Andy's Digital Bliss

Way to GoDaddy, my CS upgrade finally worked!

Andrew Belon — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:56:00 GMT

A week ago, I "bricked" my Community Server database after a failed attempt to update to the latest version. Sensing that my attempts were futile, I crawled the web in search of a solution, where I came across numerous posts of GoDaddy users voicing their frustration over failed CS upgrade attempts within the shared hosting environment.

The main problem we encounter is the inability to run the CS upgrade utility, which essentially updates the database. Since this application must be executed on the server, shared hosting accounts are limited; however virtual and or dedicated accounts are not. The only two alternatives we have are to:

Reinstall anew, losing all prior data, or
Backup the hosted database, download the current CS web folder along with the database backup (.bak), install the web files locally, create a new local database, populate this database with the contents of the backup (via a recovery tool), run the CS update utility, then upload back to GoDaddy .

Far too many steps, for something that could have been addressed via one simple update script. During my first attempt, I successfully created the local environment and updated the CS site files and database. The task that proved most cumbersome was sending the database back to GoDaddy.

In a perfect world, you should be able to backup the hosted database, download the (.bak), install, update, backup the newly modified database, upload to GoDaddy, then initiate a recovery; however, this is not possible. If the original backup obtained from GoDaddy is modified and re-uploaded, the recovery tool will error out, stating that recovery from a modified backup is not permitted, due to security constraints. In other words, you can only recover backups created on GoDaddy servers.

The next method would be via SQL scripts. Fortunately the Data Base Publishing Wizard (available here) automated this process by scripting my local database, whilst uploading and executing the update on my remote database. Depending on the complexity of the database, this update can take upwards to 30 minutes; however, if an error is encountered, the update ends and the DB is left incomplete. This is where I "pan-caked" the site since I could not establish a connection to the database via any direct or indirect method. GoDaddy techs were genuinely baffled and elevated my ticket for specialized treatment, which was eventually resolved within 24 hours.

I waited until today, Columbus Day, to try again knowing that I could rely on my day off as a buffer in case I blow it again. Suffice it to say, my second attempt (second day rather, since I made numerous attempts already) encountered only "one error", which I resolved easily. This is where I am baffled. On the first day, I had seven different errors reported; however, after GoDaddy Techs intervened, the trouble was reduced to one minor nuance. Could my original database have already been damaged? Or am I too much of a "noob" and should not comment on such matters? It's probably a little of both, but nonetheless...

YES it is possible to update Community Server 2008 within a GoDaddy Shared Hosting Environment.

Just make sure to do it on an actual or pseudo holiday, since errors are prone to lethargic retreat.

Practice in Meditation

Matthew — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:23:00 GMT

Practiced in Meditation

Anxiety and fear

A storm is brewing within

Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, you name it

Trembling within and alone

Grab my banner

Plant it in the ground

Sit and breathe

Water, Water

Ocean, Ocean

Calm, Calm

Everything is going to be okay

See the world through third eye

Put things in perspective

Gain some composure

Breathe and relax

God is here

Everything is possible and fixable

The world is not only utter hell but serene peace

Breathe and realize

Everything is part of his plan

Carry the banner onwards

Never give up!

What is lucrative web content?

Andrew Belon — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:15:00 GMT

Is it a sexually explicit hodgepodge of tasteless salaciousness?

As a scholar of human sexuality, having received two passing grades on the subject, I recognize the significance of exploitive content as a means for entrepreneurs that lack the creativity for conventional business ventures on the internet. Today, filth is so freely available that peddlers no longer charge premiums; instead, rely on revenue generated from the traffic and gull...marketability of their audience.

A guilty pleasure for some, suddenly turns into a six-figure income for others. That's a load (smirk) of ullshitbay! So now I have no other recourse than to sully my principles and associate this humble community with the most unsavory content on the "wankerweb".

If you're sick and tired of losing traffic to the lewd fantasies of our global citizens, place the following <eatmetags> in your page header and exploit the masses for residual income!

