where should i go?

I'm torn between three places to travel to right now. and can't make up my mind.

one is LA:
+my close and dear friends live there.
-it's LA

second is Alaska:
+ beautiful scenery
+ adventures, train rides, wolves and icebergs
- i know no one there. solitary travels

third is Montreal
+ gorgeous city
+ fantastic shops
- again, I know no one there. solitary travels (or is that a good thing?)

I am leaning towards Alaska. traveling by train, staying in cute wooden lodges, watching the whales and icebergs. its an adventure!

here are some photo my family took during their recent trip. sooo beautiful!

a midnight haunting.

yet another year on the farm for 4th of july. cool morning mist and evening adventures. seeing the full landscape of stars almost rivals fireworks ... almost, that is.

Zettai Kareshi

I just finished the last episode. Wait, no, I called my sister after watching ( T_T ). Oh man. I never get misty eyed over films, shows or the like. But, the waterworks started and it won't stop! Such a good ending. I read the graphic novel, so I thought I was prepared but alas, I wasn't. The ending was so well done. This is now one of my top dramas. I highly recommend. no spoilers here, just watch it. sigh sigh sigh. the love forever and sweet dreams!!!


(ok ... I am officially high priestess of dorkland)

T_T

ravens and vultures video dronecast on tigermap

we did a short dronecast today. you can find more on tigermap


Ravens and Vultures dronecast 6-29-08 from woodlandanimals on Vimeo.

bubble tea madness. and noodles.

couple of photos from today. we ate food, drank bubble tea and laughs laughs laughs.


mikki and ghost pearl


the matu and the pearl


the matu and korean toy camera


mikki punching me


me and pearl and bubble tea and sweet ride


Mr. and Mrs.

Music I'm Diggin'

DMGD ORCHSTR
This is the brainchild of my buddy Mark Herst. DMGD ORCHSTR makes me feel like I am in an modern day RPG realm, battling dark wizards, gaining mana through my bubble tea with the madness of 8-bit wonder of smashing pumpkins as my soundtrack.

Stereolab Dots and Loops.
Maybe, its the summer. Maybe, its the cool spritzer limeade. I loved this album during my freshman year in college and love it now. Even after almost 11 years of its release, this album is flawless.

Ape School
No No No. I am not being biased here! Yes, we've played shows with this awesome philly act. And yes, Michael Johnson (who IS ape school) is also our drummer. But this band ... what can I say, it is a refreshing sound in wierdadelphia music scene. A little prog, a little stoner rock and a whole lot of rockin', this band is just pure goodness and I never tire of listening to the albums.

Dinosaur Jr. Green Mind
For me, this album is a classic. Its like cutting AP Political Science, laying on the south lawn, staring at the clouds, chain smoking cigarettes, with your walkman on at full blast and the tape of choice is Green Mind. Makes ya feel a little nostalgic, don't it?

Shugo Tokumaru
The album has a sweetness, a psychedelic wildness and the wistful sound of enchantment! love it.

Hana Yori Dango

Chocolate and Jdrama. Hmmm.

Alright! Coffee Prince will always be my favorite KDrama. But as far as JDrama goes: there is a new champion! It is Hana Yori Dango (Boys over Flowers). I read the manga ages ago (lone tear, it was very good). I've always eyed the live action but never brought myself to watching. well, in my usual style, i went through one of my phases of hibernation and found myself downloading the avi. (side note: if it weren't for my friends ... i would prob. turn into a pasty creepy, glazed eyes, frizzy haired, smelly dudette, surrounded by graphic novels, LPs & 45s, video games and drooling over jdrama. thanks guys!) The manga was great ... the live action is fantastic. Combined with a very likable characters and a strong female lead, the story revolves around Makino the "Tough Weed" interactions with the F4 at a very prestigious rich kid school.

