chibiforte

I just thought I'd make a non-post post that lists out the podcasts that I'm subscribed to and listen to, most of which I actually listen to on a regulard basis (some only sporadically).  This is alphabetical order.

Daizenshuu EX Podcast [Anime]
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History [History]
Dave and Joel's Fast Karate for the Gentleman [Gaming/Anime]
Desiring God (Host: John Piper) [Sermons/Christian]
Focus on the Family (Host: James Dobson) [Christian/Family]
Grace to You (Host: John MacArthur) [Sermons/Christian]
HeartCry Missionary Society [Christian]
IGN Game Scoop! [Gaming]
IGN Nintendo Voice Chat [Gaming]
Jesus Geek [Christian/Technology]
Just Thinking (Host: Ravi Zacharias) [Christian/Philosophy]
Let My People Think (Host: Ravi Zacharias) [Christian/Philosophy]
Nuclearity [Christian/Family]
Renewing Your Mind [Christian/Apologetics]
Stand to Reason [Christian/Philosophy/Psychology/Apologetics/Talk Show]
The Albert Mohler Program [Christian/Talk Show]
The Christian Worldview [Christian/Talk Show]
The Narrow Mind [Christian/Apologetics/Theology]
The Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast [Christian]
The Unofficial Adventures in Odyssey Podcast [Christian]
Truth for Life (Host: Alistair Begg) [Sermons/Christian]
Way of the Master Radio [Christian/Talk Show]
White Horse Inn [Christian/Theology]
WiiSpot.com Podcast [Gaming]

That's 24 podcasts... and probably why I don't listen to music very often, anymore. o_o;

Been playin' a little o' Mario Kart Wii.  I'm doing pretty well, actually.  I've raced a few online matches against Ted and beat him a few times.  I'm actually getting fairly adept at playing with the Wii Wheel.  I'm still better with the Gamecube controller, but the Wheel helps make it feel more real, if you can call kart racing while throwing shells and dropping banana peels "real". :P

I received my Myself; Yourself OP CD Single, yesterday.  Along with the anime's opening theme, it also had the opening theme for the visual novel.  Both are actually really engaging songs, and I'm glad I made the purchase.  I still haven't received my H20 ~footprints in the sand~ OP CD single, but I expect to get it tomorrow.

I'm also thinking of purchasing the 2006 "LEGEND OF DRAGONWORLD" CD set, which contains a lot of songs from the Dragonball anime.  It seems to have a lot of songs, and when I was listening to the Daizenshuu EX Podcast, the hosts agreed that it was the CD set that you want to get if you're just looking for the main movie themes, OP and ED themes, insert songs, image songs, etc.

Speaking of Dragonball, I actually just finished reading the series last night.  42 volumes worth, as a matter of fact.  It was nice to just get through the entire series in a non-stressful, easy go.  Reading it was the best choice, since it would be extremely expensive to get all the DVDs right now.  I easily breezed through dozens of episodes worth of material in only a few hours each night.  Now, I have the entire series fresh in my mind, and that's nice to have.

Still don't have the pictures of little Matthew.  I'm hoping they'll send them sometime tonight.  I actually talked to my brother on the phone today, and he held the phone up to the baby while he was making noise.  It was so cute! <3

 Can't wait!  Hopefully it all goes smoothly... I just have a nervous feeling for some reason...

I picked up my copy of Mario Kart Wii, yesterday.  It's actually a lot more fun than I thought it'd be.  The online mode is pretty awesome and flawless, and you actually get to see the Miis and names of the people you go against.  While I don't particularly care for a few of the Miis I saw, overall, the experience was great.  I'll probably start all the different rank-mode things sometime either later today or tomorrow.  Maybe I should just bypass 50cc and just go for 100cc for the time being?  That'd help me get better, since it's tough for me to adjust to the Wii Wheel.

I also laid down a preorder for Wii Fit.  That stupid game's going to be $90, but it's going to be so much fun!  And to think, all it does is help you exercise...

I need to get those recommendation letters sent out...

I received my true tears OP CD single, earlier today.  It's pretty good.  I enjoy "Reflectia" the most, obviously, but I didn't particularly care for "elekta".  Maybe I'll have to give it a few more listens.  The piano in the background was obviously nice to hear, but the vocals didn't really catch me.  Maybe because it's slow?

