Stuff and Shit

A bit of a round up snce I've been a bit quiet.

- I got 2 new tracks on TM-X. Ice Block Village and Clifftop.
- I'm playing Pokemon Red again. 5/150.
- My phone line is Broadband enabled. All I need now is the modem and I'm off.
- I'm set to finish Starfox Adventures in the next few days.
- I'm playing Final Fantasy Tactics Advance again.

Hahaha

Haha, go Gizoogle that last post. Brilliant.

Cleaning Out My Closet - Picture Edition

Well time for the pics.


This came out really bad but it's the 6 comics in The Bohrok Saga. A great set of comics set in the Lego Bionicle universe. These comics were free gifts with 6 consecutive issues of Official Nintendo Magazine.


Some of my collection of books from magazines. Guides to Champ Man 02/03, Max Payne and Dead or Alive 3 from XGamer. Guides to 5 of the PS1's biggest games from OPM. The evolution of PC games from PC Gamer. Oddessy strategy guide from Deckmaster and Guides to the Pokemon Mini and Pokemon Red/Blue from Nintendo World.


I didn't find my old printer but I'm doing some customisation on it. In other words taking it apart piece by piece.


The best piece of merch to come from Pokemon. These 3 coins are still a joy to behold even though like every other type of coin they're getting tarnished now.


Dead chuffed to find this. A really good bag to hold GBA games. It used to hold marbles but I've now lost all of them. Can you remember the Pokemon's name and number? I bet you can even if you don't want to admit it.


The best find all day. At one time I had all 4 of these Pokemon mangas but I lost volumes 1 and 3. These are treasured possesions now.

So that's it. I'm undergoing something of a Pokemon revival right now, I unearthed my copy of Pokemon Red earlier and that's still kick-ass. I got most of my Pokemon stuff back and my videos are gonna be getting dusted off tomorrow. You all remember the Pokerap right? You do. It's embedded in your soul and you can never be rid of it.

The pokemon on the bag is #115 Kangaskhan.

Cleaning Out My Closet

And everything else for that matter. I just gave my room it's first major clean in over 3 years (I only moved into this room 3 years ago). I'll take photos later and show you the aftermath. Here's a list of big stuff I found.

- Cardcaptors character profiles I printed off in 2003 and hung above my bed.
- Pokemon coins I bought in 2000. Rhydon, Jigglypuff and Golem.
- Kangaskhan marble bag. Used to hold Pokemon marbles. Marbles still missing.
- X-Men cards. Picked up the starter set a while ago but have now forgotten the rules.
- 3 card tins. 2 little ones which now hold X-Men and Harry Potter cards and a big one now holding my Pokemon, Yu-Gi Oh and Football Champions cards.
- Pokemon manga. 2 of a 4 volume set, reading left to right which slightly annoys me now I know more about manga.
- Action GBX videos. Videos from 2002 Game Boy magazine GBX. One video with each issue and there were 11 issues. Issue 11 gave away a free game though which is why I got 2 copies of it.
- Various Bionicle stuff. The 6-issue Bohrok Saga comic collection which I didn't think I'd completed and my 3 actual models. Lewa, Kopaka and Gali.
- Lots of posters.
- Lots of magazines.
- Lots of cheat books. Including a guide to the short lived Pokemon Mini.
- My copy of Pokemon Red which shall be inserted into the GBA slot later.
- One of my Legoland Windsor gold rush medals. Top quality.

I'll post pics of all of these later including the little plastic Rattata which has replaced Celtic Guardian atop my computer.

Official Word

Go to the Trackmania site and look at the clock. 8th April 2005 and Sunrise drops. I can't wait.

Official Word

Oh man I hate developers when they do this.

http://www.trackmaniagame.com

A freaking countdown clock. Trackmania Sunrise drops in 10 days. The mathematically able of you will realise that's the 8th of April. Just over a week to wait.

I can't wait, the sun is rising.

TM-X

NJ's back on TM-X! Check me out over there and check out new track NJ's Revenge!

www.tm-exchange.com

Peer to Peer

My copy of Limewire's been in overdrive today. I reaped a generous helping of songs both from there and from Download.com Music (hereby known as DLM). Here's what's been added to my playlist today.

Two Gallants - Nothing to You (DLM)
These country-esque guys are awesome. They can really belt out a tune.

Hippie Cream - This is How We Do It Here (DLM)
Full of fat and vitamin wtf? Something you shouldn't like but you do.

The Faint - Birth (DLM)
These guys have an album. Go and get it.

The Californias - Breaking My Heart (DLM)
Very college band, very prom night, very catchy.

Ted Leo - Shake the Streets (DLM)
This guy also has an album out. Go and get that too.

Youth in Asia - Waste of Time (DLM)
Very high on the HELL YEAH!! scale of awesomeness.

And from Limewire?
Good Charlotte - I Just Wanna Live
Very Bloody Good Charlotte. Their best since The Anthem.

Green Day - Minority
Arms in the air people! I usually hate songs like this but Green Day do it with so much style.

Randy Kane - .........
"I wanna be the very best, like no-one ever was. To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause." The best theme tune I've ever heard.

Maggie O'Hara - Tomoyo's Song
Well I seriously doubt it's O'Hara on this song but I've forgotten the name of the japanese voice of Madison. This CCS tune is unbelievably calming.

Anyone fancies taking the piss then go ahead.

Witchcraft

Well some of you may have seen some interesting trailers on Jetix recently if you've watched it. As well as the truly awesome Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go! you will have seen a trailer for a very anime like show named W.I.T.C.H. I can confirm that this does have anime roots. Scanulation group Shoujo-Magic were going to do the manga before they heard it was going to be published by Disney. In accordance with scanulation laws (the laws of the scan world, not official law) they cancelled the project before they started. So now you know.

LET IT RIP!!

Just caught the rear end of Beyblade on Toonami. Naturally I dug out my 2 blades and gave em a spin. Still got it, maybe I'll dig out my video later or maybe I'll start collecting the DVDs as it's still an outstanding anime in my opinion.

Is This The Way To........

Well Neo issue 5 is out Wednesday. Check that bad boy out, there's also One Piece and The Big O starting on Toonami next month. On the subject of Toonami they've asked the members of the Neo forums to vote for what series' they should get next, at the moment its Evangelion and Chobits pretty much unanimously.

