So yeah. Another year older. Take that world, I would have figured you would have gotten me by now.

Tomorrow is the more spiffy celebration day, but I will probably drag myself to the Richmond arms tonight for low key fun.

Happy. Birfday. To. Me.

I am liking what I see so far from Star Wars: The Old Republic. I still have the lingering fear that it will all go poorly. Galaxies fell out of favor with me rather rapidly, I am told things were much better after Jump to Lightspeed, but I never made it that far. Needless to say this was long before Galaxies was gutted and mounted on a wall. One would hope that Bio Ware can make this new MMO actually feel like fricken Star Wars.

I know, geeky. I yam what I yam.

Yeah. I don't post often. This shall be an effort to change that. One day I'll go into the why's involved... maybe.

Disclaimer - This is one fan's opinion. Yes. I direct a convention. Yes. I am a fan of anime and manga. I am not a professional critic. At no point should what I have to say here be given anymore weight than that of any other fan. I urge people to experience for themselves the material I choose to levy my humble opinion on. Better to come up with their own opinions and engage in intelligent, if not somewhat geeky, discourse.

That said I shall now speak on the new anime version of Full Metal Alchemist. Other things like this will probably follow as I have the vague urge to be more prolific here. I don't know why. Anyway, I shall now engage in one of the three primary uses of the "intarwebz," bitching about TV shows.

I am a in big lovey heart land with Full Metal Alchemist partly because I am a fan of Mage: the Ascension. The old one. The one where the tenth sphere is paradigm. I watch the series and read the manga and I found in the franchise one of the core themes explored in Mage. Just because you can do something does not mean you should, and there is a price to pay for every action. When watched events unfold in storyline of FMA I was especially intrigued by the concept that the brothers paid so much more for their sin of human transmutation than just an arm, a leg, and well... a whole body. In fact, I got the very real sense that they were STILL paying their debt off. It also explores the very real sort of insanity and shift of mindset that no doubt comes with being able to do the impossible. Mad science, gotta love it. I mean I still get a wee bit of a chill when I think on the actions of Shou Tucker. I root for Mustang and what really drives him. Add to this a the fun concepts of science vs religion that are embodied in Scar, as well as several other neat conflicts in the series. It all makes for big lovey heart land for me.

Full Metal Alchemist had an anime series, a very good one. The first series was, from the outset, completely different in continuity from the manga (which is very very good). They both have there place. The world is happy. The powers that be have decided that there shall be a new series of Full Metal Alchemist, this one subtitled Brotherhood and ostensibly based more on the continuity of the manga. I actually like this, mainly because I prefer the manga over the original anime. I think both are great, I just prefer the manga. So the idea that they decided to make another series based in that continuity pleased me in its ideal form. This is all not with out certain obvious issues that take the ideal to the practical. There is always a catch. Always an equivalent exchange. (*snicker snicker snicker*). Four episodes of Brotherhood are up right now on Funimation's website right now in subtitled form (look ma I still rememberz me some of that crazy asian moon language). I have devoured them all. This is what I have to say.

The primary problem Brotherhood faces is that the plot of the first season of the original series and the first few chapters of the manga are essentially the same. There are differences, but two series do not truly diverge off into the land of separate but equal continuity until a bit later into both. So... why make another anime series when the first season of the two series are essentially the same. This issue is being handled well so far, not flawlessly but well. They have taken the tactic of assuming familiarity with the material, at least of the first part of the material. Each episode of the new series so far either condenses or glosses over various amount of material that took several episodes in the original. Sprinkled into the mix are bits and pieces of material only covered in the manga. A casual mention of the civilization of Xerxes here, a brief conversation about Xing there. Tiny nuggets of manga continuity joy to whet the appetite for later. This is good and all, but the pacing feels rushed. I am really hoping that the new series does not keep this pace. So far the idea seems to be to get through the old stuff decently fast and get to the new stuff. I won't argue, I just hope there is not an overall grinding when the series shifts gears in terms of pacing. They have covered half a season of material in three episodes so far, using the original as a basis. I don't count the pilot because it is all new material, and also I hope the shape of things to come episode pacing wise. The speed difference between the pilot and the three other episodes is very very noticeable. Condensing and glossing over the parts they have does take more than a little of the impact and tension out of the show too. Though it is probably still the better way to go. One can watch the first season of the original for proper animated pacing I suppose. In fact I really do advise that if you have seen no FMA at all, watch the whole original series. There are bigger wastes of 50+ episodes of animation out there, trust me. Read the manga if you can manage it, but watching the original is just as satisfying. I recommend Brotherhood. Its good, so far. I watch it now mainly due to love of the franchise, and the curiosity of seeing how they cover what has come before. I look more forward to seeing them include more of the the manga material (bring on Lin Yao!). Still, I watch the series with great interest.

One would hope that others will also be so inclined.
Be seeing you.

My cat died this morning. I miss my dear sweet boy. I miss Reno.

OK... maybe its because its super late. Maybe its because I am just weird. Heh... weird. (Think about that after reading this and you'll realize why its funny.)

Anyway, couldn't sleep tonight so I watched Enchanted on the TV. Good Lost movie, bizarre I know. I frankly blame the way my brain works sometimes. It is though. Watch it, honest you'll see it. Filled me with inspiration or something.