Pinocchio and Key the Metal Idol

Matthew — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:58:00 GMT

Pinocchio and Key the Metal Idol
Humanity in the inanimate

Robots and dolls are fascinating to children and sci-fi fans. In the West, United States, Pinocchio was created and in the east, Japan, Key the Metal Idol. Pinocchio was directed by Steve Barron while Key was created by Hiroaki Sato. The Pinocchio version I saw was a live action while Key the Metal Idol was a Japanese cartoon or anime. The anime, Key the Metal Idol, is similar to Pinocchio. Both illustrate a story of how a doll or robot is trying to become human. In Pinocchio it is gained through the heart while in Key it is through friendship. Pinocchio and Key were created to become human and must struggle in order to achieve this aim. First I will give an overview of both works. Then I will compare the visuals and both fathers of Key and Pinocchio. Then I will compare the outcomes of the stories and how both protagonists are similar and different. Finally, I will briefly discuss how both works explain what humanity is. Both works of art draw on the struggle of humanity and what it is to be a sentient conscious life.

Geppetto, a puppet maker, unknowingly found some enchanted wood and took it home to make a puppet out of it. He named the puppet Pinocchio and was astonished and thought mad when Pinocchio came to life. If only Pinocchio was a real boy, said Geppetto. Pinocchio goes on a quest to find out how to become a real boy. He meets Pepe the cricket who mentors Pinocchio and helps him make the right choices. Loewnzini gets custody of Pinocchio by bailing out Geppetto from jail. Loewnzini uses Pinocchio for money by making him a star. Pinocchio runs away from Loewnzini after a fire breaks out during a concert. Then he begins his search for how to become human with his friend Pepe. After saving his father from a monstrous whale, Geppetto wakes up seeing Pinocchio changed into a real boy. It was a miracle. The story of Key is much more darker then its predecessor.

Key was born as a little girl and her grandfather, Pro. Mima, was a scientist. Key’s bloodline has supernatural powers and absorbs geist or human energy through miracles. In order to save her daughter, her grandfather pumps over 30,000 lives of geist into Key. This transaction transformed Key’s body into a machinelike form and was done in order to hide the power from Ajo. Ajo is a man who will do anything to create warfare in the form of robotic dolls controlled by geist. After Ajo killed her grandfather, Key set out to Tokyo in order to find 30,000+ friends which led her to try to become an idol. In a big stadium, Ajo sucked everyone’s geist and was hell bent on killing everyone. Key saves everyone by releasing her built up geist onto everyone after singing her lullaby thus saving everyone. The story ends with a human transformed Key in front of an audience of 50,000 people.

The visuals were different between Key and Pinocchio. Key was an anime and everything was drawn while Pinocchio was all real actors and a 3D drawn Pinocchio. Pinocchio was taken place in pre-industrial Europe while Key took place in modern Japan. Both originated in a small village/town but the destinations of both adventures were different. Pinocchio’s adventure was out in the woods while Key was in the city of Tokyo. Another difference is that Pinocchio was wooden and looked fake while Key looked like another kid but was very pale. Pinocchio could eat and when he lied his nose grew but Key didn’t eat, lived off of solar energy, and pills prepared by Pro. Mima. Let’s look at how Geppetto and Pro. Mima measure up.

Geppetto is a puppet maker while Pro. Mima is a robot maker. Geppetto creates Pinocchio by chance and luck while Pro. Mima’s experiments on his daughter were more deliberate. Both tell Pinocchio and Key to become human and that sets them off on an adventure. Geppetto creates a doll out of enchanted wood while Pro. Mima creates robotic Key by infusing the geist of 30,000 people into human Key. Geppetto does not face any adversaries aside from Loewnzini wanting Pinocchio while Pro. Mima faces a murderous Ajo who wants all of Key’s hidden geist. Geppetto lives and is reunited with Pinocchio after his quest while Pro. Mima dies before seeing Key become human. Next we will look at the similarities and differences of the outcome of the stories.

