Two posts in one day? Apparently so. I just watched another very inspirational video, and I felt the need to share it as well. This a COMPLETE coincidence, but it's a video from Vi Hart, who was in the video from my earlier post.
On it's surface, this video is about ignoring negative comments on a YouTube video, but it's actually much deeper than that. This is another video about being yourself, and not caring what everyone else thinks. Something I know I have a problem with. I care way too much about what other people think.
This goes right along with my last post about wanting to be more "Me." It has further strengthened my resolve to be more authentic. I don't expect that this will happen right away, but I am going to try harder from now on to just "Be Myself."
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Embracing Your Weirdness
I am weird. Deep inside I've always known this to be true. Yet on the outside I go to great lengths to be "Normal" when I'm in public. Why do I do this? I haven't figured it out yet.
Today Hank Green posted a video of a conversation he had with Vi Hart that discusses this very idea. Most non-nerdy people probably would have no idea who these people are, so if you don't, that's perfectly OK, it's the substance of their conversation that matters.
I am going to try to think of small ways to start being more "Me" in every day life. Maybe I should start wearing mismatched socks...
Today Hank Green posted a video of a conversation he had with Vi Hart that discusses this very idea. Most non-nerdy people probably would have no idea who these people are, so if you don't, that's perfectly OK, it's the substance of their conversation that matters.
I am going to try to think of small ways to start being more "Me" in every day life. Maybe I should start wearing mismatched socks...
Sunday, January 20, 2013
U Spel bad 7
YouTube is full of morons. Here's proof.
Intended words have been capitalized in bold.
Crach
This was supposed to be the word CRASH. I won't discuss what it looks like it might have been.
Lincks
Why exactly would LINKS require a C?
Uyoo
This, children, is what will happen if YOU don't pay attention in school.
Distrucktion
Making a joke about the DESTRUCTION of the English language would just be too easy.
Beleave
I can't BELIEVE you spelled that this way. Actually, just forget that. I CAN believe it.
Ruch
If you wouldn't RUSH, you wouldn't make these mistakes.
Comgradlatns
CONGRATULATIONS! You win the worst speller ever award!
Yore
I'm sorry, YOU'RE an idiot.
Barley
This BARELY qualifies as good spelling.
Crown
This seemingly correctly spelled word was supposed to have been the word CRONE. Please join me as I take a moment to weep for humanity's collective stupidity.
Intelkect
It doesn't take much of an INTELLECT to catch this misspelling.
Peace
This was part of a rude comment calling someone a "fat peace of ham." Obviously someone let a four year old onto YouTube.
Oppisute
You are the OPPOSITE of intelligent.
Publis
How could you miss this? (PUBLIC)
Spical
There is nothing SPECIAL about the way you spell.
Bloog
This just made me laugh. (BLOG)
Haooy
This is what happens when you type to fast. (HAPPY)
Privet
If I were you I'd keep my spelling "skills" PRIVATE until they actually become skills.
Cheetha
Is this a new Thundercats character? (CHEETAH)
i used to live in counniecut
What happened? Did the entire state disown you for butchering their name? (CONNECTICUT)
Intended words have been capitalized in bold.
Crach
This was supposed to be the word CRASH. I won't discuss what it looks like it might have been.
Lincks
Why exactly would LINKS require a C?
Uyoo
This, children, is what will happen if YOU don't pay attention in school.
Distrucktion
Making a joke about the DESTRUCTION of the English language would just be too easy.
Beleave
I can't BELIEVE you spelled that this way. Actually, just forget that. I CAN believe it.
Ruch
If you wouldn't RUSH, you wouldn't make these mistakes.
Comgradlatns
CONGRATULATIONS! You win the worst speller ever award!
Yore
I'm sorry, YOU'RE an idiot.
Barley
This BARELY qualifies as good spelling.
Crown
This seemingly correctly spelled word was supposed to have been the word CRONE. Please join me as I take a moment to weep for humanity's collective stupidity.
Intelkect
It doesn't take much of an INTELLECT to catch this misspelling.
Peace
This was part of a rude comment calling someone a "fat peace of ham." Obviously someone let a four year old onto YouTube.
Oppisute
You are the OPPOSITE of intelligent.
Publis
How could you miss this? (PUBLIC)
Spical
There is nothing SPECIAL about the way you spell.
Bloog
This just made me laugh. (BLOG)
Haooy
This is what happens when you type to fast. (HAPPY)
Privet
If I were you I'd keep my spelling "skills" PRIVATE until they actually become skills.
Cheetha
Is this a new Thundercats character? (CHEETAH)
i used to live in counniecut
What happened? Did the entire state disown you for butchering their name? (CONNECTICUT)
Friday, December 28, 2012
Facebook Friends #8
Mitch Morebuff
Hello Facebook! I am ROCKIN' the no-shirt look!!!
