If you can’t see the video above, click here.

In this episode of First Impact Anime, we’re watching the beginning of a series that is highly underrated: BECK – Mongolian Chop Squad!

About First Impact Anime

This is the second totally epic collaboration series with my best bud Eriopolis, where we review the first episode of an anime series, in the same vein as the Movie Night series!

Instead of just picking out certain scenes and whatnot, we’re gonna comment throughout the entirety of the episode, Mystery Science Theater style.

Feel free to leave us your comments and suggestions for future videos! Also, be sure to subscribe to keep on the up-and-up with what we’re up to!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

First Impact Anime 02 – BECK Mongolian Chop Squad

Hey guys!

Since I wasn’t able to finish last week’s Deja Vuesday, I’m making this week’s Deja Vuesday twice as big!!

We’re gonna kick it off by going back three years to when I was dreading coming home from UU for Christmas Break:

Only 2 More Days…

…Till my birthday!!! Hey guys it be the Andy-San here trying to relax from the thought of going home for Christmas.

I had no exams to worry about today so I went on a walk to McDonald’s cuz I missed lunch. I tried to play Tetris DS on the WiFi but no one was online so I just played a marathon and left. I then walked to the music store to see if they got something new to play with. They didn’t so I just messed around on the keyboards and discovered a couple new riffs. After that I walked back to campus and waved at Dan as he was leaving to go home for winter break.

Wow, I haven’t been to J & L Music since I left Urbana back in 2007! It was a pretty small store, but I enjoyed going there and playing on the keyboards when I went out on walks. I played their guitars a couple of times, but I enjoyed their keyboards much more.

In other news, my bro Jon bought his first guitar; a Les Paul clone. He didn’t have the money for an amp or anything else besides the guitar, some picks, and a gigbag. He says that it’s horribly out of tune but he’s been practicing Stairway to Heaven so I’ll work with him on getting better over the break. I’ve been practicing like mad lately but I still can’t do some chords right despite being Lord of the Fifths (kinda like power chords but using only 2 strings instead of 3).

So, Jon’s been playing guitar for three years now? Wow, how times flies! In January, I’ll have played guitar for five years. I did originally pick up the guitar around 1992 when I was seven, but I quit shortly after and didn’t pick it back up again until 2005 when I was nineteen.

I’m still quite uneasy about going home for break because my parents will get on my case about not having enough money to get a car and spending it on “bullshit”. And my stepdad’s gonna find out that I quit my job working in the cafeteria eventually. If and when that happens he’s gonna be furious. However I’ll tell him that I’m getting a work study job with the IT department on campus this coming semester so it won’t matter.

Well I’m gonna go and do something (I don’t know what) so take ‘er easy!

Andy-San

Well, it seems that not much has changed when it comes to my parents getting on my case about stuff. This is something that shouldn’t be a problem for me since I should be living on my own at this point in my life, but I believe that things happen for a reason. I’m sure that I’ll be back on my own in a couple of months, I just know it!

In the second half of this week’s Deja Vuesday, we’re going to look back at one of my posts from the recovered AnJa (my very first website) for the first time! This was five years ago when I did a major redesign to AnJa:

12/07/2004

12/07/2004

Greetings and welcome to the revamped AnJa. No, AEC isn’t operational. But, I have corrected and updated the site. Why have I renamed the site? Well, “Andy’s Ultimate Site of Ultimateness” isn’t exactly search-engine friendly, so I renamed it to AnJa, a much easier-to-search name. I do apologize for the long lapse in updates, but I’ve been busy with work & school and my computer has 128 MB of RAM, which makes it very difficult to have multiple programs up at the same time, especially Yahoo! Pagebuilder, that memory-hungry little…

At this point, my Dell desktop that I had bought for my high school graduation, which is currently collecting dust downstairs in my basement, wasn’t powerful enough to run the web editing programs that I was using (i.e: Dreamweaver & Yahoo! PageBuilder). Later on, I added an extra 512 MB stick of DDR RAM and a couple of hard drives that all added up to 720 GB.

Well anyway, I am for sure going to give you a sneek peek at my new comic, “Teen Titans: Genesis Chronicles” as well as bios for TT:GC and Teen Titans (as in the show). Also, today is a very special day. Today is my B-Day. I’m now 19. Huzzah! I plan on buying that new Nintendo DS for X-Mas. I saw tons of pix & clipx of it and it is DA BOMB! My only gripe on it is the lack of games for it: only 6 will be available for the holidays, which is DA BUM! Oh well. I’ll have to wait until ‘05 to get the good games, namely the Yu-Gi-Oh! game. Well kids, that’s all for now. See yuz!

“If you like freshness and you know it, raise your paw. Meow!”

-Steve Robinson II, from my school.

“I want some crack!”

-James “The Snowman” Snow, also from my school.

TT:GC was my fanfic of the Teen Titans series that was on Cartoon Network at the time. I might put it up here, but I dunno for sure.

I bet you guys are chomping at the bit wondering what I got for my 24th birthday, huh? Well, I got the tags for my car and a candy bar…

Why are tags so fucking expensive?!! なぜ？If anything, the tags are a practical gift that I can use for the rest of the year; the candy bar, not so much .

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

Deja Vuesday Double Edition: Only 2 More Days…& 12/07/2004

Check out the only official MySpace of Chrome Sparks, www.myspace.com/chromesparks, for all the latest news and riffs!!

If you can’t see the above video, click here.

On the MP3, I plugged my Dean Exotica Rosewood Supreme acoustic into my Behringer Ultra Chorus and into my uber-crappy Johnson Reptone 15 amp in order to add an extra bit of depth and character to my sound. I also turned myself away from the mic while I was recording and put the MP3 through a low-pass and high-pass filter in order to eliminate that tubby sound I was getting from some of the chords, but it ended up sounding thin and brittle.

