Japan

So I'm sure if you follow me on Twitter you're sick and tired of hearing about it but this is super important to me.  I feel like now, just a few short days after the earthquake and following tsunami in Japan that people are just going back to their daily lives and forgetting about the continuing devastation occurring in Japan which breaks my heart.  Also, I know very few people read my blog but maybe some of you read but don't follow me on Twitter so it's worth a mention here as well.

For those that don't know, I love Japan.  It started with a simple love of my favorite anime and has blossomed into an appreciation for their culture as well.  I'd love to visit Japan and several times have looked into teaching programs there as well as study abroad but life tends to get in the way (and the fact that I'm a total pussy and can't take not seeing my family for more than a month & my husband is not keen on sushi.  Yes I've told him there is McDonald's but he's not convinced, well unless our "president" gets re-elected, then he said we could move there haha. :D I win, kinda.)  Pretty much the gist of the story is that I love Japan and it holds a special place in my heart.

So this is my call to you.  If you haven't, please donate.  I know money is tight, trust me, I know, we have a baby boy on the way and a LOT to do to prepare for him as well as other things that daily life throws at you as well.  Not complaining, just saying, times are rough for many right now.

There are some very easy ways to help though:

(Everything in red is a link- wanted to make it obvious ^.~)

You can donate to the Red Cross, which I have done.  You can either go to their website to donate or you can simply text from your phone the word REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 to relief efforts.  (I believe text is US only)  It doesn't get much easier than that.  Seriously.  I did it at midnight in my pjs from the comfort of my bed, so that hopefully someone in Japan that lost their entire home can at least have somewhere safe to sleep themselves.

Another way is donating to Doctors Without Borders.

Lady Gaga has also designed a bracelet you can buy for $5 and all proceeds go to help those in Japan and you also have the option to add more of a donation at checkout.

Save the Children is also helping with relief efforts and accepting donations on their website as well as allowing us another super easy way to donate- Text.  Simply text JAPAN to 20222 to donate $10.  (Text is US only)

Also, if you're interested in keeping up with the news of Japan I have heard from several people in and from Japan that some of the best news reporting comes from NHK.  I have noticed local news tends to focus on Americans in Japan (sorry but country of origin doesn't matter especially in a disaster like this) and our media is famous for reporting before they have the whole story.

You can also see some of what all the money to places like Red Cross is going to at places like this Flickr because it's nice to see the good being done as well as keep informed of all the disasters that keep occurring as nuclear plants attempt to combat meltdowns and the death toll rises.

I will also add to this list as I find reputable places to donate as well.  I am considering doing something like photography prints for donations as well so if you head over to my photography site and see something you like, hit me up and we'll see what we can do. ^.^  I know I'm not famous or anything (yet ^.~) but hey, get a print for a donation now and brag to your friends later when I'm famous, haha.

Wordless Wednesday: 'Cause I'm Chillin with a Klingon

Minor Requirements

So Mondays were supposed to be my day for manga reviews but I'm slacking hardcore and I've been eyeball deep with research for my senior portfolio/career choice as well as trying to keep up on reading for my last class for my minor which is killing me.

Seriously my very last class for my minor seems to be more than the rest of my minor classes combined. >.<  I'm just hoping I can pull off a C, really.  Lol.  Yeah way to shoot high, right?  All my other minor classes have been good grades though so really that's all I need.  It's only like a 2.0 or something requirement for that anyway.  Yay Asian Studies!!  (My major requires a 3.0... in art... wtf most other programs just have the university-wide 2.0)  So yeah this class has been ridiculous reading and let me tell you, Asian politics is FASCINATING to read about.

/sarcasm

Like I said, hoping for a C...

So since I've slacked and not delivered a review for a manga I will now share with you photographic awesome that I got from the comic book store in Loveland.

 

Sailor Moon "Button Men"  ^w^

(Photo taken on my Droid X using FxCamera in Toy Cam mode)

It's a game, which I totally didn't even know existed but seriously if it's Sailor Moon I want it.  Had to laugh, the guy at the comic book store said it was part of a game like, why would you want it if you don't already have some.  Ummm because it's Sailor Moon, dude and that's what I do.  The Usagi in my name comes from my obsession ok?  2 of my upcoming tattoos?  Sailor Moon.  I'm obsessed mmmmkay?

So yeah I was pretty excited.  I should show my collection of Sailor Moon stuff.  It's small, really, but I love it all just the same, like the comforter I found in Oklahoma at some Mom & Pop store that we hit on our way home from a family reunion back when anime and manga stuff was SCARCE.  

 *sigh*

Someday when I'm making millions I'll be all over ebay buying up everything Sailor Moon I see, hahaha!

Finding My Path

Well I got one post out this week...

*shifty eyes*

So the last week or so has been me examining photography and what I like about it and don't like about it and if you follow me on Twitter you also know I had to write down some strengths and weaknesses and was having a terrible time of it and got super down on myself as a result.  Part of me is ready to graduate and another part of me is like "whoa, no... so not ready for this" and completely terrified that I've wasted the last few years and oh so many thousands of dollars on an education for something I'm not good enough at.

See that?  That's me spilling my guts out.  Be gentle.

So after examining what I like and don't like (and not even going over the strengths & weaknesses bit that I spent oh so much time stressing over) I've pinned down what I want out of my photography and wondered why the hell I've been sticking with such safe photography.  

When the HELL did I get so damn timid???

In High School my favorite activity was drama.  I lived for drama and it was really the only thing that kept me going.  I took chances with my art and I wasn't afraid to talk to anyone, what the hell happened to me???  Now I can't even approach anyone.  Umm hello I've sold sex toys as a job!  This should be easy peasy.

 

So now it's shoot, shoot, shoot.  In fact a large part of today's to-do list is finishing up some photos for a friend to then see if she'll model again.  I'm so slow at editing, but getting faster as I work at it, damn perfectionist side.

Another "funny" thing- in my research the number of photographers I feel my model should get for her time is a hell of a lot more than many give their models for several hundred dollars. O.o So that's how so many photographers make a killing.

So yeah.  That's what's up and why I've been neglecting my blog.  Was told I needed to do some serious research into the area I want to go into and I have been.  Funny though, doesn't seem like research should be this awesome.  I'm thinking I'll do some artist spotlights with the artists I've found here in the near future, so have no fear, I will share you you my findings of awesome.