Christmas time!! What is it good for?

 ♫♪ ♫Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer!! Fun for all that children call, their favorite time of the year~♫♪ ♫

Happy Holidays readers!!! Hope you are all having a wonderful time, whether you are alone, with friends or family, I hope your days have been merry! But that always brings up the question, what does this season mean to me, to you, to us? Well, I'm glad I asked, because that's why I intend to talk about on this generic Christmas post! :)

Why we celebrate 

Now first question is usually "why we celebrate Christmas?" Well whether you celebrate it for religious reasons, AKA Christ's birthday (or supposed birthday), for pagan reasons AKA you still do what the Romans did and have a Saturnalia week, where you generally speaking, have a purge night/week like in the movie "The Purge", though unlike in ancient times, I don't believe human sacrifices are as heavily marketed or culturally accepted these days; or perhaps it's just a fun tradition you do because of commercialism and presents. Whatever the reason one thing is usually a common variable, and that is being surrounded by the one/ones you love, that's right even if you are a loner, because you yourself could be the one you love most, (no judgment here... unless you do the human sacrificing still, then some may give you a little judgment) the point is, this is a time where we truly allow ourselves to appreciate those who we care for and are thankful for, even more so than Thanksgiving.

Now certainly many of us love the season for the low low prices in all the cool new gadgets and clothes, and the presents we will get, so much so that we overshadow what the best gifts actually are. Now I can hear you all groaning ¨Ugh things are about to get preachy here, honey, hold off on the sacrifice and let's hear him out....¨ but hey, somebody has got to say it. ;) That said, the best gift you can give and get on Christmas is the time you get and give with those you love, whether they be family, friends, or the less fortunate through volunteer TIME (see the key word being time). Now, as old and annoying as it may sound, giving time is the most fulfilling gift you can give, and as they say it's better to give than to receive, so despite all the cool gifts that we may get, which we also equally enjoy, and I have no doubt those who gave them to us enjoy it more seeing the joy on our faces, regardless, the time spent, lessons learned, and memories forged... that my dear friends, that is truly the best gift of all. Also you get to work on some fun low budget decorations when you concentrate more on the experience than the money spent.

(The things one can do with loose ornaments, a balloon, ribbons, twine, and a good attitude.)

In the end we all have our own personal situations and traditions in regards to this famed holiday season, some, like my mom, don't even celebrate it all, and you know what, that is perfectly fine, however if you do partake in a special tradition, I'd love to hear why you do, as I find it amazing how different everyone does a relatively similar thing such as celebrating a holiday all because of a tradition or belief. (I mean just look at how KFC used marketing to make eating fried chicken a Christmas tradition in Japan; Why? Because of their Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii! campaign back in 74, which originated due to a family opting for fried chicken s a substitute for a Christmas turkey... pshh I see you Sanders lol)

How we celebrate

So now that we have analyzed why so many of us celebrate this time, the next obvious question is "how do we celebrate Christmas?" Now if you are part of the afore mentioned groups we discussed then Christmas mass or meetings (depending on your religious sect) and a family gathering of some sort is generally what is done/expect, just like for those who still try and push for Saturnalia (please don't hurt me) then human sacrifice is going to fall into the "how" category quite nicely. As for many others however, also including the 2 previous groups, do you all follow the almost ritualistic tropes of Christmas? That is to say, put up all the decorations, murder nature in order to display it proudly after adorning it in ornaments and lights? Do you hang stockings for even more gifts you greedy bast-- *ahem* Uhh, what about chestnuts, do you roast them upon an open fire? What about snowmen (if there is snow on Christmas where you live)? And if so do you plague your neighbors by mindlessly polluting the air with that Frozen song (Do you want to build a snowman)? Do you sing carols or watch old timey Christmas films??? Do you beat the crap out of each other in order to settle conflicts and start the year off fresh like they do in Peru? (it's called Takanakuy, look it up)

