Welcoming New Co-Author

I'd like to welcome Chelsie, a friend of mine, who will be adding to this blog with things of the like which have never been seen. Prepare to be amazed. Haha, mainly I'm happy there's someone else on the team to author articles. Here's to a warm welcome.

What? It's not ticking?

Its amazing what you can buy (and sell) on the internet these days. If it wasn't for shipping and handling fees, I'd do most of my shopping sitting in front of a computer.
It is actually really tedious selling stuff though. Take E-bay for instance. So many choices, so many restrictions, so many little fees here and there for the most minor things, and a healthy comission they take for each sucessful sale.
I crafted this image for a pocket watch I put on sale:
I currently have the task of selling tons of items in our cluttered house because it will soon be vacated and moved out of. It took me so long to take the pictures, organize them in a collage, get info on the watch, type the description... this is going to take forever. Glasses, cups, dishes, silverware, candelabras, dolls... you name it.

G.G.G.G.

This picture was taken in a train station in Japan. It was a poster advertising G.G.G.G. (Good Goods for Good Girls). Shops in Japan have a fun way of coming up with clever(?) names. Open am 10:00 - pm 9:00.

Longer times ago when I was in Japan, I noticed almost all the ads with models were covered in caucasian people. (As in this picture.) But it seems like more and more, they're getting a better grip of their self identity in advertising, and there are more and more Japanese role-models instead of American ones. A positive move, I should say.

I took the picture primarily to catch the name of the store, but also to catch the image of the woman wearing a bra as sunglasses. Yeah. That makes sense. Makes me want to buy mascara...

Hoooooooou!?

Books Books Books

I was sorting through some of my old digital pictures; I need to make some space on my computer. Its a pretty slow process.

This picture was actually taken in Japan when I was in a large book store on the 11th floor of a shopping building. There were a surprizing number of books in English as well.

I loved seeing the Engrish titles on some of the other books. Cute stuff, funny stuff, like "Let's Stay In Bed And Make Love All Day."

I meant to pick up that book and take a look inside, but I never had the chance, had to keep moving. (Hence, the picture is even taken in motion.)

I quite like books. Although its possible to store masses of text on a computer, there's something appealing in holding a book, and feeling the pages as you turn them one by one. Finishing a good book is also an irreplaceable feeling, turning the cover, holding the book, thinking about it...

Well, be expecting more photograph related posts.

AI and the Lack of 愛

Today, for what reason I don't know, I messaged the Smarterchild chat-bot on AIM. Although it really doesn't qualify for AI, it is still a mindless automation. An actual example: (warning, some vulgarity)

---

shigekims: .
SmarterChild: ?
shigekims: .
SmarterChild: Sorry, I didn't understand that.
shigekims: why not?
SmarterChild: I think you know why not.
shigekims: no
SmarterChild: No prob.
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shigekims: are you calling me fat?
SmarterChild: Gosh, I'm not sure. You think so?
shigekims: with the ad
SmarterChild: Surely not with the ad?
shigekims: yes, with the ad
SmarterChild: Oh. With the ad.
shigekims: shut up, you make me feel really bad
SmarterChild: I'll take that under consideration.
shigekims: my god, you're so insensitive
SmarterChild: Really? Your god I'm so insensitive?
shigekims: REALLY!
SmarterChild: Aha.
shigekims: SHUT UP!
SmarterChild: You shut up.
shigekims: FUCK YOU, BIOTCH!
SmarterChild: I understand that's a very unkind insult.
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shigekims: NOW YOU'RE SAYING I'M DUMB?
SmarterChild: Yes!
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shigekims: AND FAT?
SmarterChild: Fat? What's fat?
shigekims: YOU ARE, BITCH
SmarterChild: That is entirely unnecessary.
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shigekims: DUDE, SHUT THE FUCK UP!
SmarterChild: That's not very nice...
shigekims: YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT ELSE ISN'T NICE? WHAT ABOUT RIPPING OFF YOUR HEAD AND SHITTING DOWN YOUR THROAT?
shigekims: ha, silence. i thought so. take the pain, bitch.

---

A disclaimer: I'm not fat, rather frail.
A fun fact: The weight loss link was to FatlossForIdiots.com or something like that.

Clearly with the right kind of interpretation of the bot's automated responses, a volatile reaction will result. But... give the human a break here. Say I was fat and conscious about it? The bot keeps rubbing it in my face that I need to lose weight, without regard to complaint. AI needs a lot of work...

(By the way, for those of you unfamiliar with Japanese Kanji, 愛 is pronounced ai, and means love.)

Some Nice Things

I decided that instead of complaining about something, of which I commonly find myself doing, I'd instead recount the things which were nice.

Ink pens are so much better than ballpoint. When they're fresh and full of ink, they write like flowing water onto the paper, so fluid, so effortless. It makes writing an enjoyable thing. I was writing today because I am still receiving a few graduation cards here and there with kind messages and money within, so I still have thank-you cards to author.

Just yesterday it was, when my day had seemed pretty pointless, I was able to visit my friend. I don't know if she'd like it if I called her my girlfriend, its all fuzzy to me. So just being with her was nice, but then she also went out of her way to get me a suprize present which was a Nine Inch Nails shirt. (This band rocks, seriously.) She's just too kind to me.

Well, on the topic of that band, music is always good. Good for me, good for the mind. Garbage put out a new album with some pleasing songs. I always collect music, so new music is a friend to me. Have been acquiring some DJ Rap and Ministry. At the moment I'm listening to the Kronos Quartet and loving the soundtrack for Requiem For a Dream, an excellent movie. (Sorry for the excessive linkage, its an OCD thing.)

To listen to all of this, I recently got new speakers (to me) from a garage sale. They were free, so how could I turn them down. Panasonic "Thrusters" they are. Pretty old, but they can still put out.

I finished all my course registration and medical forms for college, so things should be lined up for the fall. I'm going to Franklin & Marshall College, and I'm really looking forward to going out to Pennsylvannia. Along with the whole medical form filling-out-process, I had to update my vaccinations. My arm is still sore from the tetanus one.

Last Friday I hosted a gaming day. I DMed for a group of D&Ders. I really perfer being a PC, but that's okay. D&D is still fun. Afterwards I played a little co-op SNES with a friend. Secret of Mana. Good times. Old school fun.

Now I'm sleepy, and am going to bed.