Unlike the happy ending of Pinocchio were Pinocchio is reunited with his father Geppetto, Key loses all of her friends and loved ones to Ajo and reawakens as a human standing alone on top of a huge stadium in front of over 50,000 people who wanted Key to sing her song. Key had a much more challenging life then Pinocchio. Pinocchio had his moments of danger but not to the extent of Key. There are robots controlled by D, an agent of Ajo, who are searching out to kill or capture Mima Tokiko (Key) at any means necessary. Key visits a religious sect and saves a child who is terminally ill and they are also killed by Ajo’s robots. Ajo killed Key’s grandfather, and sucked out all of the geist of her closest friend Sakura thus killing her too. Key’s mentor, Tsurugi, has many sessions with Key trying to get her human side to come out and also is killed by Ajo by falling down an elevator shaft. Pinocchio is more like a fairy tale while Key is darker and appealing to a mature audience. Key suffers more than Pinocchio.

None of Pinocchio’s friends die but everyone Key knows and truly loves die. Key becomes human but at a cost unlike Pinocchio. Key’s dual persona also competes with each other. Human experience and attention draws Key’s human side to appear. The more people cheer for Key, the faster she becomes human but this is not so easy. She only becomes human for a short period of time. In order to save Sakura, Key becomes human and uses her powers to find and save her. Unfortunately, Key saves her only to say goodbye because her energy or geist was extracted by Ajo. But that final meeting between Key and Sakura really gave Key the needed boost in order to become truly human. Let’s take a look at the different the character developments of Key and Pinocchio.

Pinocchio has an upbeat attitude and full of wonder throughout his early doll life while the robotic Key is monotome and downbeat. Pinocchio has no superhuman powers while Key contains the power of geist that can cure a child and save people from dying. Unlike Pinocchio who has one consciousness, Key has two competing consciousness, her human and robot side. At first, she can only be a human for a short period of time and requires a lot of rest while her human side sings a lullaby during sleep. Key is inspired by Miho, a singer, while Pinocchio is inspired by other boys thus making him want to be human more. Key does not know Miho is a human operating a robot and their fate are intertwined, a robot wanting to become a human and a human becoming a robot. Their fate of conflict was set. Miho’s persona attracted Key initially and whenever Key encounters Miho or Ajo’s other robots, they malfunction. They malfunction because Key absorbs geist from living and inanimate objects. Key stops Ajo’s plans like Pinocchio does to Loewnzini. Loewnzini was trying to turn all the boys into donkeys and Pinocchio thwarts his plans.

Pinocchio and Key have different interpretations of what a human being is. In Pinocchio, the doll Pinocchio has a full human child personality. For Pinocchio, being human is having flesh and bones. Key’s interpretation of humanity is through emotions. Whenever Key’s human side takes over, Key is flooded with human emotions and especially sadness. Key’s human side is usually awakened through suffering and praise from supporters and enemies alike. Being human is physical and external in Pinocchio while in Key humanity is emotions and internal dimensions.

Pinocchio and Key are two similar stories. Pinocchio was geared toward a younger audience then Key. At first glance, a live action Pinocchio and an anime Key the Metal Idol may not look similar. However if one looks more closely at the substance there are more things alike than different. The settings of Pinocchio and Key were pre-industrial Europe and rural Japan, respectively. Both their fathers are very much alike but differ because Pro. Mima died while Geppetto reunited with a human Pinocchio. The outcomes of the story are the same both become human but at different costs. Key faces more suffering and pain and goes on alone as a human idol saving everyone. Pinocchio saves his father from the huge whale and all the boys from becoming donkeys. Their personalities are different. Pinocchio was more of a child while robotic Key more like a serious bland adult. Human Key could only experience real emotion through her human side unlike Pinocchio who could feel and cry even though he was a doll. Both had mentors who knew they could become human and supported them in their aims. Pepe the cricket supported Pinocchio while Tsurugi, Key’s mentor, helped her in the end by hugging her thus bringing out her human side. Both Key and Pinocchio grapple with a journey for self-discovery and the chance to become truly human.