Well however you celebrate it, I'd love to hear about it, personally we celebrate it here on the 24th, opening our gifts at mid.night, unless you fell asleep ya pansy, in that case you can open your gifts on the 25th after the sun comes up, loser... I also enjoy volunteering and giving to the less fortunate, sacrificing a gift that would normally be for me and giving it to someone who usually never gets anything at all is an amazing experience and one that I would honestly recommend anyone to do. I also watch campy horror films and Yungtown Christmas videos on Youtube (Seriously, if you appreciate video games, satire, and awesome raps I whole-heartedly recommend his stuff). Aside from that my Christmas is standard fair, littered with an abundance of food, secret santas, good times, and awkward karaoke. That said, I'd love to hear how you all celebrate the holidays, do you do anything unusual?

Christclusion

So in conclusion, I hope you all had are having an amazing holiday season, and doing things you love. Whether it be dressing up as Santas reindeer whilst playing laser tag, (a game Rudolf can actually play), stressing out over last minute presents because your family doesn't appreciate quality time over quality gifts, or if you are getting drunk in order to drown your sorrows, rejuvenate your joys, or simply to appease your lord and master Dionysus; 

May not have turned water into wine, but his hair literally is wine

Lol whatever it may be, please be safe and make it memorable, and hey, try to end the day on a clean slate, don't end the holidays with someone mad at you (unless it's the dude you are sacrificing for Saturnaia, not sure if you can truly become buds after that) 

Nonsensical ramblings aside, I leave you to enjoy the rest of your evening with a huge virtual hug from me I wish you the happiest of holidays!! (Also remember, screw the song "Christmas Shoes")

Much Love,
Wachi

What challenges do we face creatively?

Aughh, readers, just "Aughh"!! You know what I'm saying? No? Of course you don't I can never ugh... I'm so frustrated..!! *Screeches into the heavens* Have you ever wanted to MS Paint on a Monday and you just can't? That creative frustration that we all face from time to time, not just with paint, but anything creative that you enjoy. You know the one, don't you?

OMG, I even spelled frustration wrong I'm so frustrated!! :P

There's always those fears and frustrations, such as fear of never getting noticed or recognized for your work, or perhaps (one i personally fear on the regular) not being good enough at what you love to do. Maybe you found a creative passion later in life and you feel you are simply too old to be good at it, or perhaps you are just getting started and you feel you are too young to get any attention. Another frustration of mine is due to the internet as a whole, sometimes I will have a thought or idea, and will work on it, only to find 20 other people have done something online displaying the same, killing off one's originality, and frustration of being unoriginal is one of the worst feelings.Or when you don't feel like you are actually progressing in your art (or craft of any sort), where you are even to the point where you are too ashamed to practice because of how awful you see your own art, and that in itself is another frustration that just ruins ones creativity...

As these are a few of the many self-criticisms and frustrations I layer onto my own creative self-conscious on a daily basis I thought many others may do the same as well, and that is when I conveniently stumbled onto this video, a TED talk in fact, and it was a breath of fresh air as far as creative motivators go, so I thought I'd share with all of you, my creative readers who find themselves frustrated and/or out of ideas, whether it be just a hobby or your career.

I'll put a couple of links to the same;

https://vimeo.com/130898948

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG-ZXiYtLy8

With this I leave you all today, hope this talk spoke to your creative selves as much as it did mine! I can't wait to see what all our future creations will become in the coming year!!

Happy Holidays!

Much Love,

Wachi

MS Paint Mondays 25

Afternoon readers!! Hope you are all having a great holiday week, even if you are stuck in the office like myself. Anyhow, the work load is light, the sun is bright, and the rhyming is polite, with all that going for us why not ♪let it paint, let it paint, let it (MS) Paint (Monday)!!?♫

--Thoughts of the day--

* At last, despite needing to finish reports and hang out in the office, my customers are all but completely gone, so there is complete peace of mind right now. 

* Therefore it's nice to use this time to right any wrongs or discomforts between those who you work with, without the stresses of the usual workday, you can truly be open with each other in a non work environment.

