Late Update

I realize I haven't posted on this for over a year, so I'll give you a brief update. Last time I posted, I just started university life at Harding, a christian institution. My first semester I took 15 hours worth of classes. Let me sum it up: I didn't do very well. I got two D's and an F. Needless to say, I lost a scholarship that I had. Well, you live and learn, right?

Anyway, spring semester rolled around, taking 13 hours that time, and my midterm grades looked to be about the same. After that discovery, I hit the books and managed to pull my grades up to passing, though not enough to get back my scholarship. It wasn't all bad, however. I became a member of Delta Chi Delta, a Men's Service Club (the only one on campus) and made many new friends because of it. As the name implies, we dedicate ourselves to serving others, either on campus or in the community. In Harding, they don't have fraternities like you'd expect in other American universities. Instead, we have social clubs, probably to avoid the hazing issues that come with fraternities. More on this in a later entry.

As a result of my negligence on my first semester, I took summer classes at a local university in Fort Smith while I stayed with my grandparents. For those that don't know, my father lives in Louisiana and my mother still lives in New Zealand with my crazy step-dad. The classes I took were General Psychology and Western Civilization since 1500. I decided to take them over the net so that I could still travel around with people when I got the chance. I got two. I went with my uncle Brent, my cousins Darrah and Kenley and their boyfriends Dustin and Tyler to San Antonio, Texas, to visit a huge water park called Schlitterbahn. If you get an opportunity to go there, I suggest you do it. The other time was with my grandparents to visit my uncle Shawn in Corinth, Texas (not Greece). It was great to see him again. As far as my summer classes went, I passed them both: West Civ a B and a C in Psych.

And now for this last semester: I enrolled in 15 hours of classes again, though this time I didn't fail them. To offset the cost of tuition, I worked in the cafeteria of the school on Thursday and Friday nights. Thankfully, I was able to pay my tuition in time for registration. We also inducted new members into Delta Chi Delta, 14 total. A great bunch of guys, to be sure. I got to be part of a one act play directed by Allison Musselwhaite, a fellow theater student. The play was called Twice Upon a Time and I played one of the seven dwarves, Depressed. Funny, considering all of us were taller than the girl who played Snow White. Anyway it was a fun experience and am proud to have been a part of it. I'm actually slated to be in another one act called Ghost a la Mode opening in February. It's a comedy piece about a couple wanting to open a canteen in an old house inhabited by ghosts, and the couple convinces the ghosts to help them get the money to build it. Problem is , the ghosts are actually scaredy-cats. Anyway, should be a fun show and am looking forward to working on it.

I also became part of an unofficial(by which I mean not sponsored by the school) group of students who gather together to watch anime. We're a very small group, but it's still fun. You may notice I added two new series to my anime list at the bottom: Stein's Gate and Angel Beats. It was with this group that I saw these shows, and I wholeheartedly recommend them. Stein's Gate is about a group of college aged people who are working on a time machine, and actually succeed by being able to send text messages to the past and alter the timeline. Though their experiments get the attention of SERN (CERN in real life), an organization that has been researching time travel and have been trying to achieve world domination by time traveling. Angel Beats takes place in a high school campus in the afterlife, and focuses on a boy, Otonashi, who has lost his memory on arriving and has joined up with a group of students who are trying to fight against God and a girl with superpowers called 'Angel'. I know it sounds a bit blasphemous, but trust me, it's a really good series. As with anything involving anime, the premise sounds a little odd, but if you watch these series, I'm sure you'll enjoy them. Angel Beats is available in both English dub and English subtitles, though I imagine the subbed version will be easier to find online. Stein's Gate is subbed only, though a dub is coming soon. A movie is also being made, so that ought to be exciting.

I found a web comic a while back by accident that I've been reading lately. It's called Bittersweet Candy Bowl. It's a high school drama comedy story, with most of the characters as cats. If you're into that sort of thing, you should investigate it. It updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Link is here bittersweetcandybowl.com
Go to the archives and start from the beginning.

