I dare say, it's time to throw some kind of celebration!
*blares all the music in the "Current Music" section and uses old photos as confetti*
CURRENT MUSIC: [Handy "Skip Music" Button for you Lamers who "NEED" TL;DRs]
Koutarou Nakagawa - "The Knight"
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Original Soundtrack Volume 1
While I listed fitting "introductory" pieces from this album twice already, I don't think they compare to how regal and fitting this particular track can be.
It's such a great fanfare - not only for me and my blog, but for what today's entry will say to you, the reader. After all, as this entry is what it is, it deserves nothing less than amazing fanfare and heroic gallantry.
And so do I, but we'll leave narcissistic issues aside and hopefully get back to them another day.
ON/OFF - "Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi"
Legend of Twins I: Futago Densetsu
(Author's Note: Anyone who's knowledgeable in Japanese: please feel free to jump in. I obviously have little experience in the language. =P)
"Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi" (roughly translated to "Two Heartbeats and a Red Sin") is well-known in anime circles as the opening theme to the first season of Vampire Knight. I really love how this song sounds - especially that lone violin interspersed throughout the thing. If one didn't know any better, they'd think it's just one guy singing, but in actuality it's sung by two people - and twin brothers, at that. Proof? Here. Enjoy the violin while you're at it. =D
I always told myself that if I were to learn Japanese, I would learn how to sing this song. Matter-of-fact, it kinda makes me want to learn it on the piano. If only that were me...[1]
Hitomi Sato, Go Ichinose, and Junichi Masuda - "Pokémon League (Day)"
Nintendo DS Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Super Music Collection
Years ago (in 2007) when I first got Pokémon: Diamond Version for my Nintendo DS I remember blitzing out like crazy in an attempt to get the game defeated within a week. As the then-sole player of Pokémon games back then in high school, it would seem necessary for me to grab the National Dex and help out the closet players. I grabbed my team, plowed through the game and then came to a screeching halt right outside the Pokémon League building.
Fatigue didn't stop me. Food had no priority. Late homework assignments and newspaper articles couldn't even raise their hands up to dissuade me from being irresponsible. THIS MUSIC PIECE DID. There's a saying out there stipulating that the eyes are the gateway to a person's soul. While I subscribe to that theory, I also believe that there is an aural gateway as well - and the key to that gate would be music.
Rather than have you shake from nervousness with from the marching tones reminiscent of the prior three generations, the musical team behind Diamond, Pearl and Platinum decided to go for one of the most soothing synthesized piano pieces ever. Hearing it for the first time (and all subsequent times) was just soothing - I felt so much at peace with this playing. (Hearing it on a real piano will definitely make your day.)
Out of the previous pieces of music I featured today, I would pick this particular track to represent the overall feeling I had when writing this entry... a sense of accomplishment rewarded by serenity and the feeling that your adventure's only just begun. Maybe I should learn this piece on the piano, too?
Good evening, one and all, and welcome to The White Knight Chronicles! I'm your gracious and eccentric host Josh Blanco, and I bid you welcome to today's celebratory entry!
As this entry will be fueled by a huge amount of triumphant feelings and accomplishment (as well as a hearty brunch of Spamsilog[2] I'm cooking up), I know this entry will have a lot to offer you. At least I hope it does. Heheheh...
*clears throat*
Now, I'm sure some of you who don't log on to Facebook or just don't listen to my posts on Facebook are probably just learning about this little project of mine. If this is the first entry you're reading here, then hi! My whole goal is to do one of those "365 Days, 365 Blogs" projects akin to people doing those "30 Days of Photos/Music" things.
Today's entry just so happens to have lots of attention on it because (if you haven't guessed already,) this is the two hundredth entry in a row. Counting today, I have yet to miss posting anything on this (barring technical difficulties from the Blogger website itself), so to do something like this can be claimed as quite a bit of an accomplishment.
So, regardless of whether you're a first-time reader or someone who's already been stalking me since Day 4, sit back, relax and have fun reading. Or snooping around, if you wanna be all creepy and what not. *cringes*
Two Hundred Down... One Hundred and Sixty-Five to Go!
(45% remaining? "At 40%, you will stop DoTs!")
More than halfway done with the year and I'm excited for the future. It honestly seems that it was only a few weeks ago when I first started this thing, and look at me now. 200 down, 165 to go.
You'd think I'd have more to say about this subject, but the truth is I don't. While I'm happy I've made it this far, I don't think it's as much of an impact as I'd expect it to be. Sure, some of my friends who placed bets on when I'd miss a day are probably relenting over losing their "Day 200" bet, but apart from their (negative) attention, I don't think anyone else really cares.
