An Art Hold-UP with ASYLM

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For those of you who follow me on Twitter or FB (ArtisticSole), you'd know that I took an awesome trip to San Francisco to help promote . Within that trip was a mini-trip to LA! At some point of trying to find Sean D'anconia's art goodness in LA's Little Tokyo & a few complaints of needing to find a bathroom AND another beer, we pranced ourselves into a cool jazz club. The time spent there was great ... until we stepped back out on the streets of Little Tokyo to find these amazing pieces right under our noses!

The works are of an artist, Asylm. And similar to my findings with Silo, I can't find too much info on him. At any rate, here are some of his works in Little Tokyo with people holding it up for art ... fingers crossed & all!
Be sure to visit his site and check out his FINE ART & PUBLIC WORKS. It's simply amazing!


My gracious hostess, tour guide, & homegirl Kelly Crown throwing it up for art & for ASLYM's art!


~je t'adore!

Rainmeter: Shows You Everything You Need To Know, In Style

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This is Rainmeter

Like the title says it shows you everything you need to know. What I mean is that rainmeter shows you the inner working of your computer. Take for example you want to see how fast your Internet connection is, there are many ways to do this mainly doing a google search for something checking the Internet connection of your area.

Doing it that way is well and good but takes time, with rainmeter all you got to do is look on the desktop and look at your network widget you can call it. See rainmeter displays all the important information you would need to see or want to look up. This is a desktop using one of the 3 themes found at their main site to show you how rainmeter works.

This shows the time and date.

This is the RSS reader showing up to 4 different sites.

This shows your weather thats up to date as long as your connected to the net.

This is your Itunes/Winamp media controller(means you just start those programs and then the widget would control it allowing you to pause play and top it without having to bring up the play on top of every thing).

This shows your current CPU speed.

This shows your current Internet speed, UPLOAD, DOWNLOAD and WIFI signal strength if your using wifi.

A online image search, all you have to do is just click on it and it would open a new tab/window in your default browser.

This is the ram/memory being used and how much its being used.

The reason why I got to show it to you all like this, is because rainmeter is all about visual icons to show you everything and they are active and won't need much of your input. The only three I know that need your input are the weather, the Ifile and the RSS reader, but that one is up to you if you want to change the sites its reading and I for the life of me, cannot figure out how to get the Ifile to work right.

That is not all that is just one theme called

Speed

and thats not all, you don't need to use the while theme but you can use parts of it just one or two thing, from the whole theme but not just one but different themes, the only thing that is stopping you is, that you and the ram other then that its up to you and what you want rainmeter to show you. you can have something as simple as the time from earlier or you can have a widget to display the time in binary, which i do have myself.

I will tell you all to give it a try,its not easy when you first try it out but keep at it. I didnt not take me long to understand it and I know it will not take any of you long either. Combine rainmeter with rocketdock and you will be able to not just gave and amazing desktop but shortcuts that will be really helpful for you and can make some pretty sick looking desktops to impress people walking by.

If you want more themes for rainmeter, I would suggest hitting deviantart in these groups in it:

Just click on them to go right to their page on page on deviantart and check out all thats there, you all might find something that would make you fall in love with rainmeter.

Maximum Ride Manga Review

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Synopsis (Thanks MangaFox.com) P.S. Sorry that this post is late. My computer was "sick" and decided not to corroperate and when I mean "sick" I mean mood swings lol.

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it’s like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the “Flock”–Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel–are just like ordinary kids–only they have wings and can fly. No one knows who they are and are hidden at a house on top of a cliff. Not for long. Max and the gang now have to go on a journey of finding the truth about themselves and their encounters with old friends.

Feedback

I have never read any of James Patterson's books but I would like to now. "Maximum Ride" is a book series that James Patterson wrote and the manga series is amazing. I love each of the characters and the story is so well written. each character has their own personalities and issues teens deal with especially with the issue of identity. My favorite is Fang.

Artwork

The artwork is really amazing and it sows the characters really well. I hope they come out with more manga.

Rating

I give this manga an A+. This is for fans of fantasy, adventure, and for a great story. Go out and get it. You won't be sorry.