Here however, I’m just playing the acoustic guitar. In fact, I prefer the sound of my camera’s mic to the mic on my laptop, which is what I used to record Riff Idea #1-4.

I’ve got some new Riff Ideas coming your way soon as well as my 100th video celebration! It’s hard to believe that I’m at the 100 video mark, even though I’ve been an official member of YouTube since May 1st 2006 (and an unregistered member as far back as late 2005), which is a helluva lot longer than even the majority of famous YouTubers!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

How To Play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #3

Hello gang, and welcome to a special edition of Twitter Thursday Throwdown!

Before we begin this week’s TTT, I’d like to bring attention to a new Donation page on TheAndySan.com. In it, I explain in detail about the donations made to TheAndySan.com as well as how you can benefit from donating if you have a website, blog, and/or a Twitter account. Be sure to check it out if you’re interested in increasing your website and/or blog’s traffic and/or increase your followers on Twitter.

Twitter Thursday Throwdown – Double-Sized!!

Because I had to take a brief hiatus from blogging due to moving out of my apartment in Bowling Green, this week’s TTT will comprise of this week’s Tweets as well as last week’s. That’s fourteen days of pure Tweetamonium!! Can we do it? As President Obama always says, Yes We Can! Here we go:

1. is off to work. Be sure to check out his newest post, Twitter Thursday Throwdown: http://su.pr/18pt0Q5:20 PM Aug 13th from Su.pr

2. posted the new Twitter Thursday Throwdown: http://su.pr/18pt0Q4:53 PM Aug 13th from Su.pr

3. is working on the new Twitter Thursday Throwdown.3:37 PM Aug 13th from web

4. is going to get some groceries from Wal-Mart. BRB!1:49 PM Aug 13th from web

5. is shower + bed = happy!3:55 AM Aug 13th from web

6. has 41.7% of the money for a new guitar/amp.3:13 AM Aug 13th from web

Not too much happened on the 13th, other than writing that week’s Twitter Thursday Throwdown.

1. I uploaded a YouTube video — TheAndySan – How To Play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #1 http://bit.ly/cgkCU11:23 PM Aug 14th from Google

2. @ladyfox14: Hey, thanks for the retweet!! Isn’t the Superman sex tape hilarious?10:34 PM Aug 14th from web in reply to ladyfox14

3. is uploading his newest vlog, which will tell you how to play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #1. It’ll be up in about 15 minutes.10:32 PM Aug 14th from web

4. is laughing his flippin’ ass off at The 5 Creepiest Sex Scenes in Comics: http://su.pr/1OOLsS. It’s totally safe for work. Really. Promise!9:58 PM Aug 14th from Su.pr

5. is going to get some din-din, and then work on editing his new video!6:19 PM Aug 14th from web

6. posted http://bit.ly/17boNt3:03 PM Aug 14th from twitterfeed

7. posted Deja Vuesday – …And I’m Back! http://bit.ly/qUdrA3:03 PM Aug 14th from twitterfeed

8. posted Happiness: Is It A Leech Or A Plant? http://bit.ly/XyKBr3:02 PM Aug 14th from twitterfeed

9. posted Twitter Thursday Throwdown: July 30 – August 5, 2009http://bit.ly/4GlVVZ3:02 PM Aug 14th from twitterfeed

10. is, on a side note, wondering why in the world Les Paul is not a trending topic right now?! Virtually all reproduced audio is due to him!!!!3:30 AM Aug 14th from web

11. is hittin’ up the shower and then hittin’ up the sack!! He’s hittin’ up everywhere, lol! Goodnight!!3:26 AM Aug 14th from web

12. just heard that Les Paul died yesterday at the age of 94:http://su.pr/2oR9PU. RIP Les, somewhere there’s heaven, how high the moon…3:13 AM Aug 14th from Su.pr

13. has been getting such great comments on his Xacti commercial video on YouTube: http://su.pr/17jmzY2:07 AM Aug 14th from Su.pr

14. has 44.7% of the $$$ for a killer new guitar or amp!!1:10 AM Aug 14th from web

Apparently, my TwitterFeed had another feedgasm and posted a spam-worthy four posts in a row. Sorry about that; I dunno why it posts a bunch of stuff in a row like that.

Also, Les Paul died that day. I was hoping to see him play in New York someday, but hey, the man lived to be 94 years old and did so much for reproduced audio like inventing sound-on-sound, reverb, delay, and altering tape speed to name a few of his accomplishments. RIP Les!

That day, I uploaded the first in a series of videos showing you guys how I play the Riff Ideas that are on Chrome Sparks’ MySpace. I might be recording how to play Riff Ideas 3 & 4 this weekend because I doubt I’ll be able to get on the internet. Stay tuned for that!

1. is going over to Eriopolis’ to hang out.8:58 PM Aug 15th from web

2. finished reading The 7 Deadly Sins of Online Gaming:http://su.pr/6z8rHP. Seriously, that Michael Swaim is a funny guy!!8:21 PM Aug 15th from Su.pr

3. just finished reading The Top 10 Reasons Prince Should Be the New King of Pop: http://su.pr/2yqNWd2:39 PM Aug 15th from Su.pr

4. has just spent the best minute twenty-five of his life watching T-Pain and Taylor Swift aka T-Swift tear it up on this:http://su.pr/7mPblb!1:42 PM Aug 15th from Su.pr

5. is gonna get some lunchies. BRB!12:33 PM Aug 15th from web

6. @RockwellWatches – I always feel like somebody’s watching me, lol! Get it?12:30 PM Aug 15th from web

7. @Pattinson4Real – What’s up? Did you get your account verified yet? Not many people will believe it’s really you until you do. Later man!12:28 PM Aug 15th from web

8. is going to bed before he suffers through anymore sleep deprived hallucinations. Good night!!4:31 AM Aug 15th from web

9. just posted How To Play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #1http://bit.ly/i8Llx12:11 AM Aug 15th from TweetMyBlog

On the 15th, I got super-addicted to Cracked.com and spent most of the day reading article after article.

