Bloggy-ookami

Got some new swag for you guys. ;D Not much to tell, so I'll get to it.

One thing to note is the poster I got with the We Love Fine stuff is of the Pony Project 2012 event WLF did and is signed by a few people who work on MLP. Extra fun, though, is the date the event happened on! May 12, 2012, my birthday! Not only my birthday, but my 25th, the day I turned 1/4 of a century old!

Yami, also available in awesome face.

Spoiler: Swag pix

My vocal cover of Axel's theme from Disgaea. As with Battle Comrade, I made up the spoken intro using my knowledge of Japanese. :3

Enjoy! And please comment! I really like to receive feedback, positive or constructive, to help me grow as a singer!

[youtube]JF7gp1NcRCQ[/youtube]

My stepfather lost his job of 17 years this morning. He was a truck driver for Waste Management. He failed a drug screening because of something so so stupid: he accidentally took the wrong prescription medication while on vacation, and it showed up on the screening. Since he's not on file for using that prescription (it belongs to my mother), WM was forced to fire him according to its zero tolerance drug policy. And because it was drugs he was fired for, his CDL (commercial driver's license) has been suspended until he can go through some ridiculous rehab program or something. So in the meantime, I am left the only person in our household with an income, and it's a meager income at that. They're going to apply for unemployment and everything, but still.

Wish us luck on this rough road we've suddenly been forced onto.

Today, I bring you the song "Battle Comrade" from the unofficial soundtrack of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. This is my first time recording a Japanese cover, so I took the opportunity to make up a fun spoken intro in Japanese using the knowledge I've gained in the 2 years I spent learning Japanese in college. Please comment! I really want to know what you think!

I added annotations that translate what I'm saying/singing.

[video=youtube;AfFLhEdjKyk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfFLhEdjKyk[/video]

This was a really good day. A number of things happened that just added up to awesomeness.

First off, public school's back in session where I live, and that means that activity at the store has fallen dramatically. No longer will I have to push myself to overexertion. It may be hot still, but I don't have to worry about heat stroke anymore, since I can take it easier now. As for today specifically, it was cloudy and only 82 degrees F (27.7 C). It was horrendously humid, but the coolness made it tolerable.

Also, remember when I told about my first encounter with bronies in my area? Well today, I ran into them both again. I encountered Will (one of the first two) and David (who I met at the meetup), who were trying to buy the new MLP posters. The posters had no bar code and the the endpiece they found them at had no price, so they had to ask a number of people what to do about that. I went about my job and on the parking lot, I ran into John (the other of the first two) getting out of the cart with his mom, who I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of times before. I told them Will and David were there and I last saw them at Customer Service. I went about my job a bit more, and ran into Will and David again, and they flagged me down and told me they were told they could have them for free! And they gave me a set too! I told them that I saw John. Will informed me that David had just picked him up from John's house, and I told them he was there now, and they darted off in search. :derpe:

When I got off work, I passed through the MLP section as I do a couple times per week, and I saw an endpiece there of a bunch of Royal Wedding-themed pony toys, including a Wedding Castle playset with a Shining Armor and Cadance brushable! I bought the hell out of that!

Oh, I also bought a talking large Cadance brushable a few days back, and my SDCC Derpy came in yesterday!

Links for extra pics over 10.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/73613383/Pony Merch/2012-08-07_21-29-07_923.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/73613383/Pony Merch/2012-08-07_22-28-42_772.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/73613383/Pony Merch/2012-08-07_22-28-50_485.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/73613383/Pony Merch/2012-08-07_22-30-22_980.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/73613383/Pony Merch/2012-08-07_23-12-44_9.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/73613383/Pony Merch/2012-08-07_23-13-02_11.jpg

Spoiler: Pics inbound of my new swag

While I was working a couple days ago, I happened upon a hot pink old Ford Mustang. Its theme was awesome and even had a little something on the dashboard. The pics will speak for themselves.

