No, no, not that curtain over there. Yes, I know Sephiroth has his hand down Cloud's pants and Cloud's leaning back into him moaning, but I'm talking about behind the SCENES.
Yarr... I caved in to another paid subscription... because I wanted to fully customize the layout... only they've completely changed it. x_X It tried to wrap my head around the S2 with styles and layers and... yeah, no.
I think I'm gonna switch it bad to S1 and hardcore everything. =/ It's not like I make my layouts for others to mod or anything.
Until there, tolerate the random bad layouts and stray images.

ALSO
Moodtheme! Working on a Crisis Core one! =D Though the majority of the moods so far feature Zack... >_>; well, I AM going to make a Zack one too. I'll probably barrow a lot from the CC one.
And yes! I will share the CC moodtheme! =D And maybe the Zack on. Probably. XD

So~... that's about it.

Heh... every time I come up with a fic or drabble (usually just a drabble, and even then, once in a blue moon), I get dragged back to LJ. For what ever reason, you all seem to like my writing, even when it's unbeta'ed. *_*
At least it gives me reason to stick around! =D
*hugs you all*

Updating the layout and maybe makin' a few mood themes...

Gonna be Zack-related now! =D


Soon, though. Not right now 'cause I have things I need to run out and do, any maybe not later either because I'm tired and have work tonight. ;_;
s'what I get for jogging a mile at 6am. =/ Well, that and some other exercies... like a smaller version of the YMCA Bootcamp program I graduated from 2 or 3 weeks ago. ^^ (With awards! =D Most Improved Run Time (shaved almost 2 minutes off!), and Perserverence! ^_^) My Journal over at Y!Gallery (there's a link in the sidebar now) has more details on the whole thing.


tiiiiiiired. But I have things to do... bleh. I wanna SLEEP.

My favorite AMV has gone MIA.
Seems it was made private/friends-only just before the creator posted saying they were abandoning that account, though it was noted s/he's still be around YouTube, just under a different name. I found this out just as the post ready "Last log in: 1 day ago", and have been unable to contact the creator. T^T

So here's what I know:
It's a Zack/Cloud AMV to Clay Aiken's cover of "Because you Loved Me". It's absolutely beautiful and amazing, and the ending makes me cry. I'd recommend it to any Z/C fan, but it no longer exists on the web.
The creator, having seemingly only posted on YouTube, goes by the name "mothwings2lamppost".
It used to be at this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhKsYsBv3E4

If anyone has the video, still has access to it, or by some miracle the creator is actually HERE, please let me know!
I don't intend to upload it anywhere or share it. I just miss watching it. T^T

X-posted to broaden search

(re-post from Y!Gallery)

Insight has been taken over by ComCast (who seems to have issues with Net Nuetrality, but that's another can of worms), so I may be offline intermittenly or for a few whole days (eep... without internet? *rocks back and forth in a corner*) while they make the service switch.

The only bright side to this I can see is that we won't have to watch any more Insight commercials. =D (Seriously. You already pay for the service. Why would they need to advertise to their subscribers? Unless you have friends over and you're all watching TV or something... but if they liked your service enough, they could just as YOU what service you had. :B Adveryising to your own subscribers seems like the biggest waste of an ad budget ever. Hell, I'd subscribe to a service that offered to BLOCK their own ads from appearing once I'm signed up)

Just felt like I should post something... even though I don't have anything to post about.
Well... I do... but not something I'm comfortable sharing with everyone on my flist. >_>; Even though some of you know already. I guess everyone else will find out eventually. Or I'll create another journal for it.
Don't worry, it's not something massively bad that's happened to me or something. Kindda the opposite, actually.
One question: who here thinks they have an open mind?

Hmm.. I have a bit of a dilemma...
I have an extra of something limited and rare... and I have to decide between two people to give it to: one would really appreciate just having it, the other may not appreciate it as much, but would take care of it, and I'd hope this person like me a little more for it
Semi-obvious, but pretend it's not.
What should I do?

