Katsurugi

Funny how I saw this thread right after posing in the Okami one. Get that OST. It's huge though, about 4-5 discs. From reviews, I can see that it is traditionally Japanese music, however, reinvented or infused with other non-traditional instruments and styles. Also, a notable game or series of games would be from Touhou. Imperishable Night, Perfect Cherry Blossom and I'm sure there are at least two more, but I can't think of them now. I don't know how you can directly download them or convert them into mp3 from game files. I just kind of play through the game to listen to them. The main screen of the game also brings you to a sound test area, but you have to have beaten the previous stages to gain the audio track for that level. Justus Johnson(?) has a remix of one of the songs from Perfect Cherry Blossom. His remix, compared to the original, is slower and more dramatic. The original is more playful and airy.

This thread makes me sad because I only own older generation consoles. At the moment, I am probably saving up for something but I have no idea what exactly. Will this game play on Gamecube? I know the answer is no, but it's all I got... aside from my other latest console, a Dreamcast. I'm just missing out on so many games!

I told you not to ask! Actually, I browse through that and other magazines to get a good idea of how photos are taken. Images are on every single page. Advertising is a powerful force that you can learn from even if you're not purchasing their products. My sister gets them and also other magazines like Vogue and In Style. She gives them to me when she's done with them. Don't worry, G-T. We're going to be discussing stuff and exchanging pictures and things like that on Friday. I've already stated what I'm capable of and what level of photography I'm currently at. I've already shown her some of my images and I think we have some sort of understanding already. It's all good. We're going to meet on Friday.

All right. So by means of random luck, I have an opportunity to take pictures of a girl that I do not know. But she wants to have portraits taken of her in a sort of sexy sort of way. From the e-mails we have been exchanging, I think we're on two different levels. Though she wants to have something like Maxim/Victoria's Secret type photos, I don't think she actually knows what it takes to get them. I am in the midst of compiling a list of ideas and poses. I am quite familiar with the Victoria's Secret catalogue. Don't ask. If anyone has done any sort of work like this before, that'd be absolutely perfect. Most likely not though... still, if you have a pose that you really like of fashion models, don't hesitate to post or link me to them. I'm also looking for some classic pin up model poses as well.

I think I sprained by wrist a long time ago. Even a year or two later, it still hurt when I put a lot of pressure on it. But after some very simple strength training, it has gotten a lot better. I'm not too sure if you have the same problem or not. I would think that if you sprained your wrist, you would know. Personally, I think that my wrists would give in after the muscle ups. I don't know if this is my weekly update or not. I think that I got some progress done. Yesterday, I was benching 55 and 60 pounds consistently compared to 50 and 55 pounds only a week or two before. There really isn't anything notable other than that. But I just wasn't feeling into it yesterday at the gym. I think it was because I couldn't do my normal regiment as quickly as I would liked to. Other people were using the machines I wanted to or in the worst case, they were just sitting at the bench press and not using it at all. I just felt so blah.

As far as I know, it's definitely possible. You just might have to pay an activation fee to Verizon. Just look out for shady cell phone dealers on eBay.

He's totally using macros. Trust me.

Each competition has its own rules and guidelines. These are usually posted in the first post of the thread. Usually there is some deadline as well as other restrictions that are imposed upon it. For example, if you take a look at the writing competition, updates are made in the first post rather than posts throughout the entire thread. See: http://www.ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13065 If you have questions about a specific competition, I would suggest posting it in the according competition thread.

I'm not too sure if this is what you want. Have you checked the dimensions? It's like a thick paperback book. My friend has a WD My Passport. It's very small, similar to that of DS. Storage is obviously limited and doesn't have a fan to cool it down, but I don't think you have to worry about unless you have it on for extended periods of time. It only requires the USB plug too. Very convenient, but also pricey.

I am going to use the write in ballot and put down PHOENIX WRIGHT. (or if not, Metal Gear series. Let's bring it all the way back to the NES.)

Especially now that it is summer, I will have some free time to do it. What have been the past themes? Perhaps we can do something radically new. The traditional ones are always good to open up to a whole lot of people though. I can't really think of anything on the top of my head. Metal Gear Solid does sound good. Pokemon would be really awesome, though that was already a theme maybe. Personally, I'd like to get some Harvest Moon or Phoenix Wright action going on.

As of the moment, I am leaning towards going. But most likely, I will not be able to sleep over due to the number of people and I do not live terribly far either. Though I would like to get breakfast with you guys one day. The game playing would be great too. Anyway,that's the plan for now. Besides, my friend is on break for only a short while from UPenn during that time which is kind of unfortunate. Otherwise, I would definitely stay over or something. I only have weekends free mainly too.. I don't have a real summer vacation.

