Oh My! Look at the calender its September already. College exam have just ended with a math paper being my most dreadful paper that stared at me while silently laughing away on how incompetent I am. Damn you! College math.

This month wallpaper looks remarkably stunning! The blank stare of this particular young Japanese girl of an unknown animal incarnation just takes the cake away, I guess. Wearing a strikingly red summer Yukata while holding a bright red Wasaga (Traditional Japanese Umbrella) which scent outflow a calming vibe. Just a quick note: You be surprise that these Wasaga can last for 20 years while the modern umbrella will be broken in just a few years; how brittle.

I throw away those boxes below my down-right-corner from my last setup and reinstate a new and more slender network information counter with a quick access power buttons to restart, shut down or hibernate my computer all thanks to the “Gnometer” theme from the rainmeter software itself. I still keep that windows desktop gadget that keeps me up-to-date on my system performances and keeping as much pixel as I can muster to have a clear view at all time. On the other hand, my Ubuntu is too using the same wallpaper as well.

Wiping the whole 1.5TB of hard drive space from my system and internal storage does make me excited and worried at the same time. However, a fresh install of Windows 7 and ubuntu have clear up a lots of miss settings and problems that have been cropping up under the carpet. I think it’s much needed for anyone to reformat  their system says every 6 months or 1 year? It does wonders and helps to throw out a lots of unneeded stuffs.

*Update* This just in as I stumbled upon a great artwork done by kyoeiki which I have converted into my desktop wallpaper. *cries* this wallpaper is perfect to be used on a upright monitor screen because its original dimension is 1500 x 1900. You can download the full size here at SanCom.

Related posts:

1. June Desktop 2010
2. Is Your Desktop Male or Female?
3. Are You Running On Linux?

A very alluring and tsundere looking Takagi Saya cosplay from the ecchi filled zombie surviving anime Highschool of the dead which is done by an unknown cosplayer.

Related posts:

1. The Best Ever Rei & Asuka Cosplay in Otakon 2009
2. Incredible Nia Teppelin Cosplay From Germany
3. Epic Black Rock Shooter Cosplay!!

[NSFW] Here’s a batch of articulate artworks done by Mogu. In contrast, Mogu characters have more emotional depth on their faces compare to Iwai Ryo. But what I like of Iwai Ryo is that the artist likes to think outside of the box while Mogu sticks to the usual fashion but with an amazingly clean style. In a nutshell, both are great artists.

[View with PicLens]

More on these galleries

Related posts:

1. Iwai Ryo Gallery
2. Ikedan Gallery
3. Pi Gallery

In conjunction of the National Independence Day of Malaysia that we will be celebrating on this 31st, August of 2010. I have muster up a top 5 list on why Malaysian secretly hate Malaysia gathered from what I have read, stories I have heard and people in the general public of their views and perspectives. I won’t go into details because a lots of blogs and forums have done that (Go ask Google sensei!) but will be writing up on the general complains Malaysian have.

1] Slow connection speed

As a Malaysian we need to pay premium fees just to get an access for a lousy internet connection of 1MB, 2MB and 4MB. The funny thing is most are still on the 1MB package and your truly also on the same package as well since 4MB is unreachable in where I live (Yeah!…. right). However, in the recent events, Unifi — A new service provided by the same ISP who is also operating Streamyx is launching their fiber optic service on selected area only that can reach a maximum speed of 20MB only.

It does not help to know that our neighbors are enjoying high speed connection at a very low price. Ouch!

Here’s some examples:

Thailand – True online is offering 6MB package as bare basic that cost only RM 60/month while we are still going strong with 512Kbps as basic (Oh, the horror!) that cost RM77/month with modem.

Singapore – Singtel is too offering 6MB package for the price as low as RM 69/month only.

Here’s a currency converter that will prove to be helpful XE.com.

2] The infamous “Tak apa” attitude

In short, most of the Malaysian love to use the “tak apa” mindset on almost everything and it have been running amok ever since. Yes, people may says that we are a warm bunch but if you look deeper something other than that is actually the hiding inside. Putting things off and ignorance is the country number one national sport. No, it does not apply to everyone but most do.

