Gonna keep this journal short, but a quick update on myself.

I now have a Tumblr account, TatsuPants for people who want to follow me on other corners of the internet.

I moved from my hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania to Austin, Texas. I suppose that makes me part of  texasfurs. Whatever that's worth.

Art updates have been slower than usual. Working on fixing that.

So um, I guess it's been a year since I actually updated this thing. Right on schedule with how often I submit art dohohoho.

Nothing really going on in my life. Been doodling more, so that's good. Though I really need to practice my coloring. Maybe I'll take some of my doodles and screw with painting in SAI.

Oh, and FA drama? Ain't nobody got time fo' dat. Though if people do want to find me elsewhere, I have my ages old deviantART account and a slightly more recent Weasyl. Both are updated with the same frequency as here. YOU COULD ALSO FIND MY SHEEZYART ACCOUNTLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

(R-R-REPOSTED FROM DA)

So, been a while since I actually updated my journal. Or y'know, uploaded anything. :I

Adult life (if you can call it that) is a small part of it. Still live at home with my dad, though working a decent retail job. Not exactly where I would like to be. If money weren't an issue, I would like to go back to school for a Bachelor's. I have an Associate's in Graphic Design from a local school, but I honestly don't feel like I learned much. I've been looking into places like the Art Institutes or Full Sail and then I see the tuition costs. Also, I have to take my next personal issue into account:

I hate to admit it, but art's been slow because of a few things: When I'm not working, I'm either gaming or putzing about on the Internet. When I do manage to open up the sketchbook and pick up a pencil, I just kind of stare at it. However, I've realized that this seems to be a lack of deadline and fear of failure causing this problem, so I've made a resolution for myself: Whenever I have a day off, try to sketch something. Doesn't matter what it is, doesn't matter if it's any good. As long as something is in my sketchbook, I have met my personal deadline. Yesterday, I drew creeper Kog'Maw and today I drew a troll giving a thumbs-up.

So yeah. That's what's what's going on. Since that sounded way more depressing than I wanted it to, have a motivational.

... But my computer pretty much kicked the bucket for good this time.

Basically, my computer locked up between an auto update and installing Mass Effect 3, so after staring at a frozen screen for a good 10 minutes I had to do a hard shutdown (I KNOW THIS IS VERY BAD). When I went to turn it back on, Windows derped hard.

"winload.exe is missing or corrupt"

Normally I would insert my recovery disk and reinstall Windows or stumble through a command prompt. Only my recovery disk is also derping. :|

In theory, I could take a gamble by purchasing a new hard drive and a copy of Windows 7. Buuuut my computer was starting to fall behind and nearly everything on the market would be an upgrade over my current system.


So new tower has an estimated arrival date of March 23rd. I need to keep myself occupied during the times I don't have access to the family laptop.

... At least I have a habit of cleaning when I'm bored. >_>

Mainly because I wanted to get that ranty year-old journal off my page.

A little quiz I yoinked from , who got it from http://helloquizzy.okcupid.com/test.....enneagram-test


you chose BZ - your Enneagram type is FIVE (aka "The Thinker").

"I need to understand the world"


Observers have a need for knowledge and are introverted, curious, analytical, and insightful.


How to Get Along with Me

• Be independent, not clingy.

• Speak in a straightforward and brief manner. (I hate when people dance around a point they're trying to make. >_>)

• I need time alone to process my feelings and thoughts.

• Remember that If I seem aloof, distant, or arrogant, it may be that I am feeling uncomfortable.

• Make me feel welcome, but not too intensely, or I might doubt your sincerity.

• If I become irritated when I have to repeat things, it may be because it was such an effort to get my thoughts out in the first place.

• don't come on like a bulldozer.

• Help me to avoid my pet peeves: big parties, other people's loud music, overdone emotions, and intrusions on my privacy.



What I Like About Being a FIVE

• standing back and viewing life objectively

• coming to a thorough understanding; perceiving causes and effects

• my sense of integrity: doing what I think is right and not being influenced by social pressure

• not being caught up in material possessions and status

• being calm in a crisis



What's Hard About Being a FIVE

• being slow to put my knowledge and insights out in the world

• feeling bad when I act defensive or like a know-it-all (<-- This)

• being pressured to be with people when I don't want to be

• watching others with better social skills, but less intelligence or technical skill, do better professionally



FIVEs as Children Often

• spend a lot of time alone reading, making collections, and so on

• have a few special friends rather than many (<-- And this)

• are very bright and curious and do well in school

• have independent minds and often question their parents and teachers

• watch events from a detached point of view, gathering information

• assume a poker face in order not to look afraid

• are sensitive; avoid interpersonal conflict

• feel intruded upon and controlled and/or ignored and neglected



FIVEs as Parents

• are often kind, perceptive, and devoted

• are sometimes authoritarian and demanding

• may expect more intellectual achievement than is developmentally appropriate

• may be intolerant of their children expressing strong emotions

<rant>

Okay, so I'm coloring a picture, all happy and stuff. Mom tells me my college bill comes. I look at the amount.