Interpretations of Escaflowne

Matthew — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:01:00 GMT

Interpretations of Escaflowne: The Movie

Escaflowne, a shojo anime, is a tale of one girl who saves the world of Gaea. Kazuki Akane and Yoshiyuki Takei directed the movie. Shojo is anime or manga where the lead character is a female. Shojo is the sister of boy’s shonen. There are a lot of series and movies created through shojo including Miyazaki’s films and Escaflowne. First, I will cover what shojo is. Second, I will give an overview of the movie Escaflowne and cover the visuals. Third, I will give a brief comparison between the TV series and the movie. Then I will explain of the struggle Hitomi experiences throughout the movie. Next, I will explain the relationship Hitomi has with Lord Van. Finally, I will examine the relationship of Van to his brother Folken. Hitomi is the average girl taken to a global conflict of the heart.

Shojo is an anime with a female as the protagonist. In the Escaflowne series, Hitomi was a fortuneteller while in the movie, the wing goddess. There is a growing fan base for shojo and many of the shojo anime found in the magazine, Shojo Beat, which cycles between seven different manga titles each issue. Shojo titles usually are interesting and contain a lot of character development unlike the Shonen counterparts. Now let us look at Escaflowne’s story.

Escaflowne the movie is a story about a girl named Hitomi and her quest to either save or destroy the world of Gaea. The story begins with a depressed Hitomi who wishes to end her life and believes that her disappearance would not change the world she lives in. At a stadium, she meets Folken who calls her to his world as the goddess of wings but ends up going to his brother, Van. Hitomi awakens inside of Escaflowne and joins Van’s crew as they fight a war against the Black Dragon Clan or Lord Folken. Dilandau sent by Folken to capture Hitomi and kill Van. After Dilandau was defeated for the first time, Hitomi falls off a cliff and Van saves her. Van wounded and together they went to Adom to recover. Black Dragon Clan is going from country to country, killing everyone denying the need for slaves. Hitomi and Van sneak into a Black Dragon Clan police controlled city, Torushina, where they meet up with their friends, the Abaharaki, and decide how to stop Folken. The story ends when Van faces his brother Folken in Torushina who dies by stab wounds by one of his subordinates. The visuals are stunning.

Visually speaking, characters look beautiful and dark. The characters have large eyes and the girls have big lips. All the characters look much older and mature compared with their childlike counterparts in the series. Everything looks crisp and sharp especially Escaflowne. Escaflowne looks large, majestic, and shows a lot of depth and attention to detail. During the awakening of Escaflowne in the movie, the creation of Escaflowne’s cape looked amazing. The visuals are striking thanks to Yoko Kanno; the same for the music. My favorite track is Sora that plays near the end of the movie. Most of the score of the movie is done in a classical style, effectively evoking the wonder of the fantastic world of Gaia. The range goes all the way from playful pieces to grand choral themes. All around, it is a beautiful score, well worth listening to. Many changes occurred between the series and the movie.

For fans of the original TV series, the most striking change with Escaflowne: The Movie is the new set of character designs. Each character gets a new wardrobe and a facelift. This results in leading the characters towards a much darker feel. This achieved because the movie had a much larger budget then the TV series. With more money and time, more detail fills every aspect of the movie. An additional difference was the role Folken played in. In the series, Folken was a subordinate of Zaibach’s leader and in the movie; he was the leader of the Black Dragon Clan. In the series, Folken turns from evil to good while in the film, Folken stays evil until the end. The mechas were different as well. In the series, Escaflowne was mechanical while in the movie, Escaflowne was more organic. Another difference between the movie and the TV series is character development. Many of the TV characters play small roles in the movie. For example, Alex who played a strong role in the series only appeared in the movie for only a few minutes. Of course, the short time span of movies as compared to television series expected when it reaches the public. With the limit of time, character developments cut short and the story focuses on the changes between the two main protagonists, Hitomi and Van. All the characters stay the same except for Hitomi and Van unlike the TV series. Limitations made many of the stunning visual aspects of the movie laid aside as the focus rapidly shifts from a mix of trying to show great scenery shots to trying to move the plot along.

Hitomi is struggling with depression and loneliness. Hitomi had quit her track team and abandoned her friend, Yukari. She is apathetic to life. In the beginning of the film, Yukari finds Hitomi’s suicide note and Hitomi tells her she is too much of a coward to commit suicide. She believes that if she fades away or disappears nothing will change. The world will keep going as if nothing had happened. Hitomi did not know what to do anymore and lost her direction. She was leading a life hurting others. She was confused and lost what it means to live. She overcomes her own limitations, wanting to be by Van’s side.

