there are many feminists that decry even the smallest gestures of chilvary as sexist--this I don't get. I would understand being patronized or belittled because of my gender, but having a door held open? Given a seat on a crowded bus? Walking together down a sidewalk and being moved to the side farthest from the street?
Heck, I do these all myself to others because I wish to one day have these small gestures be returned (by my future husband, ideally). I may be able to open doors on my own, stand for 10 minutes on the bus, or not get killed walking on the side-walk, but having a man thoughtlessly show his deference to me just because I'm female is highly flattering in a way.
Since I'm such a tomboy, and somewhat masculine in thinking and character, it gets me everytime when a guy does these things because it makes me feel feminine even with zero make-up, ratty sneakers, worn jeans, and a penchant for violent games. In an age where so many young girls have body image issues and are getting bombarded with mixed messages on how a woman should be (traditional roles vs. post-gender society roles, etc), I do believe these types of chilvaric gestures would do wonders to give a healthy self-image to girls.
It's not that females are helpless or incapable of thought, but that we're supposed to be cherished and honored regardless if we're young or old, fat or thin, ugly or gorgeous, milkmaid or princess, soldier or nurse. That it's not a curse to be female. That, you know what, men aren't our enemies.
Sure, it's reality that many men are enemies of women and that we need to be vigilant and self-sufficient, but the great thing is that even more men are champions that can be depended upon to be protectors. At least, I hope that is the truth. It'll totally suck if a woman is getting beaten and a guy comes by then, rather than go in fists swinging in immediate rescue, he just stands there dialing 911 and yelling for help like--like... like a damn girl.
All the while the woman (or child, or another man, doesn't matter) is still getting pummeled where the next punch could be her death.
What's the use of being physically stronger if all that potential is being wasted doing something a 13-year-old girl would do? Leave the hysterics and screaming to us, please go in and show the bastard that strength is to protect, not to abuse. (Does that make me old-fashioned? Then so be it.)
My goodness, the more I think of it, the more I wonder why they don't just make it mandatory to teach chivalry in schools. To raise boys with "the qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women", rather than instill fear of the myriad ways they could get sued in the future.
Dangit, if I eventually have a son, I'm so going to raise him with those values (plus Christian morality, of course) so he can make a young lady very, very happy one day.
A society that blends old-school chivalry and honor with equal rights... Girls, you can't honestly say that's not a dream come true?
Sunday, 31 May 2009
-
Desktop refesh
It seems I'm in a cleaning mood these few days. Went through my wardrobe and piled two boxes worth of old pants and shirts for a donation drop on Tuesday. I actually discovered a few jeans that I never remembered having but still fit me fine--it's like shopping, but free!
Then I spent an hour or two cleaning up my desktop and even got myself a useless ostrich I named Ossie.
Before and After desktop shots! The first is from last year, but there were insignificant changes so it's still an accurate Before representation.
May 2008:
As of today:
Yes, I have a bit of OCD that pops up from time to time.
Update: Ah, I found a zombie one! Now Zombie and Ossie can chase each other while Doom Guy watches on.
-
Return of the Quizzes
Got stuck doing some quizzes at Quizfarm...
Note: I have no idea how to fix the weird spacing in the first quiz. Too tired to investigate further...
Find Out Which Disney Girl You Are
Weird that I got a higher percentage for Belle but the results peg me as Jane? Well, they're both book nerds so I guess it's still accurate either way... (For Snow White, I am still waiting for my Prince to come! XD)
You Scored as Jane Running through the jungle, obsessing yourself in books and learning new things - you're ever so Jane! Learning new skills and ideas is always an amazing thing, but basing your entire life around it might make you miss out on some other fun things in your life. Don't work so hard - learn how to take a break now and then to have some fun too! And stay away from those pesky monkeys!
Belle 79% Snow White 75% Cinderella 67% Tinkerbell 67% Megara 67% Jane 67% Mulan 63% Alice 58% Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) 54% Pocahontas 50% Ariel 50% Jasmine 42% Violet 38% Esmerelda 8%
And for something completely opposite...
Which Horror-Killer Are You?
While it is in character for me to be the behind-the-curtain type villain, I'm sad I didn't get Lecter because he's my favorite movie serial killer (Hopkins totally nailed the role).
What Major Is Right For You?
