JOURNAL: dj_ultima_the_great (Jen )

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  • Two hundred thirty sixth entry - usernames 2006-11-27 19:35:47 Time - 5:29, Noise - Final Fantasy X OST - "Temple Band"

    dj_ultima_the_great

    It's pretty much my defining name. Even I find that I'll use "Ultima" when referring to myself occasionally. It's my familiar name in IRC, and I used "Última" as my name during my final year in high school Spanish. I'm sure that some of you have already heard this story, but here's the basic breakdown:

    dj = name given to me by my sister when I put on music for her while she was doing the dishes one day.

    ultima = name of a magic spell in Final Fantasy (VII, in this case); my brother happened to be playing it at the time and gave me this name; thus, "dj_ultima."

    the_great = suffix that I added on when I first joined Yahoo and realized that dj_ultima was already taken. I chose "the_great" to keep with the theme of magic and magicians, like how you would hear Houdini The Great or something similar.

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    MayuAmakuraTheGreat

    My name on Deviant Art. I always try for some combo of dj_ultima_the_great; however, it was already taken in all its forms. So, I picked the subject matter of the art I was working on at the time, Mayu Amakura from Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly (never finished the picture), and used it as my name, adding on "The Great" so I wouldn't easily forget the name.

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    DJ Ultima

    My MSN name. Dropped "The Great" just because I could.

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    dj_ultima_the_great

    My Yahoo name. The first username I ever invented.

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    Sakura Samael

    My AIM name. Couldn't use any combination of dj_ultima_the_great, and I wasn't able to use any familiar anime character names. So, I took the two most unrelated things I could think of and slapped them together: Sakura, from Card Captor Sakura, and Samael, the demon from Silent Hill.

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    dj_ultima
    DJ Ultima
    dj_ultima_the_great

    My pen names on adultfanfiction.net, fanfiction.net, and mediaminer.org, respectively. My sign-in name on AFF (why is there even a difference???) is just Ultima.

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    Sei-chan
    Subaru-kun

    One-time uses on sites that I don't go back to. Both names, respectively, are in reference to Tokyo Babylon and X's characters Seishirou Sakurazuka and Subaru Sumeragi.

    ---------------------------

    I think that's all the major names I've used over time. Notice that I try to stick with dj_ultima_the_great pretty much everywhere I go. It just makes things easier.

    Well, I'm out of here. I'm in a fanfic-reading mood. :3

    See ya, folks~<3


    - Jen 
  • Two hundred thirty fifth entry - absent-minded 2006-11-27 00:31:30 Time - 9:54, Noise - Imogen Heap - "Goodnight and Go"

    Naturally, I should be doing homework, but I just don't think I can get around to that right now. It's not that Thanksgiving Break was busy or anything. I'm not tired out or worn. Hell, I spent Friday and Saturday playing hours upon hours of Dr. Mario on my GBA. I got up to level 59 without dying on Friday, but then I screwed up (I had a blonde moment), so I quit. Er... if you're not familiar with the mechanics of that game, just know that getting up to 59 flawlessly is a pretty big accomplishment.

    I've actually been spending much of my time lately playing the Silent Hill games and jotting down the scenes and their locations to make it easier to capture them at a later date. Not that I really intend to do much more capturing with the card I have. Trust me - you'll see in my next video just how underwhelming it is. I finished SH3 first (in about three hours... kinda bad, considering I've done it in 2:13:00 before). I did SH2 second (in about 2:15:00, which is freakin' awesome for me). I did SH4 third (in about 3:30:00, which is decent, but I could do better if I knew the game better). I'm working on the original game now, but that's really slow-going. I'm pretty bad at that one. It's also harder than the other three difficulty-wise and tougher to do without consulting the map fairly often.

    My brother keeps insisting that I do a speed run for one of my favorite games. He suggested Fatal Frame II. If I get a better capture card, I might consider it. I'm not really the speed running type, but it might be fun to make a run for a game that hasn't been widely ran yet.

    So, I've been home for the last few days. The family only consists of me, my brother, my sister, and Mom. My sister lives with her boyfriend far away, so it's just three of us for Thanksgiving. A turkey would be overkill, so Mom bought two cornish game hens and whipped up a green bean casserole mixture the day before. She works nights, so it's up to Jonathan to cook the meal for when she wakes up later in the day. The extent of my cooking skill renders nothing more spectacular than instant pudding, so I contributed that. Jonathan heated the birds and the casserole, and then he made mashed potatoes, too. It was a modest dinner, but it was good. I think Mom was happy that Jonathan and I added some things of our own, even though they were simple.

