Happy Valentine's Day! :)

Hello!
I hope that you all have a happy Valentine's Day! Click the image to see the e-card full sized.

You Are Strawberry Ice Cream

A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core. You often find yourself on the outside looking in. Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works. You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Your Love is Represented by a White Rose

While you may or may not be totally naive, you do approach love with an eternal innocence. You love like you've never been hurt. And you put all your faith in your partner. Your philosophy on love is: be honest and be yourself.

What Rose Represents Your Love?

Your Inner Color is Blue

Your Personality: Your natural warmth and intuition nurtures those around you. You are accepting and always follow your heart. Your Career: You need to help others in your job to feel satistifed. You would be a great nurse, psychologist, or counselor.

What's Your Inner Color?

You Are Cherry Kiss Lip Gloss

You're a total girly girl. You take pleasure in the simple things in life, from cute t-shirts to stuffed animals. No wonder Cherry your signature flavor. It's delicious, sugary, and fun - like you!

What Flavor Lip Gloss Are You?

Your Vocabulary Score: A

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person.

How's Your Vocabulary?

Your Superpower Should Be Manipulating Electricity

You're highly reactive, energetic, and super charged. If the occasion calls for it, you can go from 0 to 60 in a split second. But you don't harness your energy unless you truly need to. And because of this, people are often surprised by what you are capable of. Why you would be a good superhero: You have the stamina to fight enemies for days Your biggest problem as a superhero: As with your normal life, people would continue to underestimate you What Should Your Superpower Be?

You Are an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

On the surface, you're a little plain - but you have many subtle dimensions to your personality. Sometimes you're down to earth and crunchy. Other times, you're sweet and a little gooey.

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

You Should Learn Japanese

You're cutting edge, and you are ready to delve into wacky Japanese culture. From Engrish to eating contests, you're born to be a crazy gaijin. Saiko!

What Language Should You Learn?

I thought I was going to get Spanish as a result. Mind you, I'm not complaining!

You Are a Blue Flower

A blue flower tends to represent peace, openness, and balance. At times, you are very delicate like a cornflower. And at other times, you are wise like an iris. And more than you wish, you're a little cold, like a blue hydrangea.

What Color Flower Are You?

What Your Pizza Reveals

People may tell you that you have a small appetite... but you aren't under eating. You just aren't a pig. You consider pizza to be bread... very good bread. You fit in best in the Midwest part of the US. You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods. You are generous, outgoing, and considerate with your choices. You are cultured and intellectual. You should consider traveling to Vienna. The stereotype that best fits you is guy or girl next door. Hey, there's nothing wrong with being average.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

You Are Noon

You are upbeat, ambitious, and never at loss for energy. You have a lot that drives you in life. The desire to be the best, and a secret hope of fame and power. And while you definitely have a Type A personality, you are still fun to be around. You have a ton of charisma and a genuine interest in others.

What Time Of Day Are You?

You Are a Carousel

You are young at heart and a truly playful person. No one would ever accuse you of taking life too seriously. You are definitely in things for the fun. You find joy easily, and you are often building up anticipation for your next adventure. In relationships, you tend to want to be babied and taken care of. And while you may be a bit high maintenance, you are incredibly loyal. Your life is simple and satisfying. Each day you treat yourself to something you enjoy. You have a lot of emotional attachments, and experiences are extra vivid to you. You tend to be nostalgic and sentimental. The past is important to you. Comfortable around all living things, you have a special connection to animals and children. At your best, you are whimsical, free spirited, and creative. Even if your schemes seem a bit strange, they usually work out wonderfully.

What Carnival Ride Are You?

What Your Hands Say About You

You are logical, analytical, and rational. You have good verbal skills. Idealistic and dreamy, you tend toward the impractical. You have a knack for getting yourself in sticky situations. Brainy and intelligent, you are intellectual to the point of being incomprehensible. Your emotions tend to be nervous and potent. Your energy - both positive and negative - deeply impacts your life.

What Do Your Hands Say About You?

Your Gemstone is Aquamarine

Intuitive, tranquil, and trusting. You inspire others to have faith in themselves.

What Gemstone Are You?

You Scored an A

You got 10/10 questions correct. It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors. If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs.(Not really) As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human. And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.

The It's Its There Their They're Quiz

You Should Own a Husky

Athletic, free-spirited, and perfect for cuddling

What Kind of Dog Should You Have?