Eh. My blog, my story, my life. They're missing out. =P
Maybe they're just waiting for the 300th entry just so they can spam comments related to 300 in some way. I 'unno. Regardless, I can't wait to see what the next hundred posts will look like and what will happen in my life in those hundred days. Will they be short? Will they be long? Will I get a girlfriend and not talk about it? Will I have some crazy pictures up that you'll laugh at?
All I can say is that we'll just have to wait and see what unfolds.
Ask the White Knight
(It's like Strong Bad answering his e-mails... except no verbal commentary and not as famous.)
As a special treat for the "celebration" of the 200th entry here, I decided to create a page where I respond to questions, comments and concerns from readers who dare to inquire about or state something to me.
The idea for this stems back to last Tuesday's entry, "Some Kind of Educated Response." In that, I responded to a comment made on last Sunday's entry "The Familiar Taste of Poison" - and it was met with praise that I responded.
Like mentioned in "Some Kind of Educated Response," the reasons I'm doing this sort of thing are threefold:
- it shows that I listen to my readers and their comments
- it helps promote increased viewership and interaction, and (more importantly,)
- I get something to write about in the event that I'm lacking a topic to discuss.
Now, I can hear some of you wondering what the ground rules are for this whole thing. Well, I haven't finely-tuned everything, but the basics are up-and-running.
Step One: Toss Up an Appropriate or "Appropriate" Question, Comment, and/or Concern
Now, to be fair, there will be some things I won't provide an answer to. Despite my apparent openness with all my readers here on this blog, a line has to be drawn somewhere. Example scenarios include:
- spam
- full-on Internet flame comments
- requests for something illegal
- a picture of my future girlfriend's/wife's rack
- anything grammatically incomprehensible[3]
- the secret ingredient formula for the Krabby Patty
- publicly calling me out on a favor I owe you
- asking me to officially support the Horde
- requesting that I write your term paper/high school research paper/psychology dissertation
- inquiring about things I've already considered taboo
- a thesis on why I should allow you to call me "THAT NAME"
- the location of the Rebel base
- asking me out on a date
- a demand that I replace your ex-parrot
Step Two: Expect Some Kind of a Response Within Some Amount of Time
Now, I will respond in one of two ways using a combination of satirical humor, seriousness and all-around sincerity:
- I will respond on the "Ask The White Knight" page on your comment.
- If your statement requires a great amount of research or drives me to write a mini-dissertation (or if I just need an idea for a blog entry), then I will whip up an entry and post the link in my comment.
Step Three: Repeat Steps One and Two
Self-explanatory. I'm not going to bother even explaining this one.
Like I said, this is still being worked out, but it'd be great if I had a few people test-running this. So if you want to drop a line or have something to inquire me about, visit the page! Y'all got nothing to lose, and neither do I!
Annals of History - A Random Photo Montage of Randomness
(Like your parents' slide show of their trip to Kenya - plus the fun and minus the animals, disease and the gunrunners.)
I honestly couldn't think of anything to talk about apart from "YAY 200 POSTS LAWLZ" and "Ask The White Knight"[4], and I was about to call it a day. Of course, that somehow led to me thinking about other things to sidetrack me a-plenty, and I eventually came to my cache of pictures I've hoarded on my computers over the years. Believe me when I say that there's a LOT. I mean, I save stuff if I think it's epic, funny, cool to have as a desktop or cell phone wallpaper or important for some other reason. Of the 6.21 gigabytes of memory spread out amongst 17,600+ pictures, 3.96 of that is from stuff from my various snapshots I've taken with my numerous cameras and camera-enabled cell phones. Ironic considering that I don't find myself photogenic[5], but eh.
Anyway, I wanted to showcase a few random things from the past years of my life that I found amusing and/or cool while I prattled on about some random subject in a fictitiously depressing manner. The photos just happen to "match" what I'm talking about, so... hehehe.
DISCLAIMER: All photos present here were taken by me or a picture taken by a friend with me in it. Any game content and what not that obviously doesn't belong to me are copyright of their respective owners. Also, I'm not depressed or "bleh" in this "rant" I have going on below. All sub-text for photos, however, is actual truth. The whole "story contrasting with photos" thing is supposed to be funny, so please... laugh? =D
I don't get why I'm not popular.