Bertha Buff'nstuff Likes This BB Tween
I totes got a babysitting gig! Falcon City concert here I come!
Rainbow Sunshine Who for?
BB Tween The Frazzled Boys
Lorenzo Literate I'll start a memorial fund for you. Tombstones aren't cheap, you know.
BB Tween It's only the oldest boy and the triplets. The twins are going to be at a slumber party, and the youngest girl is going to be with their grandma. It'll be much easier than last time, and with the price they pay for sitters, I'll be rich by the end of the night!
Lorenzo Literate You'll be dead by the end of the night. You know Alex Grey, their last baby sitter?
BB Tween No.
Lorenzo Literate Exactly.
BB Tween Oh Please.
T.M. Info
Is it bad if your snot is sometimes yellow, sometimes green, and sometimes orange?
Mrs. Info If you have a medical question, why don't you just come ask me, instead of plastering this information all over Facebook for the world to see?
T.M. Info So, apparently you don't know me very well, mom. :p
Ima Bean
Have a birthday.
Lorenzo Literate Um, I know that you are a very disturbed young... woman(?) but why are you posting this? It's not anyone's birthday today.
Ima Bean Glozz. Chewvanka, en Glozzio.
Lorenzo Literate Yeah, I thought as much. I wish you would find yourself a good therapist.
Ima Bean Actually, this is my therapy. I'd go insane in real life if I didn't have the internet to be insane on.
Lorenzo Literate Wow. For once, you make perfect sense.
Ima Bean And thanks be to thou, oh mighty Man of Mystery. Fleetgrass to your dozens of Grandkittens.
Lorenzo Literate And we're back to bizzaro-ness.
Mamma Frazzled
Did you know that it is entirely possible to burn down a swimming pool? WITH water in it?
Grammy Happy Oh my! Those little scamps!
Mamma Frazzled Well, it's out now. Even the fire department couldn't figure out how they managed to do it.
Aunty Uncle Why was there water in it? It's the middle of December!
Mamma Frazzled Well, that's something you'll have to ask the children who were supposed to be building a snowman. I was busy cleaning up four boxes of cereal and a gallon of milk that the triplets had dumped down the stairs when all this happened. If I didn't have my night out to look forward to tonight, I think I'd go insane.
Lorenzo Literate And this is what you have to look forward to, BB Tween!
BB Tween Stop trying to scare me. I'm bringing a bunch of DVDs and candy. They'll behave. I hope...
Sally Sharitall
Lurking Liker Likes This Joyful Exclamations EEEEEEEP!!!! SO CUTE!!!!
Izzy Illiterate SOOOOOO CUTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!1
Rainbow Sunshine This is the most adorable thing I've seen all day, Sally! :D
Joy Lyrical My Heart! It's melting!
BB Tween SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
Katie Catlover Heaven! I've died and gone to it! This is the most adorable thing in the universe!
Lorenzo Literate Good Grief. Nothing like a kitten to make the internet melt into a goopy puddle.
Winston Q. Eyeglasses HobbitQuest: The Movie opens this weekend! I'm leaving now to camp outside the theater! :D
Lorenzo Literate I'm torn. On one hand I wish to avoid this movie like the plague, as it is sure to be one of the most popular films of the year. On the other hand, it has its roots in a classic 20th century novel. I can't decide whether I should shun and ridicule it for how "Mainstream" it is, or praise it for how culturally significant it is. One thing's for sure, the book will be better.
Marty McMacho I was going to make fun of lil' Winston, but it looks like you're a bigger target than he is! What a geek! BA HA HA HA HA!!!!!
Amy Aminal
During this sad holiday season let us remember the millions of turkeys needlessly slaughtered every year. We need to do something people! This madness must end!
R.W. Republicrazy I'll help! All those dead turkeys will need someone to dispose of their bodies! I'll eat them!
Ferdie Foodie I'll help! Dead turkeys are my favorite kind of dead bird to eat!
Amy Aminal You are sick individuals you know that?
R.W. Republicrazy MWA HA HA HA HA HA!!!
BB Tween
Getting ready to go babysit! Anyone got a bulletproof vest and a hazmat suit I can borrow?
Lorenzo Literate We are gathered here to mourn the loss of a life cut tragically short, by the cruel hands of crazy, maniacal, and possibly rabid children.
BB Tween Oh, stuff it, Lorenzo.
Gloom Lyrical
Caught in a downpour, beset by ravens, and stalked by evil clowns. Misery follows the forlorn and forgotten. - FamousDepressedWriter
Joy Lyrical Wow. Aren't you a little Debbie Downer.
