The Spam Thread!

[cpd2009]

Been feeling like adorable animals with human level intelligences is becoming a big must do around here. At least, maybe that's just my excuse for giving Minka some avatar appreciation. Really though, I think I'm going to stick with it for a while.. :lol: I also actually wanna make myself a signature later.. I got some brushes and fonts I want to play around with.

What image editing program do you use? I have Adobe Photoshop CS2. It's very old, but it runs fine on Audrey, who is my Windows 8.1 PC. Other programs I have used are MS Paint and the free Photoshop-equivalent, GIMP.

Yay, after saving many dollars I decided to treat myself to a few things. Got myself the 2013 Collector's Lalaloopsy Doll, Goldie Luxe. I had planned on getting her at Target, when basic Google searches tend to say it's cheapest there. However once I had gotten to the review your order part of the process I noticed that the shipping and tax (we have tax on online purchases here in Arizona) was pretty much adding 10 dollars to the price. I decided to shop around and realized I could get the same base price for her from Amazon, but also pay no tax and get free shipping if I spent the rest of my money and got something else amazing too. So I got one of the Ruby Gloom DVD's I've been putting off getting and ended up getting a big discount too and it ended up 5 dollars cheaper then JUST the doll at Target!

Online shopping can be wonderful, since you can pay a lower price on the things you want, and buy items none of the local stores carry, such as old video games, computer parts, rare toys, and more. Even so, I do still like to go and browse around a Walmart or Target store and buy stuff there more often than buying online. I normally like to see the product up close before purchasing. There are also some good mom & pop businesses in my town as well, and I like supporting locally owned businesses whenever I can.

Ever since Netflix pulled Ruby Gloom down right when the DVD's finally were released in America, I've told myself over and over I needed to start getting them. I love Ruby Gloom a ton. Strawberry Shortcake is one of my role models, and Ruby Gloom really has a lot in common with the character on a personality level which has made it easy for me to get the same happy feelings I get from her. They have plenty of similarities and I feel like they would be amazing friends. I've even seem some adorable fanart of them together on tumblr and seen basic agreement that they are similar girls. The supporting cast is so cute too, Misery is super adorable.

IMO, I prefer DVDs over Netflix because with DVD, you keep the content you purchased forever. With Netflix, you can purchase content that you can stream, but sometimes that content you purchased gets pulled because Netflix loses the rights to stream that particular movie or TV show. It ends up being a long term rental because of that. Sometimes however, Netflix and other streaming services can get old movies and cartoons that haven't been released on DVD, which is strange. I would watch them, but not unless I can get a physical copy on DVD that I know won't expire after a few years.

As for Ruby Gloom, I have heard of the show, but never seen a single episode yet. I also have stalled a bit on my bid to collect all the 2003 SSC DVDs. I just have two so far.

Today Jim Sterling talked abot on TheEscapist in his weekly rant video the concept that gamers lately have been hating on people liking games they don't like. It's totally true that it feels like gamers have evolved from just hating when people dislike games they like to actively disliking games if other people like them.

Same goes for game consoles unfortunately. If you go onto any random YouTube video about gaming, and make a constructive comment about liking the Wii U, other people will hate you for that as they think the Wii U is "dead" or is a "kiddie console". Some gamers love the Xbox One or PS4 so much they think all other consoles aren't worth your money. This is part of the reason that drives me to play classic, retro games from years past over modern games. FPS games don't interest me at all, and the main reason why I want a Wii U is for the new Mario games as well as games from the eShop. I also want a PS3 now, but it may be several months before I can afford a PS3, let alone a Wii U. The game I want? "Flower".

In general, constructive discussion on YouTube or any article on the internet can sometimes be impossible. Even if you leave the friendliest, most neutral comment on any video or article, ignorant people will find your comment and insult you because they think your opinion is wrong. You cannot reason with these people either. As I stated in my previous rant, social media really can bring out people who are intolerant of others beliefs and there is no real cure for this either. It's best to ignore hateful people and move on.

[RAMChYLD]

Bad day...

[Angel]

What image editing program do you use? I have Adobe Photoshop CS2. It's very old, but it runs fine on Audrey, who is my Windows 8.1 PC. Other programs I have used are MS Paint and the free Photoshop-equivalent, GIMP.