My nephew should be born on Monday, at the latest (since he was due last week, they are going to induce her on Monday if he isn't born till then).  His name will be Matthew Jr., after his Dad.  He better be cute as a button.  I wonder how Sarai will take not being the only baby anymore?

I'm picking up Mario Kart Wii, tomorrow.  I actually wasn't really planning on picking this game up until the summer, but my Dad ended up preordering it for me, so I don't really have an excuse.  I was wanting to pick up The World Ends with You for the DS, but eh, it can wait.  This is kart-racing with Mario, and I hear the online is fantastic, so I'm looking forward to it.

I just had an idea a little bit ago, while vacuuming the living room.  I think it'd be really neat to have a remix album of, what else, but Haruhi Suzumiya music.  Not just any remix album though, but a PIANO album.  Where all of the songs are done on the piano, without vocals or anything.  I think it'd be pretty easy to fill up an album with music from the series and games.  The OP and ED for the anime, obviously, but you could also branch off and do songs from the character albums, or use the BGM for the anime, or even do the OP/ED from the two games they have out.  Even Mikuru's Love Legend!  I could see it being done... maybe being distributed using Bittorrent... I'd need to buy the albums, though, just so I can hear all the music that can be done... and I'd need to find someone else who can play the piano with me... hmmm...

I finally finished Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII earlier today.  I put about... 30 hours into it?  Almost there, at least.  I think I finished it at about 29 hours and 45 minutes or so.  And this is only the FIRST time I have to beat it.  I have to go through it again and unlock all of the crazy missions and the DMW stuff and whatnot.

Let me tell you, this game was absolutely fantastic.  Sure, there were some flaws in it, like the loading times and the somewhat tiring missions you have to finish, but all in all, it was a solid game that was made even better because of the Final Fantasy VII label.  This really helped reinvigorate my interest in the FF7 series.  I actually feel like going back to beat the original PS1 game now, just so I can relive the original story.  I didn't really care for the game the first time I played it, but I actually really like the series now that I can see how all the entries relate to each other.

This game, in and of itself, is a great game.  The graphics are top-notch for a PSP game... the gameplay, while being repetitive at times, is engaging... the story is original on its own but still connects nicely with the main FF7 story... the main character, Zack, is such a funny and well-rounded and well-developed main character... man, I just can't say enough good things about this game.  Anybody with a PSP does themself a disservice if they don't pick this game up, even if they don't know the FF7 story.

I'm hoping that they remake FF7, now.  If they can fix the glaring graphical flaws and glitches that the original had (and the horrendous translation), I could see myself dedicating dozens of hours into it.  And even buying a PS3 just so I can play it.

I'm thinking of starting Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology, now.  Or maybe I'll go back and play Final Fantasy VII as soon as possible.  Or Final Fantasy VIII.  Or Chrono Cross.  Or Chrono Trigger.  Or Xenogears.  Or Breath of Fire III.  Or Brave Fencer Musashi.  Or Yu-Gi-Oh Forbidden Memories.

...Wow, I really am going to have to bring that Playstation with me to college...

Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology was purchased, today.  I have never played through a Tales game in my life, I just heard that they were fantastic.  Hopefully I'll enjoy it, seeing as how you have to put in... 60+ hours just to finish it once through?  Somewhere around that amount.  This will help me decide if I really want to get into this series.  I'll need something to do in the off-hours at college.  And I just wanted to find what is considered a really good PSP RPG.

Man, I've been buying games left and right for that system... I have, what, six games for it, now?  Crisis Core, Harvest Moon, Patapon, MegaMan Powered Up, Maverick Hunter X, Jeanne d'Arc... yep, that's six.  My poor DS has been neglected, but if the touch screen wasn't so terribly calibrated and messed up, I might actually put some time into some games, but alas, I need to buy a new one if I plan on playing regularly.  I still need to finish Phoenix Wright 3...

And... I can't think of anything else to say.

Oh yeah, the first Eyeshine album came out just the other day.  I bought that, as well.  I have to support the awesomeness of Johnny Yong Bosch and his cohorts, obviously.  Indie-music isn't really my thing (if it can be called that), but I've enjoyed the few songs I've heard of theirs.  If I had iTunes, I'd buy their EP, but it doesn't seem to want to install on this computer (plus, I don't have an iPod to put it on).  Oh well.

