I know I said it was going to be a few days at the most, and I apologize for leaving you hanging, but I wanted to wait for DeathCom's pics to go up (they're a company that attends cons, sets up a booth, and takes professional pictures of cosplayers that they can choose to order prints of, if they feel like it). They have a few pictures of me in my Sexy no Jutsu cosplay from Saturday - click here, and then try scrolling left and right through the images to see the other ones they got of me. I also found that amazing Lum that I got a picture of, and an anti-spiral Nia which I totally missed seeing at the con (here she is with Simon, who I did see). Also of note are this amusing Mario & Yoshi pair, the amazing bodypaint work of Darth Talon, and Muten Roshi from DBZ, who I saw wandering about the con (there was a really good Vegeta, too - I should have got his picture). Also of note is this very impressive Darth Vader without his helmet on, who was very intimidating in person. I overheard someone call him "Darth Vader", and he replied, "that's Lord Vader to you" in a calm but firm voice. I was afraid that if I dared to take his picture without asking politely first, he'd strangle me with the Force!
Regretfully, DeathCom did not, apparently, get a picture of that mystery cosplayer that I missed - who I have now found out was cosplaying as Siren, the Guardian Force (summon) from Final Fantasy VIII. I knew she looked familiar, but the closest thing I could come up with was a chocobo - which is another Final Fantasy character with yellow feathers (she was sure fast as a chocobo, when I was trying to chase her down for a picture). I also found out that she's the same person who cosplayed Sailor Neptune (formal gown) and Paine from Final Fantasy X-2 that weekend, both of which I did get pictures of (and I didn't even realize they were all the same person! She's a really good cosplayer). Here's another pic I found of her in her Siren cosplay. None of these pictures even do her cosplay justice! I wish I hadn't missed my chance to photograph her. :(
Now onto the pictures I took. I was less proactive in taking pictures of other cosplayers this year, but I balanced that with the enthusiasm I had for my own cosplays, which I got a lot of pictures of. On Saturday, I posed for a whole lot of pictures in my popular Sexy no Jutsu cosplay, and actually missed getting pics of some other cosplayers due to being otherwise detained! And I spent a lot more time standing around showing off my cosplay, waiting for people to ask for my picture, than walking around asking for other people's pictures.
Anyway, here is a link to my con photos for this year. The weather was nice, so we actually had a chance to visit Point State Park which is literally across the street from the hotel. This year I was in the midst of an obsession with my new cell phone camera, so I took a lot of those kinda pics. Low resolution, but the charm is all in the showcase of it, and the convenience of carrying it around, and the challenge of trying to take interesting pictures with a generally poor quality camera (though for a cell phone camera, I'm pretty impressed). I put the pictures from my own cosplay photoshoots in this set here, so make sure to check those out, too (look towards the end, the first half is my cosplay from last year). Last but not least, I have more pics of the figure I picked up in the Dealer's Room this year in this set - she's the pink-haired figure in the striped bikini - for all of you figure moe zoku types. ;-)
All that's left now is pictures taken by fellow con-goers. And I'm disappointed to report that tracking down pictures from this con is as frustrating as ever. I had tons of people taking my picture on Saturday of the con, and so far, I've found two of those pictures online. It's been enough time now that people should have posted their con pictures, especially considering that most people these days are of the point-shoot-share mentality, which requires less post-processing than I spend on my pictures. To be fair, I wait until DeathCom's photos go up to complain, because they take a lot of pictures, and they're professionals. I put my pictures up pretty quick this year, and it still took me a week or more, yet even then, I was weeks ahead of DeathCom. It might be true that some people take pictures at cons without intending to share them publicly - and that's entirely their prerogative - but when I have my picture taken at a con, I really do enjoy seeing that picture later on. Maybe none of those pictures turned out well at all. That would be a shame. And when people do put their pics up, it's not always easy to find them. That's what the 'post your pictures' thread on the con's official forum is for (which is right here, by the way). But not everyone uses it...
Ah, well. So far, I've found this picture, which, interestingly, I discovered was taken by someone who got my picture last year in my pink dress Chii cosplay! Points for consistency! And then there's this picture.
Yeah. That's it. I wanna see more! T.T
09 April, 2012
07 April, 2012
Easter Cheer
I know, I'm not a religious person, but Easter tickles me for two reasons.
1) Like Halloween, it's a holiday celebrated by the mass consumption of chocolate and other candies. (Although, rather than mass consumption, this year it's just an excuse for me to splurge and have a candy bar).
2) Regardless of the historical accuracy of the statements I've made in the past (which I do believe are at least somewhat accurate, but I'm not a historian; and anyway, history isn't as important as what it means to us), I think it's fun to emphasize the pagan traditions that underlie our modern celebration of Easter - namely, that it is a fertility festival (hint: fill in the blank - to ____ like rabbits), and one occurring during the spring, which in some pagan calendars is the time of year when one celebrates that phase of life that is characterized by the attainment of sexual maturity, both in pretty young maidens, and also in sporting young lads. So in other words, it's a very sexy holiday. :D
And, to emphasize that aspect,
I provide you with the following bunny chicks:
Have a fun and morally ambiguous Easter!
And don't do anyone I wouldn't do! -_^
(\_/)
(^.^)
1) Like Halloween, it's a holiday celebrated by the mass consumption of chocolate and other candies. (Although, rather than mass consumption, this year it's just an excuse for me to splurge and have a candy bar).
