New Manga - 5 Cats

5 Cats is a mixture of The Cat Returns and Kekkaishi with a dash of Ouran High School Host Club.

It's about Kei, a high school student, training to be a magician at the 5 Cat's Cafe.  The cafe is a place in-between the human world and the magical one.

Beekeeping Lesson #4

You do not realize how much work goes into extracting honey, it takes hours.  If I had more hives it would take days.  I'm inclined to just use these little square boxes (forgot what there called) and let the bees make it all from scratch.  That way all I'd have to do is cut the comb in pieces and be done with it.  

Anyways, before you extract honey from the comb you have to get the honey supper away from the hive without any bees attacking you.  After all, your stealing there precious food source.  If they notice it's gone they'll come after you.  Now there are many ways to do this, but I think it's easiest to...

• Get a bee escape board, place it under the top supper, and wait about a week for most of the worker bees to funnel down to the rest of the hive.  The bee escape makes it so they can't climb back up.  
• Remove the supper (about 50 pounds of honey) and rush it inside.  The bees shouldn't be able to come after you but why risk it?
• Lay out all bee equipment.
• Remove the top layer of wax (caps), this you can use later for candle wax or lip balm.
• Place the frames into the honey extractor and turn it on (works best in a heated room at about 82 degrees F).  Honey extractors are pretty expensive so it might be best to borrow one.
• Pour out honey onto a strainer to get any loose bits of wax out.
• Put into jar and enjoy. 

One interesting fact I learned was the difference between raw honey and "regular".  Raw honey still has pollen in it which is good for you.  "Regular" honey from the commercial beekeepers has been heated at 170 degrees F, which kills all of the helpful enzymes and then they remove the pollen.  I don't know the whole process but it seem like a waste to me.  

Learning Gaelic

I've decided to learn Scottish (Gaelic) for no reason at all.  To start, I signed up for some online pen pal thing and then went to this website...http://www.learngaelic.net/index.jsp. So far I learned how to say a basic greeting and when a word is spelled out "tha" it's probably pronounced "ha".  I was a little surprised that it's not teaching the the alphabet first but I suppose if you think about it, when a child learns to talk it doesn't learn letters first.

Baby Finches!!

Zeus and Hera had a baby!  Well, technically they had several but only one is still alive.  I'm freaking out!  After so many failures it is truly uplifting to see him/her in the nest.  This time I took of the bottom part of their cage off and laid down a soft towel with some newspaper on top so the baby would survive if they end up kicking it out (as they have done in the past).  I also made sure they had fresh millet and apple slices (I'm boiling them an egg too).  If it ends up abandoned I do have baby bird food.  I'm not looking forward to feeding it every two hours, but I will if it comes down to it.

At this point, the only thing I'm worried about is the wheezing-half-whistle type of noise I occasionally here coming from the nest.  I'm hoping it's just the baby asking for food.  Though it occurs to me that it could just be the parents regurgitating food.

Here's a pic of an unhatched egg for size comparison

Found Him!

Remember when I said it was hard to find out who played Burns Living Flowers in The Host?  Well, stupid me did not recognize that Seeker Burns was in fact the guy I was looking for.  In real life he's called Alex Russell.  I was a little surprised and greatly disappointed that he's not very well known.  I hope I see more of him.  Perhaps, whenever the second movie comes out he'll play a bigger role.

On another note, here's some music...

Now that I listen to it more, the less I enjoy it but the first song is not so bad.

Beekeeping Lesson #3

In this lesson we covered all that can go wrong with a hive (mites, moths, foulbrood, bears, raccoons, skunks, ext.).  So depressing, especially the skunks.  I don't think any live near me, but they scratch at the front of the hive, wait for the bees to investigate, and eat them!

A lot of the medicines/treatments you give the bees are all natural but then there are some treatments that have neurotoxins in them.  Obviously, I'm never going to use those.  The natural treatments don't even require much investing like, coating the hive in powdered sugar and giving them candy canes.  Candy canes!  For some reason I can't get over the fact that candy canes are good for them to eat.

Side-note... My bees are ordered and come this Wednesday!

