Makeshift Generator

My roommate got a great idea to use one of our motors in storage and modified it to hook up to my dremel. The result was a generator that lit up the light bulb soldered to the motor. Enjoy! and please don't try at home unless you absoloutly know what you are doing.

BB-64 Progress

I went to Hobbytown yesterday and they marked down the price of their USS Wisconsin kit from $35.00 USD to around $16.54, so I bit the bait and bought the kit. This is a 1991 USS Wisconsin kit, 1/700 made by Trumpeter. The kit so far has been an easy build- I havn't looked at the instructions yet because I practically know where everything goes. I am taking this kit and converting it to a USS New Jersey kit. I think what I will do is make a water side dock diorama of the current day New Jersey: this should be entertaining because I need to scratchbuild a dock which should be a lot of fun. I think once this project (of many projects) is complete I will submit it as my first ship to ModelWarships.com. I managed to get a lot of the gunship gray painted on the model today on the horizontal surfaces.

Laptop Back Online and Operational

Phew. Looks like the laptop is back online and isn't crashing. The techie came out and immediatly knew the problem- he installed a brand new processor and motherboard and the computer worked fine. He ran a BIOS like I had before and reached a similar conclusion: It locked up during a BIOS scan so the motherboard went bad. I'll be knocking on wood and hopefully everything will be back to somewhat normal soon.

1/350 BB-63 Mighty Mo Progress

Two 3 volt motors that we hacked out of one of my old battle bot toys. These will power the propeller shafts from a 6 volt battery we plan to hack out of a future RC Car.


One of the bulkheads hanging out behind the battery compartment. It's not fit in there properly yet and the gaps in the lower corners will be neatly filled with epoxy... or I could use plumbers goop- perfect for blocking water.

My new Dremel Drill Press that I got with giftcard money from Christmas. The DDP is great and allows me to drill out portholes and cannons. I can also convert the thing into a drum sander (that is how I was rounding off the edges of my bulkheads). Assembling the press wasn't fun and was very complicated.

Oddly enough my roommate got a spurge of energy so we got cooking a little this evening on Mighty Mo. I painted the struts and rudder and my roommate is gluing them to the hull now as I finish up some of the bulkheads in advance, that way if electronics or linkage get in the way then we can more easily work with the bulkheads which should prevent a massive leak. I may also give Mo more deck tan paint tonight to see how it comes out. More when I get a chance to work on Mo this weekend.

Treasure Mountain

This is one of those things that makes you say OH MY GOD.


Treasure Mountain!! I played this game in the third grade way back... wow when? in 1996. Treasure Mountain was an educational game series that asked a series of mathematical questions (the original) that went up to simple multiplication and division that I can easily do in my head in a few split seconds these days. You went up sections of the hill and completed mathematical questions (in my case of treasure mathstorm, I was awarded with a snowball or two). With those snowballs, you could stack them up to get one of three clues. Three clues got you to the next leg of the mountain, and after two or three legs you would eventually find gems that eventually summed up into a giant crystal that "defeats the evil wizard". In the case of a game I still love, Treasure Cove, you collect gems and eventually rebuild the rainbow bridge to defeat the maniac madman that is poisoning the local tropic waters. Great education game, but having to do it 300+ times of climbing the mountain can drive you nuts. Perfect for those 50 minute "computer time"
classes in elementary school, all the less we enjoyed it. I figured I'd pop it into Youtube and I found it.

More Shenannigans with Gateway

Wow..... here is another post dedicated to slamming gateway and their NX860-XL laptop line of computers.

We just got the laptop back (week 9 of the affair) at my Dad's office and he fiddled around with it (booted the machine up, browsed internet, etc) and the computer froze, again. The previous time they had the computer in the C:drive was re-imaged. Instead of replacing the C Drive, Gateway decided to completely gut the fan and cooling system and replace it. Looks like that solved a lot- under the error description Gateway claimed "Laptop prone to heat failure". When I had this machine, it shut itself down properly twice due to overheating. When the computer froze it was still running: it sounded like it was still running.