EDIT:
Thanks to everyone's advice, I'm going to give it to the first person. You all made good points about not being able to essentially buy someone's affection with material goods.
<3 you all. *showers with glitter, sunshine, and gay*

Because I can, a Wordpress blog about Final Fantasy VII-related merchandise and releases. Mainly just info and updates on new releases, covering everything from PlayArts to promotional materials.

Yes, I will get a layout together for it. "Default" is oh-so-stylish, I know. XP
If anyone is a WordPress guru and wants to make a layout and/or graphics (or has suggestions for premade layouts) lemme know.

ALSO... if anyone wants to be on the blog STAFF, I wouldn't mind having another pair of typing hands or 2. You could add posts about new releases or updates to previous release announcements, and... probably some other things. I just ask that I know you, and we talk at least semi-regularly.
(It'd be nice to have someone to report from Japan's end, either gathering info from Japanese-language websites, or published materials like Famitsu articles... *nudgenudgewinkwink*)

So there's my shameless plug. :B Check it out, k?
Oh, and the rest of the Reunion website I'm still working on... on and off. ^^; I usually get hung up on graphics rather than coding, layout, or content. XD

So the other night I had a dream that I got to preview the English voice clips for all the characters on the CC website... only it was more like a nightmare. I remembered Rick's lack of effort the most... I forcefully woke myself up before clicking on Genesis's voice clip and hearing it. I'm THAT afraid of how horrible he'll sound, knowing what the others are like. x_x

Other news...
Dad had two interviews, and got a job with one of them. Although capacity planning for a company that manages the entire midwest's powergrid would have been FUCKAWESOME as a job, they decided to hire internally (after looking for someone for a YEAR. wtf?), so dad was hired by the other company he interviewed with. It's mainly a work-at-home job (-_- I like having the house to myself during the day, dammit!), but it involves some company-paid airtravel, so woot for that. Maybe we'll have frequent flier miles again! =D

Weather news...
I am getting REALLY tired of all this cold and snow. -_- Seriously. Stop plz? kthx. AND THE FUCKING WIND. I don't recall it EVER being THIS windy (and LOUD), and certainly not for this long! Almost 2, 3 months? wtf. Can I blame global warming? -_-; Seriously weather, stop it. I want the warm back.

I SCAPE RUNE AGAIN. Yes, I have drifted back to RuneScape. I get a membership for month or so from time to time these days... do new quests, train skills, check out the new additions to the game, then cancel when I get bored again. *shrugs* It's only $5/mo, and it doesn't require the purchase of any software, or even a high-end machine.
Btw... Hunter skill ftw. I wanna train Summoning, though, because I could have a pet DRAGON. (which was an idea I had for RS *ages* ago that my friend submitted to Jagex for me, and they gave him 1mill gold to give to me, but he still fucking owes me. Not that worried about it, though.)
If anyone wants to meet me on RuneScape, look for "Yahriel". ^^

At least not this year. =3 But I'm not saying anything yet in case I jinx it. XD

So here's a meme that I can say is vday related (stolen from yume_no_kage):

Reply to this post, and I will list three things I love about you. Maybe more than three.
Then repost to your own journal and spread the love.

And my own apologies if you just friended me and I don't know much about you yet. ^^; I'm sure I can find SOME reason to love you, though. =D

I was going to rant about my crappy day, but I figure all those of you who recently friended me would appreciate this more.

Crisis Core's English audio is made of FAIL. EPIC fail.
Go see for yourself:
IGN Videos <--- SPOILERS if you don't know some of the in-game scenes.

( Cut in case of spoilers )

CIA Admits Cyberattacks Blacked Out Cities
EDIT: Here's another article from Forbes.com Hackers Cut Cities' Power
Cyberwarfare isn't science-fiction, it's real.
And seriously, if someone got to the US's powergrid? Dam control? Even traffic signals (at least signals can be temporarily overridden by emergency vehicles). And not just the physical... our data could be accessed as well. Everything from tax records to government secrets is stored in data form somewhere. The moment a computer is connected to any form of external network, it becomes vulenerable. (Not trying to be an alarmist of whatever. Just want people to consider that. America as a whole has a tendency not realize or act until it's too late)
Kindda makes you wonder how long it will be before something like Ghost in the Shell's Section 9 will be created - if something like that doesn't already exist. >_> There's lot going on technologically we don't know about. Kindda makes me want to work for the government, just to know. ^^; I've probably already disqualified myself by having a public journal.