3] The still unresolved  racial political stance

We have different political parties such as MCA, UMNO and MIC all united under one flag which is the currently Barisan Nasional but sometimes especially when it comes to the election year politician will start to use their racial card again as a strong point to win votes. Funny huh? I thought we were Malaysian ever since the independence day and not rule as a separate race.

Luckily, our newest Prime Minister Najib is doing his best to slingshot this god forsaken country into the 21st century. Many have their hopes up for a change but what I scared is all this “1 Malaysia” and his plans is just another show for us the Malaysian citizen.

4] Massive brain drain

It have become a serious case even before the 21st century as more and more bright, smart and intelligent graduates are leaving for good due to the benefits and opportunities they are able to enjoy in other countries and not in Malaysia. What shocking is that within a short period of 18 months 300, 000 Malaysian have left the country since January 2008. It’s a sad fact that after 50 years of independence we still have not change much from the golden days with sub-standard ministers running the whole country.

I wonder, what have happen to the K-economy that I have read in my form 5 history book.

More to read on:

1. Malaysia’s Brain Drain
2. Wikipedia
3. Lim Kit Siang
4. The Great Malaysian Brain Drain

5]  World class Initial D driver on the road

Sometimes without a notice beforehand a motorbike or even a car can just run across you. As always, we have been told again and again that Malaysia have some very creative driver on the road from changing lane back and forth in a split second, overtaking without any signaling and stopping in the cross junction because it’ll be their turn in 5 more minutes. OMG!

Related posts:

1. Malaysia Unifi is a Big Joke
2. Major Otaku Convention in Malaysia Look Dim
3. Pimp My Broadband ~ Pretty Please?

I must say that I don’t know him very well but I certainly like Paprika (2006) that he have had directed. Moreover, I love how reality and fantasy clashes in between world with a bit of human psychology. It’s sad to say that he have passed away due to a chronic pancreatic cancer he have been secretly suffering.

Satoshi Kon (今 敏, Kon Satoshi?, October 12, 1963 – August 24, 2010) was a Japanese director of anime films. Kon started his career as a manga artist and editor in Young Magazine, and then made his screenwriting debut with “Magnetic Rose”, a section of the anthology film Memories. Kon made his directorial debut film, Perfect Blue, in 1997, followed by Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika and the television series Paranoia Agent. A fifth film, The Dream Machine, is also in production. All of his works as a director have been made by Studio Madhouse, where he was a staff director along with Rintaro and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. He was a founder and part of the 15-member steering committee of the Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) labor group

From: Wikipedia -san

[Picture by Eddy Briere]

Before he meet his demise. He took the time to write a lengthy entry on his blog regarding about his situation and what’s on his mind. I agree that Google translation service can do wonder sometimes but it still can’t translate perfectly from a Japanese language sense in to proper understandable English term. Luckily for us whose background on the Japanese language are blurry a forumer have posted a translated version out.

“May 18 of this year, an unforgettable day.
My wife and I received the following prognosis from a cardiologist at the Musashino Red Cross Hospital:
“The pancreatic cancer is terminal and has metastasized to the bone. You have at most a half year left.”

It was so sudden and such an unfair fate that we two alone could not cope with. (“could not parry”)
Even though, I usually deep inside myself did think: “No matter when you die, it can’t be helped”, this was just too sudden.
Certainly, there may have been symptoms. Since 2 – 3 months, I had been feeling pain on my back and my knees etc. I became unable to put any strength into my right knee, got problems walking and even by going to acupuncture and chiropractics it didn’t get better.
And then the result of doing MRI and PET-CT is this sudden declaration of how much time I got left.
It was like death was already just behind my back, and I couldn’t do anything about it.
After the diagnosis, my wife and I searched for a way to survive. Desperately.
I received the support of reliable friends and extremely strong persons. I refused the cancer medication and tried to survive by believing in a world-view that differs slightly from that of the rest of society.
I felt that rejecting “the norm” was fitting for me. Anyway, I had never had a place among the majority, I thought. It was the same for medical treatment. I thought this and that about what kind of intrigues might be hidden behind the scenes of today’s leading contemporary medicine. (??)
“I’m going to survive with the world-view I chose!”
However. Just like with the creation of a movie/work of art, I couldn’t change things only with my willpower. The symptoms did keep getting worse day by day.