Ferdie Foodie Mmmmmmmm.... Little Debbies.... :P
David Duvvie
Miss my Luvsie-Pie!!!!
Lori Luvvie Miss my Duvsie-Pie!!!! How's your new job going?
David Duvvie Terrible. I hate it, but being a Quality Control Specialist at the castor oil factory was the only job I could find after the deodorant factory fired me.
Nosey Nellie Why'd they fire you?
David Duvvie Apparently I wasn't sniffing "Deep Enough" to tell whether or not the deodorants were working.
Lorenzo Literate Dude, I never thought I'd say this, but compared to what you've got now, that armpit-sniffing job sounds amazing!
Izzy Illiterate
My cuzin jut had a babby!!! It so cute!!! it a gril!!!1
Lorenzo Literate Jennie had a gril?
Izzy Illiterate YeS!!!!
Lorenzo Literate Wow! That must have hurt! How big is it? How many steaks can it hold?
Izzy Illiterate wut?
Lorenzo Literate It it propane or charcoal?
Izzy Illiterate hu??/
Izzy Illiterate y r u askin such werd questins?
Izzy Illiterate r u makin fun uf me agin?
Izzy Illiterate I MENT GIRL!!! YOUR SO MEEN!!!!
Lorenzo Literate That was too easy. :D
BB Tween
Anyone want to come over and help me find the kids? We're playing hide and seek and I can't find them...
Lorenzo Literate I knew you were in trouble when you accepted the job.
BB Tween I'm not in trouble. We're playing a game. Apparently they're really good at it.
Lorenzo Literate Ok. Just keep telling yourself that as you play on Facebook while the kids are missing.
BB Tween I'm on my ePhone while I look. I'm not irresponsible!
Lorenzo Literate Sure...
BB Tween GTG. I just heard them in the living room.
Lill Sloshy
WHO WNATS TO HAV A PRATY FOR THIS NEW YEARS!!?? ILL BING DRINKS!!!
Lill Sloshy ANONE?
Lill Sloshy SOMEONE?
Lill Sloshy WHY WONT NYONE AXEPT MY INVINTASHION!?
Lorenzo Literate Sorry, I have a high class gathering to attend. And please turn off your caps lock.
Izzy Illiterate wow. rood much loezno? Sorry Lill, I'll be at Roxy's that night. You're welcome to join us, we won't be drinking much more than sparkling grape juice though.
Lill Sloshy SNODS BORING ILL HAV MY OWN PARTY DRINKS FOR NYONE WHO COMS!!!
BB Tween
I'm pretty sure I never imagined that I would ever know firsthand what the sound of a grandfather clock falling onto a glass coffee table was...
Lurking Liker Likes ThisBetsy Etsy
Just finished making a brand new quilt! It's made of upcycled cloth diapers and washcloths! It's so cute and environmentally friendly! If anyone wants to buy it I'll let it go for 50% off!
Lorenzo Literate *Runs in terror*
Izzy Illiterate o go away lernezo i cant by it, but i hope you sell it!
Vaguely McDramaPants
If you can't say anything nice then you have serious problems!!!
Izzy Illiterate AMEN SISER!!!!
Nosey Nellie What's going on Gurl? Text me!
BB Tween
The kids were so well behaved tonight! AFTER they broke the entire living room...
Lurking Liker Likes ThisIndie Pendant
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Rainbow Sunshine You too Indie! :)
R.W. Republicrazy How dare you use such an offensive Term! It's CHRISTmas!!!!
Rabid Liberal For once I agree with Indie! No one should ever wish anyone a Merry Christmas! Not evryone is Christian!
Indie Pendant Oh for pete's sake! Well, I DON'T agree with you! I only wrote that because there's a whole bunch of holidays going on this time of year, and none of them are happening today! I went with a generic friendly greeting! You two should stop making something out of nothing! Good Grief!
Rainbow Sunshine
If everyone in the world would stop looking for things to be mad about, the world would be an even more beautiful place to live.
Lurking Liker Likes ThisWednesday, December 26, 2012
Cartoons!
I love cartoons. People who tell you that cartoons are only for children have obviously lost all sense of fun in their lives. Try going back now and watching the cartoons you grew up with as a kid. I can almost guarantee you that you'll get so much more out of it than when you were a kid. (Unless you only watched weird 70's/80's cartoons. Then you'll just start asking yourself, "What was I thinking?!")
I remember a quote from someone who wrote the original Looney Tunes shorts who said they did not even think about making the cartoons for kids. Their goal in making the shorts was to make each other laugh. It just so happened that children liked them too. That's how you know you're doing it right, when you've got something that anyone of any age can watch together and everyone enjoys it.