Clearly, the fighting game genre is slowly being phased out. There are some new titles here and there that are not completely embraced by the audience. Guilty Gear XX is extremely popular in some circles but not overall. The balance system is unique, ARC, I believe. The latest Capcom game that was released was Capcom vs. SNK 2. Though it has some flaws, the system is great and it's very well balanced for the number of characters it has. I love it a lot, but not too many play it. Third Strike is far more prevalent than CvS2. But it has been a long while since a pure Street Fighter game has been released. Capcom has done an amazing job with the franchise and has polished each despite through many versions. In a sense, doing such a great job has also put pressure on them to make another excellent game. Fighting games are different from FPS ones as they can be still current as long as people are willing to play and compete which really is a wonderful thing. Replay value just skyrockets. People still play SFII: HF which proves that all you need are 8 characters and really good balance. Then again, MvC2 is also still popular and has 51 characters and not so great balance. It's all really a question of taste. Personally, I think it's just extremely difficult to make a good fighter. Because of the relatively few elements to the game, each one has to be well thought through and designed to make each and every character equal. That's saying a lot. Anyway, as for Street Fighter 4, we had a thread. But it got pushed way down. I think there are the original 8 characters and possibly 4 or 6 more? I use shoryuken.com for most of my updates. The new characters look... interesting. It's also in 2.5D rather than strictly 2D. I don't know if I like that or not. Also the use of polygons rather than sprites has me very on the fence. I think that sprites never go old. They create and retain a sort of style that is initially developed in the concept art. I play SFA2 and that looks fine to me even being well... 12 years old. :0

^Yup. That's how you do it. You just have to conscious of what your actions are. It's really easy to sit back and relax. I find that stretching when watching TV or some other passive activity really helps. After I stretch, I feel more blood movement and more energized. I think that the first 10-20 pounds will come off relatively easily compared to the next 40 or so. Just don't get too cocky and keep pushing yourself. As for my sit ups, it's all really perspective. By your definition I am doing declined sit ups. There is a machine for inclined sit ups with a machine where your body starts vertically and you push downwards, similar to bowing. But I don't really find that too difficult even if I increase the weight. Today, I didn't go to the gym. Instead, I played ultimate frisbee for a good hour and a half. Even though it was really consistent running (as I'm usually picked as a handler), it was still running and plus, I had a lot of fun. Tomorrow, I am without any weights, except for some 10 pound ones and I will do some regular sit ups, push ups, curls, and stretching. Boy do I need to work on stretching my hamstrings. I can't even straddle pancake; it's more like a straddle lump of batter.

I felt that this week has been good. I have made some progress and I figured that my old routine was not hardcore enough. So I've decided to add 5 pounds to some exercises. Bicep curls with 25 pounds is much more rewarding. At least my biceps feel jacked at the end of the day when they're really not. I just have to be more in control on the way down. In addition, I've also replaced normal sit ups with inclined sit ups. I can do far less inclined sit ups than the normal type. I haven't decided on a set number yet, or how high the incline should be. But at the height I was using today, I could really feel my abs being targeted. I'm used to doing a total of at least 150 or so. But on an incline, I think that even half as much would help gain some more immediate results. I also am attempting to do the handstand business, but with no luck so far. I'm going to keep at it though. At one point, I lost balance and tried to reset again. While on my knees to put my feet on the wall, I yelled out, "TAUCER!!!!" I got some looks from people in the gym. They looked like they had no idea what I was talking about. But deep down inside, I knew they did.

Hmm.. I will have to think about it. I am free that day, but I want to figure out how much it'll cost overall before I make any sort of commitment. I haven't been paid yet this summer... ;_; Also, I might have some hook up with free BBQ sauce, but I don't want to take advantage of my friend too much. A bottle or two should be fine. If you buy it online, it's like 10 dollars each and that's a bunch for BBQ sauce. I have my bet is on Pretzel.

Gaming is simply another platform which people can now experience, discuss and thus debate about. The same sort of stuff happens in art, literature and other topics. But yes, the whole thing is spurred on by human nature, which never seems to change. Everyone wants to be the best (or believe that they are) and humility is quickly becoming extinct. This point has only been more emphasized through the instantaneous power of the internet. More people are able to communicate ideas, stir up debates and provoke conflicts with a touch of a button. In addition, hiding behind a pseudonym only makes it easier to do this. On the internet, accountability doesn't seem to exist or rather it's very thinly veiled. This loss of responsibility then promotes people to be uninhibited and act more rashly even if through text. Secondly, they are not expected to learn through their actions since they believe it only exists in a virtual realm. In a sense, the internet can be a place where bumbling idiots congregate and argue about trivial matters. It can also be a place to learn as well. But often times, people aren't motivated enough to read about global issues or the forefronts of science unless it involves them directly. They would much rather chat to friends they even see on a regular basis, The internet, to me, seems like a giant social experiment. In the end, there really isn't anything new that we haven't already discovered about the human animal. Now, we just have gigabytes among gigabytes of proof that only we are very basic and common creatures that have too much time on our hands. We become jaded and are pigeon-holed into niches far too easily. It takes a special effort to understand something in its most abstract form. In the end, gamers are people too and people suck (especially when mob mentality takes over).

Something may have changed. Previously, if you typed in the URL, it would automatically change it to a link using the text as the URL itself. I did this in the OCR Fit thread. However, if I did the same thing again, it would embed the video file. I don't exactly know what changed or not. But I don't see any way of getting around it. I don't exactly know why youtube videos are treated special compared to other links.