The problem isn't necessarily tech support- it is the maintenance crew that services and repairs the machines. We have given them this computer twice and they have failed to fix it. I can take the bait and understand failing it once, but twice? I am not such a forgiving gentlemen or customer. We contacted tech support yet again, and after week 9 they know us pretty well by now. Tech support is baffled as to what is going on, and now they claim there is a motherboard failure. At this exact point in time I would love to know what the problem is- but I would rather own a new computer.

The machine costs $1800 USD and I have to say it was absoloutly NOT worth every penny I paid for it. A brand NEW laptop failed within 3 months off of the assembly line and maintenance can't even fix the problem. Hell what's worse, Gateway refuses to give us our money back- so my father and I were jipped $1800 by a multi-billion dollar corporation that refuses to admit they f****d up, apologize and replace the machine. If they would have replaced the machine with an apology, I would have forgiven them and probably continued to purchase Gateway products.

Quite honestly, if I cannot trust the communication between myself, tech support and between tech support and maintenance then I cannot trust that they will service my machine properly and I will take my future business elsewhere. Gateway is sending out a live tech person on site to diagnose the computer, and this will be their last chance with the machine. I have backed out on the laptop and I give up: I am never going to deal with this laptop again whether it is fixed or not. Tech support is doing a "good" job of attempting to repair the computer, and I thank them for that, but the job isn't being done right. I hate to sound hard on this but I expect the computer to work and I expect full product support to the extent of replacing the machine. I will let my Gateway Home PC finish out it's lifespan and when I buy a new PC, or Mac, it will certainly not be a Gateway. Great Customer Service, just hire competent technicians who can diagnose the computer. It's like pulling teeth: replace the damn machine and all the problems go away.

Also, although my father said he would pull every Gateway from his offices and I recognize that that was an empty threat, the fact that I might contact the Better Business Bureau and my father the General Attorney in San Fransisco is not.

Northrop Grumman Newport News- Gerald R Ford Class

I was browsing around the other day and found this tidbit of information interesting. I have known a little bit about the Gerald R Ford class of aircraft carriers coming out, right after the USS George HW. Bush (CVN-77) is completed. This class of supercarrier is slated to replace some of the aging "primary" or "first" nuclear aircraft carriers that were built such as the USS Enterprise or USS John F Kennedy.


I am curious into the projects details- although they are probably heavily classified. I am curious about this class because I think it may be slightly overengineered- it's either that or there are classified details that have been left out, other than known CIWS fittings and various well known missile defense systems.


I am not sure why new nuclear aircraft carriers need to be built unless we need more of them for national defense- although I think the current fleet of nuclear powered aircraft carriers and the Nimitz class carriers are sufficient enough to carry out diplomacy. There is something left out here that is big and classified- it is either that or the Gerald R. Ford class will be like the F-22 Raptor: big, expensive and stealthy but over engineered when we have fighters that can do the same job.


I can see the benefits of the JSF (F-35) program in having uniform parts with combining payload, operational capability and VTOL, but I also see the JSF as being capable of being stored on Nimitz class carriers along with the F-18 hornet. What I do not understand is according to some reports, which are probably inaccurate from the beginning, the Gerald R Ford class is said to only hold around 60 aircraft when the Nimitz class can top 90 easy. More hangar room wouldn't be a plus- although crowded on the Nimitz Class carriers there is sufficient room for work on aircraft. I also don't see the advantages of putting the island near the aft of the ship- there is more of a chance that fighters may crash during nighttime unless.... something remains classified.


I really want to learn more about the program and I think this is definetly something I could be working on in the near future. I am searching out careers with defense contractors and Northrop Grumman's Newport News division deals with naval subjects for the US Navy. This class of aircraft carrier would be an incredible feat- I looked a bit more into the development of the carriers and it seems that they will carry electromagnetic catapaults over steam driven ones- which is probably more efficient in the long run since electromagnetic forces are extremely strong.

Picture of the USS George HW Bush (CVN-77) build in progress.