Nintendo Game Lineup For PAX West 2011

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For those who are going to PAX West 2011 (lucky you). Nintendo will be there with tons of games for you try. If you want to get a glimpse at the upcoming holiday games from Nintendo, this will be the place to do it. There will also be a Star Fox 64 3D tournament being held on Aug 27th from 7pm to 10pm. Enjoy!

Nintendo 3DS
• Super Mario 3D Land
• Mario Kart 7
• Kid Icarus: Uprising
• Star Fox 64 3D
• The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D
• Pokédex 3D
• Shinobi™ by SEGA®
• Sonic Generations by SEGA

Wii
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
• Kirby's Return to Dream Land
• Rhythm Heaven™ (name not final)
• Fortune Street

Nintendo DS
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2
• Kirby Mass Attack



Kirby's Return To Dreamland Facts & Screenshots

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Kirby is coming back to the Wii with an all new adventure. No this time he won't be a yarn. Kirby is going back to dreamland and here are the official facts about the game from Nintendo.

Facts
Kirby Returns to Dream Land - and the Living Room
Kirby™ and his friends are back in an adventure designed to satisfy longtime Kirby fans and beginners alike. When an alien spaceship crashes in the otherwise peaceful realm of Planet Pop Star, its pieces are scattered throughout the land. Players must guide Kirby as he retrieves the ship's parts and helps an alien return to its home planet. This time, however, he's not alone. At any time, up to three more players can join in the fun and play as Meta Knight, King Dedede, Waddle Dee or a different color Kirby.

FEATURES:

Kirby's powerful Copy Ability returns, allowing him to inhale, spit and transform as he encounters enemies.

Players can deploy classic and new abilities, including:
Sword: Kirby dons a green cap and wields a sword.
Beam: Kirby wears a jester hat and can shoot energy from a magic wand.
Whip: Kirby wears a cowboy hat and can lasso enemies.
Leaf: Kirby is surrounded by a whirlwind of leaves.

The game also introduces new Super Abilities, which are activated when Kirby inhales special enemy characters. For example, the "Ultra Sword" Super Ability allows Kirby to swing a giant sword and wipe out an entire screen's worth of foes.

Up to four players can enjoy the action together. (Additional controllers required and sold separately.) While playing cooperatively to progress through the game, players can join and leave the game at any time.

Screenshots








Someone At Sega Grew A Brain...

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Year after year videogame companies try to come up with the next big thing. Creating new a IP is a very high risk venture but can reap high rewards. Often times when the publisher commits to a new game that wasnt received to well, they will shove a sequel down our throat regardless. If the public likes the new product from the jump, then look out they will annualize the game, make a movie & or license the game's characters out.

For some reason Sega didn't get that memo. In a way that's a good thing, we don't want another Capcom (see my capcom article here), but original Sega fans are starving for many franchises to return. Whether that's through a remake or a re-release we will take what we can get(unless its like the new Golden Axe). I can make the case that Sega owns stronger IPs than ANY video publisher. Sega battled Nintendo & Sony with all 1st party software remember. For some reason console cycle after console cycle, Sega sits on all their great franchises. Yes we get alot of Sonic games now but there was a time when Sega even abandoned him! Sega Saturn era anyone? Yes I know the story about Sonic Xtreme but thats another article.
Good news though, Sega is starting to show signs of recovery.


Virtua Fighter 5 final showdown was announced today for XBLA & PSN. That game has been in the Japanese arcades since 2010. Why is Sega taking 2 years to port it(2012 release date) I don't know and I don't care I'm just happy its coming out! I'm a little concerned with the watered down graphics but they have a year to work on it so we will see. Remember the original Virtua Fighter 5 was only 3.3 GB.

Sonic CD has been rumored by Major Nelson to be coming out on XBLA...yes the holy Sonic CD! That game is a true hidden gem. I hope we can get a HD version oh my God I'm hyped just typing this.


Sega Rally just had a really nice arcade release a few weeks back. Im really enjoying it.


Guardian Heroes will be coming out any week now,that will be a 1st day buy!

If Sega continues this trend as well as develop/publish some more new IPs. I really feel Sega can be in better shape financially then it ever has been!
Keep up the good work Sega :)

(Havent said that in years)


The Works of Silo

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Oh Silo!

This artist's work was sent to me by a twitter buddy for my eyecandy enjoyment. However, his works were soooooo awesomely upchucked organize mess of cool anime characters & typography that I couldn't resist sharing.

