I think I’m slowly getting back into blogging again. My new Black★Rock Shooter figure arrived yesterday, exactly two weeks after it was shipped from Hobby Search in Japan. I pre-ordered the figma version, as it’s less expensive than the other figures (seeing as I’m a student and all, I’m mostly poor), and it’s more customisable than the other more expensive firgures. This one is 14cm in height and cost me ¥2946 (about $40 AUD) including shipping (with my 15% discount from Hobby Search), as opposed to the 29cm figures that cost upwards from $170 AUD. :O

Anyway, Black Rock Shooter is an original character and song developed using the Hatsune Miku voice synthesiser. What gets annoying is how many people think that BRS and Hatsune Miku are related or are from the same series, as they look similar in appearance. Other than sharing the same voice in the song, they have absolutely no relation to each other!  I’ll add the music video here, which was developed as a pilot for the upcoming (at the time) release of the OVA. If you’re not a fan of J-pop, you may like to ignore the song.

Finally, here is the new figure that I bought, Black Rock Shooter Figma version. I haven’t placed it in a particularly amazing pose, or customised it much, but this will do for now. The figure came with several options, including the Black Rock Cannon, Black Blade, five pairs of hands, three faces, two hairstyles (one with glowing eye), and two metal chains that are most likely for display only. I was also really surprised to see that it also came with a copy of the OVA on DVD.

Well that’s it for now, I might update this entry soon to include an image with her black katana if anyone’s interested. Let’s hope I can get back into writing blogs again.

Also,  I really need to find another theme for this blog now that I’m including videos and pictures more often, as there’s not enough space for anything. I don’t wnat to have to resize everything again… Let me know if you find a few decent ones. This blog will look weird until I change it, so help me out.

-Lachy.

This is my first blog in ages as well, I just haven’t felt like saying anything. …Which is why I haven’t. I’m interrupting my blog drought to show this interesting, partially useful USB device. A charging board (powered by an AC adapter, or two-three molex it looks like), that is used to power or charge 80 USB devices at once.  It costs 14800¥ ($191.47 AUD).

http://www.thanko.jp/product/pc/usb-80port.html/

How on earth would you be able to find 80 USB powered devices to use with it simultaneously!? :O You can’t use it as a massive USB hub for data RAIDs or anything like that, so you’re limited to powering and charging devices only. I can only think of about 10 devices that I could use personally. They would include (starting with ones I actually own, potential devices in italic):

1. USB Cup Warmer
2. USB Bamboo Fountain
3. USB Plasma Ball
4. DS Lite charging
5. Mobile charging (if I found a USB cable to use with it)
6. MP3 player
7. USB Beverage cooler
8. Camera
9. USB powered fan
10. USB mosquito repeller (if I ever got one to try)
11. USB toaster (if somebody made a real one)
12. USB hand warmer (if I ever got really cold)
    
13. USB electric blanket

That’s all I can think of. Those 13 devices would only use 13-15 USB ports (including devices that may use 10V (two USB ports) to power). What possible use could you have for 80? You could possibly use about 20 to power other people’s devices as well, but for personal use, I have no idea how you could use it to it’s full potential.

As awesome as it would be mounted to a wall, I don’t think I could ever use as many ports as it offers. Not in the one place anyway…

What do you guys think? Would you use something like this? Do you think you’d be able to get anywhere near 80 used ports? Also, the woman on the product page looks thoroughly impressed.

Hey guys, it’s been two months since my last entry. Sorry about that. I’ve been nowhere near the right state of mind to write anything, nor am I right now. I’m not even sure if I should have a blog at all.

This entry is nothing but a filler, to show that I’m still alive. I can barely remember what I wanted to write about before my absence. Here’s a short list:

• Alestorm
• Weekly updates

As it turns out, that’s all I can remember, I might write something a little more philosophical as well, like I used to do. Something about honesty always being the best policy. Just, don’t be surprised if it takes a while.

That’s all guys, ciao.

