There is life out there 2/14/12

Yes, I know.  I have been away for quite some time.  My education comes first, as it should.  I did a little bit of thinking recently, and happened upon the idea that I should begin writing on this blog again.  It will provide a nice, calming routine for me to fall into.

Let's see...what have I been up to since the last time we spoke?  OH! I have gotten much more in touch with television and anime.  I have finally finished Code Geass!!! It only took my three years.  For some strange reason, I felt that the middle of both season 1 and season 2 got a little bit boring.  Perhaps it was a bad idea to marathon the show.  It was a good show that captured my attention 100% in the last 5 episodes.  The show is not without its faults however.  I will not be discussing these faults on this blog, because I would hate to spoil the show for those who have not watched it.  The plot of Code Geass is something for each person who watches it to make their own opinion on.  Since I have finished up Code Geass I will have more time to watch Oreimo.  That anime is way too funny, and I have been neglecting it to a disturbing degree.  It is a shame.  I have also started watching Dr. Who again.  I picked back up with our friend Matt Smith.  I am readily approaching the halfway point of season 6, and I am astonished with where the writers are taking this series.  The Silence is a creepy antagonist, but NOTHING beats the Weeping Angels.  They are by far my favourite antagonist in any episode of Dr. Who. 

Over the winter break, I looked over at my closet and saw an unfinished Gundam model kit.  In my packing for college over the summer, I had completely forgotten about it.  It was a Master Grade Unicorn Gundam HD Colour Version with MS Cage.  I soon found myself building it.  I made it all the way to the front skirts, and then one of the hinges snapped off of its post.  I was less than pleased about the break.  I could have moved on to building the legs, but I was just not up to it after the break.  It is not an easy fix by any means, and I think that I may have gotten a poorly injected runner.  I remember the same exact hinge on my Katoki version of the Unicorn was much more sturdy.  I am thinking about ordering the individual parts online.  Do you have any recommendations on  where to order replacement Gunpla parts from the US?

Gundam Unicorn episode 4: At the Bottom of the Gravity Well is still fresh in my mind, so I guess I will talk about it.  Some of the plot seemed a bit choppy, but the mobile suit combat was incredible.  I am looking into ways to read the Gundam Unicorn novels to find out how that chapter of the book was actually supposed to take place.  I have heard from several different sources that the OVA had compressed the story and changed a few key plot elements that could have bettered the episode.  I am not a huge Universal Century (UC) fanatic, but I got a glimpse of why these fanatics love it so much.  The amount of Mobile Suit Variations (MSV) porn showed of was astounding!  It was a little surreal seeing all of these obscure mobile suits that one would only know about by digging through the awesomeness that is MAHQ.  In my opinion, some suits were even given a chance at redemption.  The Byarlant for instance was just another cannon fodder suit for Jerid Messa to pilot in Zeta Gundam.  It was given the pimp my mobile suit treatment, when it got converted into the Byarlant Custom.  Yes, it did seem to be the force that wiped out a majority of the attacking Zeon remnants, but it did not turn on god mode hacks like Kira Yamato.  I was never a fan of the  Zaku I either.  I remember watching the original Mobile Suit Gundam wondering, "Why doesn't the Zeon use Zaku 1's? They have to have a ton laying around." Then I saw episode 3: Vote to attack, where the villain of the week, Gadem, was promptly destroyed by Amuro in the Gundam.  I did not like the design of it at all.  The MSV that seemed to win my affection in episode 4 of Unicorn was the Zaku I sniper type.  The pilot, Yonem Kirks, recognized its lack of effectiveness in hand to hand combat against these newer suits.  He was able to use his Zaku's abilities to serve as surveillance and take out any enemies from its transport ship.  That suit was working double duty, all from a moving transport, SIDEWAYS!!!  One of the few things that I do not understand, is how such an antiquated suit like the Zaku I, with a FIRST GENERATION MONO EYE, can shoot with such accuracy.  The plot called for it and the plot delivered a badass suit, I suppose.  It was really sad to see that brown beast get taken out by that team of Jestas.  What are you going to do?  Kirks was marked for death from the first time he spoke.

I think that I will start a new segment called, "This is my FAVOURITE website at the moment!"  Each week I will highlight one website of my choosing, and gush about why I love it so much.  I will try and keep the pool fresh by showcasing very interesting pages.  Let's get this started.