When I was little, I just liked the bright colors and funny characters in cartoons, but as I got older I began to see that there was so much more to them than just falling anvils and "Bad ol' Puddy Tats." Animation is an art form. It can be used for any genre, not just comedy. The programs and movies that I watch now cover a wide variety of themes, and not all of them make you laugh.
For me one of the biggest joys of watching an animated film, provided that I don't get so swept up in the story that I forget it's an animated movie at all, is just watching purely for the artistry of it all. Whether the film is hand animated, or done using a computer, if it's done well, it is a thing of beauty to watch. I have recently started watching Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's films, and they are nothing shot of gorgeous. The films that he and the staff at Studio Ghibli make, put many American studios to shame in how detailed and rich the artwork is. They are like watching living paintings. I may have to write some reviews of some of my favorites here.
But this post is not about movies, it's about TV shows. As I said in my Disney Channel Reviews post, I watch a lot of animated programs. I've already done a very thorough review of my favorite, Gravity Falls. It continues to get better and better. Since I wrote my review, I have an even higher opinion of it than I did before, if that's possible. The quality of the writing just keeps getting better. I wish it were scheduled more often though. There haven't been any new episodes in almost three months! If it were a drug I'd probably be going into withdrawal. :p
In addition to Gravity Falls, the Disney Channel has two other series that are almost as funny. First up is Fish Hooks. Fish Hooks is a crazy, random, riot. It is so full of random humor that sometimes it can barely hold its plot together. The characters are completely off the wall crazy, and the animation style is very unique. It sort of a mix of flash animation with photographic collages. It's pretty different than most shows I've seen, but it works. The show is about a school of fish. A "High School" of fish. It has all your basic high school stereotypes in fish form. The show takes place in a pet shop where all the fish tanks are connected. The fish themselves are all animated regularly, but the backgrounds, and any other animal or person is a collage. There is not much to say about the plot. It's about the crazy adventures that three fish, Oscar, Milo, and Bea, have as they attend high school. If you don't like random humor, you probably won't like Fish Hooks, but if you do, you'll love it.
Phineas and Ferb is the the other show on Disney. 6 months ago if I were asked my favorite cartoon, I definitely would have said Phineas and Ferb. But then Gravity Falls came along and... Well, Phineas and Ferb is now second. But just because I now love Gravity Falls more, doesn't mean I love Phineas and Ferb any less. It is still one of my absolute favorite shows. The characters are all excellent, the writing is hilarious, it is very random, but always maintains a coherent plot, it also uses music in a way that most shows do not, and it does it well.
On its face, Phineas and Ferb is a show about two step brothers who build giant complicated inventions, and their older sister, Candice, who always tries to "Bust" them, by tattling to their mother. That's only half the show though. The boys own a pet platypus named Perry who is, unbeknownst to them, a secret agent, who sneaks off every day to fight his arch nemesis, an evil "Genius" named Dr. Doofenshmirtz. It's one of those shows where you just need to watch it to understand why it is so funny. I can't explain it well enough on my own, you just need to see it for itself.
There is also an animated show on Disney XD that I watch, but it is very different from the shows on Disney. The show is called Tron Uprising. It is not at all a "Funny" series. It's a spin off from the Tron movies, and I watch it mainly for the artwork. It has some of the most stunning animation I've ever seen. Half the time I'm not watching for the plot, I'm just watching for the visuals. It's basically eye candy. :)
The plot is about a world inside a computer where the "Programs" all look like people in shiny light suits, and they drive light cycles. They are all under the rule of an evil program named Clu, and there is a program who is working with Tron (The main character from the movies) to overthrow him. I hate to say it, but sometimes I get bored by the writing. The visuals are what makes up for it for me. It is a very cool looking show. If you liked the Tron movies, you will like this show. I don't really recommend it for just a casual watcher though. It's good, but there are better shows out there.
On Cartoon Network, there are a bunch of series' that I watch, all of which are completely different from these. First up is Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It takes place between Star Wars Episodes 2 & 3, and while mainly following Anakin Skywalker's apprentice, Asoka Tano, it also can go off and have an episode starring pretty much any Star Wars Character they've created. It has pretty unlimited possibilities storytelling-wise. This show has gotten flack for "Looking like a video game," but I don't care about that at all. It may not look "Real" but it's computer animated. They weren't trying to duplicate reality. I think the design is very good. The writing is better than that of some of the Star Wars films, and the characters are great too. If you like action/adventure you should love this show.
Also based on a movie, is the series Dragons: Riders of Berk. It is based on the movie How to Train Your Dragon. The film that made me believe that Dreamworks had real potential as a serious animation studio. Dragons is about the same five viking teens from the movie, after the dragons have become accepted by their society. When it first aired I was a little disappointed. The animation was excellent, but the writing was a little weak. Since then, however, the writing has vastly improved, and I now look forward to every new episode.