On Thanksgiving, I went to my grandparent's in Fort Smith and spent the week with them(we got a week off school for Thanksgiving. Lucky.) As far as Christmas goes, I stayed with my dad. I got some cash, a car cover and a cleaning kit for my car. My dad gave me his old car in October and I've been driving it ever since. My mom also sent me my Code Geass DVDs I left behind and some candy from New Zealand, among them a bag of Crunchies. Delicious.

One last thing before I close off: Fall 2011 game crop. In case you haven't noticed, this past fall has seen the release of several highly anticipated games like Gears of War 3 and Assassin's Creed: Revelations. I've been able to play a few of these games and so I will give you a brief rating on what I've played:

• Gears of War 3- Great, didn't answer everything I wanted answered from the last 2 games, though the developers said this would happen.
• Warhammer 40000: Space Marine- Great. Nice to see the Warhammer 40k universe brought to life in such an enjoyable way
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations- Great, minus the Den Defense mini-game. Really wrapped up the Ezio/Altair story.
• Sonic Generations- Have no fear, Sonic fans. This one didn't suck. In fact, it was one of the most enjoyable titles I've played in the series, except for Sonic Adventure 2.
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim- Fantastic. Really big game. Maybe too big, but still incredible.
• Batman: Arkham Asylum- Quite fun, though I didn't finish it.

And there you have it, a brief (lol) summary of my exploits over the past year. By the time you read this, it'll probably be 2012, so Happy New Year, and may it be blessed. And in case you're worried about the whole Mayan calendar apocalypse thing, don't be. They just couldn't be bothered adding onto their calendar, so they stopped, simple as that. Truth is, we'll never know when the apocalypse is gonna come until it's already here. So I wouldn't worry too much about it. Or do. Take your pick. Anyway, I'll try to update more often next time around and I wish you a Happy New Year. Let's close off with something funny.

Settling into a New Life

Well, I have just moved back to the United States in the past week and a half and am now at Harding University campus, where I will be spending most of the next four years of my life. Up until last Thursday, I stayed with my aunt Julie and Uncle Kelvin. Didn't do too much outside of gaming with my cousin Logan, since school was still out. Both Julie and Kelvin were at work. One good thing was being able to see people at the youth group at my old church. A lot of people were surprised that I was there. But yeah, it was good to see old friends, and meet the youth minister, who was a nice guy and good teacher.

On Friday, Dad came and picked me up so we could visit. Before the drive back, we ate lunch at a new barbecue place called Pink Flamingo. Yeah, I know, weird name, but good food. Or at least, I thought so. Dad said later that he thought it was all right. Anyway, shortly after we arrived in Bossier, we went to pick up my brother from working at Wal-Mart. Lately, he's been trying to work and save some money so he can move into his own place, get a car, support his unborn daughter, etc. Been doing good so far, making progress at least. Though he and Dad buck heads often, but I won't get into that. Dad then decides to get me a cell phone on his plan so that we can keep in touch. The first of many things to get before I start university.

The next things we went to get were towels, sheets and a pillow, which we acquired at the boardwalk. For those who don't know what a boardwalk is, it's like an outdoor mall, I think. Shops around the place, and feeling the sun bearing down on you. It's great when its not completely humid, trust me. After a while, we went to eat at Joe's Crabshack for lunch, which turned out to be quite expensive. $81, just to have lunch! Not gonna be doing that again anytime soon, I don't think, eh?

After a while, we had to take Dillon to work for his shift at the Wal-Mart, which is now from 4pm to 1 am. Needless to say, Dad wasn't especially pleased, since he's the one who has to take him to and from there every day of his shift (Wednesday to Saturday, I think). Anyway, after we dropped Dillon off, Dad and I headed over to see the laptops they had for sale, so I could get a new one for school (my mother has my old one). After a while of looking, we decided to look at Best-Buy for one. In the meantime, we got a few other things while we were there, like an iron and ironing board, clothes hangars, the essential stuff, you know?