New Member To the Family

Looks like my mother went out and did it- she works at an animal shelter on Wednesday nights so she can play with the cats- and unfortunatly was compelled (curse strong female emotions!) to buy another cat. His name is Simbah, but I hate the name so I refer to his affectionate name of "Sims". He was found in a farm along with his sister and they were taken to the shelter to be cared for and eventually given away after a donation. The sister cat was bought up immediatly but this cat had a problem- on the farm where he was found the both of them were all covered in dirt- and the dirt infected Sims eyes, so when you look at his eyes you can see a bit of scar tissue (it sort of looks like his eyes are slightly smaller- his vision isn't fully impared so he is alright). The cat is pretty cool- sounds exactly like Dapper but is as spastic as Kelly was when she was that small many moons ago. As far as I know he is a White/Brown-Orangeish tabby and NOT a calico, so that is a good thing at the moment. Here are a few pictures- I took a few videos that I may upload in the future.

Picture of Dapper for Posterity.

1/700 USS Washington and DD445 Fletcher Progress

I have been so busy this week with classes that I have really just driven myself completely nuts. Having no time for anything fun and having a rough 2 months, I decided this evening to kick start my USS Washington, USS North Carolina and a DD445 Fletcher class build. I am attempting to model a scene of the ships sailing off the coast of Guadal Canal during World War II, so unfortunatly I could not fit in a LLC inside the display because the time frames would be inappropriate.

I wanted to add a 1/700 USS New Jersey, however I don't think that the North Carolina class ever sailed with an Iowa class battleship. I need to figure out the maximum speed of the Fletcher in order to determine the wake I want to simulate and the amount of water foaming up against the hulls. I started this evening simply by painting the decks of the USS Washington with one coat of deck tan and the decks of the Fletcher a gunship gray. Hopefully tomorrow I can paint another coat of deck tan on the Washington then begin constructing the very tiny Fletcher. I have one picture at the moment and I will attempt to add more as I go along.

Hiatus- Brief for a Few Days

Came back after class to edit this post- unfortunatly since I do not have internet access in the dorm room and both of my computers are out of comission (now the Home PC is acting up, too) I will be throwing the blog into a temporary hiatus until I can get all of my stuff sorted out and fixed. Not the best past month that I have had- hopefully with a little time I can get everything fixed and in working order. Classes have been going ok- with some work I should do fine.

-Rob

1/48 B25J Mitchell Progress

I bought a B25 Mitchell aircraft model the other day while I was browsing a local hobby shop up in Bath, PA. The gentlemen there, Dick I think his name is, specializes in RC aircraft. He has everything RC and I want to purchase my first flyer from him when I get the money.

This is a 1999 Revell-Monogram kit so it is a bit dated. It's funny, 1999 was one of the best years ever and I always think that those times happened just yesterday yet the kit is 9 years old. It has those wide gates and stubs, but this makes it easier later to sand the nips and repaint them. Probably the largest headache has been the cockpit- the directions were not very clear and things would not fit together properly. I got it to fit and added in all of the details.

For posterity I painted the control sticks and painted the seat cushions. I also painted the storage compartments and ammo storage cases for posterity. I used Testors enamel and since they didn't have an olive drab at the shop I picked up a dark green- which actually looks even better. There is a big, fat seam running down the length of the top of the b25 fuselage and it is driving me crazy- several gluing attempts have failed and it is really difficult to glue them together without damaging the paint on top (knucklehead- next time assemble that part then paint!) but I tried again and it looks like I may have reduced the seam. If it didn't glue up properly I will take drastic measures by puttying up that seam, sanding it real good, then repainting.

The model so far, besides the minor headaches is going as planned and if the yellow (worst color for modelers, it NEVER sets right) sets right then this will be one fantastic looking model. More details to follow as I finish the model.

DO NOT BUY the NX860XL from Gateway

I just got my laptop in around an hour ago and I was excited to finally have my baby back. I read the technical report and there was a C drive error: they had to reimage the entire thing. I booted her up and she didn't want to load- I thought ok this is fine- I will run a troubleshooter. The wizard worked like magic! I had my computer back and I began readding things to it that I once had. I downloaded Itunes and tried to reinstall it and BAM! choke. I am so pissed off right now it is unbelieveable. I have had more than enough hassle with this laptop and I am "done" with it. I will never buy a Gateway product for the rest of my life. They have top notch tech- but they can't solve the damn problem! They could have solved it by putting in a new C drive and now I am forced to take my desktop with me to campus. I am very disappointed Gateway....