I received the two CD singles for my favorite Tokusatsu programs, today.  Yep, I got the CD single to Kamen Rider Kiva, which is called "Break the Chain", and the opening and ending theme single for Engine Sentai Go-onger.  I even got a neat poster and a single trading card for the "Break the Chain" CD, both of which feature Kiva in all his Fangire awesomeness.  I'm wondering as to whether or not I should hang the poster up now, or wait until I move so it's in pristine condition (and so my roommates can get a good laugh).

I also watched a new Toku last night, called Tomica Hero Rescue Force.  It's basically a Super Sentai-esque show, but it revolves more around actually saving people from natural disasters instead of fighting a rubber monster that can grow to gigantic sizes.  It was interesting, and while the budget for the show is obviously more than most Tokusatsu programs, something about it felt... strange.  I think it was the framerate that the show is broadcast in, as the camera seemed to look more like it was filmed by college students than professionals.  But that's just a minor gripe, because the special effects are fantastic.  I loved the police car's look, and I wouldn't mind having one, myself.

I think I understand my recent uncertainties about this whole novel deal.  I feel as if I need to know absolutely everything about the world in which these characters interact, and that I have to disclose so many unnecessary details about the characters and their families and school.  But I know that this isn't necessary, since even Haruhi Suzumiya didn't even name the teachers, or the main character's families, or even what they learn, really.  And look how great that series is doing in commercialization.  Surely nobody expects much from a random guy on the internet, right?

And yes, I still have writer's block, although the ideas are slowly coming together, piece by piece...

Also, does anybody have any ideas for new names?  I'm not sure if "Law/Grace" is going to cut it, given its source material... I mean, it's not copyrighted or anything, but I don't want the companies to be unknowingly affiliated with me because I use their terminology or anything.

I've been downloading sooo many Overclocked Remixes, lately.  I literally have about 1,139 remixes from their website, give or take.  I'm pretty sure this is legal, since they've become such a huge site and Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft would have shut them down a long time ago if this was illegal.  It's nice to hear all of those old songs I listened to in chiptune format as a child reimagined in ways I never thought possible.  It just gives me such a sense of nostalgia that's been unrivaled for years, now...

I've been playing Crisis Core, since I bought it the other day.  A very, very engaging game.  Makes me appreciate the FF7 series a bit more, since I didn't really care for it originally.  Hopefully I'll be able to actually finish it, given that I haven't been very dedicated to RPGs, as of late.

I'm not feeling very well, at the moment.  Kinda feeling... sickish...

I'm becoming disenchanted with so much of anime, it seems.  I just tried to watch the first episode of kure-nai.  I got about six minutes into it before I just shut it off, bored out of my mind.  The opening theme reminded me of "The Nanny" with Fran Drescher, which was an immediate turn-off.  The animation reminded me of what I very strongly disliked about Samurai Champloo.  Which was, of course, the animation, or most of it, at least.  I don't know, it just bored me to death.  Maybe I'll read some blog posts about it to see if I missed anything, but if the small portion I watched is indicative of the series as a whole, then it's safe to say that I'm not going to watch it.  It's sad, too, since this is one of the series' that I was looking forward to seeing.

And I didn't care for the first episode of To Love-Ru, either, but at least I made it to the end of the first episode.  It struck me as typical fanservice, with not much more thrown in.  I've read almost all of the manga so far, but it's also somewhat boring and typical.  Bleh.

Hopefully Allison & Lillia will be put up soon.  I'd enjoy watching something good, and hopefully it'll BE good.

Anyway, since this Spring Season is pretty lackluster, I might just start devoting my night times to video games, again.  I'd like to complete EarthBound before going to college, as well as try to get into Chrono Trigger a little more.

I don't know why I made an entry, but it's time I have to kill.

 Still pondering that particular transition in the novels that I have to figure out.  Hopefully I'll be making some headway on that soon, since I want to finish up these summaries.

This upcoming Spring Anime Season doesn't look all that special.  Allison & Lillia looks really interesting, as well as Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, Nijuu Mensou no Musume, Itazura no Kiss, and especially kure-nai, but that's pretty much it.  I really doubt I'll even watch much else besides Allison & Lillia, but we'll see how it goes.