You Scored as Psychology/Sociology You should strongly consider majoring (or minoring) in Psychology, Sociology, or related majors (e.g., Counseling, Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology, Social Work, or other social science majors). It is possible that the best major for you is your 2nd, 3rd, or even 5th listed category, so be sure to consider ALL majors in your OTHER high scoring categories (below). You may score high in a category you didnt think you would--it is possible that a great major for you is something you once dismissed as not for you. The right major for you will be something 1) you love and enjoy and 2) are really great at it. Consider adding a minor or double majoring to make yourself standout and to combine your interests. Psychology and Sociology are both great minors to add to any major. Please post your results in your myspace/blog/journal.
Psychology/Sociology 81% English/Journalism/Comm 75% HR/BusinessManagement 69% Visual&PerformingArts 69% Biology/Chemistry/Geology 63% Physics/Engineering/Computer 56% Religion/Theology 56% Education/Counseling 56% Nursing/AthleticTraining/Health 56% PoliticalScience/Philosophy 56% French/Spanish/OtherLanguage 50% History/Anthropology/LiberalArts 44% Accounting/Finance/Marketing 38% Mathematics/Statistics 13%
LOL, I couldn't believe how low on the scale biology was... then again it was sorted with the other sciences which I suck at. Interesting that the creative majors ended up as secondary/tertiary choices...
Whose's Your Vampire Personality?
You Scored as Blade Thats right you are the booty kicking you cross me and I will stomp a mudhole in your butt type. Sexy and a great fighter with mad fighting skills
Blade 75% Dracula 75% Marius 67% Akasha 58% Spike 50% Armand 50% Lestat 42% Angel 42% Louis 33% Deacon Frost 33%
Huh, I guess my sense of justice would make me a vampire slayer... well... I wish to be an evil villian only if I'm the only one--if there's others, I'll seek to destroy them first because they're hogging precious evil-useful resources. Maybe that's why I got a tie-breaker with Dracula? XD Hahaha, of them all, I only don't know what series Akasha and Frost came from... Assuming Marius, Armand and Louis are Anne Rice vampires (full names would be so helpful here).
Which Action Hero Would You Be?
You Scored as Batman, the Dark Knight As the Dark Knight of Gotham, Batman is a vigilante who deals out his own brand of justice to the criminals and corrupt of the city. He follows his own code and is often misunderstood. He has few friends or allies, but finds comfort in his cause.
Captain Jack Sparrow 67% Batman, the Dark Knight 67% Maximus 63% James Bond, Agent 007 58% William Wallace 50% Neo, the "One" 50% El Zorro 46% The Amazing Spider-Man 46% Lara Croft 38% The Terminator 38% Indiana Jones 25%
My loner, slightly amoral, side showing a bit... Though, the difference between me and Batman is that I'll be perfectly willing to kill the repeat villains if it meant minimizing future risks/collateral damage. Hey, they are totally asking for it and I'm the goddamn Batman in the first place. And after the first few gruesomely dead villains aspiring evil-doers would think twice before even jaywalking in Gotham.
Hmmm...
Would that make me an anti-hero or an morally ambiguous villain? (Though, in the secret Disney part of my heart I would like to be a heroine... if not at least the female henchman of the villain who gets redeemed/not killed.)
Saturday, 30 May 2009
-
PsychoAnn.com is finally online!
This is also a double-announcement for yet another new blog that I will use strictly for art/project updates. Read this post for details about PsychoAnn.com.
I've also started a Twitter account a while back--which I mainly use to write about food (because, oddly enough, I find that if I write down my cravings I don't think about them that much afterward). It's probably the best place to keep track of me being alive but don't expect any other useful information.
In other news, I'm slowly getting back into things. I've started drawing/doodling on my own again and striking things off a very backlogged list of things-I-needed-to-do-last-year. Rawr!
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Psycho_Ann
-
- Name: Hu-Ann
- Country: United States
- State: California
- Birthday: 4/2/1984
- Gender: Female
- Member Since: 2/15/2001
About Me
-
Christian manga-styled artist, survival horror & FPS gamer, SF art student, conservative to the right, pro-Israel, anti-yaoi, and apparently 'psycho'. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Links
...M I N E...