Photoshop CS5. My two favorite people in my life are both artists. I get some lucky tools because of that I guess.

Online shopping can be wonderful, since you can pay a lower price on the things you want, and buy items none of the local stores carry, such as old video games, computer parts, rare toys, and more. Even so, I do still like to go and browse around a Walmart or Target store and buy stuff there more often than buying online. I normally like to see the product up close before purchasing. There are also some good mom & pop businesses in my town as well, and I like supporting locally owned businesses whenever I can.

I like to shop around, and it will give me ideas. I knew I wanted this doll from the pictures, but seeing her up close helped out too. I also knew I wanted to get the hardcover Sophia the First books from seeing them in person too. Still, if something is cheaper online I'm going to take advantage of it. This pretty much the case, and I live in a smallish area and sometimes you just can't find things anymore. Target was only selling the product at the price I ended up getting it online even, it wasn't that much in store.

IMO, I prefer DVDs over Netflix because with DVD, you keep the content you purchased forever. With Netflix, you can purchase content that you can stream, but sometimes that content you purchased gets pulled because Netflix loses the rights to stream that particular movie or TV show. It ends up being a long term rental because of that. Sometimes however, Netflix and other streaming services can get old movies and cartoons that haven't been released on DVD, which is strange. I would watch them, but not unless I can get a physical copy on DVD that I know won't expire after a few years.

Netflix and some shows around the internet and Hulu are my TV replacement, not my replacement for enjoying the series that I love and cherish. However, I hadn't discovered Ruby Gloom until having it been recommended it to me because I watched Strawberry Shortcake on it for convenience sake. So Netflix can be great for those. To me, 7 dollars a month is much cheaper then getting TV, and the amount of things on it for that are great. If something means a lot to me, of course I'll get my own physical copy of it. Different forms of media work for different things sometimes.

Same goes for game consoles unfortunately. If you go onto any random YouTube video about gaming, and make a constructive comment about liking the Wii U, other people will hate you for that as they think the Wii U is "dead" or is a "kiddie console". Some gamers love the Xbox One or PS4 so much they think all other consoles aren't worth your money. This is part of the reason that drives me to play classic, retro games from years past over modern games. FPS games don't interest me at all, and the main reason why I want a Wii U is for the new Mario games as well as games from the eShop. I also want a PS3 now, but it may be several months before I can afford a PS3, let alone a Wii U. The game I want? "Flower".

In general, constructive discussion on YouTube or any article on the internet can sometimes be impossible. Even if you leave the friendliest, most neutral comment on any video or article, ignorant people will find your comment and insult you because they think your opinion is wrong. You cannot reason with these people either. As I stated in my previous rant, social media really can bring out people who are intolerant of others beliefs and there is no real cure for this either. It's best to ignore hateful people and move on.

Well, the people who believe that about the Wii U do have the right to their opinion. Sharing an opinion about the Wii U isn't quite the same as hating someone or being a jerk to someone because they like it. It's all about the context in the way it's shared. I know that usual it's used to demean those that do like it, so usually that's the truth. I just personally know people who have considered the Wii U a console that's in trouble and I'm worried about the future of it myself, but I think it's a great machine worthy of being liked. I'm hoping to get it for amazing games like Mario Kart 8 and stuff, and the PS4 sometime this year, but both might wait till next. It depends on if Alexia gets her promotion.

I ended up getting my PS3 for the tons of great RPG's on the console, things like Sonic Generation since I didn't have a PC that could play it at the time. I ended up trying all sorts of other games, because my taste can be varied. I love Nintendo's games, but I love lots of the games that end up on the other consoles and platforms as well. I discovered how much I actually liked Uncharted after being able to try it for free for the Vita.

I tend to not believe you 'can't' reason with people, but that's just my own personal opinion about people. I don't wanna get into that huge thing, but I never want to stop trying to find a good middle ground with people. I don't just wanna hide from people. I want to work towards better understanding and love. As cutesy as that sounds.

Bad day...

That's a shame. I hope it gets better. Maybe something tasty to eat?