We forked Ben and Jay's yard, last week.  And just earlier tonight, my older brother and sister-in-law placed hundreds of post-it notes on both Gabe's and Jeremy's trucks.  It looked awesome.  This'll show everybody at the Youth Group that our family is not meant to be messed with. :3

I read today that the Ben Stein movie is going to definitely be airing at our local theater, which is a huge plus for me, seeing as how I didn't think the subject matter would be accepted by the theater's owner (seeing as how he aired the Al Gore movie thing), but it turns out that he's just in these things for the money, and if he can make money from a movie, it doesn't really matter what the subject matter is about.  And considering this is a small town, it'd probably be more accepted than all of these big cities.  I'm predicting that there will be at least one boycott of the movie in at least one state, probably here in California in certain cities.  It wouldn't surprise me in the least, considering the terribly hypocritical patrons of this state who think they're open-minded, but are far more bigoted than the things they fight against. xD

I haven't been playing as much Brawl, lately, but that's because there's not much more for me to do on it.  We've unlocked pretty much everything we can, except for the Boss Battle challenges, which are horrendously difficult and something that I don't want to partake in.  I want to try to get into some RPGs again, like Earthbound, but I just can't seem to find the time to sit down and play it.  If nothing else, then I'm certainly going to have a giant backlog of video games that will finally be completed once I'm in college with free time on my hands.  I predict weekend marathons will be taking place with my roommates.

Speaking of roommates, I'm really hoping that I get some cool ones.  I think the current allocationg per room is about four people, so I'll have three roommates.  I want at least one of them to be a chef of some sort, so they'll constantly make food and ask me to taste-test it.  I'm also hoping that another one of them is a computer genius who can help me with tech stuff.  And I hope the last one is an artist or musician of some sort, who can draw or help me with music stuff.  It'd be awesome if that happened.

I downloaded at least two gigabytes of OCRemixes, today.  I decided that it was time I go through what that website has and just enjoy what they put out.  So far, I'm impressed by these remixers.  They really know how to take chiptunes and rework them into a completely new creation.

Kamen Rider Kiva is getting so good, lately.  With the introduction of IXA, I'm sure we'll be getting some great story arcs from Nago pretty soon.

And the opening theme to the show is fantastic.  I ordered the CD, but it probably won't be here for some weeks, due to the fact that I ordered cheap-o shipping.  It's coming along with the CD single to Go-Onger, which includes the fantastic opening theme and the very strange techno ending theme.  They are both fantastic. :3

Oh, oh, and I get TRADING CARDS with the Kiva CD single!  And a POSTER, as well!! Absolutely fantastic, my world is complete. :D

Did I mention that I purchased Patapon when we went to... wherever that place was that we went to?  It seems like a fun game.  I haven't put much time into it, but I will... eventually.

And... uh... I'm still having writer's block.  To the point where I can't even work on the pre-planning because it bothers me so much.  Why can't I just figure out a little bit of filler material in order to make the transition between storylines make sense?

Six words:

Our Copy Of Brawl Is Dead.

My brother and I were messing around in the living room while getting ready to play a match, and my brother accidently knocked over the Wii, causing the laser to burn a line into the disc.  Which caused the copy to stop working properly, and now we can't play the game at all.

I called K-Mart, the place we bought it from, but the electronics worker had no clue as to when they'll be getting more copies, nor did they have a waiting list to be put on so we can be notified that they have more copies.

So we probably won't be able to play Brawl again until sometime next week.  And I'm extremely angry right now.

Phooey. ;_;

One word:

Brawl.

It's fantastic.  To the max.  I'm killin' everyone with Ness.  I've put 22 hours into the game since Sunday morning.

Too.  Much.  Fun. 

I started my piano lessons last night.  It was only 30 minutes long, but I did learn some stuff.  I didn't actually play anything, of course.  I'm not ready for something like that.  But she did teach me some things, like finger placement, rests, the difference between the fortissimo and the pianissimo.  Good stuff.

I've been playing through both Earthbound and Mother 3, lately.  M3 is obviously more difficult, since I can't read the Kanji, but I have a no-spoilers guide that'll help me through it, so it's all good.  Earthbound is just so awesome, though.  I just beat the Sludge monster that was sending zombies to Threed, so now I'm at Fourside with no clue as to how I continue the game.  I seem to have missed a Soundstone tune, as well.  I need to backtrack a little bit, I guess.  I really need to start playing Chrono Trigger, though.  I don't want to have to sell it since it's such a rare game, but if I don't play it, that's exactly what my Dad plans to do.

Joined a new message board!  The Town of Odyssey, to be precise.  Sure, it will only make sense to an Odyssey fan, but if you can get past that, it's a great board.

Engine Sentai Go-Onger seems to be a really funny series, so far.  Sure, I haven't actually been able to watch any episodes with subtitles, but even watching it RAW is still good, and I can understand some basic things fairly easily.  It's essentially a parody, that's all I need to know.