[ The Project ]
[ Psychoteers ]
[ SBQ-Ann ]
[ Cognatio ]
[ My Wishlist ]
[ X-tianMangaReviews ]
[ PsychoAnn.com ]
[ Photo Blog ]
[ The Faineant ]
[ TheProject Blog ]
[ Psycho Ann's Project Blog ]
Social Networking
[ Facebook ]
[ Friendster ]
[ ComicSpace ]
[ CCAS ]
[ DeviantArt ]
[ YouTube ]
[ Twitter ]
[ Flickr ]
...F O R U M S...
[ AnimeAngels ]
[ CAA ]
[ CC.net ]
[ Anindo ]
[ Freakschool ]
[ F&C Forum ]
[ The Project Forum ]
...F R I E N D S...
[ Nathan ]
[ Chette ]
[ Darnell ]
[ Mave ]
[ Aletta ]
[ Jhosephine ]
Online Games
Nexus - LadyMulia
Urban Dead - Psycho Ann
Kingdom of Loathing - Psycho Ann
Albatross18 - PsychoAnn
Gunbound - PsychoAnn
PirateQuest - LadyAnn
02JamNX - PsychoAnn
Urban Dead - Psycho Ann
Kingdom of Loathing - Psycho Ann
Albatross18 - PsychoAnn
Gunbound - PsychoAnn
PirateQuest - LadyAnn
02JamNX - PsychoAnn
Weblog Archives
Don't worry - your calendar is here… to see it in action just click "Save"
above and refresh the page.
Connect
Currently Following
*= Liking a lot
strike= Recently finished
italic= Dropped/on hold
italic= Dropped/on hold
Last update: 7-16-08
[ Anime ]
Darker Than Black
Romeo x Juliet
Gintama*
Yakitake Japan!
Death Note
Claymore*
Hayate no Gotoku
Naruto: Shippuuden
Bleach
Jigoku Shoujo: Futakomori
Gakuen Alice
Seirei no Moribito*
Irohanihoheto
Otokojuku
Shakugan no Shana II
Shion no Ou
Gyagu Manga Biyori 2
La Corda d'Oro ~Primo Passo~
Texhnolyze
Eureka Seven
Soul Eater
Nijuu Mensou no Musume*
[ Manga ]
Fairy Tail
Ga-Rei*
Full Metal Alchemist
Perfect Girl Evolution
Naruto
Bleach
Tsubasa RC
Meitantei Conan
Dogs: Bullets & Carnage*
Violinist of Hameln
Until Death Do Us Part
Dawn's Chilly Hands*
Biomega*
Darkwalker*
Jackals
Blood Alone
Special A
Shin Angyo Onshi
Skip Beat!*
King of Thorns*
Nekoten
Karin
Katekyo Hitman Reborn!*
Mieru Hito
Muhyo to Rouji
Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro*
RAVE
The Hour of the Mice
Zombie Loan
Variante
Sket Dance*
Shion no Ou
Blade of the Immortal*
Berserk
Death Note
Psyren Call
Kekkaishi*
Doubt (seinen)
Deadman Wonderland
Soul Eater*
Double Arts*
Nurarihyon no Mago
Chocolat (seinen)
Addicted to Curry
Mel Kano
XBlade
Mirai Nikki
Bari Haken
Pyuu to Fuku! Jaguar
Dorohedoro
Ann Cassandra*
Code: Breaker
Karakuri Circus*
Otogi mo you aya ni Shiki
Samurai Usagi
Yankee-kun to Megane-chan
[ Drama ]
Anna-san no Omame
Kekkon Dekinai Otoko
GTO
Puzzle
All Time Favs
[ Anime ]
Noein - Mou Hitori no Kimi e
Full Metal Panic!
Ergo Proxy
Mushishi
Samurai Champloo
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
School Rumble 1 & 2
Ouran Koukou Host Club
Basilisk
Honey & Clover
Black Lagoon
Pumpkin Scissors
Gyagu Manga Biyori
Princess Tutu
Seto no Hanayome
Nodame Cantabile
Dennou Coil
[ Manga ]
Level E
Yu Yu Hakusho
Katsu
Rough
Kanata Kara
BLAME!
Blade of the Immortal
Dragonball
Otoko Juku
Samurai Deeper Kyo
Violinist of Hameln
Monster
Angel Densetsu
Cromartie High School
Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro
[ Drama ]
TRICK I-III
Yamato Nadeshiko
Star no Koi
Nodame Cantabile
Sushi-Ouji!
Chatboard (8)