Congratulations on making entry to Behind the Mixer, the main world of Ryu, the aspiring recording engineer.

Age: 19
Location: Illinois, near Kat and Carney, south of Schultzie.
Aliases: Tycho, g4me_h1ro, bloodyshnozz, DERP, ryu6fw
Vertical Status: Pretty up there
Most Associated Color: Brown
Occupation: Driving Pizzas/College Student
Time Consumers: Video Games, anime, racing canoes, music, being an anime club president, traveling
Money Consumers: Video Games, manga, traveling, collecting vinyl records, expanding selection of musical instruments, Pop-tarts and Mountain Dew, conventions

"You were probably the last person I'd expect to be a dumbass." -Katana
"That's OK, I'm not too attached to my beard, despite it being on my face." -Ryu
"Because he is the Tycho, that's why." -Hider
"MUUUUNNNGERRRRRRRR!!" -Old Proverb

Good enough for government

"The first time you do something, it's science. The second time...it's engineering. The third time...eh, you're a technician. I'm a scientist. Once I do something, I wanna do something else."

Hello everybody.

After Acen, I took a day off from school on Monday. That was much needed. I'm still trying to realign my spinal column back into it's original shape, and I still have the habit of bending ever so slightly and putting my hands in my pockets whenever I get out of a chair. I should have taken that time to do lots and lots of homework, but because I'm built the way I am, homework will always be postponed, no matter how dire I need it done. But that's ok.
Yesterday, I had two gigs. One was with the jazz band; we went to a Lutheran church to play for some old people. Nothing too exciting, but it still got me out of two classes that I don't particularly look forward to each day. Then the Wind Ensemble had a concert in the evening, where us seniors were recognized and given goodie bags and carnations. For the senior gift to the conductor, we got him a new baton and baton case. One of the flutists broke the case last concert, so we thought it would be appropriate. My friend got the Junior Musician award, which I thought was kinda odd, but still glad that he was actually striving to be a better musician and more or less take my place as lead sax next year. And one of my saxophone buddy's got a Committed Marching Band award or something like that, which was pretty neat for her. The conductor said that two more awards will be given out at Senior Honors night, and I'm debating whether I should go or not. See, I really don't care for awards, especially in music, where I don't believe in competition or prestige or anything, I just care about the music. But, if by some chance that I do win some "honorable award" and I'm not there just because I decided to blow it off, I'll feel like a douchebag. Meh.
I haven't played any games since last Thursday, which is kinda unsettling. I've been spending a lot of time looking at youtube videos and partaking in the addicting otakuchat. I think I'll DotA tonight, though I'll probably get my ass handed to me with french fried potatoes. We'll see. I also need to finish a project. And memorize two scenes and a monologue. And finish five units online. And write a crapload of essays. Oh, and maybe call up some colleges, seeing if they'll let me in. I never applied yet. Looks like I'll be spending a year at the UCLA (which is University Closest to Larkin Avenue, more formally known as Elgin Community College.) Oh, and I got two races this weekend. If somebody can construct me a focus booth, that would be great....
The next series on my anime list is Higashi no Eden. I told myself that I would watch it after I watch FMA Brotherhood, but I'm kinda unexcited about Brotherhood...so I might just skip straight to HNE. Oh, I gave the suggestion to my aunt of putting up the Dai Gurren flag on the stern of the canoe on Sunday's race. I'm pretty sure my reputation points with her plummeted.
"Well, you can do that. Is it the size of a bicycle flag?"
"No, it's like, a real flag. Big. I'm gonna make the pole out of a broom stick."
"IT'S THAT BIG? That's impossible. How can I explain to Steve (my partner's dad) that you guys lost because a FLAG kept getting caught on trees and created huge drag?"
"I don't think you understand. This is a flag of manliness and epicness. It is impossible for us to lose if this thing flaps freely from our boat."
"No, there's no way that is going to work."
At that point, the "Row Row Fight the Powah" song cued on in my head. I'd probably go ahead and go for it if I was just racing by myself, but risking the race with somebody else just for picture lulz is probably too much. But someday...it will cruise the waters, blessing my waves with manliness.

Insert your own inappropriate comment on ball-missing here.

-Ryu

My first anime convention, Acen 2009

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." Hello everybody. Well. I just got back from a three day extraveganza of the Anime Central convention, teaming up with Katana, Schultzie, and Kastom to make the Dai L 13 Shinsegumi Brigade. It sta...

Read the full post »

Back in Black

"Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed."

Hey all.

My hair got dyed black today. The hairdresser's reaction to the pictures of L I provided was, "He looks like Robert Smith from The Cure." Well, I'm glad we are on good understanding of what needs to be accomplished, then...
So, I now provide the 'Ryu's Official Checklist O' Acen'.
Ryu's Official Checklist O' Acen
-blue pants [x]
-white long shirt [x]
-makeup and eyeliner [x] (got that today too)
-black hair [x]
-materials to style hair [/] Kat will hopefully provide a hair straightener, and I should invest into working hairspray, a teaser comb, and maybe some wax. Hotels usually have a mini hairdryer.
Mountain Dew [x] :D
Peanut Butter M&Ms [x]
Pop Tarts [x]

There are only two things that bother me. 1, will I be able to pull off the L hairstyle well, and 2, the cost of the hair. Holy crap, that was more expensive than I thought it would be. That certainly upped the parental unit tab. All I can say is, I really wish I could sell my dirtbikes soon, because I'm getting a lil too much debt...wish I had a job.