That bill was more than what I have in savings right now.

So, I'm not angry at school. I'm learning stuff. What I'm angry at is my job.

I've asked for a raise, I've asked for better hours, I've asked to not come in early after I've worked the previous night until 2 am. I'm able to do any position in the store, and I've trained the newbies.

>:|

I'm still making my starting wage (PA minimum), when you're supposed to get a 15 cent increase every 3 months. I'm still scheduled crap hours (4pm-9pm on weekdays, 5pm-2am on Fridays and Saturdays), I still come in before lunch in Sundays, and people who've been there a fraction of the length I have still make more than I do.

Call me greedy, but you know what? That's fucked up. Seriously, the college bill is the thing that slapped my across the face and told me to open my eyes. Work is starting to affect my grades (which are still 4.0, but it's getting harder) and my personal life. I should've had a new piece or two up a few weeks ago.

....................../´¯/)
....................,/¯../
.................../..../
............./´¯/'...'/´¯¯`·¸
........../'/.../..../......./¨¯\
........('(...´...´.... ¯~/'.../
.........\.................'...../
..........''...\.......... _.·´
............\..............(
..............\.............\...
Expect my two week notice soon.

</rant>


I envy those of you who are able to update every week. :<

So, I watched an awesome movie. The Mist, based off of the Stephen King novel of the same name.

Yes, it belongs in the horror genre, but it wasn't the scariest thing out there. It is pretty gruesome, however. Bodies get severed, humans used as incubators, that kind of thing.

Basically, this storm unleashes a really thick mist and strands a bunch of people in a supermarket. A few people decide to go outside, but quickly find out that there's some funky things running around out there. People die, religion gets involved, people get freaked out.

Now I won't spoil it, but this movie, by far, has one of the most ironic endings ever. It literally made my jaw drop.

Plus, it has one of the coolest old ladies in any movie. Ever.


The only problems I saw with it is that the acting gets a little shaky at some points. But nothing horrible. Just how a line or two are delivered. And some of the CGI is a little weird for a 2007 movie.


But if you're a horror fan looking for a decent movie, The Mist is pretty good. It's Stephen King-style horror, so there's psychology mixed with gore. Both me and my mom liked it. Though my mom is a die-hard Stephen King fan.

Okay, so I'm brainstorming on some characters and their world. Originally, they were kind of the cliched "swords and magic" type. Again, I want to do something a bit different. Particularly something along the lines of a cyberpunk theme (look it up on Wikipedia).

Now there's a few points where I get stuck when trying to convert certain characters and elements over.

- Melee weapons and magic. I want these to still exist, but I don't want it to seem like Final Fantasy 7 or 8 where the characters rush into battle with swords against soldiers wielding firearms. Yes, I still want firearms to exist. I've thought about making guns slightly primitive (overheating easily or something).

- One character was previously a scythe-wielding soldier. He would possibly be the hardest to convert, given his nature of being physically strong. If it were an RPG, he would be the party's tank.

- Another character (unnamed) was a high-class citizen. I originally saw her wearing a frilly dress and being rather stuck-up. Her skill however, would lie within the use of magic, and would be rivaled by another character (a classmate) in terms of skill.

Now, I could probably find ways around this, but I'd like to hear some other people's comments and advice. Like, what do you tend to see a lot and how should I deviate from it?

Again, 'cause I was bored. Jacked this from  derranged.

1. How do you generally design your characters?
Mostly, I try to think of a general setting the character would be in. Like if magic is dominant in that century, they would most likely be non-human and wear more ornate clothing. If technology is more dominant, humans tend to take over and wear modern styles.

2. How did you decide on your fursona's species?
I like dragons. That's pretty much it. >_>

3. What are your 5 favorite species?
Dragons, wolves, nondescript canines, nondescript felines, humans. I'M SO ORIGINAL LAWL.

4. Ok, ok, you can extend it to 10.
I could barely get 5. No way in hell could I get 10. But if it counts, I like the Sangheili (elites) from Halo. :p

5. Have you made characters out of all of these?
Out of the ones I've listed, yes. Some aren't even close to finalized designs, though.