Visit to the USS New Jersey: Part 2 of X (Anchor Room and Misc Quarters)

Here is a picture of the anchor room- which I believe they just opened to the public about a year ago. Inside houses the hydraulics and motors for lowering and raising the anchor- a monumental task since these anchors weigh so much- they need to keep a 45,000 ton ship at a standstill. Next time I am on the ship I will ask approximatly the maximum length of the anchors.

Here is a closer shot of some of the hydraulics in the anchor chain room. I think the pipe in the background is for water/heating/cooling of the crew quarters.

This is an odd hatch I found around exiting the anchor room- I can only guess that it leads to other compartments or areas that are around the area under turret #1. The area is more than likely classified so I have no idea what is down there- the museum is fighting the navy to unlock access to more of the ship- I will ask my next trip but I believe 40% of the ship still remains classified- the latest bit they almost have unlocked is the engine room- however insurance companies are going crazy when they hear that news.

Off-topic photo but I love this photo.

Facing the Aft section of the ship this stairwell leads up right under the main part of the superstructure. It is off limits but I think I remember passing through there... who knows on a ship like this!

Admirals Quarters- not too shabby at all. It's a Queen sized bed too.

Katana Cleaning- A "How I Do It" Guide

It's been quite a while since I have made a post like this- but as I was cleaning my room in prep for A) doing some model work B) sleep and C) departure to the campus I noticed that I have not cleaned my katana for a couple of months.

Generally how often you should clean your katana depends on a major factor: how you use it. I use my katana as a display sword- but be warned it is LIVE steel and I have cut things with it (bed sheets, sorry mom!). Since my sword is on display I do not have to clean it as often as- say if I were to perform tameshigiri (mat cutting) with the blade- I would probably have to oil and polish the blade every month or two (two is a safer estimate- I'm not sure ask someone who is more knowledgeable on the subject). I typically will oil my blade two to three times a year and polish it once a year. This post should serve as a general guide on how to properly clean a katana- how I do it and a couple of warnings I can give you before doing something stupid.

When I wanted a katana I accepted the full responsibility of taking care of it. Japanese Swords need just that- a steel blade needs to be taken care of to prevent rust- because all steel and most metals rust. Samurai immediatly cleaned their blades after battle- human blood is highly corrosive to the blade. While it is unlikely that my blade will face rust anytime soon I like to play it safe and oil the blade when it needs it.

To start, I remove the katana from its scabbard and I use the storage bag as a sort of blanket underneath the blade. I clean that bag before I set my raw blade down on it. Now for me I never grab the scabbard with my bare hands- the only reason I do not do this is to protect the laquer coating that protects the scabbard- I am not going to put another coat on it myself for fear of damage so I will take awesome care of it. Once the sword is removed I inspect it then gently place it on the mat with the scabbard nearby.

The only polishing agent is old fashioned- typically in sword maintenance kits you will get a puffy powder ball. I cannot remember too much but I do remember that the powder is made from a VERY FINE rock that is found in Japan; I think it is around 2000-3000 grit but ask someone who is knowledgeable on eastern swords. You will want to lightly tap the ball (I tap it on the edge) onto the blade until you see some of the white powder on the steel.

You don't want to apply too much, but not too little either. I typically use a 5 point system- I try to imagine with my eyes 5 evenly spaced points on the blade then I apply the taps there. You should have 5 taps on the blade. After this I use rice paper (you can also use tissues- and I recommend they be tissues with no chemicals added such as Vicks or whatever) to gently smooth the polish onto the blade. Always go in one direction for beginners, and do not put too much pressure on the steel- you could cut yourself. I will go in both directions somewhat slowly so I do not slip and cut myself. I typically use anywhere from 5-10 swipes of the blade. I then flip the blade and do the same to the other side. The blade is now polished and it will look fantastic.

