coffee break: 2009

8.23.2009

lost item break: the miracle scale

Found this a while back inside the user guide from a used Miracle Piano Teaching System for the Nintendo Entertainment System. I liked the Gummi Bears stamps.

8.08.2009

doodle break: based on a true story

the actual update:

8.02.2009

doodle break: some of this may or may not be true

7.28.2009

success break: REDcard

"you."

7.08.2009

doodle break: squiggles with ウゴツール

I've stumbled upon a cute program that creates squiggle lines in real time while drawing!

The program is completely in Japanese, but it's simple enough to use.
Here's a video of it in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyFm4sv_vFY
and the link to the program at the creator's website
(which can actually just be found in the description on Youtube):
http://mclover.net/Program/Ugo.htm

7.06.2009

lost item break: mall flower

7.05.2009

success break: Mouth Glow

so apparently, if you say certain key words in Twitter that might relate to a product or service, there's a chance that an ad bot account will watch you. A little annoying, but it can be like a game to snipe them off the list with the block button once they appear. I had two watch me after by recent posts by saying, "multiregion DVD player," and "Blu-ray." Success.

movie break: Angel's Egg (天使のたまご)

I've been on a rather big Yoshitaka Amano kick lately and looking back upon his work, I discovered a film known as Angel's Egg. Originally released in 1985, Angel's Egg was a movie directed by Mamoru Oshii with art by Yoshitaka Amano and score by Yoshihiro Kanno. The story follows a young girl in her journeys collecting bottles of water in a surreal, dark and dead world. In her travels, she carries with her an egg, of which it is unknown at first what it contains. She soon discovers a man (who is seen earlier in the film) who eventually accompanies her.

Through out the film, it is unknown what both the girl and the man's names are, and there is very little dialog spoken. I'd rather not spoil anything, but more on the plot can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel%27s_Egg

I feel a little bad not knowing about this film until now, it's pretty intense, not to mention incredibly pretty. Kanno's powerful and sometimes unnerving music complements the surreal and fantastical designs of Amano perfectly. I've always been a big fan of Japan's animation from the 80's and early 90's; there's a certain amount of quality in them that feels lost in today's work. Currently there are no US releases for this film, but the DVD is available in Reigon 2. I'd suggest nabbing the DVD, but for those that don't have a region free player and would also like subtitles, it can be found on Youtube. How convenient.

6.17.2009

doodle break: tasty treat that can't be beat

I really don't want to post much in the way of anthro doodles
but I was happy with this, so it's here now
there is no reasoning behind the post title
it's been stuck in my head for ten minutes now

6.16.2009

success break: flowering bro shirts in the grove

like a flower opening to greet the morning sun
these popped polos make YOU the center of attention and beauty
in any situation

5.26.2009

game break: Sega Channel

Sega Channel on Wikipedia
an in depth look at Sega Channel on blamethecontrolpad.com

I received the adapter today in the mail.
the thing is useless now, but I don't really mind.

The Sega Channel was an amazing piece of hardware and it had a wide variety of games to choose from each and every month. I'd wake up just before dawn to check and see if there were any updates. It was a magical experience, like it was Christmas day. The experience and excitement for me was far beyond that of any weekly updates that might happen on the Wii, XBox Live or the Playstation Network.

The menus would also change depending on the month, aiming towards a theme of sorts depending on what major holiday was happening then (July would have a night setting with fireworks in the background, October would have some wicked looking glowing pumpkins). I believe the menu music would change too, based on the theme. It was pretty rad.

Sega Channel was also responsible for introducing me to Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy, which made me an instant Treasure fan boy. It also had Sparkster, Pulseman, Mega Man: The Wily Wars and Zombies Ate My Neighbors, which are some of my absolute top favorite games of the 16-bit generation.