Funny I came across that article just as Ghost in the Shell:SAC came on. XD
However... Shirow Masamune's illustration of the future may not be far from our own possible future. if that's the case, I want a Tachikoma @_@ I love those guys so much!!! I'd really enjoy carrying on conversation with them! Or just giving them some random electronic thing and hearing what they say about it! *is watching one of the Tachikoma-centric episodes* XD I LOVE the look on Batou's face as the Tachikoma explains its theory of the existance of God and a ghost to him. Is it bad I follow that conversation completely?

btw, this paragraph amuses me:
Citing two Government Accountability Office reports on SCADA security, Paller said that people have been adding wireless and Windows to SCADA systems without really thinking about security. "They're gotten radically unsafe," he said.

I love how he implies Windows is in the same class of security vulnerability as wireless. XD

Ok... I heard news that just made all my online issues seem a lot smaller.
My dad's been laid off.
It's not his fault in the least. The company he works for was going to merge with another company... the contract for it was finalized, then the other company backed out, supposedly breaching the contract... so now they're suing each other. Of course, even if dad's company had won, the employees wouldn't see a cent of that money, it would go to the shareholders. >=/
Anyway... I actually feel really bad for him. This was the first time in his adult career he didn't have a minimum 1 hour commute to work; hell, he didn't even have to get on the highway. Where he worked was also a nice place... I never heard him complain about the people he worked with. He always had interesting stories about his friends or the people on his floor. He had The Red Stapler (I got him for Xmas) that was NEVER stolen, only revered as a sacred office object. XD
So... I feel bad for him losing that. -_-

It also means I'm going to have to pay for more stuff. My phone bill, for one. (Originally, I wanted the account in my name, but Cingular wouldn't take a BANK card as a CREDIT card, so my mom had to sign up for me). Car insurance is already mine. If dad doesn't find another place to work soon, I'll offer to pay half the digital services bill as well (since I'm the one using 90%+ of the internet anyway).
At least I haven't been buying stuff off the internet like crazy anymore. (Though there are a few things I want to grab before Yahoo!Japan and eBay combine services and the price goes up. At least that won't even start happening until March).

Well, I still have MY job. And my car. And I can pay for me, and save money as well.

Good luck job-hunting Dad, even though you don't even know I have this journal!

http://yaoi.y-gallery.net/journal/yahriel/112841/

because I don't feel like copy/pasting the whole thing. The only person who NEEDS to read this, probably won't anyway, but I'm putting it here on the snowball's-chance-in-hell he might.

Yeah. I'm scheduled to work Sun, Mon, Tues, and Wed. In addition to the usual Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sat of the previous week. x_x
Never work food-retail around Thanksgiving. EVER.

So between that I'm sleeping, getting my internet time, and yeah. Not much time for much else.

I did make some icons, though.
2 reside here, in IconFiend100 where I fail spectacularly at being productive, but at least my claim is still... claimed. :B

Other icon challenge I only have 1 icon for, so I haven't even posted. Min. batch for that comm is 5 or 6, so yeah.

( Behind a cut, because the icons may by spoilerific if you're a zero-spoiler nazi XP )

I should be typing up con reports, editing photos, or even sleeping.
But instead I'm poking CrackTube for funny AMVs.

Behold, my findings.
Gaze upon them, and feel your brain melt out your ears.



And this is the movie noted in the title:
CLOUD AND SEPHIROTH SING THE "F.U.N. SONG". YES, REALLY.




this entry is probably a sign that I REALLY shouldn't be awake right now.

Slowly starting to feel a little better. Or maybe I'm just too tired to think about it anymore.

Still, it's weird sitting on my bed at my laptop like nothing ever happened.
It's good to see other people's photos, though. ^^

I have around 300 pics and about 5 video I need to polish up for the web. Plus over half a week of con write-up to do (of course you guys only care about the con days. But the rest is... mildy interesting). I seriously need you guys to keep bugging me to get it done. If I just let it sit, I know it won't get done.