The upside-even if you aren't an art geek, you'll definitely enjoy the feel of his work.

The downside-I haven't found much about him as an artist, however his work speaks for itself, so I guess enough said.

To keep in that tradition though, I shared with you the works of Silo. Be sure to scroll down after all the kawaii goodness, though, for more links where I've found Silo's art lurking.


















SILO

SILO on Looks Like Good Design

SILO on Deviant Art

SILO on Facebook


Until Next Time!
~je t'adore!

Double Review: Gmail Notifier Plus and Rocketdock

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Okay people Jeff here and today I will be giving you a double review. The reason for this is because I want to give you people, a series of programs that will make your life in-front of the computer a little better and less stressful. Here I present to you two of my favorites, Gmail Notifier Plus and Rocketdock.

F.Y.I.: they are both free, completely free no ads or anything also they are both for windows right now, not too sure if they are on linux yet but i will keep you all updated just in case

Gmail Notifier Plus to download click here

Its just an RSS feed(if you dont know what an RSS feed is click here) that is linked to your gmail account, to let you get a quick look at what you have in there that you haven't read yet. I know what you might be thinking and yes its very safe. No one is looking at the feed unless they have the passwords to you different Gmail accounts. That's right, the other thing that makes this so great is that you can have more then one account being shown with it. The notifier will only show you what's inside your inbox, so if your like me and something checks the spam to be sure nothing important is in there by mistake you will have to sign into your account, which is another thing the notifier does right. All you have to do is click on which ever email account you want to look into, then your chosen browser is your default and it will pop up telling you to sign right in.

If you have more then one Gmail account or if you just want to always be updated on what is inside there this is a simple and fast little reader for you.

RocketDock to download click here

You all know how the Mac had the dock at the bottom of the screen. Well this is the same thing but for Windows. It works with all the version of windows from XP to 7. The dock acts just like the dock on a Mac, it allows all the same features from hiding when your mouse isn't on top of it to zooming in on the icon when your roll your mouse over it.

It gives you the prefect Mac feel with out having one. Another thing that is nice about it is that on their site they support icons , that werent made by them but by other people, so going to a place like deviantart (here is an example of icons) and do a search of icons that people created and use them over the default ones its comes with. It's an amazing app that will also help you clean up the clutter that is your desktop if its very messy.

I would tell you all to try out both of these programs, they are small in size and load quickly and next time I will tell you about another great program...



Geeks Who Do Music #1: Sleepless In Atlanta By Gary Samurai

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Welcome to our new topic Geeks Who Do Music. In this section we will showcase and let you guys and gals know about some cool geeks who do music. To kick this new topic/segment off. We want you guys to know about one our Twitter followers. He's an Otaku, Nerd and a very talented rapper. He has just released his new EP "Sleepless In Atlanta." For those who listen to Hip Hop, this is a really cool, soulful EP. Can you count how much gaming, anime or geeky references Gary Samurai makes? You can download Gary's EP at his site and listen to some of his tracks below. Favorite track is "Sleepless In Atlanta." It has a very nice soulful feel to it.



Download Sleepless In Atlanta

Follow Gary Samurai On Twitter

Like Gary On Facebook


JManga.com Launches In North America

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JManga.com has now launched in North America. Jmanga.com will provide online manga for sale by chapter, or volume by using a monthly point subscription system. You'll get free previews, as well as information regarding Manga
currently published in North America. Some titles you can find are NARUTO, Kekkaishi, Crayon Shinchan, Devil King, Cigarette Kisses, Dragon Girl, Tujiurauri, Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru, Young-kun, ADEKAN,Manga Science, and many more new to the North American market. JManga plans to update their catalog every Tuesday, increasing to a few thousand titles within the next year and onto 10,000 by 2013. If you love Manga check them out.

Five Annoying Anime Cliches

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I love Anime a lot. I mean I created a blog showing how much I love Anime. I have tons of DVD's, OST and Videogames that either have Anime influence or Anime in them. However there is something I can't stand in Anime is when I see these cliches. Here is my list of five annoying Anime Cliches. These cliches are not in any particular order, I'm just tired of seeing this same formula. I know many cliches make Anime what it is, but it's being overused now and it's time to revamp it. Tell me your annoying cliches in the comment section.