Yeah I know. I don't post in forever and that's what you get. Well at least you know I'm breathing and still very very weird. Heh... weird. Still funny.

I'll try to post more regular.

- L

(PS - 10 points if you get it.)

nmurg... I am awake. hmmm... seems i beat the universe for yet another year. go me. commence with the pouring forth of libations for the next... till i say you can stop dammit!!!!

i win universe! see you on m next sainday!

- L

Things I do when I am bored and playing with CS2...



I am such a nerd...

Break over. Accomplished much. Worked a bit. Artsied more. Grew older.
Tomarrow, resume normal schedule.
Friday, up to the Akon.
Weekend, promote and party.

Onward to oblivion.

I have defeated the universe for yet another year. Happy Birthday to me ^ ^

No whirly thing for me. Time to run runner ;p

Ah Heroes, how I love you. How you continue to entertain me. I will miss you after this last ep next week. You apparrently get a spin off in the fall. Hmmmm.

Busy winds down. B-day winds closer. I also begin to figure out where I will wind up. Fly pretty job apps fly.

Tomarrow. Fun with Daikon.

FFXI - Wings of the Goddess this winter. WOOT! WOOT! YAY!

Twilight Princess cleared.
Wonderful experience. Now I am curious about the implications of a few of the final cutscenes. Sadly I can't really go into detail without being full of spoiler. Yeah I know its been out a while, but I'm not going to be that guy. I'll just have to save these thoughts for later discourse.

Oh... Midna = Awesome.

I know, I know. I don't post enough. Not nearly enough, but I am now. That counts, right? I thought not. Anyway.

Lets seem how am I. In relative. Its all in balance. My health has leveled out nicely. I have joined a gym and been working out. Amazing how wonderful the activity makes one feel. I'm loving it. Granted I was not loving it for the first ten or so days. Then it was just subjecting myself to torture for reasons less tangible than usual. Now I feel great. Full of vim and vigor. My routine is to go to the gym every other day for about an hour and a half. Thirty minutes cardio on a really neat looking cross trainer machine the beeps at me and tells me my heart rate. Technology is grand. A nice cycle of weights and such, for to tone bits. Then 30 minutes on one of the bikes that beeps at me and tells me my heart rate. The point of all this. To look better. I'm an awful slave to m vanity ;p

Work is good. Simple. Mindnumbing. Uninteresting. It pays the bills though, and I like my boss. When he is not being my boss. Trust me he's a great guy, when he is not telling you how much your work sucks and you need to scrap things. Still he pays me, so I'll deal with his critque bits. He only means about half of them anyway. He has a very tough love management style. Yet he does not forget to tell people when they have done a good job. He pushes people to be better, nothing wrong with that.

Busy is the word that best descirbes whats been going on. Busy busy busy. Like a little bee. Yet I finally have time to work on a few hobbies and side things. This in general pleases me. I like knowing I can still art for me as opposed to for the money. The money is good, but I'd freak if arting for it burned me out on the fun stuff.

Speaking of the fun stuff. Some will no doubt know of the day of birth approaches soon. Whee. I have not figured out what I am going to do, but I better soon me thinks. Oh I also found out my reunion is going to be in September... in Kemah... on a boat. Fools, they have played right into my hands. There is no where to go on a boat. You think they would learn something in 10 years.

With that sinister thought I bounce off now. More later. Honest. Next couple of days tops.

I need more anime... hurry up and get here paycheck!

Posting to reassure all I still infact live. I assure you, I am not Reno typing with my cute little paws. Honest.

Whatching many things like more Trinity Blood (fun if a tad slow moving), Basilisk (neat and full of ninja action), and more Speed Grapher (f-ed up in the fun spanky way). Also picked up all of Escaflowne for like $35. WOOT! <3 Escaflowne. Hmmm. Oh theres a fun little series called Nerima Daikon Brothers. If you like Blues Brothers, musical comedy, and the frightening concept of a panda crossed with a radish I highly recommend it.

I like my boss. He is very understanding as far as time off I request. Still makes me want to crush him with heavy stones in the manner of the defiant Giles Corey, but at least he is understanding about time off. On that note, my internship has become paid. Yay money.

Projects I do for me (read artwork) takes a backseat atm. I'm pretty sure I'll remember how when all is said and done and I am not busy. If not, well I'll just have to go on a killing spree. See you next Oni-con (bwa-hahahahahahahaha).

PS - I want Suitengu's coat.

Full Metal Alchemist - The Conqueror of Shambala Limited Theatrical Release August 25th. Must find more information. Whose with me when I find it?

my brain twists into wierd and funny and bizzarre directions. i have this strange FFXI project in mind. a little editting. some voice acting. some collection. anyone interested?

for those of you who were wondering who "that guest" for oni-con was. its yoshitaka amano. he is confirmed. happy happy knight of shadows.

So we had this party for Oni-con on April 8th. It went pretty darn well. We made money. I am pleased. You all get to live. Yar, I declare victory. Now... I sleep. I am tired, no longer stressified, and I conjure that I've earned the rest.

Happy Knight of Shadows. Happy. Happy. Happy.