On the completely opposite end of the spectrum, tone-wise, is The Looney Tunes Show. Basically this is a sitcom starring the Looney Tunes. I wrote a review of it over a year ago, HERE. Since that time my views of the show have evolved somewhat. By the end of season one, I still really liked it, but I didn't feel it was quite as good any more. I thought the writing had gone somewhat downhill, and that some of the characters, had changed into something that their classic counterparts were not. Daffy especially just seemed over-the-top mean sometimes. I mean, he's always been a comedically mean character, but sometimes it seemed to me that he just went too far. As a whole, the show was still usually pretty funny, it just didn't feel exactly like "Looney Tunes" anymore. Thankfully these issues have been resolved! After months of waiting, they finally brought the show back recently, and the writing was back to being it's greatest again. I now can highly recommend it once again.
One of my favorite "Non-Comedic" shows of all, including live action, is an animated series called Young Justice. It is the best super hero show I have seen since I was a kid watching the Animated Superman and Batman series' in the '90s. I have loved the DC comics characters ever since then, and they are all perfectly represented in this show. The animation is awesome, the writing is excellent, and the characters are all great. The show follows the "Sidekicks" of the Justice League, Superboy, Robin, Miss Martian, Aqualad, Speedy, Artemis, and Kid Flash. There are many more characters that join the show later, but these are the ones the show began with with.
When it first started, it kind of seemed like another Super-Powered Teens kind of a show. Not that that's a bad thing, the show was still awesome, it's just that "Super-Teen" shows have been done before. As the season went on though, it just got better and better, and when season 2 began, the show somehow managed to get even better than before! It flashed forward 5 years. The main characters are now all adults, some have abandoned the group, and may have even joined the "Bad Guys." The dynamics have completely changed, to the point where it almost seems like a new show, but that is a good thing. There are now even more "Kids" joining their "League," and some of the oldest ones are trying to convince the "Adult" Justice League that they are good enough to be full fledged members of the Justice League, instead of just "Sidekicks." The stakes are now higher as some of the Justice League seems to be being framed for crimes that they don't remember committing, but there is video evidence proving their guilt. The Young Justice League is trying to fill in where the "Adults" can't go and investigate, because they are no longer trusted.
Anyway, enough of my rambling on that show, if you can't tell, I REALLY love it. :) Unfortunately it also suffers from really bad scheduling. I haven't seen a new episode in months. I'm hoping that the new year will bring new episodes. I really need a Gravity Falls and Young Justice fix. :)
And those are the cartoons that I currently watch. If you like animation, I highly recommend any of them. If you think cartoons are "Only For Kids," I highly recommend rethinking your life. You sound like you need a good laugh. :)
I remember a quote from someone who wrote the original Looney Tunes shorts who said they did not even think about making the cartoons for kids. Their goal in making the shorts was to make each other laugh. It just so happened that children liked them too. That's how you know you're doing it right, when you've got something that anyone of any age can watch together and everyone enjoys it.
When I was little, I just liked the bright colors and funny characters in cartoons, but as I got older I began to see that there was so much more to them than just falling anvils and "Bad ol' Puddy Tats." Animation is an art form. It can be used for any genre, not just comedy. The programs and movies that I watch now cover a wide variety of themes, and not all of them make you laugh.
For me one of the biggest joys of watching an animated film, provided that I don't get so swept up in the story that I forget it's an animated movie at all, is just watching purely for the artistry of it all. Whether the film is hand animated, or done using a computer, if it's done well, it is a thing of beauty to watch. I have recently started watching Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's films, and they are nothing shot of gorgeous. The films that he and the staff at Studio Ghibli make, put many American studios to shame in how detailed and rich the artwork is. They are like watching living paintings. I may have to write some reviews of some of my favorites here.
But this post is not about movies, it's about TV shows. As I said in my Disney Channel Reviews post, I watch a lot of animated programs. I've already done a very thorough review of my favorite, Gravity Falls. It continues to get better and better. Since I wrote my review, I have an even higher opinion of it than I did before, if that's possible. The quality of the writing just keeps getting better. I wish it were scheduled more often though. There haven't been any new episodes in almost three months! If it were a drug I'd probably be going into withdrawal. :p
In addition to Gravity Falls, the Disney Channel has two other series that are almost as funny. First up is Fish Hooks. Fish Hooks is a crazy, random, riot. It is so full of random humor that sometimes it can barely hold its plot together. The characters are completely off the wall crazy, and the animation style is very unique. It sort of a mix of flash animation with photographic collages. It's pretty different than most shows I've seen, but it works. The show is about a school of fish. A "High School" of fish. It has all your basic high school stereotypes in fish form. The show takes place in a pet shop where all the fish tanks are connected. The fish themselves are all animated regularly, but the backgrounds, and any other animal or person is a collage. There is not much to say about the plot. It's about the crazy adventures that three fish, Oscar, Milo, and Bea, have as they attend high school. If you don't like random humor, you probably won't like Fish Hooks, but if you do, you'll love it.
