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A UF student majoring in Journalism. This is to share my time as a student, events, interest in anime and spread the love of Visual Kei; X Japan!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

China's Wireless Anti-Porn

Anti-pornography campaigns in China have been going on for some time it seems. As far as having giant steamrollers crushing piles of pornographic DVDs.

Communist Party's decency police has their sights on wireless porn.

The Ministry of Public Security on mobile porn are targeting sites that use wireless application protocol, or WAP — a method of producing Web sites for mobile handsets. They're focusing on larger cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Guangdong, where many Chinese WAP sites are registered, and will run through the end of the year.

Concerning authorities, is the advent of high-speed “third generation,” or 3G, wireless services. 3G make it much easier to surf the Web wirelessly than traditional cellphones.

I've never supported porn in any form, but I never heard of any country going to such an extreme over it. China is not my favorite country for more than one reason and so I'm having mixed feelings about when China is doing about wireless porn.

Knowing China there's just always more to it than what they say.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

IPods Unlocking Memories

IPods are being used to help stroke and dementia patients with memory loss and helps relaxes them.

For decades, caregivers observed that Alzheimer's patients can still remember and sing songs long after they've stopped recognizing names and faces.

Nursing homes and hospitals use music to bring patients pleasure and to help recreate their memories.

Dr. Tomaino has studied therapeutic effects of music more than 30 years.

"If someone loved opera or classical music or jazz or religious music, or if they sang and danced when the family got together, we can recreate that music and help them relive those experiences," she says.

A few years ago, Tomaino did an unpublished study on 45 patients with mid- to late-stage dementia. The patients had one hour of personalized music therapy, three times a week, for 10 months, and improved their scores on a cognitivefunction test by 50% on average.

There was one patient who even managed to remember his wife after many months.

I've known of music helping some mentally challenged children before and the idea of the same process with Alzheimer is amazing. I wonder what it is about music that triggers the mind when words and faces fail.

I can't really begin to describe what this would be like.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Apple VS Nintendo

Nintendo is getting ready to release a new version of the DS handheld and has managed to excel in the gaming market for 20 years. Yet cellphone games are rising in popularity thanks to Apple!

Nintendo's profit went down 52% in the first half of their fiscal year, which ends in March, as sales of Wiis and DS gadgets decreased.

Research firm DFC Intelligence says that Apple producsts will take charge of portable gaming for the next five years!

Apple has access to thousands of different games at their App Store. Some are free to play while others can cost under $10. New Nintendo games starting price is $20.

People are going to the source with the most games for the better deal. The DS has limits while it seems Apple has none; or at least less. I've always been a Nintendo fan and I like Apple even though I don't know much about them. I wonder what it would be like if they should merge into one company? It's way too soon for talks like that.

However, that was an idea that flowed into my head.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Disney Returns to Traditional Animation

The new film 'The Princess and the Frog' is the first traditionally drawn animation over the last six years.

Disney has been using computer animation like in 'Chicken Little", which made $135 million in the box office and a more recent film 'Bolt', $114 million.

Pixar cofounders John Lasseter and Ed Catmull have overseen Disney Animation since 2006, when Disney bought their company for $7.4 billion. They were the ones to decide to return to the hand-drawn techniques and to rehire filmmakers who use it.

"I've never understood why the studios were saying people don't want to see hand-drawn animation," Mr. Lasseter said at a fan convention earlier this year. "What people don't want to watch is a bad movie."

Lasseter's problem wasn't Disney's animation techniques, but fundamental elements like characters and plot.

They've got high hopes with this new classic fairy tale like story that's hand drawn about a princess and a frog. Disney has made some great movies, but latley some just don't have the "spark" like they use to. 'Tresure Planet' was an ok film that I wouldn't mind to rewatch every now and then, but in the box office it failed to get the high ratings. Also, the same happened to 'Brother Bear'; I never saw this movie.

I dont' know what this new movie by Disney is really about, but I've got some hope that maybe it may be that "spark" like the older disney cartoons had; have! One day, traditional animation may be a thing of the past, but until then...