* Never end a year on bad terms with anyone. (Well never end a day angry with someone; but if you can't forgive that easy, well at least end the year with joy.)

So with that I present the "Fantamen" a collection of characterization of me and my colleagues as X-men characters, and since there are 4 of us, I made it like the fantastic four, so fantamen is actually fantastic + men, not Fanta the coca cola product, in case you all were confused :P. The point of it all is remember to celebrate accomplishments as a team, no one X-men can accomplish everything on his or her own, the team should be recognized as a whole, always.

As always, I hope this exercise helps you ease that weekly case of the Mondays and inspires you to start creating new things, and really help expand the creative construct that is your brain! I encourage you to share/send me your own MS Paint Monday creations, if I get enough I plan to do an MS Paint showcase at the end of every week so we can enjoy each other's styles and imaginations.

Much Love, Wachi

MS Paint Mondays 24

Good morning readers!! I hope you all got a more restful weekend than I did, and despite feeling sleep deprived I bring you this weeks MS Paint Monday!! YEAAAaaahhhhh...!

--Thoughts of the day--

* So this is the final week before my customers start heading out on their Christmas vacations, and I am simply tired and my mind is like half on and half off...

*The good thing about this state of mind is you are ok telling things to "screw it" and let's be honest every one needs a good screw it day week to clear their mind, and by remaining in this state of mind you can also mindlessly create whatever you want with no input from anyone else, and that is liberating.

Therefore today's paint titled "Death Trio", (I actually fell asleep mid sentence while writing this readers, so my bad for another MS Paint Tuesday this time around)  is made up of completely random characters I made up on the fly, because I didn't feel like making a theme on a day like today haha. Sometimes readers the best way to grow is by letting your mind wander and create new things, instead of getting inspiration from life. Give it a try! :D

As always, I hope this exercise helps you ease that weekly case of the Mondays and inspires you to start creating new things, and really help expand the creative construct that is your brain! I encourage you to share/send me your own MS Paint Monday creations, if I get enough I plan to do an MS Paint showcase at the end of every week so we can enjoy each other's styles and imaginations.

Much Love, Wachi

Wachi's Nonsense: TMNT II Trailer: Can we love being a turtle again?

Hello readers, and welcome to Wachi's Nonsense!! It's been a while since I have done one of these, but I am back and with a topic close to my heart. Now, if you read my 50 facts about myself, you may already know I adore the Ninja Turtles, and Michael Bay's produced TMNT figuratively grabbed my childhood in that theater and raped it, I had never come out of a theater in such disgust and indignation before, but that movie... that freaking movie... *AHEM* sorry, this isn't a rant about that experience, maybe someday, but not today. No readers, today I want to talk about the trailer that dropped for the sequel of said personal train wreck, I'm talking "TMNT Out of the Shadows" (and no, not the game), if you haven't seen the trailer yet, come on out of your shells and watch it before we get into my thoughts;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeaugHGd1Kw

Ok now that you've seen it, watch it again, and really watch it, notice anything? I did, it looks pretty gouh.. Goouejsm...*clears throat* Gowowwd... oh man it's tough to say it, let alone type it... it looks not horrible. :P

In all seriousness let's break it down, I love TMNT, and this trailer actually got me excited, first off, I feel like the turtles toned it down some with the accessories and hulking bodies, which is fantastic, I mean they are still huge, but not as much as the first (I think). Secondly, they are vibrant shades of green now, and seem to have better, more turtle-esque looking faces, instead of looking like vomit green gorons from the Legend of Zelda as they did for the first film, all of which I like! (Except for Donnie, it seems like they added suspenders on him, not sure why tech wizard ninja, has to be Urkel from "Family Matters" for the audience to understand he is the "smart one" but whatever)

Another awesome thing I noticed, sex appeal, I mean Megan Fox's April, was in this for maybe 3 scenes, and only spoke in one, and she didn't appear at all until after the first half of the trailer!! This rectifies one of my biggest complaints with the first film, which was basically,  April O'Neil feat. The Ninja Turtles, seriously, the plot would not move forward until April moved it forward, ugh... But not this time baby! Naw, this time the Turtles took center stage, I actually feel like they are the focal point of the film, which you'd think would make sense in a film titled "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", but the first one simply didn't show me that. Also Casey Jones is Arrow, that's pretty cool, I feel he brings great life into the character in the small segments we watched him in, my only nitpick is... the hair, I'll miss the long hair Casey we have all come to know and love, but again that's just me being picky. But just imagine....