Moorwen Drawing Almost Finished

Upcoming Movies #10 - R.I.P.D.

I don't see why R.I.P.D. is not getting a bigger following.  Apparently, reminds people of MIB but so what? That's not a bad thing.  In my opinion it's going to be much better than MIB and is truly it's own thing.  In Men In Black they go after aliens not evil souls.  Plus, they are dead themselves and don't where suits.  

Outlander Sketch Update

I've been working on the sketch a little more but am stalling because of the feet.  There are so many options.  What would look most natural paws or clawed hands?  I'm thinking a mix of the two.

Outlander Sketch

My brother asked me to draw the alien from Outlander a few days ago but with a more realistic body structure.  I don't normally draw entire bodies, human or animal.  Sure I can draw them sitting down, in an anime style but I've never done something like this.  So far I'm happy with how its turning out.

Reference

Movie Review - Oblivion

Recently Tom Cruise has been doing a lot better in his acting.  For a while there it was almost as if he was playing the same person over and over.  However, he did an excellent job in Oblivion.

The movie is very intricate yet still easy to understand.  There's a major aspect that I didn't expect at all, whoever made the trailers did a fantastic job (I love it when I'm surprised).  A few parts were sappy, just a bit, but overall it was awesome with a pretty good ending.  Things weren't looking so good for Jack and I was thinking it would be sad, but it was bittersweet.

The only thing I'm wondering about is what happened to the dog?  You know, the grey one?  He's in one scene and then just disappears.

Theme Song - Da Vinci's Demons

I really wanted to share the theme song for Da Vinci's Demons on here, but apparently I can't.  Anyways, you can check it out here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f04U-pu4DEQ

Beekeeping Lesson #2

Still so much information to learn.  Just when you think you know all that a honey bee it does some new amazes you. In this weeks lesson we focused mostly on the hive.  I'm glad I finally know what each part is n for and why.  Starter beekeeping kits provide you with a deep super and no honey supers.  I'd always wonders why people let themselves get ripped off.  But, it turns out that when a colony is just starting out they only build up the comb as much as they can keep warm.  Having extra supers would only cause the bees to get chills and end in a dead colony.

Another thing that really intrigued me had nothing to do with hives and instead with seedless fruits.  Did you ever wonder how they made them seedless?  It's not natural.  To get something seedless requires no pollination by bees of any kind.  Which means no bees are allowed anywhere near the plants.  Just recently some company tried to get honey bees outlawed in a large part of California.  Three major queen bee breeders were in that area.  No breeders equals no bees and where would that leave us?

Oh, bought the hive!  It's currently in pieces, but on Sunday we're going to set it up in the back yard and paint it.

Movie Review - The Host

This movie was fantastic.  There were many bits that I was looking forward to (that were in the book) that just weren't in the movie but it was still great.  Not to mention the soundtrack, I loved the music.

The actors weren't exactly what I had imagined them to be however, they did a good job and grew on me almost immediately, especially Burns Living Flowers (or Burns) who was at the very end of the movie.  For some reason it is taking a really long time to find out what the actors name is.  His part may have been small, but he nailed it.  I really hope they come out with a second movie (or book, I'm not picky) soon.

I must warn you, this movie is a tearjerker.   So much more so than the book.  In fact, I don't recall crying much or at all while reading the book.  

Just to clarify, this is no Twilight!  It may be a love story, but that's were the similarities end.

The Dinosaur Project

The Dinosaur Project came out in 2012 and like many other movies did not get the recognition it deserved.  This movie is like Jurassic Park although more modern and realistic.  Clearly, not the best filming job but you do feel like you're right there with them.

Scythe Drawing

Well, I was going to draw a sword and ended up drawing a scythe.  Figures, but I do like how it turned out.  If I had planned it out first I might have had room to make it a double edged knife type of thing but alas, it is what it is.

Defiance

The premier to Defiance was better than I expected.  That said, it was LONG.  At every commercial I was thinking, "How much more could there be?"  or "When will it end!?".  I did like it, but the very fact that I was thinking that at all should say a lot.

