Been Too Long

I apologize for it being so long since my last post. I just got through with a messy breakup with my girlfriend and then I needed a break from blogging. But I'm back now! And I've got some cool ideas I want to try out to blog about! Going to try to be less 'mainstream' blog and make it about me and my personal experiences again. You know? -because there are plenty of sites that can tell you what books to read, games to play, movies to watch... I'm still going to post about books! I mean, books are a big part of my everyday life!

Anyway, I guess the point of this post is to say that I haven't forgotten about the blog and I will continue to post. In the meantime though, I really appreciate your patience :)

And now... Daft Punk because why the hell not!

Apology

I'm sorry I haven't been very good about posting lately. The browser at work must be a little out of date I normally write my post when its slow. It won't let me type anything. So I guess I'll just have to find time to write when I'm off work. Isn't like I have better things to do. I have been watching a lot of anime recently. Since I am in charge of anime club, I have been trying to get caught up on what's new and trying to get permission to screen anime at the library. I have been trying to get hyped up about it for everybody and coming up with cool activited but i guess we will see what happens.

My Family Are All Secretly Pokemon Masters

So, the truth is that I'm a super nerd... especially when it comes to Pokemon. I may not know all the ins and outs like a hardcore Smogon player may, but I'm a force to reckon with in the battle area ;)

I have everyone in my phone programmed as a Pokemon. Their profile pic is a Pokemon, and their text cry is a Pokemon, and to top it all off, my ringtone is the Pokemon battle theme and it will show up as "encounted wild [insert pokemon here]" ....

I'm a nice kid. I let people decide what Pokemon they want to appear as, and if they don't know Pokemon, I pick whatever Pokemon I think suits them the best.

Unironically, my family members picked their own Pokemon (because they are just as nerdy as I am) and surprisingly, the Pokemon they picked themselves (and not preordained by a chart like the last time I did this) make a really killer team ....

In alphabetical order ...

Alanna

Nosepass is often overlooked because it is just plain weird, and I think that's why my sister loves it so much. It's just plain funny looking. But don't let that fool you... Nosepass has great defensive capabilities and can learn a wide variety of powerful moves making it a TANK!

Smogon recommends this moveset ....

Stealth Rock

Fire Punch

Rock Slide

Thunderwave

.... which I think is great! Coupled with the ability Magnet Pull, Nosepass is prepared to take down serious contenders like Steelix and Ferrothorn. Also recommended is an Impish nature :P - Great pick, sis!

----

Blair

So, my brother didn't pick Porygon-Z on his own accord. I chose it for him, and I picked it because Porygon is a 'computer generated' Pokemon and my brother is a computer guy (even though he doesn't know the first thing about Pokemon, haha!) Despite the fact that part of Porygon is pink, I think that he genuinely likes the choice.... and is an underrated special attack sweeper.

Smogon recommends this moveset ...



Agility

Tri Attack

Dark Pulse

Hidden Power : Fighting

.... coupled with a Modest nature and the ability Download, this moveset can thoroughly crush any low special defense and weakness effective Pokemon. He seems a little difficult to use, but with the right moves-

-----

Dad

I honestly did not expect Dad to pick Beedrill as the Pokemon he wanted to be in my phone. For as many Pokemon related jokes as we have, I was almost relatively certain he was going to pick Squirtle or Blastoise.... but he surprised me with this one, and I was equally surprised to find out that though underused, Beedrill can make for quite a sneaky support Pokemon in a fight.

Smogon recommends this moveset ...

Toxic Spikes

U-Turn

Pursuit

Knock Off

.... which can make for speedy switchouts, poison status, and get rid of those persky Life Orbs and Leftovers.

------

Hope

She asked if I would pronounce this Pokemon's name Hope-ip from now on, and I intend on doing just that. I don't know much about this adorable pink Pokemon other than the fact that it's super cute, but if used in the right way, Hope-ip is that underdog that catches you off guard.

Smogon recommends this moveset ....

Swords Dance

Acrobatics

Synthesis

Seed Bomb

.... with the right ATK EVs and IVs. This might actually work.

And the best part is that nobody sees it coming.