I like this kind of dog because I used to have a husky mix who was a sweetheart. She was very brave and fairly calm too.

Of Enchantment Wrought by Written Word

I hope you had a good Christmas. It was mostly pretty quiet here.

I had had some thoughts about comunication and would like to share them with you
Have you heard a song and thought it sounded like how someone you know talks? As often as not people recognise folks they know through that person's choice of words as well as his voice.

Words effect people strongly. They can be used to strengthen someone's convictions or to attempt to change them. Words are also be used to reveal truths or to conceal them. In this blog, I talk of their use in showing someone's thoughts.

Sometimes people share a dream, a beautiful vision which may call out, asking to be set into some medium. How are they going to share this dream? Most likely, they will convey it through their speech. The enthusiasm in their voices and in their choice of words will paint a beautiful image across the listener's mind.
People have also used word choice and the overall tones to turn folks away from something the writer finds undesirable. For instance, the word "herbalist" is a more positive word than the term "quack". It is obvious which term an alternative healer would prefer to be called since the term herbalist indicates that the person knows what he is talking about when it comes to herbal medicine.

Someone can change the future and affect how others remember history through his use of words. This powerful gift from God has been used since mankind's beginnings to both harm and good. How many times have you read in your history books that some great(or not so great) leader was advised to take a particular course of action? To see that today, all you have to do is read the news!

Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
Proverbs 25:15

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:18

Please consider what the Bible has to say in James 3.

James 3
1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt[a] water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

My birthday was quiet and a lot of fun. One part I thank God for is that Dad felt better that day than he had all week!
One of the things my family gave me is a blue 'Zelda' ocarina. Its tones are rather pleasant. I know I have heard similar trills in many folks songs.
It seems that ocarinas can be made from many things.
This guy made one from broccoli.

Here is one he made from a carrot.


Here is a tutorial for making your own ocarina!


Speaking of Link's ocarina, here are some funny glitches people recorded from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Make sure you have a back up file before trying these!

"21 bottles in the wall..."


Unlimited Sword

Getting Started with Computer Graphics

If you would like to try making your own cg art, then this post is for you.

It is possible to get an earlier version of Bryce for free. The company that sells Bryce is giving away Bryce 5 and 5.5. I think 5.5 can also work with Daz Studio, but it won't come with it(I think). That would be a separate download, but it is free too.

Bryce 5.5 is here.

Bryce 5.0 is gentler on older computers and is quite stable. This is the program I learned most of my techniques on. However, it will not run Daz Studio.
You can get it here.

If you're going to try Daz Studio(which you can get here), then this might interest you. It is a collection of animals with a few cartoon characters.
They are here.

I would also like to recommend these tutorials. This set of tutorials was once used a a beginner's course for Bryce5. (Corel sold Bryce to Daz, by the way) The Mulawa tutorials are another approach to the same. They were written for Bryce 4, but the same principles apply to Bryce 5. By the way, Peter Sharpe's tutorials are highly recommended for learning how to get some neat effects in Bryce with little effort. Many of these are fairly easy to follow, too.

I hope you enjoy this.

Girl Talk: An Inuyasha/Sailor Moon crossover comic

This would be even funnier if the boys were obviously speaking Japanese (the girls could then be practicing their English. ) Inuyasha is smart! He could surprise them that way. He does occasionally haul off with Kagome's textbooks when he thinks she won't notice. Darien would understand IF he could hear them, but its up to Inuyasha to listen in. Darien is too polite to do that anyway.

This really is a joint project.
I was playing around in Bryce6 and Daz Studio with some assorted bits one evening and decided to do a picture with Kagome and Sailor Moon together in Tokyo. I didn't want it to just be them, I wanted it to show them talking. Mom also thought the idea was fun and while we talked about it she came up with some funny dialog. lol I loved it, thus this comic was born.

Oh yes, as I recall Inuyasha did behave badly the first few times he visited Kagome's family.

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi
Sailor Moon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko
The comic and the images belong to yours truly.
As usual, if you would like to see the full-sized version click the thumbnail.

Inuyasha was a fun challenge to put together, though I didn't have to solve all of that puzzle myself. I had seen another person's work using Poser and, while I liked what she did, I wanted to do my own thing. She gave me an idea of where to start.