=( It's lonely going to sleep without a roomie. *sighes and snuggles with hug-pillow and newly-aquired Sephiroth plushie*

I have no idea what time it should be. All I know is that I want it to be dark outside. I'm all tired and confused and whatnot.
I've made it back home... sadly.
I really miss San Fran. I miss the con. I miss Rufus.
In my mind, I keep going back to the events of the con, not yet wanting to leave it, and have to be back at my normal life by myself again. *post-con emo/angst*
I'm still doing that "I was doing X this time last week..." or "I was at X location yesterday" thing. *sigh* I guess I want to remind myself that it's still close. It did happen.
Some people say that the time between YaoiCons flies. My thoughts... it doesn't move fast enough. It feels like it's been forever between the cons.

I really do miss the con and being out in Cali and away from everything here. And of course I miss Rufus. I've been crying off and on the past two days.

There's a lot of things I wish had happened in San Fran that didn't, and it makes me really disappointed. I remember being a lot happier when I got home last year, but that was because I could still make what I wanted to of some events. I didn't have an actual answer then to loom over me.

In summary - I miss everything, especially Shachou, and my heart is broken. Though I'm always going to be stupidly hopeful. -_-

To help keep my sanity I need to take occassional breaks. (that, and to let the glue dry). I'll post updates.

Shaped the second pauldron more... it's not as bulbous as the other one. =/ I'll get it sooner or later.
Did some detail work on the waistbelt - attached a few snaps (the caps make good studs =D).
Working on the SOLDIER emblem right now. The reverse side of the belt fabric makes a good background. Gluing fabric around the foam border shape was a pain, though.
Before I attach that, I'm going to make the little figure inside the border. It's got a CIRCLE in it. That's gonna be fun. x_x

I WILL get this done.
I want to be COMPLETELY done with SOMETHING by noon. Either shoulder armor (at least get to Friendly Plastic), or the belt/harness thing.

Zack: GANBATTE!
<3

THE 23 IS A TUESDAY NOT WEDNESDAY.
GAWD I'M SO STUPID. X_X
MY PLANE LEAVES TOMORROW AT 7am.

I WILL NOT SLEEP TONIGHT.
must....finish....plastics...

So yesterday/today was my last day at work before my (PAID!) vacation kicks in. I'm off work for a whole week, getting paid to have fun in California! =D How sweet is that?!
I'm really excited for my second YaoiCon! And the time in California! But I think I'm actually even MORE excited to see makohikari again.

I still have cosplay work to do, of course.
Belts need the connecting straps, and waist belt needs front detailing, and edge border.
second pauldron needs form-finishing. Both need to be smoothed over with Friendly Plastic, then painted.
While talking with Zack!muse, I figured out how to attach the pauldrons to the harness. More belts/straps. :B It's so obvious now.
Buster Sword... foam core is done, the plastic is here. I need to measure and saw the plastic, then heat it to shape it around Buster. Making the gaurd and raised materia area from the extra (I ordered to 1/8-thick sheets of HDPE). Have quilting ribbon for handle ita, and a vague idea of what to do for the buttcap.
Wig - I'll have to do this at the hotel. -_- At least I'll be getting there on Wed, and will have time before Friday. From my own experiments, I know I can finish the wig in several focused hours.

No further word on the Yaoi Fantasy VII: Fandom's Core panel. I told animekittysama I'd poke them again. Doing that after this entry.


I wanted to make a note, because I thought this was cool.
I have a short walk from my car to the house, and I always pass that time staring at the sky. It's amazing how many stars you can still see out here. Anyway, me being me, I had to let out a whoop and a jump because... BOOYA. WEEK IN CALI, BABY! Shortly after, I just happened to look in the right direction at the right time... I saw a shooting star. A clear, bright flash of light streak across the sky in an instant.
An omen of good luck? It feels like it.
I relaxed myself and looked deep into the sky... it usually feels lonely, but this time, it was a feeling of being connected. I closed my eyes, and as I finished the thought in my head, a gentle breeze picked up until I opened my eyes again.
Does the sky want me to be happy now?