From DramaWiki
"Makino Tsukushi is the only poor student at Eitoku Gakuen, the school of the ridiculously rich and privileged that is ruled by Flower 4 or F4, a group of four boys who come from extremely powerful families: Domyoji Tsukasa, the leader and heir of the Domyoji World Finance Group; Hanazawa Rui, the introverted son of a large company; Nishikado Sojiro, a player who is the heir of a tea ceremony school; and Mimasaka Akira, a madam killer with ties to the underground. If a student gets on the F4’s bad side, he/she gets a red notice and is bullied and driven out of school.
Makino hopes to pass her days quietly-- without drawing any attention to herself-- but one day, she stands up to Domyoji in defense of her friend. The next day, Makino gets the dreaded red notice. Even though she is harassed, Makino decides to keep going to school because she is a “tough weed”. She declares war right back on the F4. Her resolve gets the attention of her crush Hanazawa Rui and oddly enough, rouses romantic feelings in her worst enemy, Domyoji Tsukasa.
The series is based on the Japanese shoujo manga "Hana Yori Dango" (Boys Before Flowers) by Kamio Yoko."


The live action is 2 seasons long and a Movie which finalizes the series comes out end of this month. I really love this series and really want to see the movie. dammit ... "patience is a virtue" (haha)

Currently Playing: The World Ends With You

I only started this game a couple days ago. And presently on Day 3 in gameplay. This game is just amazing.
And it has everything that makes ME happy:
1. Takes place in the Shibuya District
2. You battle noise that pollutes the realm
3. Open gates guarded by dudes in red hoodies
4. Fashion determines the level of power one has in each zone.
5. Angst ridden teens
6. Really complex battles.
7. The graphics are wonderful.
8. So far, I really enjoy the storyline.

I gotta say, this game is great.

You can get real review here (instead of me gushing on how rad this game is) The World Ends With You Review by Game Stop

Ladies Love Chocolate

i salute you chocolate. you got me through a-many jdramas and late night secret snacking. you are better than my first sip of coffee in the morning. you will hang with me in the park, at the movies, in my pocket and in my belly and never complain. you are comfort with marshmellows during the winter and yummy in vegan cakes. you are awesome chocolate.

changes

update:

i have a brother in law. welcome to the family andy pants!
i turned 29.
i'm on summer vacation.
ravens&vultures will release the full length very soon.

here are some photos

mikki and michi during one of our many stops ROADTRIP 08!

Me with Iron Man

Me In car

Note : Storm Trooper is playing a video game in the background.

how we do.

the drama of nosebleed seat. three fights. cops. cussing. incredible. it made my stomach hurt. i ate dollar dogs. i paid for it that night. i high fived and yelled at the team. it was fun.



the scene from up top. in the trouble section.


all about biz at the game




here is my buddy josh and i being creepy. we are creeping it up, south philly style.



this makes me excited for summer.

skipping happy through springtime mix!

do you remember the good old times? when love letters were mixtapes? and you would find them in your backpack? or in your desk? well, this is for you, the forgotten love mixtape letter. enjoy.

the view out there

i can't wait . . .

i can't wait for amazing sun sets


i can't wait to eat these


i can't wait to live in my future underwater den



( photo one: in car; photo two: camden aqua; photo three: camden aqua)

traveling through transit.

screaming teens [check]
discarded chicken bones [check]
mystery stains and smell [check]
late, very late arrival [check]
over priced [check]
septa cops tackling a teen [check]
teen tackling random stranger [check]

this and much more is what an average transit commuter expects during their daily ride on ye ole septa.

at last septa has leveled up it renowned "perk" for the traveler: the "Be Kind to Your Behind" campaign ad from cottonelle.

Stepping into the orange line, I was blinded by the sheer white gloss reflecting off the light fixtures. I paused in my conversation with my commuter buddy, a sassy 60 year old lady who marched with King and has something to say about everything. I squinted my eyes and thought "Finally, they cleaned a cart!" Upon closer inspection, i realized it was contact paper. contact paper of ... toilet paper. yes, toilet paper. the whole cart is wrapped in toilet paper. an ad hung above reading "Be Kind to Your Behind". Sitting down, I'm thinking "Great, after a long day at work, I'm now traveling through the bowels of the city surrounded by toilet paper" yes, who wouldn't get that I'm so fresh feeling after a long day at work.


[close contact. no pun intended]


[taken during my second encounter. cart was empty]

on the other hand, this ad campaign has definitely got the attention of folks. however, wiping your ass and septa are two things you don't want to think about during your commute home. just saying.

presents for san.fran.

my sister returned from san Francisco today.

this is what she got me: a box set of large FRUiTs postcards:



and of course. i love it.

mixtape for the lonely

i made this virtual mixtape. i wanted the mixtape to look like a hidden item found in an rpg game. the site is fun to play with.

toy of the week

ok this is not a toy. its a gadget. it's a watch. i need a watch. i need an alarm clock too. steampunk. yes!

finally, my Wallflower: The Anime : review

yes yes.

in all honesty, i completed the series weeks ago. believe it or not folks, i actually do other things which do not involve anime, graphic novels and gaming. uuuhhhh. really! i do. i do? YES I DO!