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Web Alphabet

The language of the web has always used Roman letters, but this is about to change.

To type in addresses, other nations had to write in Roman, for example, '.com' cannot be written in their own language. Until now...

Soon web users will be able to type or input addresses in other languages besides Roman letters.

After six years of talking about this issue, new disscussions are being made of when and how this can be approved so it is only a matter of time.

Some nations are happy about this because it's a sense of pride in being able to write in their own because not many use Roman letters as their first language.

I like this idea because this may give me the chance to go to some other websites in different languages. I've been to some before, but maybe when this new system takes root, I can somehow translate...?

That's just my own little wish in this new deal since this subject doesn't effect me personally. At least, not to my knowledge yet...

Like everyone who grew up in America, using Roman letters is everyday.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Home Computers Help Find Medical Cures

Home computers can now be used to help find the next medical cure for diseases.

Advancement in computer science allows researchers to test how proteins fold, genes interact and the spread of illness in complex digital simulations of natural environments. The simulations are being used widely and becoming more intensive that computers at academic institutions and research centers can't keep up the demand of processing power.

Scientists are using the network to help channel thier processing power by using home computers that people volenteer to help aid medical research.

Volenteers download an application that links them to other volenteers and to research scientists. The network assigns each computer a small part of the project's puzzle to solve. This goes on as long as the computer is turned on and it can take several hours depending on the power of individual's computer.

When finished, the result is automatically sent back to the network's server.

If I had a better home computer, I'd think I'd volenteer my processing power. The idea of possibly finding medical cures just by using your every day computer is amazing. Like right out of a movie or sci-fi book!

But I am worried about viruses and spyware with all those computers connected to each other even if the server has good protection. I've had horrible bad luck, no matter the virus security I use, I always get a virus of the worse kind.

The use system digital signatures is one defense against hackers so they can't hijack an existing project. Then there's "sandboxing" all Boinic activity from the rest of the host's computer, so even if a bug did get in, it wouldn't cause to much damage to the project.

Anyone (like me) who is interested in volenteering your home computer for medical researchers should learn all that you can before agreeing.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Videogames Target Women This Holiday Season

Usually, young men and boys are the target audiences of video games and they spend more hours playing them than women.

But this holiday season, it is women who are the main focus to boost sales!

Electronic Arts Inc. is releasing the newest installment "Littlest Pet Shop" for younger girls and "Charm Girls Club" for older girls. There are even workout games targeting women like "Your Shape" and "Just Dance" .

Ubisoft was one of the first to view women as a market potential when they release the game "Petz", a pet-stimulation series; it sold 19 million copies since being released four years ago.

Female players now account for about 40% of the overall market compared to 2001 when it was less than 12%. It's calculated that a 5% increase in female players could make $1 billion in new revenue every year.

There are women play games, but don't consider themselves to be gamers. One woman says she plays "Rock Band" or "Guitar Hero" when she's with a group of friends.

Another woman got a Wii as a gift two years ago and "slowly lost interest". She plays "FarmVille" on Facebook for about an hour a week.

My brother plays games everyday of every hour when I see him. If he's not in his room playing his Xbox 360 he's on the computer and then afterwords it's back to the Xbox 360.

I do enjoy playing games and find them a lot of fun like Resident Evil 4, Legend of Dragoon, Drakenguard, DDR (Dance Dance Revolution), Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9, 10 and more. It's just that I always seem to find something else to do that takes up my time.

It takes me forever to finish a game while it'll take my brother only a couple of hours or two days at the least; for me, it can take a year or more.

No matter how much I love the game that I'm into, I don't know what it is, I just can't seem to make myself stay put and play it when I know I really want to.

Maybe, it's the need to go out and do something than be stuck inside playing in a world that isn't real? I like the fantasy worlds very much, but I enjoy being out and about. Maybe that's it...?

Who knows if this will change even if video game companies create a game that targets a large female audience.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Reconnecting With Former Crushes

Finding old flames on Facebook and Myspace just to walk down memory lane may spark a fire or put it out!