Off we go, to Best-Buy! This place is like a treasure trove of electronic stuff. DVDs, computers, printers, video games, you name it, it's probably there. I managed to grab a laptop with Windows 7 on it. Of course, they all seem to these days, unless you build it from scratch. I also got a printer/copier, so that's cool.

Anyway, after acquiring all the necessary things for University life, I got to move into my dorm and meet my roommate. Hopefully, things will be good.

And now for something completely different.

And another.

Armageddon Expo- Part 2

Okay, I'm a bad procrastinator! Shut up!

Anyway, this is part 2 about my experience at Armageddon Expo 2010. In this installment, I got to meet 4 anime voice-actors, which, if you watch anime in English dubs, like I do (most of the time), this is a monumental occasion. Or just exciting, take your pick. Anyway, the voice actors on the panel this year were:

• Michael McConnohie
• Melodee Spevack
• Tom Gibis
• Steven Blum

Quite a line-up indeed, assuming you know who they are. If you don't, look 'em up, 'cause I ain't tellin' ya. Anyway, I got into the expo after church and got in as they were answering questions from the audience, mainly talking about the work they've done, acting out characters they've done and answering whatever other questions people had, until about noon. Afterward, I went walking around and saw, to my absolute surprise... a Na'vi cosplayer! For those of you who don't know what a Na'vi is, they're the blue skinned people on the Avatar movie. And yes, the guys skin was blue. I know, I was surprised, too. I asked him how he managed to do it and he said it took three hours to paint his body blue. That is dedication right there!

A little while later, I went outside to meet up with Sam and Josh, who came dressed up as the Elric brothers from Fullmetal Alchemist. Poor Josh was put in a suit of armor to be Al. It was fun hitting him while he was in the armor. Yeah, I know, it's mean, but hey.

Anyway, while out there I saw some other cosplayers, like V from V from Vendetta, Naruto from Naruto, and many others. We went back inside after a little while and I got in line to get autographs. Yes, they give out autographs, and you can ask them to sign things that you brought with you. Of course, the line was incredibly long, but that's to be expected. But because the line was so long, Sam asked me to get autographs for him, which I said I would do.

At last, the line has cleared! I can get things signed!

First up, Mike McConnohie. I got out Volume 3 of Code Geass for him to sign, because he plays the Emperor of Britannia (assuming you know about the show) When I put it in front of him, he shouted "RULE BRITANNIA!" After he signed my DVD case, as Emperor 'Chuck' (character's name is Charles) I asked him to make an autograph for Sam, which he obliged.

Next up was Melodee Spevack. She signed a card that had LadyDevimon (Digimon) on it, and one for Sam. She then told me about a Star Trek fan series she and Mike were working on, as well as an original sci-fi they were working on, Frontier Guard. Feel free to check them out.
Then she thanked me for bringing a Code Geass DVD for Mike to sign, because he enjoyed the role he played. I told him I thought he did a good job on the role. And, no, I didn't say it to brown-nose him. I honestly think he was great.

Need a demonstration? Click here. You be the judge.

Anyway, up next, we have Tom Gibis, who signed a card with a picture of Shikamaru from Naruto for Sam and I. He asked me if I saw the show, and I said I saw a few episodes. Truth told, I'm not real big on Naruto, in case you haven't seen my anime list. But I didn't tell him that.

Last, but certainly not least, Steven Blum! I brought out my Code Geass DVD again, because he plays a character in it as well, Colonel Todo. He did have to ask me who the character was, though. But the guy's been in so many projects over the years, I guess it can't be helped, huh? Afterward, I brought out my copy of Mass Effect 2 for him to sign as well, because he plays the krogan squad member, Grunt. I asked him to make an autograph for Sam as well, which he obliged. I asked him if he had any tips on how to become a voice actor, and he told me to enter the FAQ section of his website and that there was a section he wrote on becoming a voice actor. If you're interested, click here.

