JOURNAL: Ping_Me (Stephen Horrocks)

  • Art Of Being an Asshat... 2002-09-18 23:50:33 Okay. Sometimes you just have to write about things to make yourself feel better about them. I'm a real jerk sometimes, especially when I don't think something is right or I just don't like something.

    So, during the last meeting of the Anime Club on campus, the club decided to watch a Korean live-action movie. There were no plans for this, it was very spontaneous. It caught me by suprise. I decided to give it a chance so I stayed for about 40 minutes of it. As time went by the more I felt that I should walk out and wait until we started watching anime again (it was an hour and 52 minute movie). I hoped that by walking out and staying out I was making a statement about my discontent with the viewing selection that night. (Rule of Asshat no. 1: think that everything is for you). I was also thinking about announcing the fact that I was leaving and if anybody wanted to come with me, could. In retrospect, I'm very glad I didn't do this. (Rule of Asshat no. 2: Everyone thinks the same way you do)

    I tried to go to sleep on a couch in another part of the building we were in, but since I had just guzzled a coffee with four packs of sugar in it, this task was, needless to say, insurmountable. I started to think about things. Why did I walk out? Because I didnt like what was being played. The Anime Club has got to be the most wonderful part of my college life. It is my weekly high. I LOVE it more than (almost) anything. I look forward to each meeting with fevered anticipation. It is the reason I can get my work done for the day. So, I get in there and we watch something that's not anime?? Blasphemy! Then I thought the reason I was out here was because I was waiting for Anime Club to start. (Rule of Asshat no. 3: Make your point with a sledgehammer) I thought to myself, that's not the anime club, that's the asian film festival. (Rule of Asshat no. 4: Be arrogant)

    Seeing as how my heart was racing due to over caffination, I decided to take a walk, across campus, for an hour. So I walked slowly with head down (Rule of Asshat no. 5: Feel sorry for yourself) "Oh poor me! I came to anime cub and we didn't watch anime! I shouldn't even go back at all!!" (Rule of Asshat no. 6: Take things to extremes/Be overdramatic) I walked and thought for a while. "I know! When I get back they'll ask 'Where were you?' and I'll answer: 'I was waiting for anime club to start.' and then I'll say: 'This isn't anime club, this is the asin film festival'", I thought. *Aren't I being a little harsh?* I thought. "No. I'm an artist! Next best thing to a poet! I can make my point with a sledgehammer if I want to!" (Rule of Asshat no. 7: Your cause _IS_ just) (Rule of Asshat no. 8: Plan, however unconciously it may be, on being an Asshat.) And so I walked back and sat outside the room until the moive was over.

    So, I walk in and then comes the inevitable question comes: "Where were you?" and I say "!... (Rule of Asshat no. 9: Actually follow through with your Asshat plans.) I say this directly to the club president whom I consider a good freind of mine. I sit down in front of him. He yanks on my hair to tell me I'm an idiot. (Final of Asshat, no. 10: Ignore your best freinds!)

    Congratulations! You're now a world class Asshat! How does it feel?!..........................Lonely.

    My best freind wouldn't even look at me. Hey! I'm supposed to be right! Right? (Perk of Asshat: You are always right-)- __WRONG__-. Gasp! Could I be wrong? No! There's no way I could have been a jerk! Could there? I was justified!

    And so, I spent the night and the following day in depression, knowing I had earned the scorn of a freind. I couldn't work in school, I was too distracted by trying to decide if I was right or wrong. I felt that If I decided either way I could have some peace. If I decided I was justified in making my acidic comments, I could try and fool myself into thinking he was just being foolish and will see my point of view in time. [Readers, I am not this stupid]

    So I thought for a while and decided on something. It was okay for me to walk away from the movie. My time is my own and if I don't want to watch something that's my decision. On the other hand though I lashed out at someone who was only doing thier job. Saying things like I said is just plain mean and reprehensible. Needless to say I've made an effort to apologize for my actions. My Asshatiness was bolstered during the day by news that other people didn't like the idea of the live action movie either, and I started being a jerk again. I cooled off again once I saw the expression in my freind's face, after that I really got down to thinking.

    The moral of the story is: Think things through _VERY CAREFULLY_ before you do something which may involve the feelings of others. In fact sometimes it's best not to say anything at all, wait for it to blow over. I could have avoided this whole thing had I said I just didn't want to watch the movie or just patiently watched the thing (A lot can be said for patience...)