Heh, I know this all sounds weird. I won't even try explaining it. All that matters is that it means something to me.

Anyway... this is my vacation notice. I probably won't even be on the internet once I arrive in Cali (if I do manage on, it would only be for a few hours).
I don't actually leave until Wednesday morning. So if you're going to be at YaoiCon as well (or in the Bay Area), email me and I'll give you my cell number. ^^ x(dot)yahriel(dot)x(at)gmail(dot)com.

Yo. YaoiCon 2007 is looming just around the corner... and I've really got to buckle down a finish this cosplay!
Before that... update on the Yaoi Fantasy VII: Fandom's Core panel I submitted. I emailed the staff and got a reply saying it's still in limbo if only for scheduling and logistics. So basically we've been approved, it's just matter of fitting us in.
For those of you who don't know (I'd imagine there's quite a few of you. I never did announce this here, did I?) Yaoi Fantasy VII: Fandom's Core is a panel in which we will discuss the fandom, new & old, and how all the new characters from the pieces of the Compilation are affecting the fandom and our yaoi, for better or worse.
People on the panel are makohikari, myself, and two BNFs: animekittysama and... Miss Kalloway who's LJ name I forget for the moment. ^^;

As for cosplay updates!
In regards to my previous post... as much as I would like to cosplay older-Zack from CC, I simply do not have the time to put in for all the extra detail that costume would require. If I attend YaoiCon08, it will likely be as Zack Fair from CC. As it is, I'm working on the costume whenever I have the time and energy to (and with my work schedule now, that's not a lot of time. x_x)

What I've got DONE:
*shirt (finally!) much thanks to my mom for taking in the sides so it fits me now. how sad. It's small and it was too big around the sides. x_X
*pants - though I'm still thinking about getting a size larger for extra bagginess.
*SHOES. YES. I FINALLY FOUND SHOES. DSW SHOE WAREHOUSE FTW. Extra win because I could wear them to work. Size 7 was too tight in some areas, but 7.5 is a bit loose at the heel... at least I can wear thick socks. :B ANYWAY. When I got in my car, the yelling of "YESH!" and playing of the victory fanfare on my cellphone was ENTIRELY CALLED FOR. Because I'm so happy I found ZACK BOOTS.
*Gloves - found gloves at WalMart... the color of the fabric matches the color of the fabric I bought for the belts/harness. o_o Win.

Working on:
*belts - all the patterns are DONE. As I type this, I've got the two shoulder pieces pressed down on the fabric with books so the glue with adhere smoothly. ^^ I WILL GET THE HARNESS DONE BEFORE TUESDAY. Finishing it over the weekend.
*Shoulder pauldrons - yes still. Haven't made any progress since that update a while back. I can probably work on them over the weekend between letting the glue on the belt fabric set. ^^; I ordered the Friendly Plastic I'll need to smooth them over. Still need paint...
*wig - I started over, with a longer wig. Judging from experience (that I have now from the first wig), it shouldn't take more than two days to finish it, now that it's been straightened and dried. I won't have to waste time figuring out how to do the spikes, since I know that now as well.
*Buster Sword - low on priorities, as cool as it would be to have - it's a prop, not part of the costume like the armor is. Still, I've FINALLY finished the base pattern for it... didn't realize it was beveled on BOTH edges. That really cuts down on the foamcore area. I'll figure something out. I need order a different kind of sheet plastic for this (cheaper than WF! o_o), then get paint. x_x Still not sure what to do for the red part of the handle. Any ideas?


So that's where I stand.
2 weeks left. Cosplay panic setting in? Maybe. Probably by next week. x_x Trying not to let it get to me. I CAN get this done. How many other people do this on a commission basis, and have maybe 2 or 3 other costumes going on as well? They still manage.
Best part of all this is:

I'M GONNA BE ZACK!
So you know who the guy with the spiky black hair looking for Yubinbasha doujinshi in the dealer's room is.