-----

Mary

Another one I didn't see coming. I honestly expected her to pick Bidoof or Luvdisc. Girafarig is an interesting pick because of its' dual typing - Normal / Psychic - which if used in a Calm Mind sweep can be devastating, especially against trainers who are ATK based only (like so many of the young ones are)

Smogon recommends this moveset ...

Calm Mind

Thunderbolt

Psychic

Baton Pass

... with as many rotating moves as I have between all of these Pokemon so far, it's really more like 6 against 1 than 1 versus 1. The best part is that Baton Pass actually passes on the Calm Mind boost, so my other special attackers (I'm talking to you Porygon-Z) can blast Fighting and Dark and Flying out of the park.

-----

Mom

It was no surprise at all that my mom picked Chansey. She saw that this Pokemon helped with household chores in the Pokemon cartoon and she has been sold on this Pokemon ever since. In a surprising turn of events, this Pokemon is MADE to abuse its' HP wall capabilites and the move Counter. That and with its' ability Natural Cure that gets rid of poison/paralysis/sleep/etc when it gets switched out... nothing keeps a Chansey down.

I have fought many a formidable Chansey.

Smogon recommends this moveset ...

Counter

Softboiled

Seismic Toss

Protect

.... you can't get past the Chansey. Nothing gets past the Chansey. It just heals itself and destroys and heals until you wave the white flag in surrender.

....

Read THIS not THAT! - Youth Dragons

There's not a culture in the world that exists without the mention of some large generally fire or acid breathing reptiles. I think it is safe to say that people love the mythology of dragons and all that come with it. Unfortunately, not all dragons are created equally.... here are some titles that your kids may want to pick up but won't really be worth their time.

NOT THESE!

Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey is hailed as being one of the best dragon writers of the century, but apparently, I'm the only one who thinks she is a one trick pony- same story, different characters.... and maybe it's the characters I should be looking at, but frankly she's from a different era than I am... I don't like her treatment of a lot of the female characters (granted, I don't like how most fantasy novels treat their female characters... why must they always use some sort of sorcery or trickery in order to be considered great or worthy? As if they aren't great on their own?) ... plus, the rampant misogyny DESPITE the fact that the main character in book one IS a woman. It's just digusting..... another thing that I dislike about Anne McCaffrey is the fact that she hates all forms of fanfiction and fanart. What the hell, man?

Eragon - Does it bother anyone else that the second anyone mentions dragons in books THIS has become the immediate 'go-to' book? While it is admirable that a kid wrote it, it's not admirable that the publishing company's editor is his father and he basically lifted everything for the series from watching too much Star Wars as a kid (and Star Wars stole a lot of good ideas from samurai films and kabuki theatre, but that's not the point) - my problem with Eragon is how terribly unoriginal it is, and yet it's advertised as fresh meat. And the quality isn't really that great either. Any imaginative 13 year old boy can write like Paolini....

How to Train Your Dragon - The animated film is simply adorable. Do not get me wrong; I have much much love for the movie adaptation of this book. You know that saying though that the book almost always better than the movie? Yeah, this one doesn't. The book is filled with crude horribly inaccurate depictions of Vikings (and if you've read my historical fiction post, you'll know what a stickler I am for accuracy!) that glorifies violence and shuns everything else. Perhaps it's all in good fun, but there seems to be something inherently wrong (and I have this qualm with the movie too) to train dragons to fight other dragons. Something never sat well with me regarding that....

READ THESE!

Pit Dragons - Those who have read this series and this articles are pointing at me yelling "but but but but but!" ..... yes, dragons fight dragons in this novel, BUT there's a twist to it that I find very refreshing. The main characters in this series want to free the dragons that are forced to fight other dragons, so it becomes a fantasy medieval version of Pitbulls and Parolees.... and it really is, and it's a very heartening series to read that is too often overlooked. It's nice to see the 'human' side of dragons. The age levels say 10 to 12, and the reading level is just that. Tends to be predictable for adults, but the concept for this book would work much better as adult fantasy. I wish Yolen would do a rewrite.