On the other hand, even I, as a member of society, have accepted about half of the world-view of the norm. I’m properly paying my taxes after all. Far from outstanding but without a doubt I am a full member of Japanese society. That’s why, separately from my private world-view I chose to survive, I feel that I have done the necessary “preparations in order to be able to die properly”. Even though, I didn’t do them properly at all.
The first was, by receiving the cooperation of two trustworthy friends, creating a firm to manage the copyrights of Satoshi Kon, ephemeral as they may be, and so on.
The other one was to write down my last will, in order for my wife to inherit my fortune, even though it is not much, without a problem. Of course, it’s not like there would have been any conflict over the inheritance. I just wanted to take away at least one of the worries of my wife, who was going to stay behind in this world and that would calm down myself, who was about to leave.
We were helped out by a friend, who amazingly managed to swiftly deal with my wife’s and my terrible administrative work and the preparations etc.
Afterwards, when I put the final signature on the testament while being half in a comatose state because of life-threatening pneumonia, I even thought exhaustedly “now I can finally die”.
After all, I had been brought by ambulance to the hospital two days in a row. I was hospitalized and examined thoroughly. The result: complication with pneumonia and a considerable pleural effusion.
When I asked the doctor directly, his answer was extremely matter-of-fact, which in a way I am grateful for.
“Wait … one day or two days … and even if you can overcome that, probably it’ll be over this month.”
While listening I thought “this is like listening to the weather forecast”, but the situation was very stressful.
It was the 7th of July. A quite cruel Tanabata.
And then, I decided right away: “I want to die at home.”
It might become a last big disturbance to the people around me, but somehow they found a way to bring me home.
The efforts of my wife, the cooperation of the hospital, which while being kind of an attitude of “already gave up” actually did really help, the enormous support of a private clinic, and finally lots and lots of coincidences, that I cannot consider anything else than gifts of the heavens.
I couldn’t believe that coincidences and inevitableness being connected to each other without interruption so perfectly could exist in reality. I mean, this is not Tokyo Godfathers after all.”

While my wife was running around making plans, I turned to the doctor saying, “even if it’s only one day, or even half a day, at home there are still things I can do!”.
After that, I was left to wait for death, alone in a dreary/dark sick room.
I was lonely, but what I thought was: “Maybe dying isn’t all that bad.”
There wasn’t any particular reason, maybe I wouldn’t have been able to take it otherwise, but I was so calm, it surprised me myself.
Only one thing I really did dislike: “I just don’t want to die in this place.” Looking around, suddenly something started coming out of the calendar on the wall and spread across the room. “Oh man … a line from a calendar? My hallucinations aren’t even one bit individual.”
I felt amused by the fact that even in a time like this my “professional consciousness” was working, but actually that might have been the moment I was the closest to death. I really did feel death next to me.
While I was enclosed between the world of death and my sheets, thanks to the efforts of many people, I was miraculously able to leave the hospital, and to reach my home.
Even dying is exhausting.
To be clear, I am not criticizing the hospital, please do not misunderstand.
I just wanted to go home. Go home to the house I’m living in.
When I was carried into my room, I was a bit surprised to get an “extra” of “watching myself being carried into the room from above”, as happens during near-death experiences.
I was watching myself and the scenery around me from several meters above the ground, as if looking through a wide-angle lens. The bed in the middle of the room was ridiculously big and impressive, and I, wrapped into sheets, was lowered down onto it. It didn’t feel so gentle, but I’m not complaining.

Finally, all that was left to do was to wait for death.
Or at least, that’s how it was supposed to be.
However, I ended up recovering from the pneumonia.
Huh?
In a way, I felt like I had missed my chance to die. *laughs*
I feel that, after this, I, who had been unable to think about anything other than death, actually did die once. The word “reborn” resonated many times in the back of my blurry consciousness .

The next day, I was back in high spirits. I think it was thanks to all those people who came to take care of me, starting from my wife, all those who shared their power / vitality with me, the friends who cheered me on, the doctors and nurses, care manager etc. I’m grateful from the bottom of my heart.