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| During the early years of high school, this was how I saw the world. I like to think that I matured somehow from this. |
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| Apparently, my Target profile pic sports character. I was going for a "pseudo-Asian gangster" look but the camera somehow captured "typical Asian tourist." |
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| Where I used to live. Yeah, that was a fun mess to clean up. *sighs* |
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| Found this at work about a year or two ago. Three - that's right - three broken mirrors a guest left behind. I just hope they aren't superstitious. |
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| Gefallen - Lv.83 Human Rogue (US-Tichondrius) This is the Rogue I have to get to Lv.85 as part of "Operation: DREAM EATER." While this screenshot was taken a looooong time ago, I think it validates the fact that I like Rogues... and that I can be extremely silly when I'm on him. For God's sake, I'm referencing that song by The Lonely Island...! |
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| Chariselle - Lv.85 Blood Elf Paladin (US-Ravenholdt) My second main and the other WoW character involved with "Operation: DREAM EATER." Yes, I roleplay with her; and yes, that is pseudo-T2 armor and an eyepatch. She's been through a lot... =( |
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| August 15, 2007: the day before my 18th birthday. While I've been told that I'm one of the more safer drivers out there[6], everyone had to be clumsy and stupid at some point. The infamous ATC incident serves as one of my prime "clumsy and stupid" moments. If you want a story... well, I just created "Ask The White Knight" and I need someone to test it... |
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| I enjoy a nice tabletop RPG once in a while. That bottom sheet, though... ahehehe. (It's not me, by the way - it's a friend's character sheet. Mine's obviously the top one. 'Cause, you know... it's got my name on it.) In case you're trying to read my friend's character's name, it's "William von Bootez of Hamburg in Ryanland - AKA: Ryanland of Awesomesauce - AKA: It's Awesome - AKA: The Box Behind Your House." If you think I'm crazy, get some of my friends sleep deprived or on a sugar high. |
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| In order from top to bottom: my cousin, then my brother, then me. Here's the sad part: despite this being a real scoresheet from an actual bowling game, that's the best I've ever played. |
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| Every once in a while around work, it's "Random Fact" day. I found one particular note that grabbed my attention because I believed it needed commentary from a fan of Dragon Ball Z and Internet memes... |
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| I can't remember the last time my car's gas tank was that full. That, and I can't believe my odometer is almost double that number now... |
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| Just about everyone my age has played or seen Super Mario 64 in action. To the people who recognize where I am in-game: Look carefully at the star count. No, I didn't cheat for that. Yes, it's physically possible to do that. |
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| Poker face. (Not the Lady Gaga song, mind you.) |
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| It's a Lego minifig of me at work in Target, complete with blue blocker shades, one of those gun-shaped PDAs you see us Target Team Members with, and a PDA holster on my belt! (If only I looked this cool at work...) |
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| One of my friends from high school has a bunch of those haiku magnet-things on her fridge. I forgot which person from our mutual friend circle arranged this, but... I found it funny. |
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| My Lego minifig platoon is semi-customized like this. Trained to be battle-hardened and equipped with reinforced Kevlar (Stormtrooper armor), a ballistics helmet with visor and AK-102s (courtesy of BrickArms), it'll take a lot to mow my guys down. And yes, Avatar: The Last Airbender fans: that's Prince Zuko in Lego form. Crazy, huh? |
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| Remember these blocks back in elementary school? Yeah, you know you do. You probably got as bored as I did one day, too. |
Footnotes:
1 ^ [Current Music] I think I have a New Year's Resolution for 2012. So what if it's six months early? I'm not allowed to plan ahead? =P
2 ^ [Opening Paragraphs] Spamsilog is a variant of "-silog" meals that stem from the cuisine of the Philippines. The original word, tapsilog, is a contraction of "tapa" (dried or cured meat), "sinangag" (garlic-fried rice) and "itlog" (egg - usually fried). Most Filipinos have taken the "-silog" part and simply slap on some other meat (dish) of their choice, creating their own contracted word. "Spamsilog" is one widely recognized variant, and those that enjoy this (breakfast) dish enjoy it with great gusto - myself included.
3 ^ [Ask the White Knight] Eh. I might just go all Strong Bad on it anyway and make fun of it. I'm a big stickler on grammar and spelling (in case you don't already know), so it'll be Grammar Nazi Josh's turn at the wheel if I have to respond to something visually heinous to the English language.
4 ^ [Annals of History 1] I can't really talk about how I'll be responding to people's questions, comments and concerns if there aren't any at its conception, right?
5 ^ [Annals of History 2] I once said to a few friends the following:
"STOP! I'm not photogenic... though the photos on my Facebook would say otherwise..."...yeah, I contradict myself a lot. Hey, at least I admit it!
6 ^ [Annals of History: ATC Photo] As long as I have a live passenger in my vehicle I will be as safe and as responsible as can be. If I'm by myself, that's a different story - assuming the cops aren't around. =P
Well, that about sums it up for this entry. If you'll excuse me, I need to go off and work on Operation: DREAM EATER some - got some running to do.
Until the 'morrow, laddies and lassies! Enjoy the rest of your evening, and look forward to another hundred entries in a row!
You're fat.
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