Yami here, with another vocal cover for you: "The Spirit Carries On" by Dream Theater! The original has no harmonies, so I just made these up with some trial and error and musical the know-how. :3

Last time I gave thanks to my wonderful editor/production agent, mike406, and that still goes without saying. This time, I'd like to express my appreciation for my new $100 microphone that was actually made for recording vocals. No more laptop webcam for Yami! >:3

And so now, I give you "The Spirit Carries On." Feel all the feels. FEEL THEM I SAY!

[video=youtube;dJgYECXEGcA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJgYECXEGcA[/video]

I recorded a new song for the first time in a minute, and it's BBBFF! So without further ado, here you go!

Oh, and one further ado: a big thanks as always to mike406 for editing my songs to make them sound as good as they can. I regurgitate into a microphone and he turns it into music!

[video=youtube;GhqK4beKBJ4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhqK4beKBJ4[/video]

Nothing amazing happened, truly. But we did go to see The Dark Knight Rises at the Mall of Georgia. I went together with Aynine! He lives 16 miles from me, but that somehow turned into 40 minutes, and an additional 35 to get to the mall. He wasn't able to get a ticket for the IMAX 3-D showing that was planned, but I did since I pre-ordered it. So instead, I downgraded my ticket to one for the normal showing so we could watch it together. After it got out, everyone went to Toy 'R' Us to raid the pony section, which was honestly a bit disappointing. I got a set of Sonic the Hedgehog figures, though. After that, we went to raid Walmart, then went back to the mall and raided Spencer's and Hot Topic. None of them except Hot Topic had anything interesting, but Hot Topic's shirts were too small for me. They did have a brony wallet, but it didn't have enough sleeves for me. After all that, we went to the food court to eat and talk to each other. I talked about EP to a few people, one of which does a radio-type thing and said he'd give EP a shout-out if I wanted.

Also, I feel I should impart this story. Yesterday, an old friend of mine posted on my Facebook wall. This guy I knew from back in my college days and, like almost all my college friends, I haven't been in touch. We were part of a group that played Super Smash Bros. all day long and it was a blast. It was 3 or so years since I last heard from him, and he suddenly posts on my Facebook wall: "REMEMBER ME? Might see you at that Canterlanta Batman thing Friday." So not only does an old friend contact me for the first time in years, but he's a brony AND I'd be seeing him the following day!

One of the attendees already put up a couple videos.

One of some of our group at Toys 'R' Us. Aynine and I are not present, but still.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=butXJpgLB1E

And one that's a compilation of photos that were taken. At 0:25, my college friend is on the left, in the fedora. At 0:30, I'm on the left in the Smile! shirt, and Aynine is the one on the right!
[video]www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vNR_n0M7gY[/video]

Edit: Why won't the video tags work?

I still need more work on being more outgoing. Tonight taught me how like my old self I still am. A friend from work added me on Skype and immediately tried inviting me into a 4-way conference. The suddenness made me panic completely and decline. He asked if I had a mic, and I said yes, but I tend to decline sudden calls, so he called again. I panicked again and declined, saying I couldn't really talk right now, which at best was a half truth. This happened about an hour ago and I'm still a little short of breath when I think about it.

I need to find a way not to lose my cool at sudden and unfamiliar things, but am currently at a loss as to how.

[video=youtube;WJWRu7QF2Hw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJWRu7QF2Hw[/video]

You read that right, friends. I'm done with this store and perhaps this company. A week and a half ago, I requested the 22nd off because that's the date of my beloved nephew's very first birthday party. I entered the request through our computer system as we must, but I also notified the supervisor and manager above me of the occasion and tried to impress upon them how important it was to me. I checked the system after getting back from lunch break today to find my request had been rejected. This, I fear, is the last straw for me. The straw that broke the camel's back, as it were.