1. Insecure Boy Meets Alien Girl: This cliche is really getting annoying. This plot, setup or theme is being used so much, that I feel like I'm watching the same show over and over. Ask yourself Anime fans, how many times have you seen the boy who is afraid to talk girls, he ends up meeting a alien girl from another world. He usually has a close female friend that can't admit she loves him. The alien girl becomes involve in the love triangle, then something usually happens and the boy finally man's up. Usually he falls in love with his close friend, once the alien girl gives him the confidence. Or he falls in love with the alien girl and they live happily ever after. The boy meets alien girl is overused and frankly it's getting stale. I don't mind it being used if it was refreshing, however the alien girl usually doesn't know anything about earth, then the boy usually ends up teacher her about the planet or she's in some danger. She then lives with the boy at his place, usually has who has no parents. If your going to do the alien girl thing, can you at least make it original as possible?

Insecure Boy Meets Alien Girl


2. Big Boobs (Fan Service): Okay this is one cliche that I wish would end. I know big boobs is very popular in the world of men. However in Anime it's really getting overused. Seriously why does it seem almost every new school Anime character has d cup breast or higher? I know in animation the realistic approach is gone, but can we add a little realism? Also what about female otakus? Do you think they want to see boobs all the time in their Anime? What message are the artist trying to deliver, by showing big boobs all the time? If you're going to do fan service at least balance it fairly, for both men and women viewers. See the Anime "High School Of The Dead" for over usage of fan service and big boobs. I love "High School Of The Dead" but the over usage of fan service was too much. The constant slow motion of panties, slow motion to the big boobs had me saying, um this is about Zombies rising right? I feel that fan service should only be used if it relates to the story, or if it's somehow has to deal with the characteristic of the character.

Big Boobs (Fan Service)


3. The Non Existent Parents(Orphans): Anime really loves making children's parents non existent. How many times you've heard this line in Anime? "My parents were killed in a car accident." "My parents were murdered." "My parents moved away so I'm living with my cousin." Can we please get these kids some parents *laughs*. These characters are usually 13 to 16 years old living alone. Sometimes you get no explanation how these kids even manage to live by themselves without any adults around (once again add just a little bit of realism). The parent less child usually has a calling to become the savior of the world, meet an alien girlfriend or has a hidden beast within. I know their a lot of Anime that have the loving parents in them. I just wish that the parents would get some more screen time.

The Non Existent Parents(Orphans)


4. The Chosen Mech Pilot: The chosen one, the chosen one, oh please your the only one who can save us. To be fair not just Anime uses the chosen one storyline. I love the fate and destiny angle like anybody else. However the constant invasion of aliens, or transforming into a Mech beast and being the only who can save the world is outdated. The problem with the chosen one storyline is that you already know the outcome, unless it has a twist. The chosen one usually has to mature themselves and find the courage to take on their fate head on. I love this plot, it just needs to done in a more original way.

The Chosen Mech Pilot


5. The Unnecessary Fillers: Fillers should only be used if it affects the overall story, or if the filler has a deep character study that explains either the characters origins or actions. Fillers are usually used in fighting Anime shows. Bleach, Naruto, One Piece and DBZ are notorious for long fillers. Some fillers are helpful, but many of it is pointless. They have OVA and Movies for a reason. Use the fillers for that, don't make it an episode, it makes the series way too long and fans start to lose interest.

The Unnecessary Fillers




Nintendo Selects Wii Collection

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Head up gamers Nintendo is making a great deal for there popular Wii titles. On August 28th the Nintendo Selects will add four more games to it's collection. These games include, Super Mario Galaxy, Punch Out, Super Paper Mario, Mario Strikers Charged. All games will cost $19.99. In addition for those who don't know. The Nintendo Wii will be costing $149.99.


101 Photoshop Tips Fom Deke McClelland

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Wanted to share this for you all this weekend, to simply put this is very helpful if your a new user to using Photoshop. As far as I can tell all the tips giving in this work with Photoshop CS5, but I'm not sure so don't hold me to it. I will be looking for more tips and more importantly videos that make learning and remembering programs easier.

Also make sure you check out his site for more advance tips and some tricks. Also keep a look out for some tutorials, I will be finding and adding and remember to check out the picture below for get to his site.