Hitomi and Van are kindred spirits. Both filled with loneliness. Hitomi discovers more to life then she had seen before after Van saves her from falling off a cliff. Hitomi does not want Van to die and wants to share in his pain and suffering. Van is not alone because he has Hitomi to help. Hitomi helps raise Van out of his depression and hate in the end of the film. Hitomi said after holding the injured Van who saved her life that she would stay with him until his sorrow and loneliness is gone. She receives the power of Escaflowne and must help Van overcome his fear as well as her own. When Escaflowne and Van turn evil, Hitomi faces Van and tells him that she too was alone and that she would stay with him. To Hitomi, it is painful being alone and it is better to be together even if that means hurting each other at times. It will not be the end and Hitomi will always be with him. She saves Van and together they go to confront Folken.

Lord Folken is Van’s older brother. When the oracle signs chose Van over Folken to be the next king, Folken goes on a rampage. Then, he kills their father and destroys their kingdom. Folken forms the Black Dragon Clan that is hell bent on destroying the world. Folken reigns supreme while Van is fighting with a rebel group of survivors of Folken’s deadly army. Before Folken destroyed Van’s kingdom, Van looked up to Folken. Van loved his brother but now Van only lives with bitterness and hate. Van lives to kill Folken and avenge his kingdoms demise. He wishes to carry his sorrow. Folken rejects Van and does not change. In the end, Van no longer wants to fight Folken but wants to save him. Before Folken dies, Van calls him brother, which Folken said, “a sweet sound I long forgotten.”

Escaflowne is a shojo about a girl named Hitomi who goes on a long quest with Van to save Gaea. There are many differences between the movie and the series. Two changes involve visuals and character development. Hitomi battles her depression in a foreign land. When Van saves Hitomi, her disposition, and emotional health improve significantly. Hitomi and Van are very similar and their likeness helps both overcome their own limitations. Van and Folken are the same, consumed by hate and sorrow but Van recovers from it unlike Folken. This is probably because of his relationship with Hitomi. Escaflowne is a story of how to overcome personal limitations and realize the dream of peace.

Murakami Visit at Brooklyn Museum

Matthew — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:19:00 GMT

Murakami Visit at Brooklyn Museum

On Saturday, June 14th, 2008 I visited Brooklyn Museum. When I got off the train, I saw a gigantic building with sculptures on it next to a lush Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. I was not sure what to expect. The Murakami show, I believed would present Anime that I was familiar with. I first saw a humungous statue of a cartoon demon with over 10 arms surrounded by four white ball-like creatures known as Reversed Double Helix. It did not look like anything anime that I was used to. As I entered the exhibit, I saw what anime and Japanese art came from.

There are many different objects displayed in the exhibit. At the entrance, I saw a female machine with long wings transform into an air plane in three poses. It kind of reminded me of Ghost in the Shell. She was hardly wearing any clothes. To me, it seemed more of a hentai art. Another hentai art was Milk and Honey display. There were two people, a naked boy and girl with sperm squirting out like some fountain. It was definitely not for kids. I was surprised that there were no child forbidden signs. A lot of the art was based on the anime Kai Kai & Ki Ki. In the movie room, the exhibit played 6 episodes of Kai Kai & Ki Ki. I only saw the first episode and it was high quality, funny, and entertaining. I saw surprised that I did not encounter this anime earlier. It is definitely extraordinary. A lot of strange bunny-like monsters were displayed and doll size figures of characters from Kai Kai & Ki Ki. Some of the monsters had several eyes and mushroom like bodies. On the wall littered a host of different styles of eyes. I also saw two naked aliens called Inochi. They don’t look anything familiar.

I believe that there were multiple themes in the exhibit. The first and foremost is children’s fun and games. Kai Kai & Ki Ki is a children’s anime and much of the artwork were geared toward kids. It is very flashy and fun to watch. The ko2 series covers a more futuristic view of the merging between man and machine. The fact that she is in human form and transforms into an air plane results in a more Sci-fi appeal. Another display was Inochi. Inochi is Takashi’s version of Steven Spielberg’s movie AI. Hirpon and My Lonesome Cowboy are more like hentai then kids appeal or Sci-fi.