Anyway, that wraps up my coverage on the Armageddon Expo. Thanks for reading. Next post will probably be on something completely different, but we'll just have to wait and see. Ciao.

Armageddon Expo- Part 1

Hello, all and welcome to my overdue second post. Today, I thought I'd write about the Armageddon Exposition in Wellington. For those of you who don't know what it is, which would probably be people who don't live in New Zealand or Australia, it's an exposition for, among other things, anime and video games. It's when people can cosplay (dress-up) as their favorite anime or video game characters, and no one will tease you for it. In fact, you may even receive praise for your costume, like my friend Sam and I when we went in together as Nero and Dante from Devil May Cry respectively, and Sam's brother Josh went as Altair from Assassins Creed. Anyway, they were hosting a cosplay parade, where you basically fill out a form, walk out on stage, talk to the MC's and pose for a picture. It was actually kinda fun.
Afterwards, we toured the rest of the con, seeing all the various shops available, including a stall that had replica swords from various franchises. They were even showing Bleach: The Diamond Dust Rebellion on the big screen they had in the main area. Good movie.
Anyway, that's part 1 on my personal coverage of the Armageddon Expo. If you want to see photos, click on the enclosed link: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=media#!/album.php?id=675500944&aid=160036
Have a pleasant day. Part 2 won't be far off, I promise.

Stuff About Anime

Hello, everybody, and welcome to my blogsite.

To start things off, I'm going to discuss something that I, and I'm sure some of you reading this would enjoy: Anime. For those of you who don't know what it is, anime is the term given to cartoons that originate from Japan. If you've ever seen Pokemon, Digimon, Dragonball Z, or anything like that, then you have seen anime. Unlike the cartoons we get in the West, which is mainly made for children to watch, anime is made for a variety of audiences, different series being targeted at different age groups and genders.

The first anime I have ever seen would have to be the Pokemon series. In fact, I've seen all three of the series I just mentioned in the last paragraph. I never realized that I've been watching anime since childhood until I was 14, when I first got into the hit anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist. Interesting series, I suggest you watch it.

I was at my aunt's beach house in Raumati Beach over the holidays in Year 10. I would sit around and watch Cartoon Network for hours on end. I stayed up late at night watching, and that's when I saw it. It was an advertisement for a TV series that was gonna come on later in the night, called Fullmetal Alchemist. One of the things it showed was a priest with a gatling gun! Who wouldn't want to see that? Anyway, I waited til 1 in the morning when it finally came on and what I saw changed the way I saw cartoons. This was WAY different from any other cartoon I've seen. It had swearing, blood, and the powers that some people had in the show (alchemy) amazed me! From then on, throughout the rest of my holiday, I would stay up and watch whenever it came on, which was Monday thru Thursday. From then on, I became engrossed in anime, adding new anime to my list of favorites (which you can see at the bottom of this page) and sharing them with my friends, or at least the friends I knew were interested in it, and they showed me some of the series they saw, like Elfin Lied and Rozen Maiden.

One of the things that really appeals to me about anime is how it is more akin it is to 'real' shows than cartoons as we in the West know them. In fact, in my mind, the only difference between some of the anime I watch and 'real' shows is that... well, they're animated, thats about it. If people would stop seeing anime as some gay nerdy cartoon crap, and start seeing it more as just a regular series, I'm sure they would enjoy it more.

If you are not particularly interested in anime, that is completely fine and entirely your business. Just don't ruin it for those of us that do. Also, I don't want people to post hate comments about anime, or just hate comments in general. If you don't like something, you don't have to rant on and on about how bad it is. Just shut up and go somewhere or do something you actually enjoy.

Thank you for reading my first post. More will follow, but it won't all be on anime, so don't worry.