I did peel myself away for a bit to hang out with Eriopolis, who recently got WiFi for his apartment as well as Wii Sports Resort. The dueling swords wore the fuck out of my arm, let me tell ya!

1. is off to work.5:23 PM Aug 16th from web

2. is gonna chill with Eriopolis before he goes to work today.3:01 PM Aug 16th from web

3. is getting lunch ready.12:08 PM Aug 16th from web

4. is going to bed already. Goodnight!2:37 AM Aug 16th from web

I think I talked to Eriopolis about moving in with him that day, but he said that I had to pass a credit check and that my credit score had to be 600 or more.

According to a credit check that I got through PrePayLegal months ago, my credit score was 290. However, I looked into it and a 290 is impossible as the lowest would actually be 300, which could only be achieved if I filed for bankruptcy every year for the past five years. I think I just had a Jon Arbuckle “third-class!” moment. Wow, that joke couldn’t be any more inside if I ate it! To prevent your head from exploding thinking about its origins, it’s from Garfield in Paradise.

1. is uploading the new vlog. Here’s hoping it works!!11:03 PM Aug 17th from web

2. finished editing a new vlog showing how to play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #2. Can it be uploaded to YouTube if it’s 10 minutes & 15 seconds??10:31 PM Aug 17th from web

3. is going to Wal-Mart to get some Chinese food for din-din!! See what he did there? Chinese? Din-Din? Anybody?7:57 PM Aug 17th from web

4. is awake and doing the laundry.12:19 PM Aug 17th from web

5. is hitting the shower like it owes him money and then going beddie-by. Night!!3:08 AM Aug 17th from web

6. has 47.8% of the funds for an awesome new guitar!! That’s almost halfway!!!1:12 AM Aug 17th from web

7. @kimkardashian: Kim! Kim! I saw a bird. It was pretty. That is all.1:10 AM Aug 17th from web

Lol, DBZ Abridged reference!

Yeah, the Spicy Beef & Broccoli has got to be my favorite InnovAsian dish, followed by Chicken Fried Rice! That’s one thing I’ll miss about living on my own, for sure!

After hearing the Drop-D version of Riff Idea #2, I think I prefer the E-Standard version heard on our MySpace. Perhaps I’ll record how to play the E-Standard version this weekend. What do you guys think?

1. wants you to catch Infinity Metal with Eriopolis and Mean Metal X from 8-10pm EST: http://su.pr/9k7RZU8:35 PM Aug 18th from Su.pr

2. is going to work. Be sure to catch Infinity Metal with Eriopolis and Mean Metal X from 8-10pm EST: http://su.pr/9k7RZU5:20 PM Aug 18th from web

3. just finished up Deja Vuesday – The Andy-San’s 100th Post Celebration Extravaganza!!!!: http://su.pr/2UEIGJ. Now it’s time for a bike ri3:16 PM Aug 18th from Su.pr

4. just posted Deja Vuesday – The Andy-San’s 100th Post Celebration Extravaganza!!!! http://bit.ly/vty5C3:14 PM Aug 18th from TweetMyBlog

5. is working on this week’s Deja Vuesday.1:52 PM Aug 18th from web

6. is gonna rustle up some lunchies!!12:51 PM Aug 18th from web

7. @nihongotako; Har-har!12:25 PM Aug 18th from web in reply to nihongotako

8. is up and reading more of http://su.pr/19WXGm.11:54 AM Aug 18th from Su.pr

9. is off to bed now. Be sure to watch his newest uploaded vlog, How To Play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #2: http://su.pr/28VpUY. Good night!!3:30 AM Aug 18th from Su.pr

10. just posted How To Play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #2http://bit.ly/2Qt4CR12:45 AM Aug 18th from TweetMyBlog

11. I uploaded a YouTube video — TheAndySan – How To Play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #2 http://bit.ly/NrPMM12:15 AM Aug 18th from Google

It’s hard to believe that this was my last day at work. After all that’s happened to me, that life seemed like a dream from a time long past.

1. has decided to move back in with his parents. He wants to stay here in BG, but he doesn’t have the cash for a new place right now. Dammit…11:03 PM Aug 19th from web

2. @ntrlwmn: My parents said I could move back in if I can’t find anything, but I’m saving that as a last resort cuz I’ll need a new job then.10:23 PM Aug 19th from web in reply to ntrlwmn

3. @ntrlwmn: My 1 friend tried, but his parents threatened to cut everything off if he let me stay there, even for the night.10:21 PM Aug 19th from web in reply to ntrlwmn

4. is still here at The Enclave, but he’s gonna be putting all of his stuff in storage tomorrow and then try to find a new place to live. Yay..10:19 PM Aug 19th from web

5. is posting his final tweet from the Enclave II. He’s going to be looking into getting a new apartment in the morning.7:17 PM Aug 19th from web

6. is going on a bike ride to clear his head.5:16 PM Aug 19th from web

7. has been informed that he has to vacate his apartment within 24 hours. He’s contacting some people so he can find a place to stay.5:12 PM Aug 19th from web

8. is attempting to upload a video to YouTube that’s 14 minutes & 46 seconds long. Since he’s been a member since March 1, 2006, will it work??2:51 PM Aug 19th from web

9. is awake and ready to start a new day!12:11 PM Aug 19th from web

10. is going to bed after a nice hot shower. Good night, everyone!!2:44 AM Aug 19th from web

11. has 48.7% of the funding for a new guitar or amp. It’s funny because last time, he had 47.8%.12:51 AM Aug 19th from web

My life seemed over that day. At the time, I haven’t felt as scared of the future since I left UU to live with my aunt and cousins.