Hooray! I made myself a Weighted Companion Cube. I was so depressed when GlaDOS made me incinerate my cube when playing Portal… Now I can keep this one as my faithful, inanimate companion forever…

Weighted Companion Cube

This Weighted Companion Cube was made of paper, glue, ink and love… It was based on a net from this place that I found tonight. I also found a wallpaper, I may share that sometime.   I chose not to include all of the extra little raised parts, as they were awful to cut out and fold and stick on. So, I’m keeping my Companion Cube simple. Although it’s called a Weighted Companion Cube, this actually has very little weight, ’cause it’s paper. Though I guess you already know that…

Perhaps this entry needs some quotes added to it now…

GlaDOS: Momentum, a function of mass and velocity, is conserved between portals. In layman’s terms, speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out.

GLaDOS: While it has been a faithful companion, your Companion Cube cannot accompany you through the rest of the test. If it could talk – and the Enrichment Center takes this opportunity to remind you that it cannot – it would tell you to go on without it, because it would rather die in a fire than become a burden to you.

GlaDOS: At the end of the experiment you will be baked, and then there will be cake.

GlaDOS: This is your fault. I’m going to kill you. And all the cake is gone. You don’t even care.

GlaDOS: Remember when the platform was sliding into the fire pit and I said “Goodbye” and you were like

[in a deep male voice]

GlaDOS: “No way!” And then I was all “We pretended we were going to murder you?” That was great!

Curiosity Sphere: Who are you? What is that? Oh, What’s that? What’s THAT? What is THAT?

Curiosity Sphere: Ooooh, that thing has numbers on it.

Curiosity Sphere: Hey, look at that thing. No, that other thing!

Curiosity Sphere: Where are we going? Are you coming back? What’s that noise? Is that a gun? Do you smell something burning? Ooooohh… what’s in heeeere?

GLaDOS: [the character has just destroyed part of GLaDOS] You think you’re doing some damage? Two plus two is…

[sparking and fizzling noise]

I actually tested that last one, and it’s true!

22₄
= 2 x 4¹ + 2 x 4⁰
= 8 + 2
= 10

Therefore, 22₄ = 10₁₀. My number skills are awesome.

Anyway,  who else has played Portal? Did you feel so disheartened having to incinerate your Weighted Companion Cube? Are you still missing your cake? I know I am. You should all tell me how you feel about the Weighted Companion Cubes, cake and the rest of the game.

I think I might go and make some toast before I go to bed. Peanut Butter Toast at 4am FTW!

Ciao.

-Lachy

Hooray, my new anime figures arrived today, that I bought from Ebay about a week ago. They’re a little smaller than I expected, the description said they were 10-12cm in height, but they’re actualy 9-10cm in reality. They’re still awesome though, so it’s all ok.

Sakura Kinomoto from Cardcaptor Sakura now lives in my house. Jealous?  Sakura is the greatest, definitely my favourite female anime character. She has rollerblades, and clow cards, and Keroberos! The fact that it’s a shoujo anime means nothing to otaku such as myself, because she is full of win. If any of you haven’t seen Cardcaptor Sakura before, you definitely need to see it! But, keep a few things in mind:

First of all,  it is NOT Cardcaptors, it is infinitely better than the butchered English dub. The US version has no Japanese names, places or cultural references; the characters and their relationships aren’t nearly as deep; and they reduced the number of episodes. I could rant about it all day. The US version “Cardcaptors” is nowhere near as hilarious or interesting as the original Japanese anime.

Also, the show is actually really entertaining, it isn’t incredibly girly, as many fan images would have you believe… It isn’t completely covered in pink or anything, you just need to get past the pink phone, pink staff, and occasional pink battle outfits. It’s just an awesome magical girl series that has everything that is awesome. I’m thinking about getting a Cardcaptor Sakura wallscroll when I go to brisbane as well.

While I’m talking about anime figures, I think it’s time I updated some of you about my others. One of the following figures was actually acquired fairly recently as well. I’m sure Brent will like it. It’s Clare, from the anime Claymore. It also comes with Irene’s right arm (currently attached).

Clare from Claymore

And this next image contains the rest of the figures I haven’t included in previous entries. 

In case you haven’t seen my other two figuresalready, they’re pretty awesome. They should be somewhere under the anime tag. You can expect to see Spike Spiegel and a silver Astro Boy.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for right now.  I uploaded these images tonight using WinSCP, a freeware FTP client. It seems alright so far, I might keep using it for a while, so I don’t need to keep relying on the FlashFXP trial. I didn’t really like Filezilla much…

Ciao friends.