This article explains how people use the Internet to look up old crushes and lovers and make friends with them on the net. These friendships can sometimes be a risk on a current relationship or just bring up old disputes.

One woman waited three months before she got in contact with her former boyfriend on Myspace and asked if they could be friends. While chatting he asked if she was seeing anyone else and she said yes. The boyfriend called her "'high maintenance" and deleted her showing that he was still mad at her.

Another woman found an old high school crush on Facebook. In 1974, he was captain of the football team, tall and handsome. Over 30 years later, he has a beard down to his belly and his accomplishment for the year was being the local darts champ.

What a 180 degree turn around!

One man in England said that his wife left him for an old high school sweetheart on Facebook.

Internet isn't the blame for these events, it's people who can't resist the temptation to look into the lives of people who they were once close to. I don't blame them for wanting to know what's changed, how they are doing, are they single and things like that. Yet I've a rule for myself that this article highly recommends for everyone.

Look, but don't make contact!

There could be hurt feelings that are still not resolved yet, see a change that is way over the top unexpected or possibly risk your current relationship.

Karen Gail Lewis, a marriage and family therapist in Cincinnati advises that if you do wish to reconnect with your ex online, tell your current spouse.

Also, it wouldn't hurt to even share your password and log in information with your mate to better strengthen your relationship and communication.

Finding this article, I believe has helped me sort out my own issues with speaking to an ex online. Over the summer, an ex of mine requested a friendship on Facebook, which made me mad and confused, but I accepted it anyways. Nothing wrong was ever said in our few online chats, but I didn't like them and was wondering why I was speaking to him. I'm still angry at him and I don't like the idea of him looking me up on Facebook and chatting with me casually.

I may just delete him off my friends list now! ^^

Monday, September 28, 2009

Pooh's Sequel 80 Years Later

In USA Today section D on Thursday's Sept. 24, I found an article "Author strives to echo Milne's voice" that announces a new sequel to the classic tale of Pooh and his friends.

It's been 80 years since the last book of Winnie-the-Pooh was published. There are oringinally two books the first one "Winnie-the-Pooh" was published in 1926 and it's sequel "The House at Pooh Corner" was published in 1928.

The author, A.A. Milne (died in 1956) wrote the two books inspired by his son Christopher Robin (died in 1996) and his favorite teddy bear: Winnie-the-Pooh.

Now, British novelist David Bendictus with the premission of the Trustees of the Pooh Properties has written the third sequel "Return to the Hundred Acre Wood" which will go on sale October 5, 2009.

Bendictus became inspired when he was producing and writing a 1997 audio adaptaion of Pooh with Judi Dench and Stephen Fry. "All of Milnes's rhythms kept buzzing around. The actors' voices were still inmy head," said Bendictus.

Bendictus wasn't the only author attemping to compare to the original work of Milne. In the end, he was proven to have the proper writing styling and thought that matches close to what the original author had in mind.

This is like what happened with the book "Gone With the Wind", it was the only book the original author ever wrote and she died before she could write a sequel not that she was planning to write one even though fans really wanted one.

Many years later, someone did write a sequl called "Scarlett" based off the first. Of course, like with the Pooh books, special premission had to be given and to be sure that the author to do the job would write as close to the original as possible.

Since Gone with the Wind was/is famous, can you imagine the pressure to not mess up it's sequel? I can only imagine the same idea goes to Bendictus though since he's writing for children he may have an easier time.

But as Benditus also said that even though he may not know anything about donkeys he can only guess. "But guessing can be fun, too."

I've never read the original stories for Pooh, but I've always wanted to take a look and see what they are like. I consider myself a huge Pooh Bear fan so why not read where it all began?

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Arrest Made Over Manga

A man was arrested after buying imported manga, a Japanese comic book that had child sex abuse and bestiality content. The man pleaded guilty and may face 15 years in prison. Manga fans are outraged that a man was jailed for "lines on paper" and that it does not protect against child abuse.

In 2003, the Protect Act was issued that outlaws cartoons, drawings, paintings and such that show children in sexual acts. I understand and agree with this law, but in the world of manga there are no rules.