I've had to miss every. single. holiday since becoming a cart pusher a year ago, and for the past 6 months, I've missed almost every weekend as well. To top it off, in the past year, I've been forced to work ALONE on Labor Day, Valentine's Day, July 3rd, the 4th of July, and most of Mother's Day, and that's just off the top of my head. I can't remember any others. I had to completely miss my brother's only first Father's Day. I had to miss my family's yearly Thanksgiving reunion because I was sleeping in preparation of working starting at 10PM that night to cover Black Friday. I had to miss my family's yearly get-together to exchange presents on Christmas Eve (we've always done it the Christmas Eve evening ever since before I was born). I had to miss any New Year's celebration because they had me working until 11PM that night. All I could do was sit with my parents and watch it on TV (granted, I'd have most likely done that anyway, but it's the principle here).

I've missed countless opportunities to spend time with my nephew because I work every weekend, and my brother and his wife only have time on the weekends. I've missed months of karaoke shows that my dad runs because I always work Sundays until 11PM. It's been difficult to arrange time to spend with friends as well because the days I have off are rarely convenient for anyone. I've had enough and I can't take it anymore.

I'm not quitting just yet, not until I get a chance to talk with my manager again. This is what's going to happen. One way or another, I'm going to my nephew's birthday party on the 22nd. Whether it's from the manager giving me the day off, or my quitting, that's really up to her at this point.

Now we reach the subject of searching for a new job. I'll be honest: I am HORRIBLY inept at job searching. It's why I ended up at Walmart in the first place. All I know how to do really is look at the classified section of the newspaper and fill out online applications for retail jobs. So if anyone can share any insight on how to go about job hunting properly, please do help me, as I don't know anything about it myself. Also, should anyone hear about a job opportunity (which would be weird, since very few of you live anywhere near me, but you never know), be sure to send it my way, eh?

[video=youtube;6sEIqBxWwwQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sEIqBxWwwQ[/video]

So I've been working long days (8-9 hours shifts) the past 5 days in a row, and today was to be my last before two straight days off. These 5 days have been particularly grueling in nature, with temperatures around 95 degrees F (35 C for those of you with measurement systems that make any sense), sun sun sun, and relative humidity around 50% or so, with little to no wind. I've been dripping sweat so bad that after a couple hours, it's soaked through my shorts and permeated my shirt and I have to wipe my face off once every couple of minutes, if not more frequently. I'm no stranger to this, though, and though it's quite debilitating, I can handle it alright.

Today started out no different. Still humid and lots of sun, and I was scheduled to be the only cart collector all day for the second day running. I knew this going into it, though, and for the past month or two, this has been nothing out of the ordinary (though still bullcrap if you ask me. I need to get onto them more about hiring a new guy). I found it hotter today than the last several days, but still did okay. Until around 6:20 PM, with an hour and 40 minutes left in my shift. I sat down because I was feeling tired and slightly woozy. When the dizziness and slight headache persisted, however, I asked a few of my friends on Skype if this could be the symptoms of sunstroke, and upon confirmation, I relayed it to my supervisor and she quickly instructed me to sit down with a cold drink, so I did just that. 30 minutes later, the sky was completely overcast and I was feeling better, so I went back out and started to wrap things up before leaving. This was made simple thanks to the strong breeze and clouds, but thunder and lightning were ever threatening to come my way.

At about 7:20, the bottom suddenly let out out of nowhere and it started pouring rain. I took care of one last group of carts and came inside because of all the lightning, and got soaked to the bone in the process. I was then set to work on preparing returns in customer service to be taken back to their respective departments until I left at 8:00. Needless to say, being drenched and working in the air conditioning was quite cold indeed.

So in short, in the span of 1 hour, 10 minutes, I went from suffering mild heat stroke to being frozen to the bone. I am so glad I'm off the next couple of days.

[video=youtube;GozwzaGsz4U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GozwzaGsz4U[/video]

First off, let me start by saying that I'm 90% none of my future blog entries will live up to the glory that was my first. From this point on, I'll just be talking about what's on my mind when the mood strikes me. :derpe: This entry is a plea from me regarding etiquette involving shopping carts at stores. You may think it silly to worry about, but there are people who have to clean up after you, and in the case of shopping carts, that's me. I have a number of things I'd like to speak about regarding this.