Dealing with Dragons - This is the first book in the 'Enchanted Forest' series which takes a lot of fantasy stereotypes and turns them completely on their heads- a princess who doesn't want to marry a prince or be rescued, a dragon who would much rather eat cherries jubilee than fight knights, and many many more. I'm choosing this series just for that reason. It is nice to see roles reversed and an intelligent princess protagonist. It has been one of those books that has stayed with me for many many years, so much in fact that I have rereading this short four book series many different times. Great books for girls and boys alike.

The Hobbit - Smaug the dragon is not present for a majority of this book, but that doesn't make him one of the greatest dragons in youth literature. I can't think of many people who would argue that this classic doesn't need to be read. It is the pinnacle of fantasy literature as we know. So many people know the story of Bilbo Baggins and his journey with the dwarfs to Lonely Mountain to reclaim the dwarven homeland from the dragon Smaug, even if they haven't cracked open the book itself. And the book is an absolute delight to read. Plus, what kind of list would this be without a fabulously evil treasure-hoarding dragon? Bilbo's confrontation with him is probably my favorite part in the entire novel.

Failing at the Things I Love

Sometimes, I get a little discouraged that the only sites that seem to link to my blog are sites for porn and stupid infomercials. You know, it can really grind a person's self-esteem; not that my opinion isn't more interesting than everyone else's opinions on the internet... but it would be nice to have someone read and comment....

This weekend was the second annual AMA-con in Amarillo TX sponsored by the Friends of the Amarillo Public Library. We were a huge success with gaming stations, an anime viewing room, tons of vendors, a cosplay contest, and even a geek prom to finish the night off with! I worked my butt off from 9AM to 9PM, and was so tired that my head hit the pillow and I was out. I had a really good time.

In retrospect though... the events I was running just didn't work. I thought it would be really neat to hold an official Pokemon handheld tournament and people would come in and trade and battle and we would all have a really good time. I was a little disappointed that I didn't have like a prize to hand out, and people seemed to be genuinely unhappy and uninterested because of it. I also didn't really feel like I was part of the event itself; there were two guys from Odessa TX who came out to help and they knew tons more than I did; I just kind of sat back and watched. I did get to battle with a few people and I got traded a shiny Stunky which was really nice, but the numbers for the events just wasn't that high so I don't think they plan to hold one next year.

Stunky is my favorite Pokemon! <3


.... I was going to use the tournament to judge whether or not I should try to organize a Pokemon league here in Amarillo, and frankly, I'm not sure it's worth all the time and effort. Nobody expressed interest in getting together and playing again some time. I was bummed out about that...

The anime viewing room that I put together did have a successful turnout and big interest so I am already putting forth the effort to get viewing licenses for next year through FUNimation and Viz Media. This year we showed a lot of 'old school' anime (mostly Osamu Tezuka's work- Kimba the White Lion, Astro Boy, etc) which was a lot of fun for older anime fans like myself, but since we are shaking things up next year, I want to try to get a hold of some of the newer anime titles. I'll likely purchase a lot of them for personal viewing anyway, and it will be neat to share them with other anime fans.

'Summer Wars' stole the AMA-con anime show with the highest number of viewers.


There is one thing that I am kind of excited about (providing that it actually happens and it isn't just a daydream for me again) .... I may get to take over the little teen anime group that we run here called Amarillo Anime. It's not much, we just watch anime and hang out... but I'd like to be a part of something that I really enjoy and get into, you know? My only fear is that no one will show up and they will eventually cancel the program (which I heard through the grapevine may be a possibility)  - why does everything I touch die? ; u;

In Swick's Bookbag : Haunted

I complain a lot about the horror fiction I'm reading either because it's not scary enough, there's too much sex, flat and uninteresting characters, yada yada yada... I can find something to pick out and bitch about out of just about anything. I'm a girl and a smart one at that, and unfortunately, that is what we are good at. That's a little beside the point, but whatever. So, my horror reading has been in a little bit of a slump and I asked around at the library for some suggestions... someone pointed out this one to me...

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

I've heard the name Palahniuk tossed around for several years, but never read one. I have a handful of friends who really like his novels and we tend to have the same taste in books so when I got the 'yeah, it's good' from them, I said 'what the hey? there's a first time for everything' and checked it out.