6. Most violent character:
Demios. Uncaring, unloving, and has a massive ego. He's an all-around butthead.

7. Happiest or Nicest character?:
Raiku. He's pretty much always in a good mood and kind towards people.

8. Your most personally significant character?:
Tatsu. I mean, he is my online avatar and all...

9. Sluttiest character?:
None are really slutty. If I think about, most of my female characters actually cover themselves up quite a bit. Tamisura wears the least clothes, but her place of residence has temperatures in the 80's and 90's all year round. But she's not all "IS IT SEXITIME NAO?" with the first person she sees.

Even most male characters of mine prefer monogamy.

10. ‘Unsluttiest’ character?
Cassandra, easily. She prefers to hide her gender altogether and is usually pretty cold towards others.

11. ‘Stereotypic’ male?:
Probably Rioe. He's pretty wild and enjoys women. Though he has trouble actually getting one.

12. ‘Stereotypic’ female?:
A currently unnamed human character. She wears dresses and is very proper. Almost a bit of a feminist.

13. Tomboy?:
Leanne. Most in that age girls wear dresses and find fighting barbaric. Leanne wears pants, gauntlets, and boots (with a top, too). And she can wield a light sword.

14. Girlyboi?:
Uhm. Maybe Tanet, since he braids his hair. Though if he didn't, all that lightning magic would give him a fro.

15. Androgynous/genderless?:
No genderless characters. Cassandra in full gear the closest you'll get.

16. Fastest character?:
Raiku. I mean, come on. He's like a ninja.

17. Most muscular?:
Lance or Demios. Both are pretty beefy. Then again, Khema has that whole Samoan male look going on.

18. Thinnest character?:
Matthew. He's just plain thin.

19. Chubbiest/ heaviest character?:
Khema. He's not downright fat, but he's got a bit of a belly on him. But it's to protect his awesome abs.

20. Deformed character?:
Tanet. Although not deformed, he is an amputee. His right arm is mechanical.

21. Most fun to draw?:
I usually draw Lance the most, but I do like to draw females.

22. Any MarySues?:
Lance is the closest there is. But in any Mary Sue tests I've run him through, he's come out on the safe side.

23. Draw pr0n?:
Once in a while. >_>

24. Draw one gender more than another?
Males. I find females hard to draw, though they do give me a bit of creative freedom.

25. Stuff you don’t like to draw?
Dynamic poses give me trouble. I want to do more intricate poses, but they're a bitch. And I hate mechanical-looking things as well. Organicplz.

26. Stuff you love to draw?:
Characters and organic machinery.

27. Species you see mostly in the fandom?
Definitely foxes and rabbits. Skunks are oddly popular as well.

28. Species you see least?:
Insects, though I have seen a few. But I've never seen an octopus.

29. What do you want to see more in the fandom?:
Don't know about more, but I definitely want to see less drama. And I honestly can't stand some of the "furry" comments I see. Stuff like "rowwwwrrr~, so sexi *wags tail and scritches ears* :3~" It's fine if you're just being goofy, but when it seems dead serious, that hits an annoyance nerve.

30. Anyone you want to tag?:
I hate tagging. Do it if you feel like it, 'k?

LOOKY, I'M DOING A MEME (stole from  larathen ).

NINTENDO:
[X] You respect Mario. (Super Mario Bros. was one of my first games)
[X] You know who Shigeru Miyamoto is.
[X] You believe the DS is superior to the PSP. (More DS games intrest me)
[ ] You hate Sonic for being a cool whore, as well as SEGA fanboys. (Just the Sega fanboys. I watched the Sonic cartoons when I was little)
[ ] You love cartridges over CDs. (I take good care of my games. And you don't have to blow on older CDs to get them to work)
[X] You feel sick whenever someone mentions "CD-i Phillips".
[X] You still like Pokemon...even a teeny tiny bit. (I just got Diamond XD )
Score - 5

SEGA:
[X] You respect Sonic. (Only in the 2D games. It's been going downhill :( )
[X] You know who Yuji Naka is.
[ ] You weep for the Dreamcast.
[ ] You dream for Shenmue 3
[ ] You hate Mario for being so lame and fat, as well as Nintendo fanboys. (Fanboys, yes. Not Mario. Mario's cool)
[ ] You love harlequin clothes for reminding you of NiGHTS. (never saw anything great about NiGHTS)
[ ] You love the Virtua Fighter series.
Score - 2