Phineas and Ferb is the the other show on Disney. 6 months ago if I were asked my favorite cartoon, I definitely would have said Phineas and Ferb. But then Gravity Falls came along and... Well, Phineas and Ferb is now second. But just because I now love Gravity Falls more, doesn't mean I love Phineas and Ferb any less. It is still one of my absolute favorite shows. The characters are all excellent, the writing is hilarious, it is very random, but always maintains a coherent plot, it also uses music in a way that most shows do not, and it does it well.
On its face, Phineas and Ferb is a show about two step brothers who build giant complicated inventions, and their older sister, Candice, who always tries to "Bust" them, by tattling to their mother. That's only half the show though. The boys own a pet platypus named Perry who is, unbeknownst to them, a secret agent, who sneaks off every day to fight his arch nemesis, an evil "Genius" named Dr. Doofenshmirtz. It's one of those shows where you just need to watch it to understand why it is so funny. I can't explain it well enough on my own, you just need to see it for itself.
There is also an animated show on Disney XD that I watch, but it is very different from the shows on Disney. The show is called Tron Uprising. It is not at all a "Funny" series. It's a spin off from the Tron movies, and I watch it mainly for the artwork. It has some of the most stunning animation I've ever seen. Half the time I'm not watching for the plot, I'm just watching for the visuals. It's basically eye candy. :)
The plot is about a world inside a computer where the "Programs" all look like people in shiny light suits, and they drive light cycles. They are all under the rule of an evil program named Clu, and there is a program who is working with Tron (The main character from the movies) to overthrow him. I hate to say it, but sometimes I get bored by the writing. The visuals are what makes up for it for me. It is a very cool looking show. If you liked the Tron movies, you will like this show. I don't really recommend it for just a casual watcher though. It's good, but there are better shows out there.
On Cartoon Network, there are a bunch of series' that I watch, all of which are completely different from these. First up is Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It takes place between Star Wars Episodes 2 & 3, and while mainly following Anakin Skywalker's apprentice, Asoka Tano, it also can go off and have an episode starring pretty much any Star Wars Character they've created. It has pretty unlimited possibilities storytelling-wise. This show has gotten flack for "Looking like a video game," but I don't care about that at all. It may not look "Real" but it's computer animated. They weren't trying to duplicate reality. I think the design is very good. The writing is better than that of some of the Star Wars films, and the characters are great too. If you like action/adventure you should love this show.
Also based on a movie, is the series Dragons: Riders of Berk. It is based on the movie How to Train Your Dragon. The film that made me believe that Dreamworks had real potential as a serious animation studio. Dragons is about the same five viking teens from the movie, after the dragons have become accepted by their society. When it first aired I was a little disappointed. The animation was excellent, but the writing was a little weak. Since then, however, the writing has vastly improved, and I now look forward to every new episode.
On the completely opposite end of the spectrum, tone-wise, is The Looney Tunes Show. Basically this is a sitcom starring the Looney Tunes. I wrote a review of it over a year ago, HERE. Since that time my views of the show have evolved somewhat. By the end of season one, I still really liked it, but I didn't feel it was quite as good any more. I thought the writing had gone somewhat downhill, and that some of the characters, had changed into something that their classic counterparts were not. Daffy especially just seemed over-the-top mean sometimes. I mean, he's always been a comedically mean character, but sometimes it seemed to me that he just went too far. As a whole, the show was still usually pretty funny, it just didn't feel exactly like "Looney Tunes" anymore. Thankfully these issues have been resolved! After months of waiting, they finally brought the show back recently, and the writing was back to being it's greatest again. I now can highly recommend it once again.
One of my favorite "Non-Comedic" shows of all, including live action, is an animated series called Young Justice. It is the best super hero show I have seen since I was a kid watching the Animated Superman and Batman series' in the '90s. I have loved the DC comics characters ever since then, and they are all perfectly represented in this show. The animation is awesome, the writing is excellent, and the characters are all great. The show follows the "Sidekicks" of the Justice League, Superboy, Robin, Miss Martian, Aqualad, Speedy, Artemis, and Kid Flash. There are many more characters that join the show later, but these are the ones the show began with with.