    I went shopping a day before the post-Thanks blitz. (I refuse to EVER go shopping the day after Thanksgiving.) I got some new shoes (goodbye blisters 'n shifty insoles!) and a few little things that I need. I bought a gift for my sister, offered to buy my brother some shoes he wants for his cosplay next ACen, and my mom told me to take a raincheck on buying her anything. I told Nicole that the best she's getting from me is a card and some money, since she's impossible to buy from. However, most people are content with that, since I hand draw all of my cards, despite constantly mentioning how terrible of an artist I am. Oh, that reminds me (trust me, it really does). I wanted to make an entry on usernames, but I think I'll leave that 'til tomorrow. This is lengthy enough as it is.

    Nicole really needs to get a DVD drive on her computer. I really hate burning twelve CDs of stuff that fits on two DVDs. Moreover, I have re-writeable DVDs, so we could just keep trading the same few discs back and forth. Oh well. I know she'll get one eventually. She wants it. It's just a matter of time before she sets aside the necessary funds to buy it. Of course, she'll be going to college soon, so I have no idea when I'll be able to see her to do that anyway. On a related note, she's been my ride home since I started college, so I don't know what I'll be doing next semester - not going home, I guess. Just another reason why my grandfather is going to help me get a car for next year. Yergh. I hate cars.

    Relating to that, the ride here was... unpleasant. Not the worst rain I've ever been in, but it was dark and there were times when I was clutching the seat. Of course, it's important to realize two things about me: 1. I'm an insanely nervous driver. 2. I'm an insanely nervous passenger. Well, 1 was solved by Nicole being the driver. However, 2 was still an issue and the blinding rain was making me freak out. It doesn't help that Nicole decided to eat ice cream while driving, tailgate people (which makes water splash up in a spritz on her windshield), and yelp everytime a crack of thunder came out. It's like she was *trying* to make me panic. Of course, I trust her, and I chose to keep my damn mouth shut, because I know that she's a good driver. I was just freaking out from the rain. Remind me not to ask to go home after nightfall anymore. >_<

    I think I'm going to pop a sleeping pill tonight. I'm not particularly overactive tonight, but I asked Mom to buy them for me over the break, so I want to test them out. I have trouble sleeping sometimes, so I just wanted something that could make me drowsy enough to get there. It'll be good to know if these are going to make me drowsy in the mornings. That's why I'm testing it now, when I don't really care if I sleep well or not.

    So like... I edited a really stupid short with the source I'm working with now, and Nicole keeps insisting that I upload it. I keep insisting that it's a total waste of .org server space. ~_~;; On that note, I'm going to try to edit tomorrow. I would really like to get this video done before my local contest runs, but I'm going slower than I figured. You'd think I would know by now that I edit slower than a snail, but I don't quite seem to make that leap in logic. Most of all, though, I want to get started on my next video. It's such a good idea that I'll suicide if it goes to waste. x_x Okay, not quite, but I'll be upset - and then I'll put it on the back burner like I do with most things.

    Well, it's about time this entry died. It's getting close to bed anyway. Somehow, I feel like I didn't actually write about any of the things I wanted to. *shrug*

    Nighty night, folks~<3


    - Jen

    PS: I got new colored pencils.
    <_<
    >_>
    o^_^o 
  • Two hundred thirty fourth entry - Goals in AMV-ing 2006-11-14 18:59:40 Time - 5:22, Noise - Evanescence - "Eternal"

    Well, I have a little bit of time to kill before I head off to band, so I decided to make a list of AMV or .org-related goals (some of which are more silly than anything). They're in no particular order.

    1. Make a video with Evanescence, Linkin Park, or Enigma - "Gravity of Love."

    Reason: I've already filled my quota for overused sources (Final Fantasy), so I think I should take a shot at overused music, yes?

    2. Be involved in a MEP that has subject matter I'm interested in and is finished decently.

    Reason: I'll be needing this experience to do my next goal...

    3. Host a MEP of subject matter that I'm interested in.

    Reason: well, you don't expect me to hang around and wait for someone else to do it, do you?

    4. Make a video that nobody would expect me to make (probably comedy - that's actually *funny,* that is...)

    Reason: variety is the spice of life, as they say. I think I should try my hand at every genre at least once. I won't know everything that I like until I try.

    5. Edit a decent, full-length video in one day.

    Reason: I'm a notoriously slow editor. (No Iron Chef for me~!) I want to know if that's something I can outgrow, or if it's a permanent habit.

    6. Edit THE Video before ACen.

    Reason: since ACen is currently the only convention I attend, it's the only chance I have to see a full crowd's reaction to a video I made.

    7. Edit a shounen-ai/yaoi video.

    Reason: with all of my fangirling, you'd think I'd have accomplished this one by now. However, I seem to be lacking in the idea department. So, the reason? Cuz I'm a fangirl, obviously. o_O

    8. Make it onto the Most Opinions list.

    Reason: I'm also a notoriously slow opinioner. As slow-going as it is, it's just something to shoot for. So no reason, really.