Anyway, Doctor Who starting on BBC1 in 20 minutes. Make sure you don't miss that as it's gonna be awesome. Maybe Christopher Eccleston can prove that he deserved it over Alan Davies.

A Poor Excuse for a Blogger

http://www.brettandbutter.co.uk
5 posts since the new year? Brett Jenkins/Radiohead has made 5 posts since the start of the year? He's gonna call me sad for having made at least 50 posts since the new year but coming from someone who started The Barry Scott Fan Club and who signs his posts as the aforementioned Mr Scott that's a bit fucking rich in my opinion. Having threatened me with legal action after I posted my Radiohead drawing to dA I personally find Brett to be a poor excuse for a human being and it slightly shames me that I once counted him amongst my friend and plugged his pathetic radio show on my old LiveJournal. It's also really funny that he thinks he actually has some respect and status amongst everyone. While working on my ICT Thursday lunchtime he poked his head round the door to proclaim to the room that he was beating up Michael Stobbs. Yeah, very impressive Brett.

On a more cheerful note I would advise everyone to check out Get Backers on DVD as it's absolutely hilarious. One of the most enjoyable animes I've seen in some time.

Prediction

Right now there's one thing making me want a PSP. Lumines.

Anyway here's who I reckon is gonna win The Games this year.

Women - HRH Princess Tamara
From the training I've seen she's got immense skill and talent in all the events. I think she will clash with Lisa Maffia later in the week as both are bound to want to win.

Men - Craig Charles
More a personal feeling than a technical analysis. I just really want Craig to win and I think he can win. Having seen his training for the Sumo and Diving I reckon he has a big chance.

A Reminder of 8 Years Ago.....

Well I've lost the remote to the Sky box. That means manually using the buttons on the front to change channels. Combine that with the bank holiday tradition of putting complete crap on TV and the horror of getting up at 4pm (and even then I was woken by my phone) and you have a very bored NJ. Well having watched 5 minutes of Cheers on Paramount, Green Day on Kerrang, a bit of The Games preview on E4, the end of Linkin Park - Breaking the Habit (love that video) on Q and a bit ot US Weakest Link on Challenge I went to the ever reliable refuge. The cartoon channels. Now most of you will know that in some cases I find the word cartoon to be unfitting so me saying that is rare. Having flicked through Cartoon Network, Fox Kids, Boomerang, POP etc I came to notice a few characters I recognized. Jessie, James, Butch, Cassidy, Tracey, Jenny, Misty and Ash. I came to Toonami and found there what had kicked off my love of anime in the first place. Pokemon. Now in my video drawer under my TV I have a substantial collection. I have 7 Cardcaptors videos, a Beyblade video and most importantly 4 Pokemon videos. Since my DVD collection started growing at a scary rate I'd completely forgotten about this lot. Incidentally there are copies of Star Wars Episode 1, AI, Chicken Run, The Time Machine, Shrek and Eight Legged Freaks among all the anime. Watching that episode on Toonami I got a strange yet familliar feeling. It was the same feeling I got when watching Pokemon all that time ago in 1997. The same feeling I got whan watching Cardcaptors in 2000. The same feeling I got when watching Yu-Gi Oh in 2002. The same feeling I got when watching Dragonball Z in any of those years. It was the feeling of being a kid again, the feeling of just giving up caring about what people thought and defending what I liked at all costs. When people asked me if I liked Pokemon in year 7 I would always say yes. When people asked me that same question in year 10 I said no. A few days ago I was talking about selling my cards on eBay, I can't do that. My collection of cards is a reminder of who I used to be and when I get them out I still feel memories of Leominster and my past. My love of anime is evolving and maturing but no matter how many DVDs on my shelf are 12s and 15s I can never find them as enjoyable as I still find all the U rated videos in that drawer. I still have to hunt down the remaining videos in my Cardcaptors collection. None of you lot will ever understand this feeling.

Kinda related to all that lot, in the Cardcaptors universe it's Meilin Rae's birthday. A trip to Wikipedia did my knowledge the world of good.

Blasting Off Faces

I got 5 bots set up on my copy of Red Faction 2. I play against them regularly. They're split into 2 teams. The red team (my team) used to be me (captain), Nick and Lucy with the blue team being Charlie (captain), Andy and Sara. Well today I changed things a bit, as well as changing the bot models from the 6 Red Faction members. Here's what bots had what model.

Me - Alias
Charlie - Shrike
Andy - Repta
Lucy - Tangier
Sara - Quill
Nick - The other one who I can't remember

Anyway, now the teams have changed.

Red Team
NJ (captain)
Charlie
Nick

Blue Team
David
Lucy
Alison

And man it's good to administer a beating to that lot every now and then. So far out of the 2 games of CTF played with these teams its Red 2 - Blue 0 (game scores were 2-1 and 7-1). And for any doubters I set bots to hard so there.

NOTE
The bots used are purely for stress relief purposes and have no reflection on my personal opinions of the people depicted.

Basically no flaming me because I'm kicking your virtual ass every night.

Here We Go Again

1v1, 3v3, Saturday Thrash, TM-X and WR Points. If you don't know what any of these are then it's time to find out.

TRACKMANICS REUNITE!!

Trackmania: Sunrise
Coming Spring 2005
Only for PC

I'm back in training ready to try and take the first Sunrise title.

Power Up!

Days Until Broadband - 15

Well as you can see my connection is about to get a good kick up the ass.

Tiscali 512k
£15.99 a month
30GB usage limit (boo)

So a usage limit. The price I pay for being against AOL in all its forms. Never mind, hopefully 30GB will be more than I think just like 150 hours was more than I thought. Either way it's Tiscali so I feel safe. My bandwidth counter says I've recieved somewhere in the realm of 400mb tonight and I've had the Chrono Trigger torrent on the go. It doesn't look like it'll last long my friends.

What We're Thinking

So I gets this idea for a webcomic. I've been drawing character ideas all day and you can see the graduated ones on my deviantART page. Tracks, Kamik, Radiohead, Reeves, Chikorita and Misery. Look out for it soon.

Isuka and God

So. Brazier keeps going on at me for weeks/months about finding out when Guilty Gear Isuka is coming out on the Xbox. So I trek out onto the net to find bugger all about it in the UK at all.