When it first started, it kind of seemed like another Super-Powered Teens kind of a show. Not that that's a bad thing, the show was still awesome, it's just that "Super-Teen" shows have been done before. As the season went on though, it just got better and better, and when season 2 began, the show somehow managed to get even better than before! It flashed forward 5 years. The main characters are now all adults, some have abandoned the group, and may have even joined the "Bad Guys." The dynamics have completely changed, to the point where it almost seems like a new show, but that is a good thing. There are now even more "Kids" joining their "League," and some of the oldest ones are trying to convince the "Adult" Justice League that they are good enough to be full fledged members of the Justice League, instead of just "Sidekicks." The stakes are now higher as some of the Justice League seems to be being framed for crimes that they don't remember committing, but there is video evidence proving their guilt. The Young Justice League is trying to fill in where the "Adults" can't go and investigate, because they are no longer trusted.
Anyway, enough of my rambling on that show, if you can't tell, I REALLY love it. :) Unfortunately it also suffers from really bad scheduling. I haven't seen a new episode in months. I'm hoping that the new year will bring new episodes. I really need a Gravity Falls and Young Justice fix. :)
And those are the cartoons that I currently watch. If you like animation, I highly recommend any of them. If you think cartoons are "Only For Kids," I highly recommend rethinking your life. You sound like you need a good laugh. :)
Saturday, December 22, 2012
It's Over!
One week ago I finished school! After two and a half years, I have my Associates of Art degree. And I am so glad to be done with school! (For now anyway.)
This was the worst semester Joel and I have had so far. We had one more class to take to earn credits required to graduate. Math. We chose to do Statistics. The adviser we spoke with said it was easier than regular college math. It was not. It COULD have been. The math itself was not that difficult, but every problem was a word problem, and none of them gave you the formula you were supposed to use. It was pretty much a nightmare. I almost didn't get a good enough grade to graduate. In the end Joel and I both got C's. The lowest grade allowed for someone to graduate. Normally I would have hated such a low grade, but after this terrible class, I was just glad I passed and could move on.
The other classes I had were all much better than the math class. I had a class that basically was supposed to help you get a portfolio together to show to future employers or schools. That was simple. I'd already had a similar class at ITT Tech, so this was pretty much an easy A. I also took Photography 2. I had a lot of fun with that one. I expanded on my Beanie Baby idea from last semester, and took a lot more pictures, in a bunch of different styles.
I will get the rest of those pictures up on my Photography Blog eventually.
My other two classes were both graphic design classes. They were my best two classes this semester. I had forgotten how much I enjoy doing graphic design work. I had a lot of fun in those classes. The first one was Typography, and the second was another Photoshop class. I learned so much in both. The teachers were very helpful and the lessons were all interesting. When I eventually go back to school, I think I will take some more graphic design classes. The programs are so detailed that it's almost impossible to learn everything they do, but I'd like to come close. I really like working with them.
Right now I am not sure what's next. Eventually I would like to go on to get a Bachelors in photography, but after the stress of this semester I feel like I just want school to be over with for awhile. In the mean time I am keeping my eyes open for jobs, and looking into 4 year schools. Maybe by next fall I'll have been away long enough that I won't mind the thought of going back.
This was the worst semester Joel and I have had so far. We had one more class to take to earn credits required to graduate. Math. We chose to do Statistics. The adviser we spoke with said it was easier than regular college math. It was not. It COULD have been. The math itself was not that difficult, but every problem was a word problem, and none of them gave you the formula you were supposed to use. It was pretty much a nightmare. I almost didn't get a good enough grade to graduate. In the end Joel and I both got C's. The lowest grade allowed for someone to graduate. Normally I would have hated such a low grade, but after this terrible class, I was just glad I passed and could move on.
The other classes I had were all much better than the math class. I had a class that basically was supposed to help you get a portfolio together to show to future employers or schools. That was simple. I'd already had a similar class at ITT Tech, so this was pretty much an easy A. I also took Photography 2. I had a lot of fun with that one. I expanded on my Beanie Baby idea from last semester, and took a lot more pictures, in a bunch of different styles.
I will get the rest of those pictures up on my Photography Blog eventually.
My other two classes were both graphic design classes. They were my best two classes this semester. I had forgotten how much I enjoy doing graphic design work. I had a lot of fun in those classes. The first one was Typography, and the second was another Photoshop class. I learned so much in both. The teachers were very helpful and the lessons were all interesting. When I eventually go back to school, I think I will take some more graphic design classes. The programs are so detailed that it's almost impossible to learn everything they do, but I'd like to come close. I really like working with them.
Right now I am not sure what's next. Eventually I would like to go on to get a Bachelors in photography, but after the stress of this semester I feel like I just want school to be over with for awhile. In the mean time I am keeping my eyes open for jobs, and looking into 4 year schools. Maybe by next fall I'll have been away long enough that I won't mind the thought of going back.
Friday, December 14, 2012
I Know Everything
"I know everything and you don't!"