Oiling your blade will prevent it from rusting. Generally you want to oil the blade, if it is on display like mine, two to three times a year. If I polish I polish before I oil. I believe the oil is called Choshu oil and it typically comes with sword maintenance kits along with a pleasant aroma. The aroma is truly unique and I cannot describe it- if I could describe it I would say it smells like Japan (hehe). I use the same five point system and then apply the oil, then I wipe it with rice paper. The key here is to have a good light source- I know my blade is well oiled when I see the oil evenly on the surface- but again not too much but not too little. I do the same to the other side, I clean the back (since I draw my sword somewhat often I clean this part as well) then I give the sword 5-10 minutes of air.

You want to be very careful placing your sword back into its scabbard immediatly- improper handling or incorrect positioning will cause the oil to drip from the blade (yes it will) and it will act as a lubricant for the blade- meaning that you will not need to put pressure on the tsuka to get the sword drawn- this is bad and potentially dangerous. I always make sure that the oil is as even as possible, then I place the sword slowly into the scabbard with the cutting edge facing UP, in fact the cutting edge always faces up to prevent cutting into the scabbard and dulling the blade. I always draw the sword with a slight pressure to the backbone of the blade as to not damage the cutting edge.

Katana are kind of like those seamonkies you feed twice a year and can forget about- I care about the beauty and well being of my blade so I make sure that I properly maintain it. Since I don't want to disassemble the blade, if anything comes lose or pops off I will take it to a specialist that can fix it. I display the sword out of the bag while I am home- you will need to dust off the scabbard (in my case) every week to prevent dust buildup and to protect the laquer coating on the scabbard. In my case now I am heading back to campus in a week- so keeping the sword in the sword bag (in scabbard, of course) will keep the sword 100% protected so long as no one knocks it over (death to whoever does that....).

Happiness Bunnie's Revenge: Shin Chan

Shin-Chan (originally called Crayon Shin Chan) is an anime series currently running on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block and it started around 2006 as a supposed test run. I friggin love this anime! in spots it is hillarious and shin is a very loveable character. This is an exerpt from my favorite episode when happiness bunny comes alive: Penny and her mom constantly beat this stuffed rabbit toy up to vent their anger- demonstrating 1) the husband never comes home and 2) monkey see monkey do- daughter follows mom's old habits. Watch! whether you've seen Shin Chan or not this is effing hillarious!

Visit to the USS New Jersey: Part 1 of X (Boarding and Above Deck Items)

The visit to the USS New Jersey sure was thrilling- once you head into Camden via the Ben Franklin Bridge you will get a site like no other if you have not seen an Iowa Class Battleship in person- the first comment I made about the ship was how mean the 16" turrets made her! I will be splitting the visit up into about 4 (maybe more) posts labeling everything we saw on the trip. Lolly forbid we didn't get to see the entire ship, albeit we saw a large chunk of it and then some. Unfortunatly we arrived late so we did not get to take the guided weapons system tour, but that was alright.

To start off the tour you will want to head into the giftshop area to buy your tickets- specify there whether you want a docent (tour guide) or not- we didn't ask so we were left to tour the ship ourselves- which was a blast and came highly recommended by crewman we spoke to. We got a nice greeting when boarding the ship and the fun starts there. We took the red tour route, and the entire tour lasted for us about 2 hours and 30 minutes given time to sit down for 10 minutes to have a quick drink. You will be walking the length of 3 football fields and you will be climbing roughly 20 or more ladders, but it is so worth the journey. Let me get started- this post will be long and I did my best to reduce image sizes without botching quality.

I started out with a video here- although I took this at the end this can give you an idea in a panoramic sense of what the ship looked like. I only took one or two more short videos because I was going wild with the pictures. I am suprised my batteries held up. This is a starboard side panoramic video.

Here is what the ship looks like coming into the Maritime area- this is precisely where I said "those guns make her look mean!" I also said that the ship wasn't as large as I imagined- hah I would put that to the test when we got even closer.

Across the Harbor you can spot a few more ships- one appeared to be a small fuel tanker but it didn't quite look like a destroyer- maybe a HCAC? The photo is of the USS Olympia over in Philadelphia waters- all I know about the ship is I think it was a World War I battleship. I would have to do my research on it to verify.