On another note I was compelled to check out Christian Gaming Reviews' review of Resi 4. They awarded it 77%. If you fancy a huge laugh then check out their opinions on most games. They have an interesting way of reviewing things. First they look at and score games on their technical merit just like Gamespot, Edge or indeed yours truly. Games are nicely rated out of 10 for graphics, sound, control, gameplay and lifespan just like most other review sites. However then they move to the appropriateness. This is essentially examining the game from a 'christian' perspective (i.e. worried mother mode) with a fine toothcomb. The game is then rated for violence, language, sex, occult, and ethics. The more of each of these in the game the lower the score. The technical and appropriateness scores are then added to form the final score. If you have a bit of free time then I'd suggest you go over there and check it out. There really are some surprisingly objective opinions there (for a christian site).
A well written review, but I personally disagree entirely. Resident Evil 4 is a work of art, especial beacuse the dying Gamecube is starving for games like this. While i do agree it is innaproate for the young ones, those 14 and up should run out and purchase this amazing title!

Unfortunately there are also the hardcore christians (or republicans as we know them) always hanging about.
I want to encourage you in the persecution you may suffer for taking such a bold stand for the faith. You are a credit to this site, and the faith. God bless you, and yours.

And there's always the Christian Gaming Alliance if you fancy picking a fight.

http://www.ccgr.org
http://www.cgalliance.org

FYI
I'm an aethiest.

Looking Back

I've just been flipping back through my blog and spotted this in October last year.

"It took a single weekend for me to complete Sonic 2. How much of a disappointment is that? Only 2 emeralds though. I'm doing Sonic 3 now but Sonic 2 was the big prize with the remix project nearly finished (http://www.paletteswap.com/sonic2). On second thoughts, that's really tempting fate."

Oh how right I was. If you're a recent addition to the readers of this place then head back into the archives and check them out, some good stuff in there.

Cute and Freaky? Hot and Annoying?

A riddle that has plagued man for 10 years. This has caused fights, arguments and has broken friendships. Who is better? Rei or Asuka? This is an issue I had an opinion on as soon as I saw pictures of the 1st and 2nd children of Nerv. With this in mind I headed out into the ever unpredictable Google Image Search aiming to get pics of these 2. Let me tell you first that anyone who searches for any Evangelion character in GIS should expect to find hentai within seconds.

My personal opinion is that Rei is the best. She's cute but slightly freaky. Her hair is awesome too.

Also if anyone thinks I'm hopeless when it comes to women they should see Shinji's attempts to get his feelings across to Rei. Hopeless.

Weekend Round-up

And so for this round-up including my plans for today and what to buy in the next week.

The only thing I really have to say is to go check out Gangsta City's new comic. You might not get the anime reference but you'll certainly get the joke.

Today I plan to watch the following DVDs.
Sonic Underground eps 17+18
Princess Mononoke
Eva: Death and Rebirth
At least one of those isn't gonna happen.

Now here's what you should be spending your money on this week.
Chobits Volume 1 finally hits the UK on Monday.
Chrono Trigger fans may like to check out Chrono Crusade vol. 1 also on Monday.
Horror fans should check out the japanese original of The Grudge 2 out Monday.
Followers of Final Fantasy Unlimited and GitS: Stand Alone Complex, your chosen series has it's next volume out on Monday
Same goes for Trigun fans.
Advance Wars 3, Animal Crossing DS, Mario Kart DS, Ridge Racer, Sonic and Metroid Prime: Hunters are all out Friday so if you haven't got a DS already get one before then.
Dante's back on Friday with Devil May Cry 3
The EyeToy also returns with Antigrav.
Kingdom Hearts fans rejoice as the phenominal Chain of Memories hits the GBA on Friday.

Enjoy the week.

My, Myself and a Scanner

Hehe, I love my scanner. For those who don't know I got a Lexmark X2250 PSC (printer, scanner, copier) earlier this year after my old printer (Hewlett Packard 3420) tragically stopped working. Like I care, this one kicks ass! When I first got my comp all that time ago everyone said 'no you don't need an all-in-one'. Since getting my all-in-one every function has been used daily. Picture break I think.


My old HP.


My new Lexmark.

Anyway as promised here is The Official UK Anime DVD Chart.

The Official UK Anime DVD Chart comprised by Silverscreen DVD Entertainment
1 - Yu-Gi-Oh: The Movie (Warner Bros)
2 - Spirited Away (Optimum)
3 - Cowboy Bebop 1+2 (Beez)
4 - Ninja Scroll 10th Anniversary Edition (Manga)
5 - Fist of the North Star 1+2 (Manga)
6 - Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (Optimum)
7 - Ghost in the Shell (Manga)
8 - Perfect Blue (Manga)
9 - Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 1 (Manga)
10 - Dead Leaves (Manga)

And also since I love you so much, here's the release schedule for the rest of March.

March 21st
Chaos
Chobits 1
Chrono Crusade 1
Dominion Tank Police 1+2
Final Fantasy Unlimited 7
Gad Guard 2
Get Backers 2
GitS: Stand Alone Complex 3
Magical Shopping Arcade Abe.i 3
MPD Psycho 3
Evangelion: The Movie Collection
Rune Soldier 5
Trigun 2

March 28th
Dominion Tank Police Acts I&II
Onibi

March 31st
Neo Issue 5

Picture Bit
I looked on Maporama for this place after seeing it advertised in Neo. I then found a route there seeing as it's the closest place to me that I know of that sells manga.


I also scanned in the cover of Neo so you can see it. Later I'll scan the Bebop manga preview that came with it. I then thumbnailed it as it was fucking huge.


That's all for now kiddies. I'll be back later with the Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star preview.

News Bites

Still looking through Neo and spotting a few things.

Cancer scientists have found a new cancer causing gene. The gene has been named POK Erythroid Myeloid Ontogenic factor or POKEMON for short. According to the researchers POKEMON is a main switch in the molecular structure that leads towards cancer.

Sales of Kit-Kats have soared in Japan as students approach the exam period. According to BBC News Kit-Kat sounds like the japanese good luck phrase kitto katsu which translates as 'I hope you win'.