One of my friends said that it took her forever to get through because she could only read a couple pages every night; it was that intense.

And I was like...

,,,, but after the first short story, I was like....

... and then...

.

.

.
.



But I'm still reading it.

Yeah, people with weak stomachs need not apply this book. Just saying.

Read THIS not THAT! - Historical

So maybe this would have been more appropriate for Independence Day, but whatevs .... so, you want to read historical fiction but you're like me- a stickler for books that are HISTORICALLY ACCURATE - it is amazing how many authors just don't do they homework and get their historical facts all mixed up or in some cases completely made-up! To save you the trouble, here are some popular 'historical' books that are utter garbage.

NOT THESE! :

The Da Vinci Code  plain and simple, is FULL of mistakes regarding Christianity, Christian artifacts, classical artwork and not to mention he even makes up his own Harvard degree for his main character Robert Langdon- a Doctorate in Religious Symbology- whatever the fuck that is. Not only is the plot riddled with historically inaccuracies, but the book is written so formulaic and at such an easy reading level that when I was slogging through it, I felt a little insulted. I realize that not everyone has a degree in history, but I would hope that most people would be intelligent enough to not have the entire plot spoon-fed to them; given the series' popularity, it doesn't seem to be the case. The movie isn't any better. Just avoid Dan Brown entirely.

The Other Boleyn Girl was a huge Hollywood sensation about a year back about one of the sisters of Anne Boleyn, you know the woman famous for getting her head chopped off by King Henry VIII? Basically the plot of this story is that 'Mary Boleyn' falls ohmygosh in love with the 'incredibly attractive King Henry VIII and must compete with her sister Anne for his affections. Guys, there is nothing romantic about King Henry VIII. He was a warmongering fat slob who only wanted someone to give him a boy to rule the country after him. I don't know why Philippa Gregory turns him into every woman's dreams, but TRUST ME, even if he is a king; you don't want him to be your husband. The only redeeming factor of this book is that if you are familiar with the real Henry VIII at all this book is absolutely hysterical. Philippa Gregory, stop using history for trashy romances.

The Day No Pigs Would Die is COMPLETELY false. Everything Peck says about the Shaker and Quaker culture in this book is pure bullshit. NONE of it EVER existed EVER. Why he didn't do his homework before writing this? - the world will never know. But it pisses me off SO MUCH that he wrote this, and now I see it on all of the required reading lists for kids....

READ THESE! :

The Jungle is admittedly not my favorite book, but it is one of the most influential books of our time as seen in my previous post here. This is one of those historical novels I think most people should be required to read but sadly aren't. The focus of this book is immigrant workers and the horrible conditions that they are forced to work in for horrible salaries; essentially, this book is about the people who are the backbone of America and the fight for workers' rights. There is a little bit of a love story thrown in here too for all you romance fanatics. The reason most people respect this book is because of its' eye-opening glance at the meat processing industry and the revolutionary changes in food preparation that it made. Don't let that alone fool you though- this book is far more historical and humanist than it is meant to gross you out.

The Pillars of the Earth is one of those books that I have a paperback of, mean to get started on, but just haven't... because when it comes to selecting books to read, I have the attention span of a hyperactive toddler with ADD. I see a shiny new book. I forget I have books waiting to be read. I start the new book instead. I have heard many many many great reviews about this book and its' accuracy though so... I'm kind of crossing my  fingers they are right ._. ....

First Man in Rome is the first book in the masterfully crafted 'Masters of Rome' series written by Colleen McCullough. The best news is that McCullough is an actual historian and her area of expertise is Greco-Roman history, so that's almost a guarantee that she has done her homework to make her novels as accurate as they can be. Granted, she does have to take liberties with some of the characters' emotions and dialogues, etc. but that's the reason we read historical fiction isn't it? -to answer that 'if Caesar were alive today, what would he be like as a person? and would he demand royalties from the Caesar's Palace casino for using his likeness?' (a book hasn't been written on that yet, but if you plan to do so, tell me so I can buy a copy). Masters of Rome is hands-down the best historical fiction I have read to date.