This is a closer shot of BB-62. The boarding ramp is joined with the starboard side of the ship close to the end of turret #2. We got a nice greeting on board and began looking at 16" gun statistics along with looking at 1:1 replica shells. They were about as big as we were!

Here is a shot facing the bow from the starboard side of turret #2- right at the boarding ramp. Note the teak deck- I believe they kept the original teak deck. Also note on the right side of turret #2 that they painted the parascopes over- probably to protect them from the elements.

A VERY scary image from the front of turret 1 displaying turret 1, turret 2 and much of the bridge and superstructure. I found that the blast bags were made out of a hard rubber (canvas?) and that the retractable parts of the barrels were painted- in wartime I think they were left bare metal as to not cause friction. Note 2 5" guns on starboard side and port side.

A closer look at turret #2. The tan part I believe was bare metal in warfare because it needed to retract into the blast bags as it fired the shell approx 25-30 miles.

Turret #1 for size comparison: compared with a 5'11" male. Those are some big guns!

There are literally hundreds of images- so I will probably be breaking up all of the sections so I can report on all of the major stuff. Be patient with me! there is a lot to sort, organize and refine.

A Trip to the Big J

The Big J is roughly 1 hour and 30 mins from my home- who knew that an Iowa Class Battleship was so close to home! We will be heading over to Camden, NJ (my family wants to tag along) to take a tour of the original, true  USS New Jersey. I plan on taking *BLEEPING* LOADS of pictures and I will talk about the tour in a post after I get back. This should be very interesting and odd: not only will I get to walk on a battleship I will walk on a battleship I have made a precision model of. This should be interesting.

1/700 Trumpeter CV-10 (USS Yorktown) Progress

Returning to a normal sleep schedule I have decided to get some model work done today and I chose to work on the CV-10. I patched up and sharpened the camo lines on the hull and that will take a few more sessions to complete until I am fully satisfied with the job. I have gotten to the point where I need to paint a lot of guns, turrets and mounts so painting all of these tiny pieces black has been a inconvinience. Oh well- I am taking my time with this kit and already it is starting to come together.

The aircraft were molded in crystal (see through) so it will be interesting to see how I paint them. I am trying to track down some primer first and if I cannot locate any then I will attempt to paint the aircraft their appropriate colors. According to the Box Art I have enough aircraft to fit on top of the deck near the rear. I will be constructing bits and bobs, but for now painting tiny details will get tiresome- hopefully I can complete this build soon. Pics once I get a hold of my camera again.

Panzerwagon Sdkfz.251.1 Half-Track Touches

Looks like I am almost done with this half-track! I got some work done today and I began adding the soldiers to the diorama. They look absoloutly ridiculous- I just cannot model humans! They actually look like aliens- so next time I may just leave their faces unpainted because simulating humans isn't my department, and I am sure its not a fun job of most model builders.

Regardless the diorama looks spectacular and it came out incredible. I think the soldier placement really accents the model- I need to add a few more limbs per soldier and some weapons and then the model with head off with a couple more that I have in need of some laquer coat protection. Check out some of the work! I like it. Swastika used on the B.M.W. bike for historical accuracy- I hate Nazis but respect the war machines from an engineer's standpoint.

So What the Heck is an Otaku?

Maybe you have heard of this term before and thought anime... but you arn't sure what an Otaku is. Well hopefully this article sprouts to light some interesting facts.

Otaku in itself is a term used in Japan to refer to people with crazy or rabid obsessions. These obsessions can mean anything- music, gardening, anime (especially anime), model kit building, you name it. If you are obsessed with it, you are an otaku in a polite sense. Unfortunatly the word Otaku in japan has become a negative adjective- describing people who are perverted and uncivilized.