Sales of manga in France account for 30% of all comic book sales. The average price for a standard manga stands at 6.40 euros. That translates as about £4.40 here (or just under £6 when Gordon Brown's had his bit). WHY ARE WE NOT GETTING THEM? I DEMAND A REASON!

More sweet news pulled from the pages of Neo later including The Official Anime DVD Chart and the release schedules for the rest of March and April.

In other news btw, the Nintendo DS has become the fastest selling console ever breaking the record set by the Gamecube. According to ChartTrack the DS sold over 82,000 units in it's first 2 days of sale. That's 19,000 more than the GC managed in the same time.

A Shopping Trip

Well the Saturday pilgramage into town with money in the pocket came and went as usual. On a trip into Smiths I spotted this when searching for Edge (which I haven't got since they redesigned it).


Neo Magazine Issue 4
Independant
Quarterly
£3.50

Well even I recognize Edward Elric. Yes that is the news that Full Metal Alchemist is finally coming to the UK! Also on the cover of this copy of mind-numbingly awesome new asian entertainment mag Neo is the news that Cowboy Bebop is also hitting these shores, a good article on the DS and PSP, the new Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex game gets the once-over, Why you have to get Shaolin Soccer and Teen Titans theme tune artists Hi-Hi Puffy AmiYumi (god I love j-pop) are reeled in for an interview. I rushed through it to find their loyalties on the major anime issues. They love Evangelion but hate Manga UK. Something else I find impressive about this young upstart is the free 16 page Cowboy Bebop manga preview in the middle (pictured).


Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star (preview version)
Free with Neo magazine

I noticed pretty quickly that reading right to left is a lot easier when you have a physical copy of the reading material. After reading this no problem at all I headed to the computer and made all the usual mistakes with Naruto. Still need some work on that skill. For the record here's what Neo had to say about the PSP

"The PSP is a wonderously sexy but terrifyingly fragile multimedia device. The games are all stunning and uphold the pedigree of the Playstation brand. Naturally all the wannabe lifestyle nonces will own one and swagger around accordingly. However unlike the likes of Apple's iPod which can pretty much survive an orbital bombardment and has an inclusively simple interface the PSP is very much specialist hardware, not quite ready for general consumption. If you want to worry about a shiny screen and the possibility of that your very expensive handheld might fall apart if you have the brash incinsideration to sneeze then buy a PSP."

I swore today that since I still have to watch Eva: Death and Rebirth I wouldn't buy a new DVD. It was all going well, I went into Game, didn't bother with Gamestation.....and then went to Powerplay.


Princess Mononoke - Certificate PG
£13.99 from Powerplay

Bugger. I just couldn't resist it this time round.

FYI
- Issue 5 of Neo goes on sale 31st of March. it includes looks at Akira, Ring 2, Godzilla,
Gungrave, Gundam, Sushi and a special feature celebrating 15 years of CLAMP.
- CHOBITS IS COMING TO THE UK!!

NEW W00TWORLD!!

The 4th w00tworld blog is here! w00tworld Pictures brings you the best, funniest, wrongest and downright noticable pics from the world of teh intarweb.

http://njpicture.blogspot.com

Try This

Man too many posts today. Anyway, after publishing your blog go back to the dashboard and see if you're quick enough to see it on the last 10 published blogs.

Imagine a Story!

Well imagine this one anyway. Sexual abuser gets out of jail and has huge, bloody, violent battle to the death with the people who put him away.

Well imagine no more as NJ has delivered the goods. Check out Friendly Abuse 2 at my dA page.

Just Like Prom Night

Well the idea of proms has hit the UK in full force now. Seen by many to be a night when getting laid is a foregone conclusion I see it as just a night when I can go home and chill safe in the knowledge that it's one party I don't have to hear about the next day. However the female contigent of my friends don't see it the same way as me. I know they are going all out to get me there. Sorry ladies but it isn't gonna work. I'm not going. If anyone thinks it's because I can't get a date I assure you that is not the case. Go on, find someone who wants to go with me. Not someone who feels pity, not someone you pay, not someone reluctant. Someone who just wants to enjoy my company and isn't gonna be screaming for cock at the end of the night. If you can really find someone like that then I might consider it but until then I'm staying here.

Getting laid isn't a big thing for me anymore. To be honest I don't consider it important. In my current state of mind I wouldn't be unhappy if I died a virgin, I would have been spared the fears and worries that plague everyone else. I'm not gonna go out with someone for the size of their tits, what the hell is the point of that? That's why I quit regular porn a long time ago, it's just not important.

Man I'm gonna get some stick for this one.

Bad News

Last episode of Nathan Barley tonight. Looks like Ashcroft is after revenge.

It's Back

Major favourite of Nick Gates and me. The Games is BACK!!

Next Friday at 9:30pm on Channel 4.

Just In

Just got wind of this over at UKGameshows, Ant and Dec are gonna be hosting a series of one-off episodes of classic gameshows. The list isn't final but from what I've gathered the shortlist is a bit like this.

Bullseye
Blockbusters
3-2-1
Family Fortunes
The Price is Right
Wheel of Fortune
The Krypton Factor

Like I say, quite interesting. Also in gameshow land I still have no downloader for The Amazing Race 7 and Dick and Dom are filling time away from the bungalow with a new series of 60s classic Ask the Family. Unfortunately I still have no host or time info on the UK version of kick-ass US show Pyramid.

And One More Thing....

Forgot to mention, I got Bloc Party's album today. I should also mention that Shaftesbury got their butts handed to them in the house basketball dispite an inhuman fluke level radiating from one smug git.

Who I've become friends with again btw but I still think he's smug. He always has been.

The Friday Round-up

OK. Let's get this straight. I work on this blog every day and by now at least one of you must want my services as your bitch. Well I can proudly announce that those services are available in exchange for this.

Buy this and make me your bitch for evermore

Right. Now for the webcomic round up this Friday.

Penny Arcade
As usual. Never afraid to poke fun at themselves. Following a complete Halo 2 mauling at the hands of Bungie the fearless duo try to cover it up. And diss Bungie at the same time.

Ctrl-Alt-Del
Mr Buckley on top form as usual. You really need to read from a while back to get this, Ethan's ongoing quest to get his hands on a new TV.