The difference I learned from seeing the exhibit is that I see supreme awe-inspiring visuals. If I were to read about it, I would get a lot of description but would take a time to imagine the visuals. A picture is worth a thousand words and in this exhibit there is much to appreciate and observe. Seeing the colossal Reversed double Helix changed how I viewed Japanese Art. It looks futuristic, organic, and scary. Seeing a cartoon pet-like monument is cool. I have never seen anything like it in Japanese Anime. The closest I have seen to the Reversed Double Helix is Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke. The spirits of the forest and the Forest Spirit and No Face from Spirited Away look like similar to Reversed Double Helix.

I found the exhibit to be very informative. There is more to Japanese Art then traditional anime. I used to think that Anime was all more or less mecha and futuristic. But seeing the cutesy Kai Kai & Ki Ki and all the monsters I see more then I would have expected. There are a lot of different flavors of anime and the Murakami Show portrayed a style of anime that is not seen often.

I have a few suggestions for improvement. First, there is too much emphasis on Kai Kai & Ki Ki. Perhaps they broadened the showcase more. Almost everything I saw there were variations of the two central characters Kai Kai & Ki Ki. After seeing a few portaits I felt like I had seen it all. Second, I would like to see how Murakami came up with these monsters and bunny-like characters. Perhaps a part should be dedicated to the thought process behind the art. Third, Tickets should be for the whole Museum and not simply isolated to just the Murakami Exhibit. I would have liked to see other exhibits to compare and contrast but I only had a ticket for Murakami show. Fourth, they should put a kids zone and an adult. A lot of families come to the exhibit with their children and seeing a naked women transform into a plane and a male and female squirting out semen does not fit the child appropriate level. Fifth, while watching the videos, there should also be manga to read. I know Murakami must have done some manga and it would be interesting to see how to treats the medium and expresses his understanding.

Overall, I had a good time at the exhibit. I saw Japanese art I was not accustomed to. I felt there was too much emphasis on Kai Kai & Ki Ki. They did not sell manga or anime at the exhibit of Kai Kai & Ki Ki only toys and bags. Reversed Double Helix was quite majestic and tremendous. I found it to be very informative. Anime is not only humans but creatures good and bad. Murakami is an interesting artist and he draws on his art fantasy and future.

Ideal Introductory Anime Course

Matthew — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:16:00 GMT

The Ideal Anime Course

Anime is broad. It cannot be pinned down as one thing or another. Thus during an introduction class, one should cover a multiple topics in one sitting. The ideal anime course should focus on some but not all genres. To get an understanding of the history and identity of anime, one must focus attention at one kind of art at a time. Before we begin, one should examine the structure of the class. Next, one must focus half the class on both Shonnen and Shojo. Then from their one must start examining genres related to either Shonnen or Shojo. Anime is a fun diversified subject with each story spreading and defining the art.

I believe the best time to study anime is during the summer. There are more hours in the summer dedicated toward a single class. There should be 3 essays and a museum visit. Each essay should cover a different genre with no overlapping. There should also be a presentation of anime, but it should be one of the anime in the course syllabus. The presentation should be a group one using power point where the students present different parts of the anime series in question. I believe that there should be no extra animes presented because it will fall out of the range of the class. The student should pick an anime that is in the course syllabus to present. Each class should cover a different movie or sequence of episodes. The discussion board should be a review of the anime seen that day. There should be a few animes that are seen outside of class, especially if it is a 26 episode series. I believe instead of having written text, the homework should be seeing anime on our own and writing about it. With the advent of high bandwidth downloading, one should not find it difficult to download, rent, or purchase anime for class. Now let us take a look at shonnen and shojo anime.