Now that my spirits were back, I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.I told myself to use this “bonus lifespan” I had been given wisely.I wanted to take care of some outstanding debts.Actually I had not told anybody about the cancer, apart from those extremely close around me all the time. I hadn’t even told my parents. Especially concerning my work, there were so many things that kept bothering me / kept being on my mind, it was beyond words. The thought of posting a statement about the cancer online and then documenting my last days also crossed my mind. But the influences it could have for “Satoshi Kon’s death to be planned / scheduled” worried me. Thus, I ended up placing an even larger burden on those around me. I am truly sorry.

There were many people I wanted to meet at least once before dying. My family and relatives, friends from school and university, the people I met in the world of manga who inspired me, the many friends from the anime world, with whom I aligned my desk, competing and stimulating our skills while working on the same project, sharing happiness and sadness and all those people I was able to meet thanks to being a director. I was able to meet people who told me they were my fans not only in Japan but all around the world.

And some people I met online. So many people I would have liked to meet (of course there are also those I don’t want to meet), but I felt that, once I met them, I would start thinking “oh, I cannot meet this person anymore”, and become unable to face death in a good way. Even though I had recovered, I didn’t have a lot of energy left. To meet them I needed a lot of resolve. The more I wanted to meet someone, the more painful it was. It’s ironic.

Plus, because of the metastasis to the bones, the lower half of my body had become paralyzed and I was pretty much bedridden and had become very skinny. I didn’t want them to see me like this. I wanted them to remember the healthy Satoshi Kon as he was surrounded by his many friends.

I want to use this opportunity to apologize to all those whom I didn’t tell about my illness, my parents, my friends and everybody else who knows me. But I also want you to understand my selfishness. After all “that’s the kind of guy he is”, right?
If you think of me, you will be able to think of a smiling face and good memories.
Everybody, thank you so much for everything. I love the world I lived in.
Just the fact of being able to think this way makes me happy.

All those people I met during my life, whether they’d agree with me or not, surely they were all necessary for me to become the person I am. I am grateful for every encounter.
Therefore, even if it all ends with an early death, I am accepting this as my fate. After all, I also lived through a lot of good experiences.
This is how I feel about death now: “It is just sad / regrettable.” Honestly.

However, while I accepted that my many debts couldn’t be helped anymore, there were still three people I couldn’t help but worry about. My parents and Mister Maruyama from Madhouse. The biological parents of Satoshi Kon and the father of Satoshi Kon the director.
It was late, but I had no other choice than to tell them everything. I hoped they would forgive me.
The moment I saw Mister Maruyama’s face, my tears and pathetic feelings wouldn’t stop anymore.
“I am sorry to have ended up like this.” Mister Maruyama didn’t say anything. He shook his head and took my hands. I was filled with with gratefulness. I felt an amazing, incredible joy that cannot be put into words for having been able to work with this person. This might sound exaggerated, but I cannot express it in any other way. It might be self-convenient, but I felt like I had been forgiven.

Translated by maaya

Japanese version

“The Dream Machine” is another film directed by him according to his interview at ANN. Unfortunately, there are still no news on whether the film will be drop or not since the death of its director.

Related posts:

1. Ending of The First College Semester
2. Inception – The Best Sci-fi Film This Summer!
3. Earth Hour 2010

At a tender age, this little princess possess some godly keyboarding skill that only I would be envy about to play some of the best anime song in the industry.

Watching her playing the relatively expensive STAGEA ELS-01C really is awe inspiring as she uses her legs and hands to perform amazing feet of coordination of different keys and pedals.

When They Cry (HIGURASHI): You

Clannad ~ After Story : Toki wo Kizamu Uta

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: God Knows

Air: Tori no Uta

JAM – Roar to the future

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Tearjerking as it may seem to some but to those who thought about this song is all about spinning is totally wrong as it comes with a hidden metaphor.

It’s truely a good song that reminded us of one’s life long aspiration to become master in our trades, even when we fail we must always get back up and keep fighting again. One’s might get over shadowed by our peers around us who have always achieve farther and higher than us. Eventually, One’s will be able to reach their goal in life; The 6300KM is the end of the journey for most of us (Do you know that 6300KM is the radius of this rock we are living on?) In other words, the world is your oysters and the sky is your only limit.

Luka is reflecting of what she have did in the past that had made who she is today. As it have stated inside the video on the 23.4 degrees part because it too represent the orbital plane of our tiny little earth as it is tilted at exactly at 23.4 degrees too.