Sore Thumbs
Melody questions the bible in front of Fairbanks. Not a good idea but it drags a decent revelation out of him.

Sign-off quote
"Gmail Inbox [32]"

Week 11 2005: One Fucked Up Week

Right, this post will cause great embarrasment to me about 20 hours along the line but I feel like I have to explain what's been going on this week in full. Many people have noticed me looking sad, depressed and incredibly angry so for those people here are the reasons.

This whole thing starts with a request. Ali asked me to add a trio of links to her blog for her. Following that we started chatting regularly over MSN. Well things went along as usual in my life until one Sunday. Sunday March 13th. Ali wrote on her blog that she was now (unofficially) single. Well things went down the pan from there. I started talking about her to Brittney over at dA and I came up with a plan. Brittney wrote an email to Ali, an email I think is important to our story so it must be posted here.

I am a friend of Francis's... If he's talked about me at all, I'm not sure, I'm the deranged southern girl in the States that goes by Brittney. This is just gonna be a brain-dump for me so bare with it,

But anyways...
I am aware of that you have broken up with Dave, one of Francis's best mates. I'm not a stalker or anything, he just tells me all and I have heard about you so much that I feel like I know you as good as I know him. Stay calm, it's been nothing but good things that I've heard. Francis is very secretive and cautionary about what he does and says about love, this is sometimes one of his best qualities, because he's been hurt so many times. But something he's not secretive about is his feelings towards you. If you haven't read any of his journals, read: "A Depressing View" and "Inspiration" also read the comments. He's mad about you and there's no use denying it. I know that since you've just broken up with someone, a huge chunk of your life is missing at the moment and it's going to take time for it all to heal from Dave. I'm a girl, I understand that completely. I'm the single best friend type with my crew so I know/see/experience/whatever you're going through and I completely understand that. Just when you think that you can handle another relationship, give Francis the look-up. You at least owe him that. Trust me, Ali, you won't be disappointed.

xoxo-brit

Now things got complicated after that. A few hours before that email was sent Ali posted to her blog that she was back together with Dave. I read this post the next day about 20 minutes before the mail was found by Ali. Cue panic mode. Over the course of the day I'd been thinking about it a bit and realised I was making a mistake. In definate panic I turned to the only person who could get me out of this mess. I actually went as far as asking Ifrit to hack into Ali's inbox and delete the mail. He refused to do it on 'emotional grounds'. With nowhere to turn and definately nowhere to run I eventually had to face the music. It didn't go well and as a result left for school today filled with a combination of fear and depression. The depression was a side effect fo rejection and the fear was that Dave will have been told of the previous day's events. This was a fear proved when Dave preceeded (or appeared to anyway) to make my day difficult. Today I realised something important heading out of history, Dave Stewart has a very punchable face. So come to maths period 4 I was angry. I wrote a journal post on dA which changed perspective as it went along. I had one line in mind as I neared the end, Fuck you and fuck your friendship. However when I reached the end and the space reserved for that line I just couldn't use it. If I had used it I would be regretting it a lot now. So get home (still angry at Dave, smug bastard), get online and chat to Ali. Sort everything out, restore friendship and the world sleeps in peace again.

Like I said, one fucked up week but not one I'm gonna forget in a hurry. Not one I want to forget either.

Take Cover

NJ is in a bad mood right now. Not your average bad mood either. NJ is in his patented 'Fuckoffrevengesomeonesgonnadie' mood. Just a friendly warning.

PANIC!

Can't say much right now but I'm in panic mode. I'll explain later.

Just.....

If I ignore you on any chat network right now don't be offended. I just need some time to myself on the net.

When You're in Love With a Beautiful Woman....

I hate this. I walk round the school everyday and I see people hugging and kissing all over the place. I know that I could be amongst that group if I wasn't so scared. I've always been afraid of stuff like this and yet I see everyone around me dealing with it so well and easily. It all comes down to this.

I can't talk to girls. I've never been able to because past experience says they'll only ignore me. How do you get over something like that?

FAQ

A big session of all the most asked questions I get.

Q: What does w00t mean?
A: w00t is the name given to a state of mind in which everything is cool. I picked it up when hanging around OC Remix and it's kinda became my own as I was saying it so much.

Q: Why njsykora?
A: njsykora came when signing up to the MSN Gaming Zone. I used to use the alias Sheik before but it was taken. I just took NJ from the New Jersey Devils, my favourite ice hockey team who unlike some say I supported BEFORE they won the Stanley Cup. Sykora came from Petr Sykora, my favourite player. About 2 months after njsykora came into existance Mr Sykora went to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks prompting many to try and get me to change to anasykora. For about 2 months it became NJ Sykora but soon after it went back to one word.

Q: Is this your first blog?
A: No, before defecting to Blogger I used LiveJournal. I think it's still online. www.livejournal.com/users/njsykora

Q: Why hentai?
A: Why not?

Q: How would you describe your personality in 3 words?
A: Friendly, trusting and unpredictable.

Q: How long have you loved anime?
A: About 8 years.

Q: How long have you been gaming and what was your first game?
A: I have been gaming for 12 years and my first game was Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Master System.

Q: How many games have you completed and which one are you most proud of?
A: I've done well over 60 games and I'm most proud of getting 120 stars in Super Mario 64. 100%ing a game is always special but Mario was special as I did it alone.

Q: Why are you always on your own?
A: I like my own company.

Q: Do you have one of those wristbands?
A: Yes I do. I got a Make Poverty History one today and I had a Lance Armstrong cancer band before it was cool to have them. I never wear it though.

Q: Can I post on w00tworld (actually no-one's asked this but it saves me another post).
A: If you really want. All I ask is that you have an existing blog and you won't spam the place. If you want to post a review or feature here then e-mail it to me (njsykora@gmail.com) and I'll look it over.

Help Wanted

Reckon you could write features or reviews for w00tworld? If you are an existing blogger and fancy helping me out then email me at njsykora@gmail.com and say why you want to be a part of w00tworld. Come on, all the best blogs are created by a team.

For the Doubters

Head over to Planet Gamecube and check this out. Satoru Iwata's keynote speech at GDC. Pretty much voicing exactly what all us gamers have been thinking about and explaining why Nintendo are developing the way forward.