Wallflower revolves around the adventures of four bishonen and a Sadako/Samara type girl. At times very sexist, the story delves into turning Sunako (a-sadoko-from-the-ring-like-girl who enjoys all things dark 'n bloody) into a proper lady. Through many mishaps, teen angst and social stress, the four bishonen and sunako have many humorous adventures. I am not giving away the ending (you must watch) but it was a classic anime ending. which means: NO ENDING! life goes on ... into season two!

the anime doesn't follow the sequence of the manga ... but the anime pretty much ends at volume 8. if that. (right now, it is at vol. 14 in the USA) so, if you read the manga watch the anime ... no surprises and a couple new stories that were not in the graphic novel.

I liked it. the anime consisted of the typical waterfall, paper, spastic animation of the japan genre. the story followed the plot of the manga. I like Sunako. she's tough, strong and sticks to her beliefs. I can't stand whimpering heroines who later come into their own.

however ... between the anime and the manga. I lean towards the manga. the manga is addictive and so well written.

... that was my review. in short: good but the manga is better. ok? ok.

legends do come true

my sister's blog Broken Wizards has inspired me write one of my own reoccurring sitings.

Boarding on to the El Train, I saw him standing at the end of the cart: The Fallen Wizard. I couldn't stop staring. Instantly, I knew I needed to get a closer look. Much closer. I stood right in front of him. He was amazing. Hunched backed. Various boils scattered his pasty face. Long white beard which reached his shins, framed by yellowish white hair falling to his elbows. He wore a black bomber jacket, faded black highwater pants and beat up black leather shoes. Clutching closely to his chest were two white plastic shopping bags filled with various little cardboard boxes. I stood there, trying to stare-but-not-stare. We got off at the same stop. I wanted so much to follow him, just for a few blocks. One or two, maybe. Alas, he was quick and i soon lost sight of him

The next siting: Drinking bubble tea with A and J on a corner in Chinatown, I saw him across the street walking quickly to an unknown destination. I started jumping up and down. "There he is!!! The Fallen Wizard!!! THERE! THERE!" J looks at me, looks across the street. The quick little fellow was gone. "Dude, I don't see this so called wizard. someone must have slipped something in you bubble tea"

Yet another siting: Happily galloping through The Gallery (OK, that sounds really weird, but i had just bought a new video game at Game Stop), i felt a cold wind brush me. I turn to look. There he is, walking towards me, the wizard. Again, holding various plastics bags, he walks quickly past me briefly glancing at my shocked face. I turn around to watch him disappear in the crowd.


here is a sketch:

first things first

i got a new MacBook with the intel core 2 duo processor. Yes! New Toy!

so, what is the first thing i do? Find a sweet wallpaper for the new baby. yes, baby needs some clothes!

I virtually scurried to David Lanham's Drawings and Other Creations. His digital art is cute, demented and very much to my liking.

After much internal turmoil of which wallpaper to pick, I went with this one:



False Alarm



I have a soft spot for the disenchanted samurai. always have and alway will.

haha. I am losing my mind.

the new family member

yes. danboard. lastest member of "the family"

from the manga Yotsuba &!


huh? hey, where are you?


oh , there you are!


welcome to the family!

i'm having a nose bleed on the utlimate cute-ness of danboard.

also, the eyes light up! (nose bleed continues)

drawn to life

Current DS Lite Favorite: Drawn to Life.


You are The Creator (oh my, you're GOD-LIKE, even) who must save a darling RPG village from impending doom. As The Creator, you draw your Hero. Of course, my hero looks like ME rocking torn up jeans, a hoodie and mega man arms. You design weapons, scenes and rides throughout each level. Although very user friendly, this game is surprising tough and i find myself getting stuck on a few levels.
The true highlight of this game is the progressive use of stylus-based game play on the DS Lite touchscreen. the mere fact, that the gamer is designing and playing is absolutely novel. btw, the touchscreen is what makes the DS Lite interactive and ... FUN! this is the start of some really interesting new platforms for gaming. i am very excited to see what comes next!