After living for three months on my own in a city 100 miles away from my parents, I felt that I was finally beginning to start over. All of my past failures with ITT Tech and UU would be put to rest at last, because I would go back to college and get my four-year degree this time. No more having to work a minimum wage job to support myself. No more looking into a bleak future for a promising young mind. I would start anew.

For a time, I was successful. Three months to be precise. Until I got the news that I had 24 hours to vacate the premises because my subleasing agreement was considered invalid due to the lack of a guarantor or a monthly income of at least $855. What I’ll be doing to get back on my own will be saved for another post.

1. is tweeting his last tweet…for now. He’s leaving The Enclave 2 for good, but is hoping to return to BG in the near future. Bye for now!!!19:00 AM Aug 20th from web

2. I uploaded a YouTube video — TheAndySan – Vlog 17 – Moving Back http://www.youtube.com/watc…2:20 AM Aug 20th from Google

3. just posted Vlog 17 – Moving Back http://www.tweetmyblog.com/…2:04 AM Aug 20th from TweetMyBlogu-

Man, moving day was a real pain!

I sent in a change-of-address form to the post office, got money from Advance America to rent a U-Haul, put the check in the bank, went to rent a U-Haul, found out that it’ll take a day for the check to process, freaked out, took the check back from the bank, went back to Advance America, cashed the check there, brought the cash to the bank, went back to the U-Haul rental store, finally got everything processed, hooked up my car, drove back to The Enclave II, moved ALL my crap into the van as well as my car, went to Subway to enjoy my last dinner in Bowling Green for awhile, and finally got on the road home. Whew!

is alive and well at his parents’ house. He’s seriously considering moving to Findley instead of back to BG since Owens is there. Thoughts??8:02 PM Aug 21st from web

Despite my rather hectic day moving the day before, I did have enough time to make a single Tweet saying that I’m still alive and that I made it successfully to my parents’ house.

1. posted I’m Alright, Don’t Nobody Worry About Mehttp://bit.ly/WpMrc11:30 PM Aug 22nd from twitterfeed

2. posted Vlog 17 – Moving Back http://bit.ly/M6RKG11:30 PM Aug 22nd from twitterfeed

3. posted Deja Vuesday – The Andy-San’s 100th Post Celebration Extravaganza!!!! http://bit.ly/8x9VA11:30 PM Aug 22nd from twitterfeed

4. posted How To Play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #2 http://bit.ly/wurGs11:30 PM Aug 22nd from twitterfeed

5. posted How To Play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #1http://bit.ly/1HD0lX11:30 PM Aug 22nd from twitterfeed

6. @keibichan: It’s a ninja, ninja fly!!2:23 AM Aug 22nd from web in reply to keibichan

7. is going to bed. Good-night!!2:22 AM Aug 22nd from web

8. @keibichan: I’ve been there before. Gambatte!1:06 AM Aug 22nd from web in reply to keibichan

9. just posted I’m Alright, Don’t Nobody Worry About Mehttp://bit.ly/2AcqS212:42 AM Aug 22nd from TweetMyBlog

Once again, TwitterFeed had a feedgasm and pumped out four of my previous posts when I posted a more detailed account of what caused me to suddenly move back in with my folks. I really gotta figure out why it’s doing that…

1. says he can still stay with his folks until he finds another place, but he needs to hurry because the college kids are gobbling up the jobs.12:30 PM Aug 24th from web

2. has to drive out to BG to pick up his check, pay off Advance America, and search for jobs and a place to live in Findlay. Fun-Fun!!12:28 PM Aug 24th from web

I didn’t Tweet on the 23rd for some reason that escapes me. Anyway, I’m going to be waiting to pick up my checks on September 4th so that I don’t have to make two trips out to BG. After that’s done, I’ll pay off Advance America and apply for jobs in Findlay as well as look for apartments there. I couldn’t find much of anything online, but maybe I’ll find something if I’m actually there. Wish me luck!

1. is now watching the best episode out of X-Men Evolution, X23:http://su.pr/2E8grr11:25 PM Aug 25th from Su.pr

2. has been watching X-Men Evolution on YouTube all day (don’t worry, it’s all legal). He’s now on Episode 8 of Season 3:http://su.pr/ALQLiu9:36 PM Aug 25th from Su.pr

3. also wants you to check out Mark Kroos, an insane guitarist who taps on an acoustic guitar: http://su.pr/2FbItx12:14 PM Aug 25th from Su.pr

4. is looking into getting an efficiency apartment back in BG. If he can get the apartment as well as his old job at DQ back, then he’s golden!12:12 PM Aug 25th from web

5. is going to bed after a long day.1:23 AM Aug 25th from web

6. is feeling a great sadness and a great happiness within himself. A big change is coming, but he doesn’t know what exactly…12:25 AM Aug 25th from web

I spent the majority of the 25th watching X Men Evolution on YouTube, all legally from Marvel’s YouTube account. As far as Season 4 goes, you can find that on Marvel.com if you look around.