Iwata on an expanding industry, his own experience, HAL, the DS, the Revolution and the 3 I's?

Remember when Iwata succeeded Yamauchi as president of Nintendo? His first announcement? He said that there was very little room for innovation in the industry. Looks like he was having a bad day. I highly reccommend that you read this if you think Nintendo are on the way down.

EDIT: Check out the new VG Cats and Penny Arcade for views on Shadow the Hedgehog and Xbox 2.

So Close...

Damn, on my way home I peeked into the letterbox and just about made out the Sendit logo. It's my Macross Plus DVD unless someone's bought something I don't know about. I have to wait until mum gets home so I can unlock the postbox and by then it'll be too late to watch any of it.

Puns for Eva-more

Oh dear. I'm trying to find a pun for every Evangelion term I know. So far we have the Nerv pun you saw yesterday. I also thought up a Rei of light (damn) while in the bath. The main prize for me now is to find puns for all 3 children of Nerv, Rei, Asuka and the other one everyone ignores.

That's something bothering me.

Can any Eva fans who nip over here please tell me why the 3rd one is always ignored? In Jono's Death and Rebirth review he mentions Rei and Asuka just like everyone but ignores the other one. In any Eva forum thread or chat everyone will keep banging on about Rei and Asuka. In any Evangelion hentai gallery you won't find anyone but Rei and Asuka. Not that I'm complaining I just want to know who that 3rd one is before I watch D&R.

DVD Overload

Maybe I should tell you how much DVD I've been watching today.

3am - Episode 3 of New Gall Force
4pm - Episodes 13 and 14 of Sonic Underground
5:30pm - Dave Gorman

I'm probably gonna watch some Animatrix soon too. Eva still not getting a look in, I'll hopefully fit that in amongst all the Macross Plus next week or failing that next weekend (aquisition depending) as long as I don't get GitS or Princess Mononoke (though I wouldn't argue with them).

Now I'm off to play some N (www.harveycartel.com). Laters.

Pimp dis Shiznit

Haha, just knocking about the net and found this on Jon's blog.

www.gizoogle.com

I translated w00tworld over there (put the http:// in front of the address if you want to translate a whole site) and this...

"To more cheerful matters now then and the w00tworld edition of the journal post I did over at deviantART. Here's what I bought."

became this

"To mizzle cheerful matta now thiznen n tha w00tworld edition of tha journal post I did over at deviantART . I started yo shit and i'll end yo' shit. Here's what I bought sho nuff."

An o....k.... moment there but it's a lot of fun. Try translating Thomas Scott's Preparing for Emergencies site. www.preparingforemergencies.co.uk

My DVD Collection

I thought I'd kill some time by giving you a guided tour of my DVD collection.


Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth - Manga Entertainment - Certificate 15
You saw this earlier. Evangelion is my most recent aquisition.
Bought for £17 at Powerplay


New Gall Force - Manga Collection - Certificate PG
I watched the last episode earlier and it was the best of all 3. NGF is part of Manga UK's budget collection, 3 part animes for £10 each.
Bought for £10 at Powerplay


Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure - Channel 4 - Certificate 15
Absolutely hilarious story of Mr Gormless Gorman heading out into the world trying to meet 10 googlewhacks in a row and subsequently finding himself on the verge of financial ruin.
Bought for £5 at Woolworths


Sonic Underground: The Complete Series - Anchor Bay - Certificate U
After getting volume 1 on DVD I quickly seeked this out online.
Bought for £20 at Sendit.com


American Pie Trilogy - Universal - Certificate 15
Love these 3 films. Crack me up every time.
Pie 1 bought for £10 at Game, Pie 2 bought for £13 at Game, Pie 3 bought for £5 at Matalan


Bubblegum Crash - Manga Collection - Certificate 12
Possibly my favourite of the 3 Manga collection DVDs I got.
Bought for £5 at Game (reward card sale)


Rayearth - Manga Collection - Certificate 15
A niggle with this one. Not much of a niggle but a niggle. I really feel I lucked out by buying this before reading the manga. If anyone can find a reliable download source for me I'd be greatful. I still enjoyed it though.
Bought for £5 at Game (same sale)


Animatrix - Warner Bros - Certificate 15
The Wachowski brothers always maintain that anime was their main inspiration for the Matrix. This then was a logical step and an inspired one. 9 short films each showing brilliant individuality and all fitting in with the Matrix's story. A brilliantly unbiased history of anime feature too which is nice.
Bought for £12 at Woolworths

Not pictured here (couldn't be found/couldn't be assed)
.hack//liminality - In the Case of Minase Mai - Konami
Brilliant and a great incentive for buying a great game.
Nicked from Gamestation on last day of work experience (DVD not the game)

Sonic Underground Volume 1 - Anchor Bay - Certificate U
No point, anyone wants it they're welcome.
Bought for £5 from Sendit.com

Matrix Revisited - Warner Bros - Certificate 15
A cool extended behind the scenes look at the Matrix. One for the die hard fans only.
Given for free by Lucy Thomas

Macross Plus Complete - ?? - Certificate 15
I haven't got it yet, it's being delivered on Monday.
Bought for £6.50 from Sendit.com

Total Disc Count - 26 (Eva has 2, Sonic has 10 and Macross Plus has 3)

Shameless Plug
If anyone here fancies some cheap DVDs, videos, games or gadgets then check out Sendit. In total from only 3 buys from there I've easily saved over £25. They give free delivery in the UK and are guarranteed cheaper than Amazon. Most orders are recieved within a week depending on stock levels (I was waiting 3 weeks for Sonic Vol 1 as they run out of stock) and you are always kept up to date with your order status via e-mail.
www.sendit.com

They have shit-loads of anime there too for under £7 including Ghost in the Shell, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Full Metal Panic and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Zankoku na tenshi no youni

Zankoku na tenshi no youni
Shounen yo shinwa ni nare

Aoi kaze ga ima
Mune no door wo tataitemo
Watashidake wo tada mitsumete
Hohoenderu anata
Sotto fureru mono
Motomeru koto ni muchu de
Unmei sae mada shiranai
Itaikena hitomi

Dakedo itsuka kizuku deshou
Sono senaka niwa

Haruka mirai mezasu tameno
Hanega arukoto

Zankoku na tenshi no thesis
Madobe kara yagate tobitatsu
Hotobashiru atsui pathos de
Omoide wo uragiru nara
Kono sora wo daite kagayaku
Shonen yo shinwa ni nare

Roughly translated this means...