CLANNAD was apparently cut to 22 episodes... Ugh.  But, well, I guess I shouldn't complain too much, considering that it's been a really good series, so far.  I just have no clue what they're going to do with the ending.  I'm not even going to hazard a guess, I'm just going to wait and see what happens.

I ordered some Gekiranger CDs a few days ago!  They should be here either next week, or the few days following the release of Brawl.  It's awesome, one of the CDs has all of the character songs and various insert songs on it.  The other CD has theme songs from Gekiranger, Boukenger, and Magiranger, so I'm psyched for that.  I also ordered the Digimon Adventure OP Theme CD Single, but that wasn't in-stock at the time I ordered it, so they'll ship it out at a later date.  No worries, I'm still going to enjoy it.

I've been doing some more work on my planned novel series.  I was able to plot out what happens in the first two novels, and I finished working on a major event in the third novel last night.  I'm hoping to get at least ten or so novels planned out before I start the actual writing process, just so I know where I'm taking the story.  I'm going to make sure that I have any loose ends tied up neatly before I even make it public, so there shouldn't be any worries about me abandoning the project.  I don't know how or where I'll host them, but I'll decide that when the time comes.  I'm still thinking of a title change, however.

 This isn't really an update, but I'm just going to put this out there.  It's a video that showcases the vocal version of "Bein' Friends" from the Mother/Earthbound series.  It's just a nice little song, with cute lyrics and whatnot, so I thought I'd put it up as an entry. :3

Here's the lyrics:


BEIN' FRIENDS **vocals by Catherine Warwick**

When you are happy
With laughter to spare
Fun is twice as fun
With someone to share
When you are lonely
And full of despair
Things aren't half as had
When somebody cares

Maybe now you have figured it out
That's what bein' a friend is about
When you're lookin'
For someone you can rely on
Don't you ever doubt me
I'll be there someway, somehow
That's what bein' friends is about

When you are restless
And want room to breathe
I will give you all
The space that you need
And when you're ready
For my company
I will come around
Just call on me

Maybe now you have figured it out
That's what bein' a friend is about
When you're lookin'
For a shoulder you can cry on
Won't you think about me
When you're looking
For someone you can rely on
Don't you ever doubt me
I'll be there someway, somehow
That's what bein' friends is about

I'm your friend till the end
Count On me
In the sunshine and the rain
Paradise and back again
Count on me
Let me be a friend in need
Let me be a friend indeed
Count on me

And if you ask me
You know that it's true
There is not a thing
That I wouldn't do
I'd follow you
To the ends of the earth
That's how much I think
Our friendship is worth

Maybe now you have figured it out
That's what bein' a friend is about
When there's something
That you just don't understand
Won't you think about me
I'll be more than glad
To lend a helping hand
Don't you ever doubt me
I'll be there someway, somehow
That's what bein' friends is about
I'll be there someway, somehow
That's what bein' friends is about

Tell me all your secrets
I will swear to keep them
Let me know your problems
I will help you solve them
When your heart is aching
I will stop it breaking
Whet you are in danger
I'm your guardian angel
I will stand beside you
Be the one to guide you
When your dreams are crumblin'
Call me I'll come runnin'
That's what friends are all about

I forgot to mention this, but I finished up all the translated parts of Clannad that I was able to, which includes all the main routes.  It was a good game, and I hope I can continue on and start the After Story once they release a full translation patch.  It'll be fun, I'm sure.

I've actually downloaded about four visual novels that I plan to play.  The ones I snagged are Narcissu, true rememberance, planetarian, and Gadget Trial.  Out of those four, I'm most interested in planetarian and Narcissu, as the former is supposed to be a really sad story, and the latter is supposed to be some kind of story about hospital patients and what the patient's who have contracted fatal illnesses (and are without hope) have to go through.  I'm almost scared to finish these novels, since I'm not an emotional person and I'm not sure how I'll react if the ending's are shockingly sad... but I'll make sure to talk about them in the future.  planetarian keeps freezing up my computer as I make my way through the story, though, and it's driving me bonkers.

I've been listening to a lot of Earthbound music, lately.  I downloaded all the "Rock Candy" remix albums from starmen.net, and I'm now in the middle of the fourth album.  And, I gotta say, I'm really impressed by how well these Earthbound fans remix their favorite game's music.  There are some tracks that I don't particularly appreciate, but for the most part, it's pretty good stuff.  I really want to try playing that game again, though.  I have every game in the series, but Mother 1 through 3 are in Japanese, and Earthbound is on the SNES (and I can't find time to play console games right now).  I'll have to figure something out.