1. is watching season 4 episode 1 of X men Evolution on Marvel.com:http://su.pr/1wOrAEabout 19 hours ago from Su.pr

2. I uploaded a YouTube video — TheAndySan – Lost Vlog 3 – How I Spent My 4th Of July In 2009 http://bit.ly/X7Tdaabout 23 hours ago from Google

3. just posted Lost Vlog 3 – How I Spent My 4th Of July In 2009http://bit.ly/GP0tabout 23 hours ago from TweetMyBlog

4. is just a minute or two away from uploading a new vlog, as well as its accompanying post.about 23 hours ago from web

5. says that rendering time is over, uploading time is now!!about 24 hours ago from web

6. finally finished up editing a vlog that’s been collecting e-dust on his hard drive since the 4th of July. It’s got about 20 minutes left.5:53 PM Aug 26th from web

7. is looking into getting a different efficiency apartment in BG for $375 a month with all utilities included except cable, internet, & phone!4:39 PM Aug 26th from web

8. is gonna be editing some vids that he filmed a while ago but didn’t get around to editing.3:26 PM Aug 26th from web

9. is going out to get himself something to eat. BRB!1:21 PM Aug 26th from web

10. RT @zaibatsu @Alonis @abc7: Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy has NOT passed away and is still alive:http://su.pr/19xNbs1:25 AM Aug 26th from web

11. RT @TheAndySan 1,800th Tweet: watching the best episode out of X-Men Evolution, X23: http://su.pr/2E8grr1:20 AM Aug 26th from web

12. is off to bed. He’s gonna look further into that efficiency apartment in BG in the morning. Hopefully, everything will turn out just fine…1:18 AM Aug 26th from web

Yesterday, I finally got around to editing and uploading a vlog that’s been sitting on my desktop since the 4th of July when I recorded it.

In addition to recording new vlogs, I’ll also be editing previously recorded videos over the weekend since I doubt that I’ll be online because my stepdad’s anal about stuff like that.

Well, I just barely made it to the Thursday deadline. Congrats if you made it this far. I’ll see you guys later on.

Stay cool!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

Twitter Thursday Throwdown: August 13 – August 26, 2009

If you can’t see the video, click here

Be sure to visit my newest band project, Chrome Sparks’ MySpace!

After having this vlog sit on my hard drive collecting e-dust since the 4th of July, I’ve decided to do something with all this free time and finally got around to editing it.

In this vlog, I’m out in the middle of nowhere on the 4th of July talking about my epic bike ride, how I’m saving up for a new Paul Reed Smith SE Custom 24 in Whale Blue as well as a Peavey Vypyr (which has been put on hold until I save up for a new place), Michael Jackson’s death (which was very recent at the time), a new guitar book that I bought, then-new music projects like Chrome Sparks as well as possibly new singing videos, and upgrading my Kay Les Paul copy. Can you say run-on sentence? Good.

As always, comments are encouraged and I hope you’ve enjoyed yourselves. Wish me luck in finding a new place!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

Lost Vlog 3 – How I Spent My 4th Of July In 2009

If you can’t see the video, click here.

Also, be sure to visit the only official MySpace of Chrome Sparks!

Snaaaake Waaay!!

I’m using the exact same gear setup as before in the same order: a Kay Les Paul copy running into a Behringer Ultra Chorus, into a Digitech Metal Master, and into an uber-crappy Johnson Reptone 15 amp.

Enjoy!

TheAndySan

P.S: This video is 10 minutes and 15 seconds long. Does this mean that I can upload videos 10+ minutes long to my YouTube account? We’ll find out soon enough!!

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

How To Play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #2

If you can’t see the above video, click here
In this video, I show you how to play things, and you play them!

This marks the online debut of my mom’s lovely tiger painting and my very first guitar, a Kay Les Paul copy. RIP LP (1915-2009)!!!

Here’s a list of what gear I’m using and in what order: a Kay Les Paul copy running into a Behringer Ultra Chorus, into a Digitech Metal Master, and into an uber-crappy Johnson Reptone 15 amp. Cables are irrelevent.

Be sure to spread the word of Chrome Sparks to all your friends and enjoy the video!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

How To Play Chrome Sparks’ Riff Idea #1

Jagshamash! It’s time for this week’s Twitter Thursday Throwdown! Let’s get crackin’:

1. Twitter Thursday Throwdown: July 23 – July 29, 2009http://su.pr/181qoq9:45 PM Jul 30th from Su.pr

2. managed to finish up Twitter Thursday Throwdown, which will be posted around 9:30pm EST, and is now heading off for work. Bye now!!5:26 PM Jul 30th from web

3. almost completely forgot about Twitter Thursday Throwdown!! Well, time to get crackin’!4:29 PM Jul 30th from web

4. is gonna take a nap.3:34 PM Jul 30th from web

5. Become a member of this great site to gain more followers:http://tinyurl.com/mgj5ov3:24 PM Jul 30th from API

6. is going out for a bike ride. BRB, OMG!1:51 PM Jul 30th from web

7. found something interesting in his Gmail when he woke up today: Bald-Headed, Pink-Faced Songbird Discovered:http://su.pr/2A6l2s11:28 AM Jul 30th from Su.pr

8. is shower + sleep, which = <3!3:22 AM Jul 30th from web

9. has 14.6% of the funds for a PRS SE Custom 24 guitar in Whale Blue from @PRSguitars!! He’s getting there, little by little.1:40 AM Jul 30th from web

Unfortunatly, I had to take some money out of the PRS savings in order to pay off the rent among other things. Don’t worry though, because I’ll replace all the money tomorrow when I get paid.

I’ve been browsing around eBay for other cool guitars besides the PRS SE Custom 24, and I’ve found several. Some other set-neck guitars that I’m looking into buying are the Epiphone Wilshire white reissue (not the $4,500 one), a regular Dean ML, Dean From Hell, Dean FBD, Dean Razorback, and a PRS SE Custom 22 in cherryburst. I was pretty darn close to getting an Epiphone Les Paul too, but I got quickly overbid.

If anyone out there doubts the global economy for even a second, I challenge you to go on eBay and buy a normally top-dollar guitar (we’re talking at least $1,000) like a Gibson or PRS in good condition for a riduculously low-ball price like $100. It ain’t gonna happen!