Like a cruel angel,
young boy, become the legend!

A blue wind is now
knocking at the door to your heart, and yet
you are merely gazing at me
and smiling.

Something gently touching--
you're so intent on seeking it out,
that you can't even see your fate yet,

But someday I think you'll find out
that what's on your back
are wings that are for
heading for the far-off future.

The cruel angel's thesis
will soon take flight through the window,
with surging, hot pathos,
if you betray your memories.
Embracing this sky and shining,
young boy, become the legend!

Sleeping for a long time
in the cradle of my love
The morning is coming when you alone will be called
by a messenger of dreams.

Moonlight reflects off
the nape of your slender neck.
Stopping time all throughout the world
I want to confine them, but...

So if two people being brought together by fate
has any meaning,
I think that it is a "bible"
for learning freedom.

The cruel angel's thesis.
The sorrow then begins.
You held tight to the form of life
when you woke up from that dream.
You shine brighter than anyone else.
Young boy, become the legend!

Even knowing I'll never be a goddess or anything like that,
I live on.

The cruel angel's thesis
will soon take flight through the window,
with surging, hot pathos,
if you betray your memories.
Embracing this sky and shining,
young boy, become the legend

And so I set a challenge, do you recognize this song? I seriously doubt it.

Touching a Nerv (Picture Edition)

Well the general consensus around Hedgehog Heaven (http://sonic2.ocremix.org) is that its OK but not brilliant and certainly not worth waiting over 18 months for. Go to the site and download the mixes to make up your mind. I'll review it soon.

To more cheerful matters now then and the w00tworld edition of the journal post I did over at deviantART. Here's what I bought.



Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth
£16.99 from Powerplay



Pro Evolution Soccer 3
£3.99 preowned from Gamestation

Problem is that before I watch Eva I have to watch the last episode of this.



New Gall Force
£9.99 from Powerplay

Which is slightly dull but still enjoyable.

IT'S HERE!!

http://sonic2.ocremix.org
Hedgehog Heaven is HERE!!

When on the site check this out in the thanks page.
"njsykora for being the most supportive and cheerful fan of the project (almost 'til the end)"
Maybe in a small way but I am so proud have been a part of this. Download it.



NOW!!

Request

I've just found a wi-fi hotspot so I'll be quick. If anyone reading has Sam Hodges on MSN could they ask him to e-mail me the info on the PE coursework.

Website of the Month - March

Before starting this I have to mention a sheer piece of idiocy. One user over at OCR has a button in his sig similar to the Firfox buttons with the text 'Jump on the Bandwagon'. The button links to www.overrated.com which I'm told holds the secret about Firefox. Unless the secret is that it's an unregistered website I don't think he's all that smart.

Anyway onto this month's best site. It takes forum form and is in fact the forums of webcomic Gangsta City. As well as forcing new users to read the rules (quite niftily too) it holds som truly great pictures in the HELL section. Anime nazis (sorry but I'm a sucker for anything cute nazi or not), some pretty sick pictures and loads more. Check it out as it's loads of fun.

Gangsta City forums can be found through www.gangstacity.com

Let Battle Commence!

Nintendo DS
11th March

Gizmondo
19th March

N-Gage
Out Now

Sony PSP
AWOL

4 handhelds. 1 battle. The smart money is on the DS.

A Mockery of Democracy

Allow me to be serious for a few minutes as I feel this has to be brought to attention. Few of you lot will give a toss about tech news but this is something you have to know about as it WILL affect you.

Software Patents

When a new technology is created it is often copyrighted. That is no problem, it just means that the same tech can be used with a different name. Patents are different. Imagine Microsoft patenting anit-spyware. Imagine Symantec patenting anti-virus. Those would be the only makes of those systems we could use. Think of Linux. It has been estimated by Linus Torvalds that if software patents existed in Europe (which they do now) he and every other Linux company including Linspire, Red Hat and Mandrake Soft could be sued. The law has been passed but it's not too late to get it thrown out. The 2 sites below will show you how you can help.

www.writetothem.com
Write to your MEP.

www.nosoftwarepatents.com
Join the fight.

The Blockers are Fast

Just nipped over to Numbus' blog at school. As you well know Numbus is an ex hentai webmaster so naturally there's a bit of the good stuff on his blog. I wandered around and within 3 clicks the site had been blocked. Damn they're fast.

Steam Can Suck My Wang

I installed Steam last night and my computer now has a responce time of 20 minutes. I now have to find a way to stop it.

Review Back

Following a rewrite the Tales of Symphonia review will be back today. I've also made changes to the review system, those are fully explained on the review site.

Linkage!

Moving out of depressed mode. A trio of links for your enjoyment.

James Knight's Blog
A new blogger. Hasn't moved from anywhere.

Gangsta City
A great webcomic. Updated Sundays.

Mac Hall
Not been around here enough but it makes me laugh.

Back Where I Belong

Firefox. deviantART. OC Remix. Trillian. Gangsta City. I missed them all.

At the party I got the one thing I should never be allowed to have. Time alone to think. I sat in a dark room thinking for 2 hours.

WARNING: INCOMING RANT

Franko the Wanko
A question to my mates. Who or what am I to you? Everytime someone came into that room looking to crash (it was Chaz's bedroom) it was always the same thing when they left. Francis is wanking. Is that all I am? A feelingless, hentai addicted masturbation champion? Everyone seemed to revel in the fact that I did the 1st OCR Masturbation Marathon and that is a fact I'm not ashamed of. By doing that I made some great friends and learnt a lot about myself in the 3 weeks I was in the competition. It's over a year since I did it and the tag is stuck to me. I was dying for a wank around 11pm but I managed to use the restraint the marathon had taught me. Porn fans are scared to admit their habit but hentai lovers are different. We enjoy the fact that we are different and if you can't accept that then fuck off I don't want you as a reader or a friend.

This Isn't Me
Sure I was more relaxed at that party to the untrained eye but my public side is a front. I find my true self when I'm alone. You see under my photo at the top it says I hate people who aren't themselves well I am one of those people. I hide under an acceptable cover and hide what I really am. I sat down and cried for about 2 minutes about this. 3 people came in while I was doing it. Did any of them give a toss? Did they fuck.