This is my FAVOURITE website at the moment!
The site is called, ShootTokyo, and it gets full marks in my books. It is a photography blog by a gentleman named, Dave Powell.  He is a photographer that lives in Japan, and he enjoys sharing his experiences with others.  His photography skills are absolutely stunning in my opinion.  I feel he has some natural talent, and a keen eye for detail.  Not only does he take amazing photos, but he also gives advice.  He talks about the different equipment he uses, and even answers questions some readers may have about photography.  That is the most special part of the blog in my opinion.  As a amateur photographer, all of my photography knowledge is self taught.  It is very nice to see someone explaining how to take very nice pictures in plain English.  Even though my dad was a professional photographer, some of his explanations about how to use my camera can be a bit long in tooth.  (Still love you, Dad!)  In the end, Dave takes awesome photos that never seem to disappoint me.  If you are interested in Japanese culture or enjoy photography, ShootTokyo definitely deserves quite a bit of your time

Credit Where Credit is Due
Telegraph image: http://la8period3.pbworks.com/w/page/25942438/f/AP420123020.jpg
Unicorn Gundam Box Art: http://c1575362.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/1/6/162052big2.jpg
River Song: http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/WatcherMark/RiverSongSpoilers.png
Byarlant Custom: http://i552.photobucket.com/albums/jj344/senorquentinos/Blog/391668_2689233273647_1340934256_33047152_2112707097_n.jpg
http://mahq.net/
http://shoottokyo.com/

Galaxy Nexus Waiting: "Shut up and take my money"

I am a phone nerd. Yes, I know this is a strange way to start a post, but I just want to get that off the bat.  My Original Motorola Droid was my first ever smart phone.  I love this thing to death, do not get me wrong when i say that it needs to be put out to pasture.  Every day this thing seems to be slowing down to the point that I want to switch back to my VZ 8300.  Now that was a phone!!!

TIME TO GET BACK ON TOPIC!!!  I was looking forward to getting the Verizon variation of the Samsung Galaxy S II.  I lurked about Android Central, Engadget, and Boy Genius Report (BGR) for months waiting for info.  There were talks on forums about people having seen devices called the Samsung Function (which was a dumb name for a phone in my opinion).  When I heard that Verizon was not going to have a SGSII, I almost rage quit.  I was very depressed for a day. (#firstworldproblems)  I read a post online that Verizon would be getting a Nexus.  At first I was skeptical, but then I became more and more excited as subesquent confirmations started to come to light.



Then leaks seemed to not so much trickle, but deluge my RSS reader last week.  With the supposed, "ebay obtained," Nexus s with Ice Cream Sandwich.  I was in awe.  My friends were not sure if the video was true.  They did not believe it until I told them the phone was remotely locked and wiped. And then there was the very strange bottom left corner of the screen of a mystery phone (Galaxy Nexus) showing  an impressive DPI.  The jewel in the crown is by far the lovely minute and a half long video of the phone.



As soon as I saw this, I immediately backed up all of the data on my Droid.  I was happy, until I saw a post stating that the October 11th event would be postponed.  I was very disappointed, but I understood their reasons for doing so.  The passing of Steve Jobs was tragic.  He was truly a visionary into the future of computing.  My condolences go out to his family.

I went onto a forum to read more information about the Galaxy Nexus, and I saw harsh words about Steve Jobs.  I was by no means a fan of the business model by which he ran his company, but no one can deny the fact that his products set a certain standard by which all other hardware and software companies had to meet.  We would not be enjoying our lovely PC's and smart phones without his vision.  We should not try to disgrace the dead, but look on toward the future.

All we can do is wait for the phone to be released.  I will be right there on line.  I love my Droid, but you are just not cutting it anymore.  When I am unable to make or receive calls because you freeze, there is a problem.  Patience is a virtue, but a little knock on the door never hurt anyone.

- TheDarkerShadow

Source: Android Central

SoundCloud is a beautiful thing./Support my friend's blog!

Hey there, party people! I really wanted to test the Blogger app on, my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and I had a great reason to do so. A friend of mine here was kind of tired of me asking him for music, and he yelled, "GET A SOUNDCLOUD!" I took his advice, and it was such a good call in my opinion.  This is where I can be viewed as such a slowpoke.jpg, but I really should have gotten on this much earlier. So many of my favourite artists such as Swedish House Mafia and Afrojack are there. One artist that I found was one that goes by the name, "TON!C."  His music is nothing short of fantastic. His bass drops are absolutely filthy! I listened to all of his songs at least 3 times each. It is good background noise, when preparing for a Matlab exam. (Wish me luck) -_-'

It was really cool to hear the work of my friends that make music. It is inspiring on one hand, because music is just something they are so passionate about. It is humbling on the otherhand,  because I am wondering how I can express my talents in a public forum. Well I guess I am doing it now. Perhaps ot could be to a void, or perhaps a silent magority. This is my form of expression, and as long as even a single life appreciates it, I am happy.