1. 
   

2. Vlog 16 – Apartment Changes & Goal Boards http://su.pr/9WP9Ag5:32 PM Jul 31st from Su.pr

3. finished up a new vlog: http://su.pr/1srTnG. The blog post will be up at 5:30 pm EST. Now, he’s off to Celina for the weekend!!! Bye guys!!!5:13 PM Jul 31st from Su.pr

4. I uploaded a YouTube video — TheAndySan – Vlog 16 – Apartment Changes & Goal Boards http://bit.ly/c7hB74:51 PM Jul 31st from Google

5. can’t seem to use Su.pr to shorten his links today without hitting the Post button. Sorry, guys!! Oh yeah, and a new vlog is being uploaded!3:54 PM Jul 31st from web

6. is awake, only to take a nap to try out his new Sleep Master sleeping mask that finally came in the mail today!! BRB!1:05 PM Jul 31st from web

7. is gonna hit the shower and the hay…at 4:30 in the morning?! Yikes!4:20 AM Jul 31st from web

8. has 14.9% of the money (50¢ short of $100) for his bright and shiny blue PRS SE Custom 24 guitar. He’s so close, and yet so far away, haha!!3:18 AM Jul 31st from web

I’ve have the Sleep Master for nearly a week now, and I gotta say, it’s not quite as good as I thought it was gonna be. The mask tends to slip off a lot if it’s not firmly, and I mean crush-your-eyeballs firmly, strapped on.

Another thing to note, and it’s not really the mask’s fault, but ever since the first full night’s sleep, I noticed that the side of the mask that touches my face is beginning to turn black. I didn’t realize that I sweated so much at night, and I’m sure glad that the mask is washable.

Because the mask also covers the ears with all the strength of a high school girl wrenching open a new bottle of vodka, when I had earplugs on along with the mask, my jaws hurt when I woke up so be aware of that.

1. is kinda tired from driving 100+ miles to BG from Celina so he’s gonna rewatch some Lovely Complex and hit the sack shortly after. Night!9:52 PM Aug 1st from web

2. is home. Home again. ♫ http://blip.fm/~b070c8:30 PM Aug 1st from Blip.fm

I was back in Celina with my family most of that day, so by the time I got home, I was pretty wiped out.

It was good to visit the family again. I got a haircut for the first time in two months as well as the tiger painting that my mom did back in the late 70′s. It should be making its online debut in my next vlog.

1. 
   

2. is off to work another day. Be back at 1!!5:20 PM Aug 2nd from web

3. is going out soon for a nice bike ride in this wonderfully sunny day!!!2:18 PM Aug 2nd from web

4. @keibichan: Why thanks for noticing, haha!! @nagidon: I miss you too! I was only gone for a day though, lol!!1:33 PM Aug 2nd from web in reply to keibichan

5. just uploaded Riff Idea #4 to the Chrome Sparks MySpace! Check it out at http://su.pr/1ea71s and be sure to spread the word and Retweet!!!!112:27 PM Aug 2nd from Su.pr

6. is going to bed.1:30 AM Aug 2nd from web

I got the idea of Riff Idea #4 from checking the drop-D tuning on my Kay Les Paul copy. You guys should expect me putting up videos on YouTube of the Riff Ideas very soon. Ideally, I want to begin recording tomorrow after I cash my check and all that.

1. is totally digging Dam Dadi Doo by Nightcore!! Check ‘em out:http://su.pr/7nGTOG10:57 PM Aug 3rd from Su.pr

2. doesn’t have your stone, and fuck you anyway:http://su.pr/1HMacf. Time for supper!!5:32 PM Aug 3rd from Su.pr

3. is heading out to hang with Eriopolis for a bit.2:33 PM Aug 3rd from web

4. is hitting up the shower and heading straight for bed. Nighty night, Twitterinos!!3:29 AM Aug 3rd from web

5. @kbeucke: Thanks for the retweet, man!!3:14 AM Aug 3rd from web in reply to kbeucke

6. just fixed his RSS feed and holy assburgers, a shit-ton of updates came flying out!! He apologizes for the nigh-spammy amount of updates.3:13 AM Aug 3rd from web

7. posted Vlog 16 – Apartment Changes & Goal Boardshttp://bit.ly/Mf58z3:01 AM Aug 3rd from twitterfeed

8. posted Twitter Thursday Throwdown: July 23 – July 29, 2009http://bit.ly/anACH3:00 AM Aug 3rd from twitterfeed

9. posted Deja Vuesday – 5 Ways To Put The “You” Back In YouTube http://bit.ly/2B2Koj3:00 AM Aug 3rd from twitterfeed

10. posted Owl City OCEAN EYES Album Review http://bit.ly/vOd6C3:00 AM Aug 3rd from twitterfeed

11. posted Sanyo Xacti Cookie Dough & Reese’s Blizzardhttp://bit.ly/14lfJe3:00 AM Aug 3rd from twitterfeed

12. is back home, and has 15.6% of the money for his new guitar. Yatta!1:38 AM Aug 3rd from web

When I was poking around the innards of TheAndySan.com, I noticed that there was something wrong with the RSS feed. I traced it down to the su.pr plugin, so I nuked it and everything’s fine for now. However, after I fixed it, all the posts that I’ve put out there since I got the plugin got posted to my Twitter account so my followers were treated to quite an explosion of flavor, haha!!