1. When you are finished with your cart, please please PLEASE put it INSIDE the nearest corral. Do not put it up on the curb. Do not leave it next to your car. DO NOT LEAVE IT BEHIND SOMEONE ELSE'S PARKED CAR. This makes it quicker and easier for the cart pushers to streamline their activities. Every cart left out of place is another several seconds (occasionally a few minutes if it's really far out of the way) we have to spend tidying up. That may not sound like much, but please consider that when one person considers doing it, tens of others are as well. This can lead to a lot of wasted time, around 45-60 minutes in a day, I estimate.

Spoiler: Found these in the Wells Fargo next door. You would not believe how often this happens.

2. If you leave your cart in the front cart area, I implore you to push it into one of the lines rather than simply leave it where it lies. the reason being that when I bring carts into the back of the cart area, I often have to spend several minutes walking up to the front and cleaning up the stray carts, then walking back before I can even do anything with the carts I just brought in. I have to do this because I don't want one of those stray carts to get bumped in the wrong direction when I'm pushing the lines up and have it accidentally bump into a customer and whatnot. That and it just looks bad.

Spoiler: Like this. This is unacceptable.

3. REMOVE ALL TRASH FROM THE CART BEFORE PUTTING IT UP. For the love of god, there's a trash can at EVERY corral. You would not believe the crap I've had to deal with: dirty diapers, water bottles filled with what may have been urine, giant bags of cans and bottles supposedly for recycling, bags of yard clippings, shoe boxes for those who just wanted the shoes, tons and tons of McDonald's cups and bags (cups often still being significantly full), large stacks of cardboard and plastic, sales papers, sales papers, sales papers, A PILE OF BROKEN UP CONCRETE! So please, PLEASE just throw your trash away in the nearest convenient trash can, likely at the corral your leave your cart in.

Spoiler: Look at this crap. LOOK AT IT. YES, those are motorcycle batteries covered in dried battery acid.

4. When you first get your cart from the front, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT just pick up whatever trash is in there and THROW IT IN THE NEXT CART IN THE LINE. This ticks me off like you wouldn't believe. There are literally 3 or 4 trash cans within 10 steps of you. Please use one! I know it's my job to clean up all trash from the carts, and I do my best, but I can't always see when there's trash with all the carts I have to deal with. So please, do your part and throw away whatever is in the cart you grab. Usually it's just something small like a fruit bag or a UPC tag or a plastic wrapper.

I know this sounds like whining, but when I do this job everyday, eventually enough gets to be enough. I cannot impress upon you the importance of courtesy to people like us, especially in these hot days of the summer. Please try to find it in your heart to takes a few seconds out of your day to do what's proper. I know it's hot and you want to be out of the heat as quickly as possible, but please consider that if you don't do the right thing, then WE have to walk out of our way in that heat you so wish to be rid of to take care of your mess. And this heat we have to be out in all day, so please don't make it any harder for us than it needs to be. We're already constantly warding off the threat of dehydration and heat stroke. Don't pour salt on our wounds by being a jerk.

I'll be honest with you. When the heat gets particularly intense, my thoughts get very dark indeed.

So please. Please. Just do what you know you ought. That's all I ask.

Fittingly, as my first blog entry, I would like to share with you all the story of my journey into bronydom and how it's affected me as a person.

Before ponies, I was quite similar to present-day me: honest, trusting, firm in belief. The difference: I was these things almost out of defiance to the world. I saw lies, backstabbing, and duplicity everywhere I looked back then, and refusing to be like that, I was stubbornly determined to be straightforward and true. I never saw/ignored all the good around me and focused on the bad. The result was I lost faith in people in general, always looked at situations assuming the worst would happen due to human negligence or outright corruption. It was a dark road indeed, but I was alright, because I knew I alone was better than that, that I alone was true. I used this belief to keep myself from giving in to despair, to good effect. A supplement to my pessimistic worldview was my total lack of self-confidence. I'd always worry what others thought of my words and actions, but never talk to them about it. After all, directly addressing it is tacky and seems like a cry for attention. So my pessimistic mind would assume the worst and fret over what was likely never an issue in the first place.

