Saturday, June 30, 2012

WORD OF THE DAY! 6/30/12.

percentile [per-sen-tahyl]
noun
1. One of the values of a variable that divides the distribution of the variable into 100 groups having equal frequencies.
adjective
2. Of or pertaining to a percentile or a division of a distribution by percentiles.
 
 EX. WARNING! Do not give youngster Joey your phone number or he will fill up your voice mail box with hundreds of calls about how his Rattata is in the top percentile.


Friday, June 29, 2012

WORD OF THE DAY! 6/29/12.

barbaric [bahr-bar-ik]
adjective
1. Without civilizing influences; uncivilized; primitive.
2. Of, like, or befitting barbarians: a barbaric empire.
3. Crudely rich or splendid: barbaric decorations.
EX.  "...the training of these poor creatures to turn them into fighting machines is simply barbaric -- barbaric." -Robert Byrd (D-WV).

While, a controversial individual, accused of racism and involvement in the KKK in the past, his quote from the Michal Vick dog-fighting case really stands out because of the sincerity of it and...the fact that it sounds like a quote from a movie. Heck, I wouldn't have been surprised if that was a quote from the end of the very hypocritical conclusion to Pokemon: The First Movie.


BTW, Pokemon are technically animals and then they're technically not. From the anime, it is pretty clear that they're sentient creatures and, within their universe, pokemon seem to be okay with the situation and their fights are more about sparring than anything. In reality, of course, you could argue that these fights would not really knock anyone out, that the pokemon would be injured or killed, or you could even point out some of the weirder bits of pokemon lore, but that doesn't change that within its own universe...it all works.


Thursday, June 28, 2012

WORD OF THE DAY! 6/28/12.

mallard [mal-erd]
noun
1. Common over most of the N hemisphere, the male of which has a dark green head and reddish-brown breast: the ancestor of all domestic breeds of duck.

EX. Apparently, Donald Duck is not a mallard, but he is one cold mother.


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

WTF WEDNESDAY! BLONIC 1 & BLONIC 2

WTF WEDNESDAY PRESENTS
"I'M NOT SONIC! I'M MY ORIGINAL CHARACTER BLONIC!"

CLICK HERE FOR BLONIC!

CLICK HERE FOR BLONIC 2!

Every now and then, there is an internets that I feel breaks the digital bonds that we're all held to and creates something made of the material that we true people of the internet must trek through every day of his life. If you've ever searched through deviantart or google, (Pro-Tip #1 I recommend you not google Sonic the Hedgehog) you know about the fandom that is filled with "original characters" like Blonic and Blails.

Also, this is hilariously awful and ridiculously brilliant.

WORD OF THE DAY! 6/27/12.

whimsy [hwim-zee]
noun
1. Capricious humor or disposition; extravagant, fanciful, or excessively playful expression.
2. An odd or fanciful notion.
3. Anything odd or fanciful; a product of playful or capricious fancy.
EX. As I talk about whimsy, you can check out this awesome Adventure Time x Miyazaki cross-over artwork from the link below. Make sure to check out his page if you like the art.


Every writer has things that make them tick and tock in a certain way; some of us are ticking away like a digital clock with computed precision and diligence, some of us write in small bursts like a stop watch, and then some of us are more like a cuckoo clock. I learned something a few years ago. I'm not exactly sure about the exact moment an adult writer realizes this about himself or whether he should accept it or fight it.; I am a cuckoo-clock, a whimsical writer.

I'm a young writer, but I think I might have some insights (regardless of how short-sighted they might be). First of all, to know a writer you must know two things: their influences and their motivations (often the same thing, but there ya go). My influences? The things that really matter to me? Aesthetically pleasing cartoons with good morals or good wit, video games (but especially Nintendo video games like Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past), tongue-in-cheek fantasy films like Flash Gordon, Labyritnth, Princess Bride, and Hook, beautiful and brilliant anime, especially that of Miyazaki, and, as for the writers who have influenced me most; Dr. Seuss who taught me how to be subtle in a silly world, Tolkein who taught me the simple pleasure of world-building, and Terry Pratchett. 

Terry Pratchett taught me the value of creating a world of characters with their own stories to tell, the value of cleverly sprinkled satire, and how, under all the whipped cream of fantasy and humor, you can still create something that tells a universal truth. Terry Pratchett taught me that under all the whimsy, the fairy tales, and the wishes-upon-a-star, you can still have something sincere, serious, and another word starting with an 's'. 
So, my influences have led me to use a mix of humor and drama to create interesting stories. So far, I hate to say or maybe I love it too, my best stories I've told have been done through the power of Dungeons and Dragons. Something about the spontaneity and the performance forced me to create world that were a tad goofy, plots a tad ridiculous, and yet, just right.
As for my motivations, I am still not 100% sure, but here is a short list.
1. Egotism- You can argue that this is a bad one to have, but I am pretty sure most writers are megalomaniacs.

2. Fantasy- I think a lot of writers write to put themselves, others, or fictional people in scenarios for their own amusement.