If you have some extra cash to burn, I would recommend upgrading the RAM as well. It depends on the motherboard or not whether it supports it or not. Personally, I would recommend 4 gigs of RAM for Vista to increase the longevity of the system. But it all matters on how you use the computer.

The worst of all of my summer plans is now over. I am relieved to say that I can now begin to go to the gym and exercise on a more regular basis (hopefully 4 times a week). This weekend was a mixed bag involving activity and diet. I went to my cousin's wedding in Chicago. I did eat a lot of Subway and walked around Millenium Park a lot. But at night, I also seemed to eat more junk food and snacked more often than I normally do. Either which way, I didn't get to fit in my normal exercise routine. I weighed myself the other week. It came out to be 136 lbs with my shoes on. I'll take them off when I do it again today. I think that I am more comfortable pushing an extra 5 lbs. than I'm used to. Slowly but surely, yes, I am making some progress. Running, 2 miles approximately 15 minutes. Bench Press, 15 reps (x1) @ 50 lbs. Bench Press, 12 reps (x3) @ 55 lbs. Sit ups, 40 reps (x4) Inclined bench press, 12 reps (x4) @ 55 lbs. Bicep curls, 12 reps (x4) @ 20 lbs. Attempt handstands until I give up There is this machine at the gym that isolates the biceps. It isn't a free weight sort of deal. But I really wonder why my biceps are so freakin' weak! Maybe it's because the weights are positioned higher than I'm used to, but only being able to push to 20 lbs is kind of depressing. I'd like to think that I can do at least 30... As for handstands, last time I was at the gym, I maintained balance for a good half a second... which just might be me slowly losing balance. But it's better than just planting my feet on the wall. I will have to remember fingertips for the next time.

How are you connecting to the internet? Wired or wi-fi? Either which way, just hope that it's not a hardware problem. Assuming it's not, then try to download updated drivers for your ethernet card. Just use the computer with internet access and download them to a USB key/dongle and then plug it into the other one. If it is a hardware problem, then there really is no hope. Installing/replacing laptop parts is both expensive and a hassle. Though, if you have a relatively easy access to the ethernet/wi-fi card. Just check out any connections that might look faulty. Usually in laptops, they are integrated into the motherboard, so there's not much for you to "do."

She wants one. There is just something about digital that kind of bothers me. Old school film ones are fully mechanical and some can be used even without a battery, albeit with a limited shutter speed. Technically, they should last a lifetime and repairs can be made with moderate ease. However, with digital ones, fixing them could be a problem especially if yours is an older model. Even over time, you will have to be forced to purchase a new digital camera as over use of the sensor will make it more hypersensitive to light. In film cameras, the sensor is the frame of film itself which is switched out with every picture you take. Of course this is just an observation that I have made with the current state of technology. Maybe later there will be another jump in nanotechnology to help make better digital cameras. Even if my sister does take more pictures with her digital p&s rather than the film camera, I'd feel better investing in something that retains a better longevity. It's all good. I'm getting ready for my cousin's wedding. I have some Tri-X 400 and Kodak Portra 400 NC locked and loaded. I'll let you know how it goes. I also have to find a more convenient place to have my Tri-X developed other than sending it out to a friend in Belgium... but considering it's relatively cheap for international mail and he does it for free... it's also quite a deal! It seems as if people have trouble with lens caps. I haven't lost mine yet, but maybe it's just a matter of time. But I did manage to lose a circular polarizer... it wasn't too great though. It was a simple coated Hoya one. I hear that the multicoated ones Hoya makes produce much better results. Inevitably, I'd have to make the investment anyway, right? Circular polarizer is probably my favorite filter then followed by neutral density. If only I could find an ND filter for my A520, then that would be pretty cool...

Here's a little something for everyone too. http://www.something.com

I bought a flash as well, but it's not fully compatible with my camera. It's the 430EZ which supports A-TTL, but not E-TTL. I didn't really know that my camera was that modern... Anyway, it didn't cost me too much considering other stuff, about 26 dollars. But the 50mm, or nifty fifty as some people call it, is really a great deal. At least the Canon version has this amazing shallow depth of field and beautiful bokeh to it. Call me a nerd, but I love just looking through the viewfinder and just turning the focusing ring. I hear the Nikon one performs great as well. It's definitely one of the things that the photography industry has got right for a change. Anyway, I'm looking into buying my younger sister a fully manual camera. Canon AV-1 or a Nikon FE/FE2 with a 50mm. This is going to be her graduation gift. And for subsequent birthdays and whatnot, I can buy her third party lenses. woot. The gift that makes future gifts less bothersome.

With the handstand, I'm thinking it now balance. It seems strength isn't too much of a problem. But I'm always wary of stuff that requires my wrist since I have a good feeling that my right wrist never quite fully recovered when I sprained it. Anyway, I will try it at the gym rather than home/dorm where the ground is hard and unforgiving. ;_; As for DDR, I've been itching for a game or two. Terra - Doll is a great song to play on heavy.