Video→ [Torrent], [DDL]
Song→ [here]

Source: Moetron

If you want the lyrics click here.

Related posts:

1. This is Japan!
2. Earth Hour 2010
3. What Can You Learn From Anime Itself?

Taiga Aisaka from the popular anime Toradora comes in a Russian flavor this time with this petite little cosplayer calling herself nonetheless “Taiga_Aisaka“. As you see above is her latest creation nickname “Taiga Mecha Ver.”

[View with PicLens]

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Just like a snap my 14 weeks that is equivalent to one semester have passed by me without a sweat. I think I’ll be writing up each entry on every ending semester until I get my share of that glorious piece of no good paper (read: Diploma).

From the 10th of May until the 20th of August 2010 my life move rapidly in joining this and that while sharing shenanigans whosoever I meet along the way. As a note, I’m currently having my studies on the ever changing field of Internet Technology in Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC). Yup! It’s a notorious college that 90% Chinese rules the whole campus. That being said, the whole Chinese environment is really a drag for me.

It’s not the language barriers, it’s not their personality, it’s not their attitude but it’s their young and timid mindset I hated most. Although, I’m a Chinese myself I beg to differ. Because I grown up by watching western movies, drama, listening to English musics, learning the western social rules and so forth. Maybe this is what they call social differences? or I did not meet enough people to differentiate how they function? At the end of the day, they are a happy bunch, at least inside of my circle of friends.

There’s no problem for me to “fit in” at all. Perhaps, that’s what I always do all my life. As I walk along these forsaken path that even I have no idea where it might lead to in the end. Walking blinding is certainly not my strong point but I see a lots are doing it unconsciously throughout their life. Finding what I want to do for the rest of my life is a tough job itself. It’s hard to find the starting point because I have a lots of different interests in mind on many disciplines and fields such as interior design, music, graphics, games, anime, cosplay, computer, internet, publishing and so on. What a mess @_@ I am.

Class comes in three different flavors — Lecture, Tutorials and Practical. Lecture usually are the most boring part of the three while I love doing tutorials and practicals classes being assess by the respected teacher at the time. Most of the time I love to finish all the tutorials and practicals before each classes. Sometimes I go way advance into the subject just to put my mind at ease that I can finish it early than anyone else while holding great pride on the subject I know and specialize in. In other word, I’m quite carefree in my college without worrying much. Is that a good thing? or a bad thing?

It’s funny that my friends can feels the pressure from the midterm test and surprise test but I on the other side felt almost nothing at all. My expression would be like “Meh… It’s just another test“. It is a condition that I keep asking myself why I’m not afraid of such test? What I found out is that I don’t really care at all because the materials presented in the course I study in is still very elementary to me. In the coming weeks Semester 2 will start and I’ll be rejoicing then since most of those listed are more exciting.

As a lacto- ovo Vegetarian life is very hard and bread-san is always my best friend (joke intended). I’m pretty well fed and food is always abundant in College. No, meat is not a part of a vegetarian diet. Being a vegetarian is a preference rather than a choice and it’s not for everyone while people keep asking me the question why. Let me tell you why — I don’t want to die young due to health problems, I don’t want to get artificial hormone in my system, I don’t want to kill those animals just to eat their meat (Oh! The irony from people who want to eat them while ignoring how the meat come about on to their plate.) Did I mention that I’m an Atheist?

Do you think I should publish a post on “A Survival Guide for College Freshmen”?

I’ll be back for the second installment in about another 3 months or more?

End rant.

Related posts:

1. College Life Start Tomorrow
2. Malaysia Environmental Fail!
3. It’s Chinese New Year Already!?

Banpresto recently release a line of new Deformania from the popular moe-blob K-On anime. Each can be purchase separately from Play-asia online store front. Volume 1 contain the core members only while on the coming volume we might be able see Azunya.

I’m sorry for the poor pictures quality that this posted presented but I can’t find any better ones on the net. To those who are interested here the links to each of them.

If you ask me I would get Ritsu & Mugi since they are amazingly adorable!

Ritsu

Mio

Yui

Mugi

Related posts:

1. Chibi Neko Ritsu Flush
2. [Nendoroid][GSC] K-ON! Mio and Ritsu: Live Stage Set
3. Mogu Gallery