XBOX/MICROSOFT:
[X] You love HALO.
[X] You bought at least one multi-format game on Xbox.
[X] You know who Blinx is.
[ ] You are proud of your Gamerscore. (I'm not really a 100% score gamer)
[ ] You smile at how everyone complains about the PS3 MORE than they did at the 360.
[ ] You find such a thing as having a full memory store to be inconceivable.
[X] You have been on Xbox Live.
Score - 4

PLAYSTATION/SONY:
[ ] You have a PS3. (at least not until a price drop and more exclusives)
[ ] You believe the PS2 has the greatest game library ever. (it's big, but you have to find gems among the crap)
[ ] You believe the PSP is superior to the DS. (Needs more games)
[ ] You hate the Xbox and the 360.
[ ] You bought the PS3 as soon as it was out. (Even if I had the money, there's no way I was waiting in the snow at midnight)
[X] You know who Ken Kutarugi is.
[ ] You consider Resistance: Fall of Man superior to Gears of War. (haven't played either)
Score - 1
(That seemed kinda biased)

RETRO:
[ ] You know what an Atari console looks like. (My mom probably does XD )
[X] You played Space Invaders, Pong and/or Pacman. (YAY PACMAN)
[ ] If you are British, you know what a ZX Spectrum is. If you are American, you know what a Commodore 64 is. (only heard of them)
[ ] You wish you didn't know of E.T the game. (Need to know video game history)
[ ] You love point-and-click games.
[X] You emulate. (How I played Tales of Phantasia for the SNES)
[X] You despise anyone who can't respect the old skool. (*glares at middle sister*)
Score - 3

SHOOT-EM-UP GAMER:
[X] You played Time Crisis and/or Virtua Cop. (Only at the arcades)
[ ] You consider HALO inferior to Goldeneye 007. (if you mixed them, you'd have an awesome game)
[ ] You consider Goldeneye 007 inferior to HALO.
[X] You snort in disgust at the idea Columbine was caused by playing too much DOOM. (Almost the same as Larathen. I did a controversial paper on video game violence)
[ ] You have played Counter Strike and fragged merrily.
[ ] You know why everyone hates medics yet you've never been in the army.
[X] You've done Grand Theft Auto and yet never been in jail. (I've also ran over hookers on a motorcycle :D )
Score - 3

RPG GAMER:
[X] You love at least one Final Fantasy game.
[ ] You cried at least once during any RPG game. (never cried, felt sad though. Poor Celes :( Closest I've come to crying in a game was a shooter, oddly)
[ ] You named at least one videogame character after yourself. (I rarely ever change default names. If I do, it's usually something weird, like "Beans" or "Mr. T" )
[X] You equate videogame music of RPGs to the artistic level of Wagner or Beethoven. (Not just RPGs)
[X] You know that even the most effeminate villain can become badass with a brilliant theme song.
[ ] You believe that your heart is the most powerful weapon. (it didn't work for that one kid on "Captain Planet" )
[X] You've dreamed of having an RPG adventure with your friends/family, level upgrades et al. (AMELIA, USE YOUR SCRATCH ATTACK)
Score - 3

BEAT-EM-UP GAMER:
[X] You do a Hadoken. (I can also do Chun-Li's Kiyoken)
[ ] You know at least one Fatality.
[X] You mash buttons like Chun Li kicks. (only when I'm losing XD )
[ ] You have calluses on your thumbs. (oddly, no. I have girly hands)
[ ] You've injured yourself mimicking at least one move from a game. (Dude, I just need to work up the courage to do those kind of flips)
[ ] You know kung fu. (I took Tae Kwon Do back when I was 6 or 7)
[X] You know of, or play, M.U.G.E.N. (never really got into it)
Score - 3

IMPORT GAMER
[X] You know more titles of games in Japanese than others do. (Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken)
[ ] The Dreamcast is still alive to you.
[X] You despise the NTSC/PAL divide.
[ ] Money is no object to you.
[X] Customs can go to hell.
[ ] You pity the average continent-bound gamer.
[X] You praise emulator hackers. (again, the way I played Tales of Phantasia in English)

Score - 4


Am I cool yet?

Forgot I didn't have a journal here. XD

Um, there's not gonna be any new art from me for a little while longer. My computer took a crap on me about 2 weeks ago (I think). I'm waiting for my new computer to come in. It's scheduled to ship on the 17th, so it probably won't get to my house until like the 25th. Which is when Halo 3 comes out. >_>

I'll be dead to the Internet come the 25th.


On the better side of things, I've got a phone interview with Wegmans (grocery store). Hopefully they'll be willing to give me better hours and I won't come home smelling like stale fast food.

Now, if only I could find a decent art college.