Then came the day when I ran into someone at work wearing a brony shirt last December. I was of course aware of ponies, at least I knew that YouTube always ended in ponies. I asked him what the deal was with the show out of genuine curiosity and he said to give it a shot, that it was a good show. I was intrigued, but didn't pursue it, likely because I forgot. A few months passed and in February, I ended up on the pony side of YouTube thanks to Related Videos. I found a kyrospawn video and kept watching them for a while, finding them cute. From there it expanded to Cupcakes, Epic Cupcake Time, and PONY.MOV, all of which amused me greatly. I also listened to a reading of My Little Dashie, and was touched, though didn't react as strongly as the one reading it. Suddenly it's 7 hours later. I feel I can't reasonably deny it anymore, and reluctantly admitted I might be a brony.

I downloaded all episodes and watched them over the next few days, loving it to death. The show instilled in me all those precious lessons I learned as a kid, but which a cold, uncaring world had long since made me forget or otherwise cease believing in. I observed the interactions between the ponies and saw how the lessons worked for them. I noted they worked because everyone treated each other with respect and friendliness. This was the spark that would later ignite a roaring fire within me.

A couple of days after the fateful foray into YouTube, I searched for a brony forum and lo and behold, this wonderful place was at the top of Google. The name, the board layout, it all seemed so inviting. I decided to roll the dice and try my luck here. I was met with the warmest reception I've ever received anywhere in recent memory. I quickly settled right in. During my first month, my interactions with some of the users here provided the kindling needed to turn that spark I received from the show into a wildfire of love and happiness. I reached the epiphany that changed my life and has made me happier than I've been in years: If I wish things in the world to change, I must first start with myself. How can I expect things to change without first changing myself. I started by being more pleasant to those around me. As misery is contagious, so too is cheer. If I act more cheerful, others will respond positively and feel more cheerful themselves. And who knows, maybe they'll pass that cheer on to still more people. Seeing others happy because of my own happiness in turn makes me happier, and the cycle begins anew. It doesn't always work, and it's not always easy, but I've found that determination is key in this process. If I fail, I get back up and try again. After all, the only sure way to fail is either not to try at all, or to give up. Using this, I've noticed my life, or at least how I feel about it, has steadily improved and I've begun discovering the ability to respect myself as a result.

I also learned through my interactions with bronies how key communication is in resolving almost every situation. An open forum of feelings calmly exchanged between people. It's so easy not to speak up and let your mind run wild with assumptions and presumptions. Such a way of being leads to a build-up of anxiety and resentment, as it did for me. I would observe someone being discourteous to me or wronging me, keep it inside, and grow upset and resentful. Now, thanks to the knowledge that I am not alone and have my friends to rely on, I can shrug these things off or, if they really bother, calmly approach the offender with my concerns. From something as simple as that, it is exponentially easier to clear things up or settle the issue with no ill will or resentment.

As I've observed bronies, I've come to know them as a supportive, caring, and generous bunch. I've borne witness to astounding fund raisers, beautiful art and music, and inspiring creations. I've seen them donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to various charities and causes. I've seen them laugh and smile with those they staunchly disagree with philosophically, but not letting such differences interfere with their friendship. I've observed others berating them and painting them in a terrible light, only for them to shrug it off and laugh about it. I am truly proud and happy to consider myself a part of this breath-taking community. It has inspired me to actually begin pursuing my dreams, a thing I have not done for years. All of you are to thank for this most wonderful change in my life. I love ponies; I love bronies; and I love all of you. Don't ever let life change the wonderful people you are.