I seriously cannot wait until Super Smash Bros. Brawl comes out.  I know I've said it before, but I can't help myself.  This game is going to be the best thing since sliced bread, and trust me, I like sliced bread.  I've been dreaming about it, listening to the music rips from the Japanese version, planning on sleeping over at my cousin's house so that my friends and I can play it all night, figuring out how quickly we can get back from the Gamestop in the next town so I can play it as soon as possible, etc.  I can't help that I'm addicted to it... and it's not even out, yet!

I'm still in the planning stages of my novel series.  I'm not sure whether I should keep the name or not ("Law/Grace").  It's a bit of a rip-off from WOTM Radio, since that IS their catchphrase, and I wouldn't want to make it seem as if I'm plagiarizing them or that their whole organization was involved in the production of my novels or anything.  I may not understand business matters, but I can at least figure out that unintentionally associating their name with mine is not a good idea for either of us.  They don't put that forward slash in how they present the entire concept, though, so maybe I'm safe.  It's kinda like Fate/Stay Night, in a way, so maybe there won't be too much confusion.  I'll have to send them an e-mail, just to be safe.

I'll be leaving in about an hour or so for Disneyland.  We're going there for, what else, but a dance competition.  But I've been told that I actually don't have to stick around for the dances, since I'm unnecessary and not in charge of anything, so I'll probably just bum around the park with Zach.  Sounds like fun to me.  We'll make sure to ride Splash Mountain and Star Tours at some point during our adventure. :3

But, this also means that I'll delay the release of the test chapter for Law/Grace until I get home.  I need just a little more time to edit it a bit, and I'd like to reread it when it's not fresh in my mind in order to hopefully gain a new perspective on my own story.  So, that'll come when I get back on... Sunday night?  Monday?  I'm not sure at the moment.  I'll be bringing my laptop with me, but I probably won't use it.

I purchased and downloaded the original Harvest Moon for the SNES on the Wii's Virtual Console, yesterday.  So many typos... but it looks like it's a fun game!  And they don't have the typical Popuri-Ann-Elli-Karen-Mary combination of wives in the original!  They have some of those already mentioned, but there are some new marriage candidates!  Awesome.

I also bought Super Metroid for the SNES on the VC, as well.  That'll be fun.

I actually spent a good half hour on some preliminary work on the novel series I'd like to make.  Yes, I believe I'm actually going to write this thing.  I had such great inspiration last night and earlier today as to one of the big story elements I'd like to implement.  I think I'd like to create that particular scene I envisioned in my mind as a test chapter, since it's such an emotionally gripping moment, and if I do well enough with that, I know I'm able to write somewhat coherently.  It'll be great, but I don't know who I'd make it available to.  I guess I could put it up as a download in this journal for anyone to come by and read, as long as they comment on it after they finish.  It'll be awhile before I can get that done, I'm pretty sure, however.  Unless I surprise myself and actually come up with good names for the characters.  Considering that it is going to be illustrated with anime-styled artwork (once I find an artist, of course), I'll just go with Japanese names.  Just a stylistic choice on my part, and I'm not one of those fans who insist that Japan is the end-all, be-all awesome country.  I prefer America, thank you.  And English, of course.

...What was I doing, again?

Oh yeah, so, I'll make a test chapter available when I'm finished, for critiquing and whatnot.  Look forward to that.

I got an opportunity to view a screening of a horror movie, today.  It was one of those test screening deals where the filmmakers allow an audience to watch a movie that is still in development in order to get data in order to make the movie better.  I filled out a questionaire and everything, it was neat.  The movie was decent, but there was far too much cursing and blasphemy, and I really hate that sort of thing (I even mentioned it on the comments section, so maybe they'll take heed).  I took Ben, Jay, and Bronson, and I was going to take Steven, but he bowed out at the last minute in order to finish homework, so that was pretty sad.  It was kind of funny when we got there, though, since the movie theater wouldn't let anybody inside for almost an hour AFTER we arrived there, so we ended up buying chips and salsa from a nearby Mexican restaurant and just snacked and talked during that time on the tailgate of Bronson's truck.  It was a fantastic bonding moment. :3

I can't get over how awesome this Dragonball CD is.  It's my first Japanese CD purchase, and I'm so content with the songs on this album.  I've listened to the album at least once today, and I'm relistening to it right now.  I really like the remastered songs, specifically "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA", "We Gotta Power!", "Hikari no Tabi", "HERO", and especially "Kimi no Sora e".  They are just adorable songs.