[cpd2009]

Netflix and some shows around the internet and Hulu are my TV replacement, not my replacement for enjoying the series that I love and cherish. However, I hadn't discovered Ruby Gloom until having it been recommended it to me because I watched Strawberry Shortcake on it for convenience sake. So Netflix can be great for those. To me, 7 dollars a month is much cheaper then getting TV, and the amount of things on it for that are great. If something means a lot to me, of course I'll get my own physical copy of it. Different forms of media work for different things sometimes.

This past fall, I got myself a Roku HD box, which is a cute streaming media player that can access Netflix, Hulu, and thousands of other streaming video channels online. It's such a wonderful device that I would highly recommend to you. However, because of my own personal tastes and channel needs, it hasn't become a complete replacement for Dish Network just yet. Streaming media is the future of TV, but at the same time, I still have a soft spot for traditional TV services like Dish Network or cable TV. I watch a lot of things online via YouTube or through my Roku box, but other times I just like to flip through the channels on Dish to see what's on late at night, or see what movies are playing on Encore. I also tend to watch shows on certain networks that can't be streamed online yet. I also have a Dish DVR, which I use to help me archive shows to recordable DVDs.

Cable TV would be more affordable if companies would let you choose what channels you actually want, rather than paying for an entire package. This results in you paying for channels that you never watch, and with Dish Network, there are many such channels, like two 24/7 horse racing networks and scores of channels that play nothing but infomercials. TV networks also seem to play too many commercials during breaks. With streaming video, you only get commercial breaks lasting about a minute and your show continues.

And... if your internet ever goes down, you can still watch cable or satellite TV... until the power goes out or the dish gets covered in snow. It's good to have redundancy, but I agree, cable and satellite TV is expensive.

Well, the people who believe that about the Wii U do have the right to their opinion. Sharing an opinion about the Wii U isn't quite the same as hating someone or being a jerk to someone because they like it. It's all about the context in the way it's shared. I know that usual it's used to demean those that do like it, so usually that's the truth. I just personally know people who have considered the Wii U a console that's in trouble and I'm worried about the future of it myself, but I think it's a great machine worthy of being liked. I'm hoping to get it for amazing games like Mario Kart 8 and stuff, and the PS4 sometime this year, but both might wait till next. It depends on if Alexia gets her promotion.

I sometimes worry about the Wii U as well. This past Christmas season, many of the Black Friday ads didn't have the Wii U at all... only the PS4 and Xbox One. Black Friday is the perfect time to bring on public awareness about the Wii U. I also heard that many people think the Wii U GamePad is an accessory for the original Wii. This got so bad that Nintendo had to send a message to people's Wii consoles re-iterating that the Wii U is a new system, not an accessory. In the end, I think the Wii U will pull through. The 3DS had a shaky start too, and it's becoming very successful today.

[Stella Grapes]

Hello.

Angel, I got him back.

Ben disapproves. :roll:

[RAMChYLD]

My major beef with the Wii U is twofold: First, the region locking. Nintendo's insistence on mandatory region-locking is perplexing given that the competitors are going for optional region-locking and even discouraging the region-locking of games. Secondly, the unavailability of Nintendo Network in Malaysia. Stupid, stupid, stupid decision.

[Angel]

Hello.

Angel, I got him back.

Ben disapproves. :roll:

So happy. ^_^

Ben is a stinky butt.

[cpd2009]

All quiet on the midwestern front, until now.

Preparing to post a question, but I need to get a picture first.

[cpd2009]

My latest eBay acqusition... a 4-book box set of "Der Kleine Eisbar" picture board books... from Germany.

I didn't import these direct from Germany, but I found them from a US seller who got these books as a souvenir for their child, as stated in the auction description. http://tinyurl.com/lvvw2al The books are in great shape, and came with this nifty cardboard case with a plastic handle. The case does show wear, but it's nothing major.

Now, the books themselves. The one on the lower right I already have in English.

[cpd2009]

Here is my watch collection, going from most worn to least worn, left to right. The first one is my Timex, the second one is my new-ish blue watch, and the third one is my Casio calculator watch. I have also had the Casio watch the longest. Bought it in summer 2011 during vacation. The Timex is the second oldest, having received it as a Christmas gift in 2012.

I'm not sure if I ever asked this before, but does anyone else hear regularly wear a watch? If so, what type of watch is it, and how long have you had it?