Many of the commercials for this show seemed to play up Nolan's hatred of the alien races but I neglected to see that aspect of him.  I also didn't like the switch-ups of the characters.  One minute you were following the two bounty hunters and the next someone else.  I suppose that makes the story line easier to follow though.  I'll just have to get use to it.

It may be because I've seen a lot of TV shows but only one small part of Defiance was truly surprising.  That part was nearly at the end.   I don't want to wait to be amazed.

Still, Defiance is a pretty good show and I'm definitely going to keep watching.

Exercise

Apparently being able to walk 5 to 8 miles on hiking tails with ease does not even come close to being equivalent to a 11 minute long exercise routine.  I did not think I was this out of shape.

I wonder what my goals should be.  People always say to make goals because they keep you on track and get you where you want to go faster however, I've always thought that you shouldn't weigh yourself down with them.  Why stop at 50 push-ups when you could do 100?

Wherever I end up at least I'll have a fun time getting there (by fun I mean exhausting).

A Werewolf Boy

Wolf Boy is the sweetest movie I have seen since Hachi and P.S. I Love You combined.  Chul-Soo is the most adorable werewolf I've ever come across.  Yet, unlike in some movies he still manages to remain like a true wolf and not some idealized version of one.

Before I watched the movie I read several reviews because as you know I'm a huge werewolf fan and didn't want another Twilight to happen.  In every one they wrote that Wolf Boy (a.k.a. A Werewolf Boy) was not your typical werewolf.  I have yet to see why they said that.  Chul-Soo has superior strength, vision, speed, hearing, and best of all he can shape-shift.  How is that not a typical werewolf?  So there was no changing on the full moon or mention of silver; I'm not looking for something that unrealistic or cheesy.

To be frank, I really love this movie.  It's sweet, romantic, has a fair amount of action (for a romantic movie), and had an ending that I didn't hate.  I was expecting something completely different and am so glad I was wrong.  Sure I cried anyways, but it was in a hopeful way.

Awake

Watched the first episode of Awake and I have to say, it's pretty interesting.  It's about this detective who was in a car accident only he's stuck in between two realities.  When he goes to sleep in one he wakes up in another.  In one reality his son survived, the other his wife.

I have several theories about the show but the most realistic is that he's in a coma.  But that still would not explain the wealth of information coming from the two realities.  Each one is simply too realistic to be fake.

Da Vinci's Demons

I would describe Da Vinci's Demons is a mixture of Sherlock and The Time Machine (movie, newer version).  Basically, it's awesome.  There is a bit much nudity for my taste (little kids should not be watching) but Leonardo's inventions, fight scenes, and narcissistic personality are too entertaining not to watch.

You can watch the premier online at here...

http://www.starz.com/originals/davincisdemons/videos#/watch-the-premiere-episode-of-da-vincis-demons-for-free

First Beekeeping Lesson

Went to my first beekeeping lesson today.  There is so much to learn, bees are such intricate little creatures.  It astounds me at how much they can accomplish in their short lives.  Did you know that in its entire life a single be makes only 1/12 a teaspoon of honey but in a year hives produce an average of 70 pounds of it?  Before today I never wondered how bees made the wax for their combs or how different species of honey bees not only differ in personality and honey production but also have different abilities.  For example, there is a Russian bee that's able to get rid of mites by itself without the help of treatments.  But, you could just as easily have Italian bees and dust them with powdered sugar to get rid of mites.

There's major conflict going on right now as well.  Bees are dying out because of all the pesticides used.  Without bees we could not produce enough produce to survive.  I think farmers should consider that when spraying their crops.

Anyways, I can't wait for my next lesson!  We are going to work with actual hives learning how to assemble them and whatnot.

Lotus Flower Sketch

I really wanted to draw something with an Indian feel to it after watching Life of Pi and ended up drawing a Lotus flower.  In the movie it's mentioned several times and I haven't drawn a flower in ages.

Life of Pi - Movie Review

Never have I watched such an amazing story.  I cried quite a bit throughout but it was more than worth it.

I can't think of anything that I didn't like, well except for maybe a bit at the end where the Japanese guy said bananas don't float which made me have doubts.  However, upon doing a little research I found that bananas do in fact float in saltwater.