Anywaysss.... I noticed they recast Shredder and Karai, which seems like a wise choice, what I don't like, and is a complaint I have heard echoed from my friends, is that even though I am happy that Shredder is no longer Mini Megatron, I don't like the fact that he never wears his mask in the trailer, I hope he stills has it, as it is a very iconic part of him, along with the villain is his clan, the foot clan, and they are actually ninjas again, NINJAS!!! If you may recall from the first film they were gun-totting terrorists, which in my opinion was un-creative and dull, so bringing them back to their ninja roots is fantastic in my book♥

Moving along with the casting, how about that Tyler Perry as the nutty pro... I mean Baxter Stockman, haha I can honestly say I did NOT see that coming, and despite not thinking he was the best choice, I got to admit I enjoy how much fun he is having with the role, really mixing the dark with the comical that the TMNT franchise is known for, I love the energy, despite not really loving the casting choice.

Lat but not least, my inner child recuperated almost immediately from the violent abuse it had suffered from the first film the moment, Bebop and Rocksteady took the stage, holy sh*t readers!!! I have been waiting for these guys to hit the big screen since "TMNT II: Secret of the Ooze", the character designs are so true to their original source material, I am so happy!! Not only that but their human counterparts are phenomenally cast in my opinion, Uncle Ruckus make a great human Bebop!!

I seriously adore the fact that they even have the same 80's like gangster fashion, it's *kisses fingers* perfection from a visual standpoint!

Now with all this promise being shown in the trailer and the Krang's invasion also teased (though very reminiscent to the Chitauri invasion in the first Avengers film, what with the giant worm hole over New York) there is only 2 more things I need for this movie to be a hit and redeem itself in my eyes, and that is one, explore the reincarnation sub-plot in order to make Splinter Hamato Yoshi, PLEASE, this was a huge issue I had with the first film, TMNT is a story about family, yes, but a burning rivalry as well, between Hamato Yoshi (Splinter) and Oroku Saki (Shredder) so despite being visually stimulating, their bout in the first film, it was more of a generic, "Get out of my home/leave my kids alone" type of fight, more than a intense, passion-filled battle of fierce ideals and lost camaraderie, where revenge and history should have swirled into the atmosphere, it was just a "check out my cool ninja moves bro" moment of anger. If this idea were to be played with, it would also explain how the Ninjutsu came so naturally to him when he found the book in the sewers, as that idea is already idiotic in itself...

Last but not least, I am pulling for a Vanilla Ice cameo for a final Ninja Rap Remix battle, this is more of a dorky request than a necessity, but I would love it. The corniness in an intense dance battle before the final showdown would be greatly appreciated, especially if done differently enough to be more of an homage than a complete copy of that cheesy scene.

GO NINJA GO NINJA GO!

In the end, my heart is divided, this iteration of TMNT began as an unwanted project, yet it still arrived, and like a bad relationship, it abused me, it hurt me, it beat me down further than I thought it ever would, it told me it loved me only to rip my heart out at every opportunity it could... YET it's back now, it's changed, it's not the dark harmful ex lover, but a more playful badass, dare I say even likeable, one that has its priorities straight, or so it seems... so much so that I would consider taking it back despite the abuse they made me go through the first time, I may be ready to love again, but am I simply being delusional? Can such abusive things, TRULY change for the better? Hell, it's even being released a day before my birthday, is it trying to ask for my forgiveness at the best possible time, or am I walking into the biggest mistake of my life? 