2) Regardless of the historical accuracy of the statements I've made in the past (which I do believe are at least somewhat accurate, but I'm not a historian; and anyway, history isn't as important as what it means to us), I think it's fun to emphasize the pagan traditions that underlie our modern celebration of Easter - namely, that it is a fertility festival (hint: fill in the blank - to ____ like rabbits), and one occurring during the spring, which in some pagan calendars is the time of year when one celebrates that phase of life that is characterized by the attainment of sexual maturity, both in pretty young maidens, and also in sporting young lads. So in other words, it's a very sexy holiday. :D
I provide you with the following bunny chicks:
And don't do anyone I wouldn't do! -_^
(\_/)
(^.^)
01 April, 2012
Reflexive Gifting
Finding gifts for the people you know and love is a pain in the ass. Finding gifts for someone you don't even know that well is downright frustrating. Well I've discovered the solution to your woes - it's Reflexive Gifting!
The original concept of gifting implies non-reciprocation - gifts are given unexpectedly, without expectation of any return favor. But these days, organized gifting has turned the concept of gifting on its head, undermining the very generosity and surprise that it represents.
Most organized gifting is Reciprocal Gifting. Like on Christmas, you give the people you know and love gifts, expecting to get gifts in return. Even birthdays, which are seemingly one-sided, also involve reciprocal gifting because there is an assumption that you will eventually return the favor once the gift-giver's birthday comes around!
In the end, Reciprocal Gifting is not really gifting, it's just an exchange of goods, that is ideally, but not always, more or less equal. But if you're sick and tired of the hassle of picking out gifts for people, and don't enjoy the surprise that entails having to pretend you like your gifts whether you really do or not, might I suggest you try Reflexive Gifting instead?
Reflexive Gifting means buying "gifts" for yourself. That means you can get what you *really* want! But in order to not have to spend money on gifts for yourself AND your friends and family, you need to tell them that you're a Reflexive Gifter. That means they can save the money they would have spent buying you gifts, and instead buy themselves something! And then you don't have to buy them anything, because you're giving them the gift of being able to buy their gifts for themselves, in exchange for their agreement to do the same for you!
The result is, nobody spends more money than they really would have otherwise, and they get the same amount of gifts - they just have the opportunity to buy them for themselves, so they know they'll like them! It takes the guesswork out of gifting, and as an alternative solution to hunting for gifts, it doesn't put a price on your friendships like gifting cash tends to do!
Reflexive Gifting may not be for everyone - surely, there are people who enjoy hunting for gifts, and the surprise of not knowing what they'll get. But not everyone is alike, and I know there are other people out there like me who would much rather engage in Reflexive Gifting, and be able to enjoy the tradition of gifting once again!
So find out which of your friends and family would prefer Reflexive Gifting over Reciprocal Gifting, and even if you don't like it, try it, for them. You can still give reciprocal gifts for everyone else on your list! That way, everyone will be happy! Know any introverts or antisocial loners? They'll probably love this idea! Or, you can engage in Reflexive Gifting in groups, by organizing a shopping trip, for those who prefer to buy their own gifts but still enjoy the social atmosphere!
And if you yourself are interested in Reflexive Gifting, make sure to tell your friends and family, and let them know what Reflexive Gifting is all about. That way, they'll feel confident about spending their money on themselves and not expecting a gift from you, and they'll know you're serious, and not just saying you don't want a gift because you like to be surprised!
Spread the word about Reflexive Gifting today!
The original concept of gifting implies non-reciprocation - gifts are given unexpectedly, without expectation of any return favor. But these days, organized gifting has turned the concept of gifting on its head, undermining the very generosity and surprise that it represents.
Most organized gifting is Reciprocal Gifting. Like on Christmas, you give the people you know and love gifts, expecting to get gifts in return. Even birthdays, which are seemingly one-sided, also involve reciprocal gifting because there is an assumption that you will eventually return the favor once the gift-giver's birthday comes around!
In the end, Reciprocal Gifting is not really gifting, it's just an exchange of goods, that is ideally, but not always, more or less equal. But if you're sick and tired of the hassle of picking out gifts for people, and don't enjoy the surprise that entails having to pretend you like your gifts whether you really do or not, might I suggest you try Reflexive Gifting instead?
Reflexive Gifting means buying "gifts" for yourself. That means you can get what you *really* want! But in order to not have to spend money on gifts for yourself AND your friends and family, you need to tell them that you're a Reflexive Gifter. That means they can save the money they would have spent buying you gifts, and instead buy themselves something! And then you don't have to buy them anything, because you're giving them the gift of being able to buy their gifts for themselves, in exchange for their agreement to do the same for you!
The result is, nobody spends more money than they really would have otherwise, and they get the same amount of gifts - they just have the opportunity to buy them for themselves, so they know they'll like them! It takes the guesswork out of gifting, and as an alternative solution to hunting for gifts, it doesn't put a price on your friendships like gifting cash tends to do!
Reflexive Gifting may not be for everyone - surely, there are people who enjoy hunting for gifts, and the surprise of not knowing what they'll get. But not everyone is alike, and I know there are other people out there like me who would much rather engage in Reflexive Gifting, and be able to enjoy the tradition of gifting once again!
So find out which of your friends and family would prefer Reflexive Gifting over Reciprocal Gifting, and even if you don't like it, try it, for them. You can still give reciprocal gifts for everyone else on your list! That way, everyone will be happy! Know any introverts or antisocial loners? They'll probably love this idea! Or, you can engage in Reflexive Gifting in groups, by organizing a shopping trip, for those who prefer to buy their own gifts but still enjoy the social atmosphere!
And if you yourself are interested in Reflexive Gifting, make sure to tell your friends and family, and let them know what Reflexive Gifting is all about. That way, they'll feel confident about spending their money on themselves and not expecting a gift from you, and they'll know you're serious, and not just saying you don't want a gift because you like to be surprised!
Spread the word about Reflexive Gifting today!
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