    9. Edit a video that uses original music composed by me.

    Reason: I have nearly zero hope of this one actually happening, but with my love of music, there's always going to be something in the back of my head telling me to do it.

    10. Edit a video that I can ask Bakadeshi to give an opinion to.

    Reason: okay, this one has a story. Some people might have noticed by now that he's one of my favorite editors on the site. Well, back when I was idol-worshipping (and using WMM2), I kept giving his videos free opinions, saying, "I'll put it on your tab." It's kind of a running 'joke.' The reason was that I didn't feel (and still don't feel) that I've made something good enough to get feedback from one of my favorite editors. That probably sounds like self-esteem-destroying logic, but it has actually given me something positive to shoot for. Eventually, I'll make something that I'm really damn proud of, and that's when I'll ask him for an opinion.

    The tenth and first ones are probably the oldest goals on the list. Most of the rest of these came about in the last year or so.

    Hey~! I actually edited last night. :3 I got up to the fifty-second mark finished. I want to edit tonight, but I have some biology homework to do. It shouldn't take too long, though, so I ought to be able to get a little bit of editing done anyway.

    Well, it's about that time, kiddies. So, I'm off.

    See ya~<3


    - Jen 
  • Two hundred thirty third entry - 4777 hits...? Does that make me lucky...? 2006-11-11 19:37:46 Time - 5:12, Noise - the sound of my hopes shattering...?

    If we're competing for weird dreams, I'm sorry (or proud?) to say that nobody holds a candle to mine.

    Star Wars Opera Musical.

    And that's one of the more normal ones.

    Okay, okay. If you really want a snippet from it to prove my point, here's one section: Anakin (as a child) was standing in the middle of a rock quarry. Suddenly, he proclaims: "I need more rocks!!!" And the rocks around him start singing in a power-musical chant, "Give the boy rocks~! Give the boy rocks~!" That specific part of the Star Wars Opera Musical dream shall forever remain etched in my memory.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    So, some random musings today...

    Firstly, Faith Hill. I hate country music, and I didn't watch the awards, but my anime clubmates had a clip from The Forbidden Site of her little slip up playing. My first thought upon seeing it was, "HA!" My second thought was, "Well, now her fans know what she's *really* in the music business for." My third thought was, "But don't worry Faithy-poo. I'm sure you'll get more shinies next year just like the gold digging slut you are."

    I don't have much love for celebrities. While most girls worship Orlando Bloom or Johnny Depp, I'm busy thinking that they eat, sleep, and shit just like the rest of us, so there's no need to get all obsessed over them. Don't get me wrong. I have celebrities that I'm a fan of - take Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) for example. You just have to love a guy who can be emo and angst for as many years as he has. He makes good music to boot, so I'm not complaining. It's just that I don't want to scrawl my name in blood for the guy like some fanboys/girls.

    MEPs. Startin' to make me frustrated, because there are several that I would very much like to join (one just popped up that would be PERFECT for me), but it simply won't be possible due to the time constraints. I've already bitched about this repeatedly, so I won't go into it again.

    Just gave my RA about a dollar in pennies and three in silver for the penny wars that are going on right now. I'm really the last person that should be giving money away, but I can't resist that sort of thing. I feel useless if I don't contribute something, even though I couldn't give a damn less about winning or losing. In any case, my RA was quite elated to have me add to the collection.

    Today, the age-old question came back to haunt me again: "Why the hell do people like me?" I'd like to attribute it to the Chomp Hat, but I didn't have that prior to this school year. Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those, "I'm not worthy of existing" sorts of folks. That's bullshit. I'm just antisocial, introverted, sarcastic, and pretty much deadpan most of the time. Most internet folks would call this "emo," but I'll stay away from the self-cutting, thank you. Sharp objects (especially needles) scare the living daylights out of me. My best explanation is because I'm helpful, although I don't really see myself that way. Solving someone's problem is not only convenient for him/her - it's convenient for me. It makes the person stop bitching about it and prevents it from becoming MY problem. Whatever the case, people seem to find me generally pleasant, and it will forever bewilder me why that's so.

    I'm definitely planning to work on my video soon. I've set it aside for over a week now, and I need to get back at it. I haven't lost interest (thank Cod), but things have slowed down while I've been watching other videos and pondering ideas for new ones. My idea for the next video is looking brighter and brighter every time I think about it, so I'm looking forward to getting to work on it.