The music, scenery, even the story was brilliant and that tiger was so cute.  Totally reminded me of my Sweetheart, even the personality. Just this morning she tried to maul me out of the blue.  Sans a few scratches I'm fine and she is back to her "normal" self.

I really like the zoo in the beginning of the movie.  The mixture of nature and civilization was just beautiful.  I wonder why they don't have many (if any) zoos like that.

Hannibal

Have you noticed that there are a lot of serial killer shows out right now?  I was a little wary of watching this one after I got freaked out by the horror that is The Following, but I'm glad I decided to watch it in the end.

There is one particular character I'm fascinated with and that would be Will Graham (special agent looking for the killer).  More specifically his "pure empathy".  Can you imagine having that? In some ways he reminds me of Dr. Daniel Pierce from Perception.

Funny Picture

New Hairstyle

Got my hair curled today and I think I'll keep this hairstyle for a while.  It didn't take to long to curl, less than half an hour but I was watching the first episode of The Walking Dead so I can't say for sure.

From people's commentary I thought this show would be too gory for my taste but it's not even close (after watching five seasons or so of Supernatural I'm kind of desensitized).

On another note, I start beekeeping classes this Friday!  I'm so excited!

Keys

http://keyperscove.deviantart.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KeypersCove

These are really beautiful and sell for around $30 on etsy.

Behind the Scenes for Peponi

The Piano Guys are so cool.

New Manga - Demon Lord at Work!

This is an amusing story about a Demon Lord and Hero who get stuck in the human world without their powers, forced to take mundane jobs in a race to learn how to go back.

From my point of view the Demon Lord (Maou) is not such a bad guy, which makes me wonder how he became the Demon Lord in the first place.  All he's done so far is save people when the supposed "hero" is thinking of ways to kill him.

Funny Quote

Tank Update

My aquarium is finally dirted and I even bothered to add some peat moss and bits of clay!

I got so many splinters from this

Clay

A little cloudy but should clear up soon and I'll add more plants

Food For Thought

It has occurred to me while reading Buckland's Complete Book Of Witchcraft that people believe in God(s)/Goddess(es) do so for the same reason some believe in aliens.  It's because otherwise we would be alone.

Anyways, it is a very interesting book (even if you have no interest in Wicca/Witchcraft).  I've only read twenty or so pages and already my mind is buzzing.  Right now I'm on the topic of Reincarnation and Karma.  Both of these topics to me never made a whole lot of sense.  I mean, sure I believed in them to an extent but there were things that could have been explained better.  In Buckland's C.B.O.W.  they just click.

For example, the most common question those who don't believe in Reincarnation have for those who do is...how do you explain population growth?

Answer:  Of course there is population growth.  The whole point of Reincarnation is for souls to experience all aspects of life and they don't all start the journey at the same time.  There are old souls and new ones just starting out.  A child genius may just be a soul who has remembered parts of a past life (such as young pianists like Mozart who created symphonies at five years old).

 /)/)
(o.o)
(")(")

Upcoming Movie # 8 - 2 Guns

For me 2 Guns is a pick-me-up type; which means lots of humor, action, and interesting set-up.  I have high hopes for this movie, but it does seem like one of those that looks really good in the trailer but then leads to disappointment on screen.  Still, that could just be me.

Release Date is August 2nd, 2013

On a side-note, what's up with Denzel Washington?  I keep hearing his name everywhere and I know I've seen him in movies before (recently too).  It's just that his characters are never memorable to me.  It's not that he does a bad job as they all act the same.

Movie Review - Save House

Despite the agonizingly slow start (I was two seconds away from falling asleep) this was a pretty good movie.  Eventually it picked up the pace and didn't slow down for a second after that.  However nothing about the movie struck me as being particularly original.

That said, there were tons of good action scenes and I liked the characters (though for the majority of the film I thought Frost was a major asshole).

Human

I don't usually get songs stuck in my head and I have never quite understood how it could happen to others.  But recently the song Human by the Killers keeps popping into my head - specifically the line "Are we human or are we dancer?"