"Everyone who agrees with me is a genius, and anyone who disagrees with me is an idiot! "
How would you feel if someone walked up to you and said either of these things to your face? Would you ever go up to someone and say that to theirs? I would hope not. Why then, do so many people seem to have no problem doing just that on Facebook?
Today something huge happened in the news that sparked five million and three Facebook arguments about a hot button political topic. I posted nothing. I never do any more. In fact, anything I have written on my blog in the past that could be deemed "Political" or "Controversial" I have probably gone back and deleted.
Why did I do that? Why don't I post my opinion out there so everyone knows exactly what I think, feel, and believe? I used to. When I first joined Facebook I made sure everyone knew all my opinions on everything.
Presidential election coming up? Post an article: "This is why Candidate #1 is Awesome, and Candidate #2 is the spawn of Satan!"
Hot button issue in the news? Post a status update: "Side I don't agree with is either stupid, or evil! Or stupid AND evil!"
After a few years of this, I realized that it never got me anywhere. All I ever got were affirmative comments from the choir I was preaching to, or comments from someone I had unknowingly offended telling me how incredibly wrong I was and proceeding to detail why I was wrong. I'd argue back, but that would only continue until one of us got sick of arguing and quit, because no one ever changed anyone's mind via Facebook.
Arguing on the internet is one of the most pointless and childish things that the evolution of social networking has brought about. It does nothing but flare tempers, raise blood pressure, and break friendships.
As I said, this post came about because of a huge news story that brought a huge controversial political topic back into public debate. In the middle of the sewage plant that was my Facebook wall today was a post from Blimey Cow with a link to their video on this very topic. Their comment was, "Just a Gentle Reminder Today."
Blimey Cow, as always, thank you for your rare insight.
I wish more people would wake up and realize that just because they believe one thing, doesn't mean that absolutely everyone else in the world needs to know about it. And just because they believe something doesn't mean that they are right and everyone who disagrees with them is wrong.
There have been lots of things over the years that I have come to learn I was wrong about, and I've been big enough to admit to myself that I don't know everything. But I never once came to that conclusion because of someone's rant on Facebook. Any time my beliefs about anything were changed, it was because I took the time to look at both sides of an issue, and kept an open mind.
An open mind, and a willingness to listen to opposing viewpoints are what changes opinions, not a 5 sentence rant on Facebook. Or a blog. Which begs the question, why did I even write this? :p
"Everyone who agrees with me is a genius, and anyone who disagrees with me is an idiot! "
How would you feel if someone walked up to you and said either of these things to your face? Would you ever go up to someone and say that to theirs? I would hope not. Why then, do so many people seem to have no problem doing just that on Facebook?
Today something huge happened in the news that sparked five million and three Facebook arguments about a hot button political topic. I posted nothing. I never do any more. In fact, anything I have written on my blog in the past that could be deemed "Political" or "Controversial" I have probably gone back and deleted.
Why did I do that? Why don't I post my opinion out there so everyone knows exactly what I think, feel, and believe? I used to. When I first joined Facebook I made sure everyone knew all my opinions on everything.
Presidential election coming up? Post an article: "This is why Candidate #1 is Awesome, and Candidate #2 is the spawn of Satan!"
Hot button issue in the news? Post a status update: "Side I don't agree with is either stupid, or evil! Or stupid AND evil!"
After a few years of this, I realized that it never got me anywhere. All I ever got were affirmative comments from the choir I was preaching to, or comments from someone I had unknowingly offended telling me how incredibly wrong I was and proceeding to detail why I was wrong. I'd argue back, but that would only continue until one of us got sick of arguing and quit, because no one ever changed anyone's mind via Facebook.
Arguing on the internet is one of the most pointless and childish things that the evolution of social networking has brought about. It does nothing but flare tempers, raise blood pressure, and break friendships.
As I said, this post came about because of a huge news story that brought a huge controversial political topic back into public debate. In the middle of the sewage plant that was my Facebook wall today was a post from Blimey Cow with a link to their video on this very topic. Their comment was, "Just a Gentle Reminder Today."
Blimey Cow, as always, thank you for your rare insight.
I wish more people would wake up and realize that just because they believe one thing, doesn't mean that absolutely everyone else in the world needs to know about it. And just because they believe something doesn't mean that they are right and everyone who disagrees with them is wrong.
There have been lots of things over the years that I have come to learn I was wrong about, and I've been big enough to admit to myself that I don't know everything. But I never once came to that conclusion because of someone's rant on Facebook. Any time my beliefs about anything were changed, it was because I took the time to look at both sides of an issue, and kept an open mind.
An open mind, and a willingness to listen to opposing viewpoints are what changes opinions, not a 5 sentence rant on Facebook. Or a blog. Which begs the question, why did I even write this? :p
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