    (Rule of Asshat no. 11: Write journal entries like this one) ^_^ 
  • journallllll........ 2002-08-11 22:56:56 I posted a review for teknoboy's newest video "LIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (Hope i got the number of exclamation points right..) It replaces the sleep deprived one I did below.

    Otakon was a blast. (You can tell I had fun seeing as how I'm posting a full two weeks after it ended.) I spent a lot of time in line for the Megatokyo panels. They were hilarious. I suggest you read the webcomic (www.megatokyo.com) I got mega-ripped off in the dealers room. $100 overcharge for the boxsets of Maze (TV) and The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (OAV) I'm a little bitter about it but not too much. Advise to the wise: watch yourself in the dealers room.

    I finished watching the aforementioned Maze a week ago (I think). Great series, good story, weird humor... definitly worth the money. I hope we can finish watching it in Anime Club this semester. I've watched a little of the Tylor stuff. I say stuff cause it's a bit of a jumble of information that I assume happens after the TV series. So I've been kinda plopped into the middle of the story. It's all good, but I can't find the TV series anywhere... I've been looking at purchasing Kanon (a series current in Japan) from a guy on ebay. In this respect I'd like to start getting into the newest series in Japan before they get to America. My impression is that the true Otaku is on the cutting edge of anime.

    Me play Grand Theft Auto 3 on the computer. I don't see how you guys with the playstations can have fun with this game. I love modifying the cars. You can change nearly anything about them, cornering, speed, accelleration, damage, weight, suspension. I've made myself an ultimate car, the thing is nearly invincible and handles like you wouldn't believe. I've also mde a car that can climb over divider walls and a car that can break the speed of sound. You can also modify the weapons, pedestrian behavior, player skin, and make your own radio station with Mp3's. Tonight I figured out you can make whole new colors and modify the cars for them. Really cool stuff.

    Anyway, I'm signing off for the night, dentist appointment in the morning.

    Ping out 
  • Otakon Eve... 2002-07-25 02:39:39 Twas the night before Otakon,
    and from sea to shining sea,
    Not a fanboy was sleeping,
    Especially not me.

    Been waiting months now, I'm slightly shaky with anticipation. I have the horrible feeling however that the con will go so fast that I'll just be left with an unsatisfied feeling at the end, especially because I'm not cosplaying. (Due to laziness I assure you) I think that the best potential way to enjoy myself would be to cosplay, to make the biggest fool of myself possible. (Not the I think cosplayers are fools mind you, I think I'd be a fool cosplaying.) I was gonna be a soldier of Hellywood from Now and Then, Here and There, but I just couldn't get my act together (and my butt out of bed).

    James (teknoboy) asked my to review on of his videos. However, I can't seem to find the right place to do a commentary. So I'll do it right here.

    Lies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Music: (I forget)
    Band: (I forgot)
    Anime: Now and Then, Here and There (No brainer for me) (http://www.centralparkmedia.com/ntht/)

    "Because ten billion year's time is so fragile, so ephemeral, it arouses such a bittersweet, almost heartbreaking fondness."
    Words engraved on my heart since first seeing this anime. A proper way to open a video for it.

    James says one of the aspects of the video is to increase intrest in the title. Counterpoint to this is it gives waaaaaayyyyyyyyyy too many spoilers. Next to note is that the themes of the music and the anime fit very well together, obviously the music inspired the video. This video is very typical of James's work, meaning you can tell he made it. It has many of the characteristics of his other videos I've seen, things you really can't put your finger on, you can just tell.


    ...

    (Inside Ping's head: Ugh, late, hardly remember video...) It's true folks, it's been a while since I saw the video. So I can't give the best review possible under the circumstances. If I had a copy I could watch a few times I could do better.
    It's like 2:30 at night (Late for me), Otakon is interfereing with my thought processes and I'm looking up "Kanon", an anime that I've been interested in seeing for some time (Fred Galagher of Megatokyo.com keeps talking about it) I'm lurking around here (http://www.csusm.edu/anime/uguu/) right now.

    Anyway, must sign off, lot's of preparing to do in the morning for the con.
    ^_^ 
  • Hi. 2002-06-25 01:12:15 Hi. I don't have much to say seeing as how not many people will read these things. Props to my boy James (teknoboy). If you don't know him, look him up. He is m4d.

    Peace. 
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