1. wants you to catch Eriopolis on Infinity Metal every Tuesday from 8-11pm EST on 88.1 WBGU or click here to stream it:http://su.pr/7xt6OH11:16 PM Aug 4th from Su.pr

2. posted Deja Vuesday – Passion Vs Security: The American Dream In Disguise http://bit.ly/MUpZK11:00 PM Aug 4th from twitterfeed

3. wants you to catch Eriopolis on Infinity Metal every Tuesday from 8-11pm EST on 88.1 WBGU or click here to stream it:http://su.pr/7xt6OH8:19 PM Aug 4th from Su.pr

4. is going to work. Be back at 1!!5:21 PM Aug 4th from web

5. just finished up a new Deja Vuesday, which will be up at 10:45pm EST. Catch Eriopolis on Infinity Metal from 8-11pm EST:http://su.pr/7xt6OH4:57 PM Aug 4th from Su.pr

6. is going out for a bike ride.1:16 PM Aug 4th from web

7. is roXXing out to Siroi Yami no Naka by Shakkazombie before taking a shower and turning in for the night: http://su.pr/1lptPt3:23 AM Aug 4th from Su.pr

8. found an interesting article about what Michael Jackson might have looked like at 41 judging from his 1985 look:http://su.pr/5I2KYK2:24 AM Aug 4th from Su.pr

I screwed up the time that Infinity Metal ends. It actually runs from 8 to 10pm EST every Tuesday on 88.1 WBGU in the Bowling Green OH area. If you happen to not be in the area, then you can stream it on their website here. I’m seriously thinking about embedding the WBGU stream onto TheAndySan.com. Tell me what you guys think in the comments below!

1. RT @TheAndySan: V-Hudge “accidentally” sent out more naked pics: http://su.pr/2Gs9hkabout 22 hours ago from Su.pr

2. @nsfw4me: Hey, this is a cool idea! I love what you guys are doing and I’ll be sure to use your services if I post anything NSFW. Thanks!!!!about 22 hours ago from web

3. is off to work. Man, this day went by fast!!about 22 hours ago from web

4. RE: @PhillyD So what’s the prob with V-Hudge “accidentally” sending out more naked pics? http://disq.us/1mfa2:45 PM Aug 5th from DISQUS

5. is going to the bank to clear up a bounced check.1:14 PM Aug 5th from web

6. is off to sleepy-land right after a nice hot shower.2:24 AM Aug 5th from web

7. saved up to 15.9% of the new PRS SE Custom 24 in whale blue from @PRSguitars, although he’ll have to dip into some of it to pay off a check.1:41 AM Aug 5th from web

A funny thing happened on Twitter yesterday. When I went to put up the link to the V-Hudge naked pics, I got a response on Twitter from this service called NSFW4ME that told me about their services. What they are, in a nutshell, are a URL shortening service that also puts up a warning when you click on the link that this might not be safe for work. You guys should totally check them out here!

Well, I’m off to get ready for work. You guys take care of yourselves this weekend!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

Twitter Thursday Throwdown: July 30 – August 5, 2009

…Unless you have no time to watch them! Hey everyone it’s the Andy-San here.

In this week’s Deja Vuesday, we turn the clock back two years. Before I moved back in with my parents. Here is the post New Anime Is Always A Good Thing…:

I got back from my parent’s house not too long ago. We went out to the Mongolian Grill to eat with my aunt, uncle, and cousin (she’s really into anime and definitely knows her stuff). Even my stepdad went, and although I was really against it at first, I figured even he can’t stay mad at me forever and went anyway. We talked about my job situation and although he was mad that I don’t have a job, he didn’t make a big fuss about it. I was really thinking about eating Chinese for dinner before they called, but I’m glad that I didn’t go before they called or it wouldn’t have been as good, but I regret eating 2 Triple Cheeseburgers from McDonald’s 2 hours before. Damn, now I’m gonna have to really work my fat arse out tomorrow! After dinner, we watched the Lakefest fireworks which were loads better than the 4th of July fireworks and they brought me back shortly after that.

To avoid confusion, the relatives I’m talking about came from Michigan and are not the ones that I was living with at the time.

Yeah, I’m on good terms with all of my family ever since I moved out so no complaints there. Not really much else to say for this paragraph.

In other news, I’m working on some scales that Travis taught me the other day and they’re totally killing my hand. He showed me his new Marshall TSL head and JCM-900 cabinet and his secondary Les Paul Standard fitted with an EMG ZW set as well as his new basement setup that’s a lot neater and better organized than before. He said that he was gonna buy a Gibson SG that’s at the music store so I can’t wait to see and hear it!

Man, I haven’t talked to Travis in ages! He’s moved out on his own since that post and I have no clue if he’s got another band going yet or if they fell apart already.

I’m still saving up for a Paul Reed Smith SE Custom 24 in Whale Blue as well as a Peavey Vypyr 75 watt combo amp. As of now, I have 9.7% of the money for the PRS or 21.5% for the Vypyr. I would prefer to get the guitar first since the electric I have now doesn’t sound very good. I want to upgrade it, but I feel that getting a new guitar is more urgent than that or a new amp simply because once I have the guitar, the other stuff will be a breeze to save up for.

I’ve been watching some new anime to check out and I like what I’ve got so far. I’ve watched Umisho and Doujin-Work, which are really new in Japan. Umisho is a sports romantic-comedy about the adventures of a high school swim team. It’s very funny and I like all of the characters, but the stand-out character is the captain. Think Gai-Sensai in swimming gear. Doujin-Work is about a girl who wants to become a doujinshi author in order to make money. Basically, it’s like Comic Party but with a female lead. Doujin-Work’s not bad, but I prefer Umisho over it.

Well, I’m gonna go take a bath and watch some moAr anime. Peace!

Andy-San

Right now, I’m rewatching Umisho actually. What a coincidence!! Also, I’m watching Chi’s Sweet Home and I recently finished up Gakuen Alice and Big Windup!

Well guys, I hope you’ve enjoyed the look back. Now, it’s time to look forward!!