It is also a sub-culture that is emerging from Japan- those who live, eat, and breathe serious anime, manga and other related paraphanelia can be labeled as Otaku. Anime figures, doujshin (spelling?) novels (fan created works), manga (japanese comics), anime, and anything in between or having to deal with such subjects is the essential core of being an Otaku. Usually you can classify a true otaku as being a person who is typically introverted (does not like being out-going) and has very few or no friends. As the comic book geeks in America clamour to go to conventions so do Otaku- who will consistently show up at events such as Wonderfest, Otacon (in USA) and Comikite (spelling?). It is a lifestyle that is lived by many in Japan- usually fellow Otaku unite and make friends via the web and will discuss detailed specifics on their favorite anime titles.



Many will also attend conventions dressed as their favorite anime characters- something referred to as Cosplay. In the USA this has caught on fast and I have yet myself to attend one of these events. I grew up in Baltimore and Otacon was moved there- so I need to get my butt down there for the next convention! Some Cosplayers are serious about their art- everything from makeup (girls) to revealing clothes to elaborate costumes/outfits are devised so that the otaku feels "in-character".


Here are some of the things an Otaku would like:

• Anime figures, whether scatily clad or to a degree well-clothed


• Anime in all shapes and forms- internet, DVD, etc.


• Cosplay outfits, attending cosplay shows, conventions in cosplay


• Video games, especially video games with anime art in mind (duh)


• Ramen Noodles

There is also what I consider a "darker" side to the Otaku. Many otaku also like Eroge- a form of game/dating simulation that involves hentai, the equivalent in America to pornography. Eroge comes out on a weekly basis and there is an entire market for it down in Akihabara in Tokyo. There are also dakimakura- basically hug pillows that have anime characters on them- decent or not. I have no problem with them-but they can range in price from $50-$150 USD, simply because Otaku are willing to pay the price for them. Some Otaku may also like hentai, which was described shortly ago.

Typically Otaku are somewhat anti-social, and that will vary from person to person (it doesn't make them bad people though). Generally otaku are single, however in the USA I have seen many finding girlfriends simply on the basis that girls are also getting into the Otaku culture as well. I don't if I could classify some of my friends as otaku themselves- however they definetly indulge in Otaku culture heavier than I do. At best, I could be labeled with "Otaku-ish tendencies". Anti-sociality (is that a word?) leads to withdrawl from society- and I know how that is. I'm not necessarily sure if all Otaku are smart or all are not intelligent- but I can say with a probable degree that most are somewhat intelligent human beings.

I decided to write this article after bouncing around the net a bit finding interesting bits of information and stuff like that. There is nothing wrong with being an anime fan and not being an otaku folks- many otaku I know are great people and they are like me, they need a good friend to get them going on the social path normally. It's not that I am apalled by otaku culture, but rather I choose not to indulge in all that the otaku sub-culture has to offer. I love my anime, I like collecting figures, building models, and hopefully soon someday I can hit Otacon with my closest Otaku friend- maybe being a "hardcore" otaku really isn't important to me, or my internal makeup isn't made for such a lifestyle.

Without Otaku, you are going to see the anime industry and many other industries fall quite a bit. Otaku are at the center and forefront of the sub-culture that includes anime, manga, figures and so-forth. It is hard for people not even interested in these things to understand the lifestyle it describes- in fact it is hard for many otaku and fans alike to describe the lifestyle. At some point in all of us a kid is still there. Otaku arn't necessarily kids- and anime over the past ten years has been gaining acceptance as not being seen as totally "kid's stuff". The lifestyle is pleasing: Jpop and Jrock are great to listen to and sometimes anime lets you connect on a deeper level and lets you relate to the characters- that is what has caused the massive boom in the USA, disregarding any "collectible or fighting monster" anime titles, which were stripped of their true selves and converted to a different form of media and marketing (what I am saying is- collectivly Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and titles like Digimon have been altered by US companies for a younger audience- for example the japanese Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series is much darker).

Even if you don't like anime, be a buddy to an otaku or a fellow anime friend. The sub-culture has a lot to offer- and at times it can be pretty cool and have something for everyone. Comments? Any points I didn't make? I am sure there are many!

Picture Galleries Up and Updated

Hey folks,

I have finally updated some of my photo galleries; I have been unable to due to the recent worm or whatever is wrong with my computer. You will find progress on the USS Yorktown, Half track and King George V. Use the menu/sidebar to the right and look for the link to my picture galleries.