Shonnen titles that should be considered are the following, Gun X Sword (mecha), Gun Grave(drama), Trigun (Action), Full Metal Panic (mecha), GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka)(School life), and Cowboy Bebop (Action). Gun X Sword is a story about a man, Van, who is trying to avenge his fiancé’s death by the hands of the Claw Man. Gun Grave is a mafia story about Brandon Heat who must kill his closest friend who betrayed him long ago. Trigun is a sci fi series of the last of the human race on a desert planet and the world is afraid and trying to capture Vash the Stampede. Vash is searching for his twin brother, Knives, who killed Rem, the closest person he had to being his mother. Full Metal Panic is a contemporary title about a man named Sauske who must protect Kaname from a secret evil organization that wants to control the world. She is a whispered and contains secret advanced technology knowledge that can change the tides of war. GTO is about Onizuka who is a substitute teacher at a prep school. There are many problems he must face in order to gain his student’s trust. Cowboy Bebop is a mercenary group lead by Spike who hunts down bounties and other jobs for money. Now let’s look at the second half of the course, shojo anime.

Shojo titles should include School Rumble (romantic comedy), Key the Metal Idol (action), Soul Eater(action), Sailor Moon (magic), and Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien (drama). The plot of School Rumble covers the daily lives of students of the fictional Yagami High School and their surroundings. The series is of the romance comedy genre, with scenes in the story being exaggerated for comedic purposes. Key the Metal Idol is a Pinocchio story about a robotic girl who wants to become human. The only way for that to come to pass is if she gets 30,000 friends thus becoming an idol. Soul Eater takes place at the Shinigami Weaponry Vocational School, a school for creating shinigami weapons. The human and demon students seek the seeds of the souls of 99 Kishin souls and the soul of one witch, all of which are needed to turn just one of the demon students into a official weapons. Sailor Moon is about Usagi who is a Sailor Moon who must protect her friends and world against evil forces. During her adventure she meets other Sailor Scouts and together they form a close friendship and a strong enough force to defeat the evil forces at work. Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien is a drama where close friends are torn apart after Haruka gets injured in a car accident. Now let’s look at the presentations.

I feel that each anime should be presented before seen and that the group picks specific episodes to show that reveals the main plot and theme of the anime presented. At least 2 people should present an anime at one time and they should coordinate together to get the anime and make the presentation. The professor should also have all the episodes of the series in the class to lend just in case the group cannot attain the series to be presented. The episodes of the series should be split up and each student should present something different. There should also be a question and answer session and a discussion concerning the anime that is presented. The first week should be Miyazaki movies, Batman Gothlum Knight, and Animatrix since it would not be enough time for students to present. These titles should not be presented and should give the presenters at least one week to see the series before presenting. Following the first week, each anime series watched should have a presentation that should be set up in the first week of school. The presentation should be considered extra credit and a way to inform the class of the major themes before watching the series or parts of it. The papers are also diversified.

The papers should not cover the same topic. The papers should be at least 3 to 4 pages long and should be given at least a week to complete. One paper should be a review which is presented. Another should be a broad scope paper covering several titles either shown in class or not. The third paper should be a compare and contrast paper where students compare and contrast two similar anime titles either covered in class or not. The final paper should be a museum review paper where the student critiques a few pieces of art and how they compare with anime at large. There should also be discussion board questions online which should be short reviews or thoughts on the animes watched each day.

Anime is a growing popular phenomenon across the globe. The course should be split in half as shonnen and shojo sections. Each anime seen should have a presenter of two students for extra credit. The presentation should be a way for students to understand the story and theme better than just seeing the first few episodes. There should be 3 paper assignments and 1 museum visit during the course. There also should be a discussion board where the students post their thoughts and opinions about the anime seen each day. In order to get most exposure to anime, one needs to watch as much anime as possible.

Thank you CarMax

Andrew Belon — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:42:00 GMT

A proud Mini enthusiast for five years, having owned two models since 2003, I have decided to amicably part with the brand and my 06 Cooper S. I have nothing but praise for the vehicle and would consider returning to the brand in the distant future. My only advice to new buyers is not to opt for the 17 inch Run Flat tires since a "one" replacement tire is about $345. I was informed that Mini provides a premium tire protection plan to offset this inconvenience; however, it was not available when I purchased. FYI: Patching a run flat tire punctured on the tread (not the sidewall) is a valid fix, aside from what the manufacturer says.