I'm going to be taking piano lessons pretty soon, hopefully.  I started playing around on the keyboard a couple days ago, and I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.  I really, really like the piano, and it's the one instrument that I could see myself playing as a hobby.  I can already somewhat play Nagisa's Theme from Clannad, as well as part of the Super Mario Bros. World 1-1 song, and the Twoson Theme from Earthbound, and the first group of notes from the Forest level in Super Mario RPG.  And some other various parts of other songs.  And it's fun!  I want to mainly play video game music, but I'm good with anything, really.  I just want to be "that guy", the person who is able to play the piano at a party that is housed in a place that has a piano.  I think it'd be neat.  I can kinda read sheet music, though I have to study it beforehand before I can actually play anything.  I need to read it better, as well as learn finger placement and work on my timing, although timing won't really be a problem with songs I know.

I'm going to be a piano man. :3

I finished both routes, already, but I didn't previously feel like making an entry for either one.  But, now that I have some time, I'll just combine my thoughts on both at the same time.

I really enjoyed the Kotomi route.  She is just such a likeable character in many reguards.  I want my future girlfriend to have her personality.  And she suffers from a tragic past, which contributes to her fractured psyche.  Although, one thing I noticed about the route that was different from the anime was that they actually did not have many references to God in the show, and yet there were a few instances in the game that kind of took me by surprise.  

Things like Kotomi trying to get Tomoya to read the Old Testament was interesting to me, with what she had to say about it (which was actually handled with some degree of respect, as opposed to what you'd find in America).  She mentioned how it's an adored book all around the world, having been translated in many languages, and that her favorite story was Noah's Ark (which, to me, is a rather strange and interesting choice, but whatever).  But specifically stated that it was such an amazing Book that while even scholars would read it with fervency, it can even be understood by a small child.  So, I enjoyed that, and if I had the chance to sit down with this fictional character, I'd specifically ask if she picked up the underlying message (the "velvet thread", as it were) in the historical accounts.

I also noticed that her parents, the scholars, weren't precisely string theorists like many fans of the show believed.  I recall a specific line from an anime that was expounded upon in the game.

"Those who pursue truth must not be arrogant. Just because it can't be proven scientifically, you must not laugh at miracles. You must not deny your eyes the beauty of this world."

Once he said that, he mentioned something about the world being made of harps, or something like that, and that's how Kotomi got her name.  I'm kind of fuzzy on the details from that part.  And in the anime, after that interesting bit of info, the conversation shifts.  But in the game, her Dad mentions something quite straight and to the point.  I believe Kotomi asks why the world is like that.  And what is his answer?

"I believe it's God".

That particular line is what got me.  They didn't mention that in the show, and it disappoints me.  That's why Kotomi made that promise to God about being a good girl in the first place at a pivotal point in her story, and yet... it's just somewhat confusing in the show when she mentions the promise.  I don't know, I guess it can still be understood, but it loses some of its impact.

And the previous statement REALLY got me.  It sounds like he's positing an argument from design, which is something I believe wholeheartedly.  The specific parts of his statement is also quite revealing, and it's almost like Kyoto Animation is making a statement against the so-called "scientists" today.  Let me explain: 

"Those who pursue the truth must not be arrogant".  This is exactly the type of thing happening with leading atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, who simply mock the very idea of God, and, if I may say, are quite arrogant in their claims.  They almost say that people shouldn't even challenge what they have said, and any opponents should just shut up (because their opponents are so OBVIOUSLY biased and closed-minded).

"Just because it can't be proven scientifically, you must not laugh at miracles".  Again, this is exactly what we're dealing with in the world today.  Scientists will simply not allow for a divine "foot in the door", as it is.  Their presuppositions automatically assume that there is no chance whatsoever for something miraculous to happen, so that's how they interpret everything they come across.  I believe, and many will agree, that presuppositions are something that should be set aside when interpreting evidence in the way that it is, rather than forcing our presuppositions on the evidence in order to interpret it in the way we want it to be interpreted.  It's the same thing with exogesis and eisogesis, but that's another topic entirely.