I need a psychologist LOL...

Geeze what is my life?

Overall, I want to hate this movie, I really do, but from where I stand, I honestly can't, only time will tell if I am ready to love being a turtle again (Though I am LOVING the IDW comics atm). How about you readers, are you a fan of the turtles? If so what are your thoughts on the trailer, even the reboot of the series as a whole? Are you pumped, scared, indifferent? Feel free to let me know any changes or ideas that you'd love to see in the new film.

Thanks for sticking around til the end readers, hope you all are having a wonderful pre-holiday time!

Much Love,

Wachi

Never be afraid to be bananas

MS Paint Mondays 23

Hello there my beautiful readers! Tis Monday once more and you know what that means; time to let your week shine forth with a new doodle!! With holiday vacations on the horizon (well for most, I have to work) people are filled with cheer, or drunken eggnog induced stress, either way both those feelings can be transferred into a piece of art ♥ 

MS PAINT TIME!!!

--Thoughts of the day--

* As we near the final lap of this year, 2015, we are left to reflect on what it is we have done, and have not done, and what we are proud of accomplishing.

* One can sometimes feel like they didn't accomplish much, due to being stuck in a routine-based life style, but even then, the little accomplishments you have made may have had a large impact on someone else's life, you never know when you have become an unintentional blessing for another so think about that.

* That said the year isn't over and there's still time to do what you gotta do, whatever that may be, so let's pick up the pace instead of slowing it down, and let's end the year with a bigger bang than the New Year's fireworks.

Speaking of which, unlike Walter, who may be slowing down as shown in his failed quality assessment, my ex-colleague and myself got another hundred, and to keep up with the lame X-men theme going we have "X men Wach and Tay 100% X2"; yes, that is a lame title... Moving on... This goes to show that even the slightest of extra accomplishments at a year's end can be sweeter than a cup of cocoa.

As always, I hope this exercise helps you ease that weekly case of the Mondays and inspires you to start creating new things, and really help expand the creative construct that is your brain! I encourage you to share/send me your own MS Paint Monday creations, if I get enough I plan to do an MS Paint showcase at the end of every week so we can enjoy each other's styles and imaginations.

Much Love, Wachi

MS Paint Mondays 22

(So I forgot to actually publish this, so despite it being written on Monday, it'll be released on a Tuedsday... oppsie poopsie...)

Hello Everyone, it's a new week, and I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Here's a brief new MS Paint Monday to get the creative juices flowing whilst we all slug back into the routines of life.

--Thoughts of the day--

* So despite living in Costa Rica, I do celebrate Thanksgiving, and have done so for the past 3 years, turning criticism from family and friends due to my being "Gringo", into anticipation for the deliciousness that has become tradition!!

* This year however I had to cancel it due to a bunch of commitments happening on that day (as it is not a legitimate holiday down here) and wouldn't you know it, after cancelling everything, my commitments were also cancelled, stuffing my Turkey in sadness and disappointment.... classic Costa Rica, doing every change last minute...

* Despite this however, I began planning and ordering pre-made catering meals to re-schedule for Saturday December 5th, and wouldn't you know it, that's the now mandatory secret Santa dinner and work activity, so time to cancel again.... lol... 

This week's paint was inspired not only by the back to back failures in my own life, but also the quality assessment failures of an ex-colleague, Walter, who has affectionately been given the name Walterine, like Wolverine, I'm not sure why... but therefore I have named this paint the same, "Walterine", showing that even though you fail, like Wolverine's healing factor, you to can continue to get back up... Yeah, that's a good one :P 

(Also forgetting to upload this on Monday is another one for my list of recent fails, so that goes perfectly with this theme lol)

As always, I hope this exercise helps you ease that weekly case of the Mondays and inspires you to start creating new things, and really help expand the creative construct that is your brain! I encourage you to share/send me your own MS Paint Monday creations, if I get enough I plan to do an MS Paint showcase at the end of every week so we can enjoy each other's styles and imaginations.

Much Love, Wachi