In other news, a really good friend of mine started a blog. I know it seems like my blog emerged from the ashes like a pheonix, but I just need to make an advert for her. Her blog is a more philosophical than a material based blog such as mine. (Man how superficial does that make me look?) She is an incredibly deep thinker, and I am sure that she will put up some fantastic work. She currently has a post about the United States college education system. I have already deposited my thoughts on there. I am really curious about what all of you think. We are by no means economists, or politicians, so please go easy on us!  She is called, "The Social Butterfly."

Thanks again for reading! Who knows when the next update is going to come, now that I am mobile! Posting from my original Motorola Droid seems like living in the stone age at the moment.
-TheDarkerShadow

Well this is Awkward

Well, as the image would suggest I am back. I am sorry that I have been so quiet.  I was preparing for the college transition.  I am now a month in, and I feel pretty acclimated.

I have left my Gunpla collection in New York.  I am starting to miss the several pairs of optic sensors staring at me when I sleep (not creepy at all). I am sure that my roommate would not appreciate that. -_-'

FOURZE!!!  I am only on episode 2 (on those TV-Nihon subs. Say what you want, but I prefer them. They work out with my busy schedule).  I am not going to get any of the merchandise, unless someone wants to hand me the funds for the eventual figuart.

TIGER AND BUNNY!!! Sad to see it end.  For some reason I kind of do not want it to continue, unless it has to do with Lunatic. It was just that good.  WATCH IT!!!

Cleveland is a strange place.  The weather here is pretty unpredictable. My room would be hot in the morning.  Next my walk to class is cold like no other.  On my way back I am taking my hoodie off.  When it becomes dark, it is too cold!  I am sure that I will get used to it soon.

Music of the week. There are 2 songs that I have on repeat at the moment. One is Bonfire by Childish Gambino.  He goes hard.  That is the only way to put it.  The other song is so much different.  The other is Oops! By Super Junior feat f(x).  The beat is nothing less than fantastic, and hearing them rap is awesome.

Again sorry about being so quiet.  This is definitely going to change.

SH Figuarts Kamen Rider Black

This is my S.H Figuarts Kamen Rider Black. My first and only Figuart. It is so simple and it's design takes the best from Showa and Hesei.

Update 5/10/11 Old Habits Die Hard

As promised, here is an update of my life as of the last post. Now that high school is coming to a close, I decided to return to model kit building. My kit of choice...Master Grade 00Quan[T]! I started this kit on January 1st...yeah I fell off the wagon with this one. I love this kit. I enjoyed building it's 1st season counterpart, Master Grade Exia. Some aspects of it are very similar such as chest construction. Other aspects are very different, such as asymmetry in the arms. This kit is not without it's flaws, however. I personally had problems with two white pieces behind the, "ears," of the 00Quan[T]. They consistently fell off, because I cut them much too small. Thank goodness for local modelling shop, Image Anime for having plastic cement in stock.

If you live in NYC, like I do, then I recommend shopping there for all of your anime and Japanese import needs. The people that work there are really cool, and are more than happy to help you out.

Back to the kit. This is all I have done so far. Legs and accessories are all that need to be done. I have a Master Grade Unicorn with MS Cage that needs to be built. (I got that one in December -_-')

I think that this will close out tonight's update. I might post another later in the week if the weather is nice. I would love to do a photo shoot of Central Park. Thank you all for reading. Please comment and subscribe via rss or however you crazy kids keep track of blogs these days.

-TheDarkerShadow

http://www.imageanime.com/

Reboot

After some reflection on my last (only) three posts. I wondered why I made this blog. I came to the conclusion that I was bored. I was bored with going home to read blogs. I always thought it would be the easiest thing to do. Make a post a week and leave. I thought that it would be that easy. Turns out the college application process is a more formidable opponent to my goals. Now that I am in college, I should have more time to maintain this blog. I love writing, and I love sharing my work. I also enjoy reading other people's blogs and comment on their work. I would like to consider this a reboot of The Shadow Report. Yoroshiku!

-TheDarkerShadow