I'm not gonna go to another party no matter who's gonna be there and how much alcohol is there. I'd much rather spend my weekends with a single can of Fosters and a casual poker game.

Why?

Because that's who I am. You don't like it then piss off.

The Orange Box

Tip: When you go to a website you know has constant maintenance problems always read the orange warning boxes.

Case in point, Hentai Palm. I just spent the last 5 minutes trying to sign in through the galleries and trawling through the support pages on Hentai Key. When I head back defeated to the homepage I find a big orange box saying that logging in through the galleries is only available for GT users at the moment.

An Argument With Myself

Most of you know I have 2 sides. njsykora and Francis Lambourne. This can make my concious pretty interesting. Right now the topic is Charlie's party tomorrow. The Francis side wants to go but right now NJ just wants to chill in the blue chair and hang around on dAmn. Right now things are swinging NJ's way. I'm a gamer. I don't go out and get smashed, I chill at home living a life fed by hentai and a great chain of friends. Combined OCR, dA and several other smaller communities add up to the best and most loyal friends you could ever ask for. It's a tricky one but I just wanna do what I enjoy. Every time I hang out with my friends I always feel pressured and forced. I don't feel like that online because no-one can punch me if I piss them off. That's why I love chatting to all my online buddies. Monkey (who's insane), Simon (who's just as cool as a vietnamese/chinese/american gets), Beverly (tricky but rewarding), Brittney (not on IM but dA's just as cool) and everyone else who I don't chat to as much including Larry, Lina, Audrey, Gimpy, Corey, Jordan, Rhys and Stick.

NJ's extended his lead.

Stupidity

"I wanna gouge my eyes out with my rectum"
Ian

"Your breath smells like my cum"
Me

For more awesome quotes from Ian check out this page.
http://www.geocities.com/mannymo101/Ian-cyclopedia.html

Mail Bombed by London Mayor

Iain Weaver has Ken Livingstone's apology speech to the holocaust survivors on his blog but I can sum up what he said in one line.

The Daily Mail got pwned.

I've been waiting for something like this to happen in ages. For our foreign viewers the Daily Mail is Satan in newspaper form. They always love to take the moral side, anti-war, anti-immigration and (most importantly) anti-gaming. After the so-called 'Manhunt Murder' the Mail ran it as front page news for a week whilst every other paper (I'm a Daily Express man myself) moved onto new news. With something of that magnitude going on in the US right now (check out VG Cats, Ctrl-Alt-Del or CBS News for more) I find it very timely that the Mail got a good kick up the ass.

FYI
Iain Weaver doesn't do blog posts by halves.
My phone has credit now.
I'm on the verge of orgasm after my first encounter with a piece of millionaire shortbread.

A New Challenge

Regulars at Challenge's website will have noticed a change. The whole site's been revamped ready for the new batch of shows. Here's a guide.

Front Page
Much better. While the menu system used to be a piece of crap flash it's now changed to a much better looking simple bar of links.

Games
The new games lounge kicks ass. 5 cool flash games with an added bonus. All the screenshots in the selector menu are in FIREFOX!!

Forums
The new forums are much easier to use thanks to the standard log in system instead of entering your username and password every time you post.

Competitions
Challenge gives away some great prizes.

Top Shows
Info on all of Challenges top shows.

Coming soon on Challenge, the 2005 season of the World Poker Tour, Celebrity Poker Club 3 featuring Dave Gorman and Johnny Vegas, Glory Ball featuring The National Lottery Daily Play draw and Kenny vs Spenny.

Enjoy the month.

Gigs

Ever actually looked at that gig guide in NME? Just scanned through it myself and look who's playing where tonight.

Danger Danger! Electric Six are in Bournemouth
I'm a fucking rappers and I might kill you, GLC are in Dublin
He's fat and he don't run too fast, Steriogram are in Leeds
It was an honest mistake, The Bravery are in London
There goes Nadine, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are in Manchester
Just like his dad, Bloc Party are in Sheffield
aaaand....
Wanker on the loose, Domonic Masters is in a dole office somewhere (hopefully).

*dies laughing*

Bloggerheads Present: Something Funny Happened on the Way to Abu Ghraib

Linkage

It's a bunch of serious facts but sit through them and the collection of pictures at the end will have you in hysterics.

YES!!

33 hours
Over 500 battles
Just under half a million spent
An indiscriminate bodycount
And an uncontrollable level of crying

I have finished Tales of Symphonia
Thank you to everyone who helped me including Simon aka ZephX, Klaive and Mark.

GO!!

The 7th Amazing Race has started. Download it now at BTF-Net.
www.btefnet.com

Happened Again

Man, Tales of Symphonia has now moved me to tears twice and finally managed to reduce me to tears. For those who don't know the difference...

Moved to tears is when you are so overwhelmed with emotion that you can't hold back your tears.
Reduced to tears is when you just can't control your emotions any more and you break down into full on crying.

I bent over my knees and was crying for just under a minute when this critical moment in the story happened. It's just another trophy for this game to wear proudly.

Current Gameclock - 32h 17m

On a more cheerful note, check out Star Salzman's new tune 'Home is With You' at Starblast.org

Countdown

The Amazing Race 7
9pm Tonight
CBS

Tomorrow on BitTorrent

On Your Marks....

The Sonic 2 Project - Official Data!

This is all official data.

The project is 100% finished.
It will be available in 2 flavours.
It will be available for track by track download at http://sonic2.ocremix.org
It will also be available via BitTorrent at OCR.
Star Salzman has NOT collaborated with Daniel Baranowsky on a track.
As I understand it DCT's credits theme remains in the project while E-Claire's Emerald Hill mix has been replaced by Haydn.
As far as I know the project is officially released tomorrow.

More Links

Do you know how annoying it is adding 3 new links over 3 blogs? 3 of the Download.com Blogs in the sidebar now. Power Up by Peter Butler, Sonic Soup by Brian Satterfield and Oddly Enough by Kelly Morrison. I highly reccommend all 3 of them.

Have I added a link to AZ:UK yet?

EDIT: Now I have.