This picture is what kicked it all off. I was playing with some free sailor suit stuff and wondered if I could make Kagome. Once I made her, I decided to see if I could adapt the same pieces for Sailor Moon. I had picked up Sailor Moon's hair free a long time before and had one day planned to recreate her anyway. Well-it worked and then I had both Tokyo residents...what if they met? What if they went shopping together and had lunch?

Mom told me she was impressed by how well 'Darien in the Park' came out. I was glad at how it came out too. He was much harder to put together than I'd anticipated. I was glad I could work in a few touches from his alternate identity. Fans will know what I mean.

Sailor Moon is such a cheery person. It is good to see her picture done at last. In the Sailor Moon cartoon they use a lot of pastels and light colors and unusual shades like the green in Darien's coat. I tried to keep that mood.

I wanted the portraits to reflect the backgrounds in the cartoons.

Mom's quizzes seemed like fun so here are the results.


Your signature color is Pink Chiffon

There's nothing saccharine about you — your sweetness is one hundred percent natural! A gentle, thoughtful romantic like you must be paired with a color that's soft and warm — but still has a subtle sophisticated sheen. That's why Pink Chiffon is the perfect color for you! You're probably known for making the most of every situation and trying to see the best in people. But while you may be cheerful and innocent at times, you're nobody's fool. You may see the world through rose-colored glasses, but you can still see, after all.

While you make wise insights time after time, it's probably your good nature and perpetual optimism that are what you're known for and what make you a joy to be around. Even those who sometimes make fun of your Pollyanna-like proclamations will turn to you when they need a friend and some cheering up. So keep pink, Chiffon. With you around, the world's a better place!

What's Your Signature Color?

Brought to you by Tickle







Your flavor is Sunny Orange

Your sunny disposition and happy-go-lucky attitude are the kinds of traits everyone loves to have around. Our bet is you're known as the chief supporter in your clan. If there's a bash to throw, you're likely the first one on the horn. If there's a crisis at hand, you can usually be counted on to rally the troops. Easy to talk to and fun to be around, you have a gift for blending perfectly no matter what the situation.

This positive energy extends beyond good times into every other aspect of your life. Whatever your career path or goals, your natural ability to win people over and communicate ideas with enthusiasm are two key secrets to your success. The same glass-half-full attitude that makes you a fab friend will work its magic in the workplace. And in the world of business, those kinds of good vibes are always refreshing.

What Flavor Fits You?

Brought to you by Tickle

Another Wryter's Fyre Update

I was redoing some of my art on Wryter's Fyre.


This piece illustrates what I had in mind all those years ago.
(click the image to see the full version)
If you are unable to load the preview and would like to see the picture, click here

Thoughts On the New Harry Potter Book and the New Film

Well, it happened. The end of the Harry Potter series has come and with its arrival has changed many long-held beliefs in the fandom. Some people loved this last stanza of the saga, some hated it, and still others don't know what to think of it all.
I liked it. I liked it a lot. Its tone was strongly reminiscent of the early books, which was a very pleasant surprise after reading the previous two books.(Do not misunderstand me. I enjoyed books five and six)
People had guessed at some of the plot points within this tome, but the way these events were introduced kept me guessing what would happen next. Some of the plot twists, however, were quite unexpected. I was surprised at Dumbledore's back story and at how some of the characters acted during different bits. For one thing, I had thought that Ronald's Aunt Muriel would be a nicer person than she turned out to be and that Xenophilius Lovegood would have had more moral integrity than he showed when he was put under pressure based on how Luna behaves and on what his name means(His name is made from two Greek words - xeno, which means outside and philius, which means love or affection). Kreacher's presence was surprisingly likable and his tale did kind of stir up some pity in my heart.

Anyway, I did go see the Order of the Phoenix in the theatre with my friend on her birthday some time back. The film was a lot better than I had expected it to be. We enjoyed it immensely. It was very smoothly paced and the balance between the war against Voldemort and the battle with the Ministry was done just right. Luna was charming and Neville showed quite a bit of backbone.
Neville is heroic in both the book and the movie. Even though he long believed himself to be inept and had been belittled for his lack of confidence, that kind brave heart of his won out when it really mattered.
Oh, one funny thing added to our enjoyment of the film. Every time the scene panned around Umbridge's office and showed the decorations on the walls, we all kept thinking about our new kittens at home. Personally, I think ours are cuter than the kitties on the plates(those little critters were cute in their own way, though). :P

Fun Quizzes

Well, I was checking out a site containing some neat quizzes. I like how the owner wanted to make quizzes anybody could take. The Narnia one is especially good, if you ask me. I had no idea what result I was going to get. The Beatrix Potter quiz brings back fond memories. :)

Narnia Personality Quiz
Take this quiz at
Sparrow's Song

I did not expect to get this result, but hey I'm not complaining! lol

Which Beatrix Potter
character are you?
Take this quiz at
Sparrow's Song

Which Winnie the Pooh character are you?
Take this quiz at
Sparrow's Song

The Vatican Says "Drive Safely"

(click the title for the article)
I never expected to hear the Vatican tell people to drive more carefully.