In Japan, their ideas and culture involving comics are different from the US. I'm a huge fan of manga and Japanese cartoons (anime), but some of their content I question and stay far away from like the "shota" and "yaoi" genre! "Shota" is an attraction for young boys or just male characters seen in a suggestive or erotic act/pose. "Yaoi" is homosexual (not the literal Japanese translation).

According to the article, the man in question is a manga/comic collector in general and would like to get his hands on any comic of any kind just to add it to his collection. This does not make him a pervert and he has no photos of child pornography, but still there is concern about this type of art. It's illegal to have such art in America for obvious reasons, but this may also mean that some great manga from Japan may be at risk of never being translated into english even manga that does not hold such art within it's pages.

I've been a fan of anime and manga for 11 to 12 years and I would be dishearten if it is discontinued for any reason. Regarding the whole subject of this legal case, I have mixed feelings. As much as I love anime and manga, I've always had to be somewhat careful whenever I was in the market for something new just to make sure it didn't turn out to be a "yaoi" or mainly a "shota" since that can invovle kids.

There are some animes and manga that I just wonder, WHY??? Regarding children, why would you write about something like that? I don't want those types of manga/anime to be brought over to America, but I also don't want the whole manga/anime industry to be viewed badly just because of certain types of genres.

Friday, September 11, 2009

The Amish Romance

There's drama, there's romance and then there's...bonnet? A new sub genre of romance gains popularity with women! Bonnet novels are Amish romances that are generally about girls who fall in love with an outsider. They are G-rated with pastoral setting and the genre has recently expanded to thrillers and murder mysteries. Both Amish and non-Amish women alike are drawn to these tales of forbidden love, the fantasy sweeping them away!

In my eyes, this medium has brought two different cultures together in their equal enjoyment of the books and passion for reading. Yet there are also conflicting views that. Although, the books are fiction some Amish see them as incorrect or useless even. One Amish woman in the article stated that she lives the Amish life and doesn't need to read about it. Part of the Amish's religious tradition, fiction writing is viewed as a distraction while others dislike how the books portray the Amish community. Even so, there are still many loyal Amish readers with a the fan base growing strong.

I'm not fimiliar with the Amish and have always felt that we lived worlds apart because of our huge lifestyle difference. Yet books are a great source of bringing people together and I think this is a way for us to understand each other more through the very first form of communicating to the masses; books!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Link Between Online & Real Life Relationships

When I first discovered the world of Internet I felt the power flow through my fingers! E-mail and instant messaging there's no way it could get better; that's technology for you. Now we have sites like facebook where we can upload our photos and write everything and anything about ourselves to share with everyone including their mother. However, all this online 'bonding' with friends and family can turn hurtful just like what's stated in this Wallstreet Journal artical regarding Facebook.

In truth, I like logging on to Facebook taking random quizes, uploading what few pictures that I have of myself and using instant messaging to chat. The problem with this is that people can start to rely on these factors to communicate regularly with loved ones instead of taking time out of their hecktic schedule to simplely call that special someone. Then there's the boring factor, an example would be posting what you're doing at that very moment like 'Taking a nap', 'Watching Price is Right' or 'Zzzzz...'. What cares???

Also, jealousy and envy may rise because you're visiting someone else's profile more or you're no longer in the top five; something really pointless and probably avoidable. I've never felt any of this fatigue since I've a 'don't care' attitude when it comes to online interactions involving things like that of the sort. However, I've a friend who has expierenced an episode with myspace over an issue about no longering being one of the top, if not, the very FIRST member of the top five friends list among other conflicts that were rising from the depths of cyberspace. The whole thing would've been solved earlier if everyone stopped trying to fix the problem through the internet when everyone has a phone and attends the same college and just communicate the problems face to face. The way things should be...

So, next time you find yourself on Facebook or any site that allows you to express yourself just becareful and don't let it carry you away.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Radio Canada!

Just discovered a new health news blog! Click it, read it, learn it!

Hello World!

Known by many names, but here it'll be just Kat! <=^-^=>