3. Enlightenment- Maybe I am trying to find some sort of truth?

And really, that's all I got for you guys. A little self-analysis to begin my Wednesday, followed by me playing some Zelda, going for a swim, and doing house chores. Maybe I'll make some magic cards or hang out with a friend later. Really, I should read a good book. But then again, as a cuckoo-clock, I am predictable, but always surprising.


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

WEEKLY ROUND-UP! 6/18-6/24/12.

WEEKLY ROUND-UP PRESENTS
LAZY LAZY LAZY WEEK!
Where I put more effort into this article than I did with half of these articles combined....

7. WORD OF THE DAY! 6/24/12. Chopper.

I hate the "Attack Dogs" killstreak, but I have to admit that if they made a "Call of Duty: War Dogs" game where everybody plays as dogs....that would be hilarious and fun. Your move Activision.


Despite my laziness (mind you I was working on several projects simultaneously last week), I did have a smashing good time.

5. WORD OF THE DAY! 6/23/12. Overlord.

Fun fact: While working on my projects last week, I began a Simpsons marathon and am currently on Season 12. Despite a dip in quality after about Season 10, I have still enjoyed the marathon and kinda want to complete my set...

4. MAGIKARP MONDAY!

Last Monday's Magikarp Monday dump was a long time coming. Few pokemon are more humor-worthy and have endeared their way into our hearts than the affably pathetic Magikarp.

3. MIXED BAG. SMALL TALK #1

And this week saw the beginning of the sister series to the Mixed Bag. Podcast, "Mixed Bag. Small Talk". Small Talk is basically the warm-up that Zach and I have before each podcast. We take a single subject and talk about it for about ten minutes. The first official one was probably Podcast #0, but this discussion about the Mister Rogers Remix was pretty engaging.

2. WTF WED. UNAIRED NORTH AMERICAN SAILOR MOON LIVE ACTION TV SHOW!


Last week's WTF Wed was a special treat and something so bizarre and weird that I could not even find any information about it with a quick google search. Maybe I'll do a full detailed article on it if more information and a better video arise.

1. WORD OF THE DAY! 6/19/12. Glitch.

 And I really gave it some passion for one article last week; my little essay on the mysterious and maligned Missingno. I do have a small confession to make; I never actually tried the glitch, a) I didn't have a lot of friends to show me it, b) My parents didn't subscribe to any game magazines, and c) I wouldn't want to risk my save file.


WORD OF THE DAY! 6/26/12.

Ukiyo-e [oo-kee-yo-eh]
noun
1. Japanese. Literally translated as "pictures of the floating world". A Japanese woodblock print or painting depicting everyday life.

EX. The picture above and the following pieces are all depictions of classic Nintendo characters in Ukiyo-e fashion. Please check out the artists tumblr by clicking the link below:

JED HENRY





Monday, June 25, 2012

MUSICAL MONDAY! PIKACHU ON ACID?

MUSICAL MONDAY PRESENTS


I decided to pick something a little different to start off this week; a pikachu acid trip music video that pays homage to a number of classic acid trip scenes from various films. The animation is pretty solid, the humor is pretty solid, and everything except for pikachu's mind is pretty solid. Although, now that I think about it, it probably isn't that unusual of me to post a Pikachu-related item on a blog that has Pikachu as its more or less mascot....Whatever, click on the link above and enjoy.

MIXED BAG. PODCAST #2 Game of Bronies: Unchained Generations

MIXED BAG. PODCAST # 2:
GAME OF BRONIES: UNCHAINED GENERATIONS

And the second Mixed Bag. Podcast rolls out. In the future, we'll be trying to get them done by Sunday night, but sometimes things get complicated. Regardless of this little issue, we have got it out and it is ready to be enjoyed.

For those of you out of the loop, the subjects covered in the podcast are just like those covered in my blog; from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to 2001: A Space Odyssey, we'll cover films, television, video games and anything else that falls under our nerdy radar.

The program is hosted by Zach Martin (check out his blog by following him HERE) and myself.

 This week's episode is a lovely mix of subjects; we begin with a discussion of the new trailer for Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, Star Trek, John DeLancie's Bronycon: The Documentary, and finally a spoilerific discussion of Season 2 of Game of Thrones.





WORD OF THE DAY! 6/25/12.

exquisite [ecks-kweh-zit]
adjective
1. Of special beauty or charm, or rare and appealing excellence.
2. Extraordinarily fine or admirable; consummate.
3. Intense; acute, or keen, as pleasure or pain.
4. Of rare excellence of production or execution, as works of art or workmanship.
5. Keenly or delicately sensitive or responsive: an exquisite ear for music.
EX.  Sometimes, once in a while, and upon a time, through the sea of crap that is in fanart and fanfiction, you find something...exquisite.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

WORD OF THE DAY! 6/24/12.

chopper [chaw-per]
noun
1. An object that cuts things up.
2. Slang. A helicopter.
3. Slang. A motorcycle.

EX. "Get to the chopper!" -Predator (1987)

Meanwhile, in the underground base.