At present, I am not inclined to purchase another vehicle as my driving repertoire has diminished during the past year, in part to a flexible public transportation system and exorbitant gas prices. So what do you do if you are tasked to sell a vehicle, but do not want to trade-in or buy-up? Well, you contact the awesome people at CarMax, who will evaluate, estimate and purchase your vehicle on the spot. The CarMax, advantage is that they consider a purchase and trade-in as two separate transactions; therefore, unlike conventional dealers, you are not obligated to buy from them. For those who want to jump into their next vehicle, then CarMax can facilitate via an impressive inventory of approx 30,000 vehicles of every make and model.

So weaning myself away from "drivers dependency" proved to be both advantageous and lucrative as I was able to sell my car quickly and easily, while recouping a significant amount of my investment (also due to the high residual value of the Mini brand). I was very satisfied with the transaction and when need be, will definitely rely on CarMax for future acquisition and disposition. In the mean time, I'll invest the money and wait for a more opportune time to drive.

The ten questions

Andrew Belon — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:08:00 GMT

Worn blog fodder, but here are my responses to the 10 questions from Inside the Actors Studio.

What is your favorite word?
Indemnification
What is your least favorite word?
Bloke
What turns you on?
If she's interested
What turns you off?
If she's not
What sound do you love?
The cries of the impudent.
What sound do you hate?
The passionate throws of urban wildlife
What is your favorite curse word?
"" or the French and Spanish hybrid "Mierde"
What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
NEET (not currently engaged in employment, education or training)
What profession would you not like to do?
Animal inseminator
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
Umm, I'm really sorry about that. How about a freebie to the all you can eat?

Free Community Server 2008 Themes

Andrew Belon — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:39:00 GMT

I made a few themes for CS 2008. They can be downloaded here:

http://andrewbelon.com/digital/media/g/csthemes/default.aspx

Working on a few new ones, so check back soon.

-AB

Fansub Kudasai

Andrew Belon — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:44:00 GMT

Recently, I have been entertaining the thought of producing my own fan-subs of popular Japanese animation. I have acquired all of the necessary tools and media devices to do so, except one minor problem:

"I can't speak Japanese [well].
日本語を「よく」話せません。
Nihongo o [yoku] hanasemasen."

To remedy, I bought a copy of Rosetta Stone Japanese 1 & 2, but this software immediately provoked my brain to shut off its logic center to avert permanent retardification. I hated the childish games and especially the hideous interface, which is not practical for learning a foreign language. I've learned more dialogue from text adventure games with the monitor off. Maybe they could reinvigorate the learning experience with our ol' pal Leisure Suit Larry. The lovable loser embarks on a lascivious, yet humorous, romp around Japan, somehow ending up on Nontoonyt island without a prophylactic, but an acute mastery of an obscure Osakan dialect.

Well, it doesn't seem that I will be mastering Japanese anytime soon, but if anyone wants to help with my fan-sub venture...we've got vacancies everywhere.

"Ate my balls?"

Andrew Belon — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:23:00 GMT

Whatever happened to the classic internet meme, "ate my balls". For those too young or dignified to remember, in the mid 90's a myriad of web sites were created to humorously depict a celebrity or popular cultural icon announcing their affinity for eating "balls" (testicles). Popular examples were "Bob Ross ate my balls, or Mr. T ate my balls", where the subject was portrayed in a comic strip extolling their fondness of orally consuming "balls"; however, never to the extent of actually depicting a mouth full.

As of late, this once prolific media has fallen into obscurity with only a handful of sites available for historical record. Perhaps, in the future, the concept will be reinvigorated with new scenarios depicting the countless acts that one can do with "balls", for example:

"cooked my balls"
"anesthetized my balls"
"smelt (form of extractive metallurgy) my balls"
"bagged my balls"
"sowed my balls"
"cracked my balls"
"subducted my balls"

Since I lack creativity and wish to retain the dying embers of my self-respect, I look to those with a taste for this sinful amooz bouche, to save the phrase from obscurity and reinvigorate "my balls" for the 21st century.

I leave you with this relevant clip from Saturday Night Live for inspiration:

Update: Here's another Schweddy moment, as requested by Sophisticated.