    I ran through Silent Hill 3 Thursday and Friday. I jotted down all of the scenes and their locations so that it'll be easier for me to anticipate/find them if/when I ever need to capture them. I'll be doing the same for Silent Hill 2 and 4. I'm not sure about the first game. I mean, the ingame PSX graphics are pretty low quality as it is. If I capture them, that's some quality loss right there. I'm not sure how much Avisynth would help without totally destroying the details. I guess it's something I'll have to test, but I'm not gonna do it 'til I've gotten a much better capture card. Naturally, I'll rip what few scenes from 2-4 that I can, as well as the ones from 1. But that's not enough to make a really good SH video. It just doesn't do the games justice to only use the FMVs. Besides, the graphics in SH2-4 (especially in 3) are really freakin' gorgeous. Konami really outdid themselves with those games. To not use that kind of dark beauty in a video is a damn shame.

    That reminds me... I was watching a video review of SH3, and they said that the graphics were the same as in 2. ...WHAT!? Not at all! Sure, they may look similar on the outside, but that's because it's the same company developing the games. SH3 is far more detailed, realistic, and free form than the second game was. You'd think that a reviewer, who is supposed to have a good eye in games, would see that. The guy just kept comparing the third game to 2 the entire review, and it was making me angry. I love SH2, but it's NOT the same as SH3.

    I adore the Silent Hill series, and I wish that people would step back and see it for its imagery and storyline, instead of always focusing so much on the scare factor and monster slaying. That's not what those games are about. Then again, I feel the same way about the Fatal Frame games (2 and 3, in particular). They're full of emotion and symbolism, but people always seem to overlook that in favor of cheap thrills. If you want mindless action and killing, play Resident Evil. It's a terrific series in its own right, but its not exactly mindblowing when it comes to storyline or deep interpretation. Don't try to lump Silent Hill or Fatal Frame in with the likes of that. The only connection they have is the tag "survival horror."

    So... signing up for classes. It irritated me slightly, cuz I forgot about the staggering. Er... if you're not familiar with the use of that term, it's something that I first heard in music. It's called "stagger breathing" - where one person plays while the other person is taking a breath, and it gets traded back and forth. That way, there's always a continuous sound going. Well, that's what signing up for classes is like. I guess they're trying to avoid flooding their system, so they give you a date that you can sign up after - no earlier, even if you get your advising hold removed. That way, only so many people are signing up, while the others wait it out. My start time is Monday, although I already have all of my potential schedule laid out. Another MWF early morning schedule. I have an unavoidable T/Th 1 and 2 hour split, but it's the only thing on those days. Otherwise, I'm completely free, and basically finished by noon everyday. It's fifteen credits if I get it. I refuse to go lower, or I'll be here for fifty years. I refuse to go higher, or I'll fail out. I kid you not; I can't handle above a certain workload. So, anywhere between fourteen and sixteen credits is my Happy Place.

    Hmm... so the way I see it, I have three things I could be doing right now. Watching AMVs, working on my own video, or working on my fanfic. Option B is what really needs to get done. Option A would put me in a happy buzz and kill time. Option C would make my best friend glomp me. I think I'll go for B, if only because I know I'll forget about it if I choose something else.

    See you, folks~<3


    - Jen

    PS: loooooong entry... 
  • Two hundred thirty second entry - YERGH! GAH! BLAH! 2006-11-05 01:23:12 Time - 11:51, Noise - T.M. Revolution - "Ignited"

    ................
    ............
    ........
    ....
    .

    I'm angry. Or about ready to throw in the towel. I'm not sure which. My best friend, who does considerably more internet searching than I do (as of recent, anyway), found a site distributing clips of the source I'm working with for my next video. No matter to me - I renounced using downloaded footage and I've already captured my source (and already started my video) anyway. But out of curiosity, I download a few clips, just to see what kind of crappy quality these 10 to 50 MB .wmv clips are going to be.

    .............
    ........
    ....
    .

    ...they're better quality than mine. >_<

    So, I'm getting angry. I know that my capture card isn't very good, but it just can't be as bad as what I'm getting. Is my video card the problem? My capture method? Believe me, if I could rip this game, I would - but that's not a possibility in this case. It uses the ingame engine during the cutscenes, so it can't be ripped. Damn irritating, too.

    I don't really want to purchase more hardware for my system, because this computer's out of date already. However... I AM using it for at least the next two or three years, so I don't know what else to do.

    I wish... I had a new computer. If I asked my grandfather, I seriously think he'd get me a new one. But I really, really, *really* do not want to do that. He's so good to me - gives me tons of money and help without me asking for a single thing. As long as I send him a thank you and let him know how I'm doing, he's always there for me. As it is, I'll be enlisting his help for a car, and I don't want to ask him for any more than that. He already bought me a $1300 saxophone my junior year of high school. o_O

    ...GAH! All of this thought just from finding some stupid .wmv clips that look better than my ginormous Avisynth'd Huffyuv .avis. Somedays, I feel like effort is simply not appreciated. Today is one of those days.

    I need to find something to occupy myself. Badly. -_-

    Nighty night, folks.


    - Jen 
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