I'll probably provide before and after pictures of my costume. Too lazy right now.
Nobody responded to the music world idea, so that's gonna hit the can with a hollow *ding*.
Three more days till the convention...can't wait. Meanwhile, I get to freak everybody out at school. Ever see a gentle giant go emo?

-Ryu

And so Ryu said, "Let there be light, to shine thee crappy performers...""

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move."

Hey everybody.

My busy weekend started tonight. Here's a rundown of my schedule in list format. (I love lists. Defies all need of proper paragraphing.)

Tonight: Tech rehearsal for the talent show. I had a techie bring in doughnuts, so it was all good. I was called down by the tech director at one point to disucuss some changes, and as I got down from the light booth a solo guitarist took the stage, who was incredibley out of tune and was overall playing with bad tone. The director made oh-my-god-the-pain faces at me for a few minutes until I offered to go out of the auditorium to escape. It was truly that bad.

Friday: Art Gallery at the high school. Jazz band is playing, as well as the string club. One of out assingments in Jazz band was to bring in a popular song and convert it for our ensemble. The bari sax brought in Michael Jackson's "Beat It", and we worked that so we can play it tomorrow. Fun thing to listen to, but a bitch to solo on a sax. But there's gonna be art everywhere, as well as a poetry slam, so it'll be a fun night. With food and coffee!

Saturday: Morning is a canoe race in St. Charles, the first day of the Currentbuster. Not too sure if I'm paddling C-1 and disappointing myself or if I'm paddling mixed with my aunt to just warm up for the Sunday race. We'll see, I have to flip a coin. Later is the Talent show. That'll be painful. There's actually a dude that's doing a really bad nunchaku and sword display. For the lulz, maybe?

Sunday: Second day of the Currentbuster, paddling C-2 with my uncle. May or may not win, but I think we have a good chance. In any case, this is all training for the Des Plaines Race weekend, which will be a lot harder. I'm hoping that sometime between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday I'll get my hair styled. That way, I can practice doing my hair, and a little makeup, on Wednesday and Thursday. We'll see what happens.

A lot of people are bugging me about college, and it's annoying. There's the people that genuinely care, which are few, and the people who kinda ask to secretly laugh at you. Or, in some cases, just to laugh at you (if you haven't figured out by now, my education sucesses have been....unorthodox). Or, to use this opportunity to try to be sagely and say 'Well, you should do this, don't do that, and make sure you do that.' I really don't take well to people who tell me how to live my life. Zero tolerance. It's amusing when my brother does it, because he planned on being an anesthesiologist his junior year of high school, totally fucked up senior year, and ended up going to the Navy. A whole lot he knows, but that doesn't stop him from attempting to know more than me.
...Can't remember where I was going with this...ah well. People who care more about my future than paying attention to what I do in the present bug me. That's my story.

Lastly, I've been thinking about starting a new world dedicated to posting cool youtube videos of excellent music. Anybody that regularly listens to and appreciates music of any genre would be welcome to post anything that is actually good. I'm talking about things that are innovative, fresh, and intellectually intriguing. I know that kinda rules out a lot of the new and popular stuff, but that's a good thing. I'd post a few songs right away to set the mood, then let it go free. If a good amount of people are up for this, then it could be a good way for subscribers to my channel to diversify their music, as well as get a load of new sound all the time. I know I like going around to other peoples worlds and listening to their music. Ryo's J-Revolution world is pretty neat and has the same idea, but it only covers Japanese music (this being an otaku site and all...) So tell me what you think of it, and if I get favorable replies, then I'll put in the effort to make it look cool and stuff.
I think I'll call it...52nd Street.

Found a pretty funny picture. I don't think this will offend anybody to much...

-Ryu

Alternative Mentality

"People are fond of spouting out the old cliched about how Van Gogh never sold a painting in his lifetime. Somehow his example serves to justify to us, decades later, that there is somehow merit in utter failure.
Perhaps, but the man did commit suicide."

I am acting like L right now. For the sake of sanity, I won't talk like him. Yet.

I'm sitting in my chair with my legs on the seat like him, and I've already started to notice a few things that I shouldn't do as L.

-Don't spin around in an office chair and hold your arm out to see if you slow down.

-Don't try to recline.

-Don't do this around ignorant family.

-Don't rest entire weight on feet. It hurts when you do that. Don't do that.

-Don't start singing. In fact, turn off iTunes.

-Don't get distracted by the many things that are distracting.

-Don't practice the two finger grip with pop cans just yet. Start with pencils or something.

-Don't try to answer your phone that's in your pocket while in the sitting position. It's impossible, and you look like a retard.

-Whenever possible, don't act like L. It hurts being L. L is pain. Thus, L is emo?

I did a canoe race in Pontiac IL today. It was ten miles long, and a wind advisory kicked in, and man did we feel it. I would paddle for five minutes at a time on the left side, and still be pushed left. I placed third.
Let me tell you a little something about disappointment.
Last year, I beat another paddler by one minute in the Currentbuster race in St. Charles, IL, which is being held again next week. I continued to beat him at various races, and he beat me in a few. Today, he started off a little under the weather, and beat me by about two minutes. That really brings me down. Not depressed, just disappointed, and slightly worried. I really expected to go fast this year, and others expect me to do so as well, but it seems like I'm degressing a little. Yeah, I could blame it on early season, or that the wind affected me more than others, but I don't think that's it. It's just terrible when a goal set by you, and can only be accomplished by you, isn't met, and there's nothing you can do except wait till next time. The next race I have against him is the upcoming weekend, at the Currentbuster, so we'll see what happens then.

-Don't perform surprise buttsecks.

-Ryu