Harry Potter trailer

Online Videos by Veoh.com

I liked this trailer and wanted to share it.

A friend of mine is delighted to discover that the film will be out in time for her birthday. So am I, since she does enjoy both the books and the films.

Both the English and American covers are quite intriguing, I think. In the English version it looks like Harry and his buddies are in a Gringott's vault. As for the arena on the standard American version, I cannot help but wonder if it is not the other side of the evil curtain.

Mom thinks Dumbledore really did trust Hagrid with his life and planned out that business on the tower with Snape beforehand but I'd heard he wasn't supposed to return. I do think Snape was still working with Dumbledore and we will see more surprises out of him.

It seems incredible the book and the movie are only ten days apart. On the one hand, I am glad they are so close together. During that time, I'm probably going to be very excited about it and drive my family nuts around then, so maybe it is not so great. :P
However, on the other hand, the down side is that we'll all have to wait until 2008 at the very least before we will see another film AND the book that is coming out in July is almost certainly the very last novel in that series. It may yet be that there is one more book to be written, but I heard it probably will not be a novel. However, another novel is not an impossibility.

Quizzes

Which climate are you most suited towards?
Warm Climate You like things hot! To you, there's nothing better than lying on the sand with the sun overhead. Most people seem to share your preferences; you can probably make a lot of friends. Just don't try to have too much of a good thing, or you could get hurt.
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What kind of eyes do you have? (with pictures)
Eden You have eden eyes. Eden is the color of water. Your eyes symbolize your great flexibility. You are a creative person. You can think of many good ways to get your point across to people as you have very good communication abilities. When someone feels down or is hurt, you have the remarkable ability to help them and heal them. If you have too little going on in your life, you may be withdrawn and depressed, timid, manipulative, unreliable, stubborn, or suspicious. Some words to describe you: peaceful, sincere, affectionate, tranquil, intuitive, trustworthy, pure, loyal, healing, and stable.
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What Musical Instrument Are You?
Piano Almost everybody knows how to play the piano. Does everybody know how to play you? Perhaps. However, you can do a lot of cool stuff that the other instruments can. You can be used in almost any genre of music. If anyone wants to learn, they'd be well off picking you.
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What color are you? (Amazingly detailed & accurate--with pics!)

You are the color red. You are the most controversial of all the colors. You are often easily angered, but as easily as you got excited, you come down. When angered, do you have the tendency to be malicious? Afterwards, do you end up begging for forgiveness? Maybe. But you're incredibly generous, and, odd enough, needy. You love to hate, and sometimes, you hate to love. This color describes you as generally edgy. When in a bad situation, you're pessimistic, and when you're in a good situation, you're extremely optimistic. You're painfully tempermental, and sometimes it hurts the ones you love. But with an exciting and stimulating attitude, you enjoy talking to people and being social. But aside from your bold and outgoing attitude, you're attention-needing and attention-getting. You're a protective person when it comes to the people you love. Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Which Pepsi-Cola or Coca-Cola soda are you most like?

SPRITE.
Take this quiz!



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Which wand will yours be?

12 inches, yew and stardust. Flexible, unique, mysterious. A Gregorovitch wand no doubt, with remarkable workmanship and beautiful... even if it does have a tendency to get as lost in dreams as it's owner.
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Which Writing Implement Are You?
Marker You definately like to make an impression. And you often make a big one. Sometimes you can make too much of an impression. Regardless, the impression that you make stays for a long time. Don't try to change your tune after the fact.
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Which Kitchen Appliance Are You?
Microwave You get things cooked quickly and efficiently. But that doesn't mean they always come out looking the best. What you gain in speed you usually lose in quality. On the plus side, people have come to rely on you every day; they tend to overlook your shortcomings in favor of your qualities.
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com