"You must not deny your eyes the beauty of this world" This, again, is an acceptable argument from design.  But nowadays, scientists are trying to completely downplay the sheer inestimable complexity of the world we live in today.  This truly is a beautiful world, make no mistake about it.  And yet scientists are trying to make this world seem "normal" and "routine".  And I have to ask, WHAT is normal and routine about this world?  This is a world with so many mysteries that it'd be impossible to solve even a fraction of them!  Science can surely explain the process of how a seed becomes a tree, but it can't answer WHY it happens.  There is simply no naturalistic reason behind why a seed can grow into a tree!  And yet, it happens!  That's just one, single example.  We also have no natural explanation as to why the universe obeys certain laws, either.  Do you want to realize how small your existence is compared to this beautiful world and universe we live in?  Just read The Book of Job, Chapters 38, 39, and 40.  Maybe you'll gain an understanding as to how amazing this world is that we live in.

That was kind of a tangeant... I didn't know I could look this deeply into something from a computer game.

Anyway, as for the Fuko route, it was nice, I guess.  It had the signature humor that was in the anime, but some funny jokes were left out of the show, obviously due to time issues and whatnot.  It was a cute story, and I enjoyed the true ending.

I feel so strange talking about Fuko's route after giving such a lengthy commentary on a certain part of Kotomi's route... xD

I got my new CD in the mail today, the Dragonball one with the long title.  I'm enjoying it very much, and I am surprised it took me this long to buy it.  I guess I just didn't have a chance, before.  But it's good.  A few too many slow songs, but that's okay, they'll grow on me.  The last track is the best, though. <3

I'll post up an entry of the Kotomi route either later tonight, or sometime tomorrow (if it doesn't get lost in the shuffle).  If I tried to post it up now, I'd cry, because it was that sad, yet also very, very happy.  I love her story so much...

I need to make some new icons.  I'm not really sure what to make one of, though.  Maybe Harvest Moon?  Or perhaps one of Vegetto?  Or, maybe, a Forte related icon (considering what my journal name is...)?  I'm not sure, yet.  But I know I'm getting kind of tired of the normal ones.

I can't wait until my Brave Heart CD single gets here, but WHEN is it getting here?  I ordered it either last week or the week before, and I don't even know if they sent it out, yet.  I can't find anything in my Dad's e-mail...

I'm trying to do all this college financial aid stuff, but it's hard when my Mom can't find the time to help me.  I'm not a number person, so I can't say for sure what our income is, nor can I explain anything related to tax information.  This is getting dull.

I haven't been playing much besides Clannad, lately.  I don't know, I just can't find the time to delve into a game.  I'm going to waste all of my video game time once Smash Bros. Brawl comes out anyway, though.  That game is going to rock so hard.  I'm waiting for these people at a website to live stream it, tonight.  It's at 7:00PM, and I'm totally excited to see how the game works out.  The soundtrack is fantastic, I know that much.

It turns out that the theater here has some advanced screening privileges, seeing as how they invited their e-mail subscribers to a free advanced screening of a new movie I knew nothing about.  It's called "Inhuman", and it stars actors from 24 and Prison Break, so I'm excited to see it.  I can bring along four guests, as well, which will obviously be Steven, Ben, Jay, and probably Zach.  We get to have a Q&A session with the filmmakers after the movie, as well, and hopefully some actors will make an appearance.  I'd like to meet Tony from 24, seeing as how they cancelled the seventh season.

I forgot to make an entry about the Sunohara route after I finished it.  Whoops!  Now I can't really remember what the route was about...

But, from what I remember, it was actually a good route.  It provided a lot of backstory for Youhei that I didn't know previously, and introducing his younger sister for longer than a single episode (*cough*) was enjoyable.  It deals with how Youhei has to deal with his younger sister, Mei, when she comes to visit him, but if I go into any detail, it will spoil so much.  I can at least say that it finally explains how exactly Tomoya and Youhei met each other, and I just thought it was a funny moment that it's too good to just describe.

And I think it'd be better to have Mei as my little sister, rather than a certain little girl with red hair... (*cough*) xD

C'mon, people!  You gotta play this game!  It's fantastic, and it's so enjoyable, and I just can't get enough of it.  Sure, I'm taking a bit of a break from it, right now, but I'm going to start again on it, tonight.  I think I'm on the Kotomi route, which I'm QUITE interested in, considering that there's supposed to be stuff that they didn't cover in the anime.  That'll be awesome.