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

Deja Vuesday – New Anime Is Always A Good Thing…

TheAndySan – K-ON! Review

Intro

Have you ever wondered what strange shapes Guitar Hero and Rock Band based their controllers around? Do you have an interest in making music, or just watching other people make music? How about a love for all things moe? Well, then I have an anime for you to watch; K-ON!.

Summary

K-On! is about four (later on five) Japanese high school girls who join their school’s light music club (light music in Japan meaning contemporary or pop music) to try to save it from being abolished. However, Yui Hirasawa, the lead guitarist, has no experience playing musical instruments or reading sheet music in the beginning, but is blessed with perfect pitch. Eventually, she becomes a competant guitar player and background singer. The rest of the club helps her to buy a Gibson Les Paul, and they perform at the school festival twice, despite the fact that they drink tea and eat sweets most of the time and practice very little when together.

Character Overview

Sakuragaoka High School’s light music club consists of:

Sawako “Sawa-chan” Yamanaka – the polite advisor who used to be in the light music club as part of a heavy metal band called Death Devil. When with the light music club, she’s rebellious, lazy, and has a panche for making the girls cosplay.

Yui Hirasawa – the clumsy but obliviously talented lead guitar player as well as backing singer. She had no previous musical experience before joining the club (except for playing castanets in elementary school), but managed to become suitable to the band’s style of music shortly after joining.

Ritsu “Ricchan” Tainaka – the energetic drummer who’s also the club’s official leader. She was the one who wanted to join the light music club and managed to convince everyone else to join, sometimes using underhanded tactics to do so.

Mio Akiyama - the reluctantly popular bassist, lead vocalist, and main songwriter as well as the only leftie of the group. She’s usually shy and responsible, but tends to freak out when it comes to scary stuff.

Tsumugi “Mugi-chan” Kotobuki – the wealthy and gentle keyboardist who has been playing piano since she was four and has won several competitions. Her father is the president of a large but unknown company that seems to own the music store where Yui got her guitar and a maid cafe where all of the club’s sweets come from.

Azusa “Azu-nyan” Nakano – the younger rhythm guitarist who joins the group a year after it was saved by the original four members. She’s much more technically proficient than Yui and takes practicing seriously, but learns to loosen up as she is with the club.

Story: 5/10

Being in the slice-of-life genre, which is one of my favorite genres, as well as having a severe case of the moe, the story for K-ON! can get downright muddled at times. It’s not that it’s random ala Azumanga Daioh or Lucky Star; there is a storyline in each episode, but the focus likes to shift a lot. This sounds interesting in theory, but doesn’t quite pan out in practice.

Now, I’m by no means an anime snob. I absolutely detest elitist attitudes towards anything in life. When it comes to anime, I don’t really care if I’m watching something critically acclaimed like Cowboy Bebop or severely panned like Green Green, as long as I enjoy what I’m watching.

The amount of in-show fan-service has also been modestly and smartly placed, despite the zillions…and zillions…of mostly suggestive fan art of Mio and Azusa creeping around the Interwebz.

I give it a 5/10 for an at-times jerky ride of a storyline with smart fan-service placement.

Animation: 6/10 & Music: 8/10

Anime critics be damned, I thought the animation quality was mostly good! However, the instruments, especially Yui’s poor Les Paul named Gitah, seemed to be on the wrong side of the budget cuts. Her guitar’s appearance ranges from very well drawn to a blobby mess, with seemingly no good middle ground.

Since K-ON! revolves around music, it’s only natural that the music be nicely done. The club’s signature tune, Fuwa Fuwa Time, which translates to Light and Fluffy Time, reminds me a lot of Party Hard by Andrew W.K., but lighter and fluffier haha! The song I like the most from the soundtrack is a slow bluesy number called Hold On Your Love. It’s a very moving 2 minutes of music.

I give the animation a 6/10 for sometimes butchering Gitah and the music an 8/10 for a well put-together soundtrack.

Characters: 7/10

The one thing that bugged the crap outta me when watching this series is that I sometimes visually confused Yui and Ritsu. Yes, they have slightly different hair color. And yes, Ritsu’s hair is pulled back while Yui’s hangs down. However, it’s their hair length and texture as well as their closely matched hair color that mix me up sometimes.

Looks aside, although each girl has their own personality unique among the group, I feel that they don’t evolve much as characters as the show progresses. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt since this is only a 13-episode series, which should see another 13 episodes considering the immense popularity of the series.

I’ll give ‘em a 7/10 since they’re unique among themselves, but still have a ways to go to develop their characters.

Enjoyment: 8/10

Although the recession has put the kibosh on producing as many anime series as before, of the recent anime that I’ve been watching, K-ON! is only seconded by Toradora!. Would I watch it again? Sure. In fact, I’m rewatching the series this week to gain a better prospective on the characters after I know what’s going to be going down in the series.

As I said before, K-ON! should be getting a second season since it was especially weIl-received by moe-hungry fans looking to whet their appetites while waiting for Season 2 of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, which was finally released near the end of K-ON!’s first season, after three years of impatient waiting and broken promises aka marketing strategies. But that’s another story altogether…

I give them an 8/10 for a fun, light-hearted musical romp through Moeville.

Overall: 6.8/10

K-ON! took a beating in its overall rating mostly because of its oddly structured storylines, occasionally awful instrument illustration, and little to no character development. Despite these shortcomings, it was quite an enjoyable anime to watch. Its immense online popularity also makes it relatively easy to talk about amongst other otaku without having to explain what the series is about.

I would suggest that the next season focus on drawing the instruments clearly on a consistent basis and give the characters some backstory to help us the audience gain a better prospective of them.

I give K-ON! an overall rating of 6.8/10.

TheAndySan

This Post Is Originally From: TheAndySan.com

Anime Review – K-ON!