Voting is over! Tadpole!

Voting is over the 13th, thanks to all who voted! A new design will be up that day :)

Please show me some of that awesome support I received last time - although last time I didn't win, I got a HUGE number of votes!

(I love you all, squee)

This time it's a tadpole design, super simple - and who doesn't love baby frogs?!

http://tinyurl.com/gt73amg 
(tinyurl)

https://www.squishable.com/opensquishp/opensquish_tadpole_276099/ 
(Squishables URL)

eBay Seller Scam: Shipping a Wrong (Cheaper) Item

I've mentioned this before on my blog as this has happened to me before. But this scam is cropping up through American sellers now, not just Chinese ones - and there seems to be zero mention of this online -- so I felt the need to publish another post.

The scam is simple.

1.) You purchase item worth a decent amount of money
2.) Sellers ships item with tracking number to you
3.) You receive item that is a sticker or something cheap, worth pennies
4.) Seller claims "item arrived" because it had tracking

eBay will normally not favor you, the buyer, since the seller can prove they did ship something. 

Especially if the seller is a "powerseller", seeing as they favor them as they net eBay tons of money. You won't even be able to leave negative on a powerseller right away because eBay protects them. You have to wait a certain amount of time.

Anyway!

If you buy something, be aware of the shape and size, even weight, of the package it arrives in. If the item seems off, too light of flat when it should be bulky, DO NOT OPEN IT. Your best bet is to take photos just as it is and then return for your money back, if possible - by showing pictures and trying to reason there is "no way" a ceramic figure would be mailed flat in a thin mailer for two stamps, for instance.

I might recommend a video if possible, of you opening the package if you feel you must. Show both your addresses and show that it is sealed in it, of course, before opening. Keep this handy when you file a claim.

We have to fight these disreputable pieces of shit, because if folks keep getting ripped off they'll just think they have it made. We can make them pay - and if worse comes to worse, remember to leave that negative feedback!

(Voting is Over) Thank you!

Myep - it's voting time! My Blue Budgie (parakeet) is up for votes at Squishable.Com! Click the pic if you want to vote and help make it a stuffed animal. I'm actually up against the staff artwork (heh), who did tests against their own designs to see what would, um, win easier. So hey! Not going to win probably... but we'll try!

Click the larger thumbnail on the bottom for larger image, if you'd like to see the description before jumping to the site. And thanks for voting, everyone who supports me! I'm grateful and thrilled that folks would like my art enough. If it's not good, feel free to let me know what you would change, so I can make better designs in the future!

(I don't have Facebook, so can't go on there like Squishables always suggests. LOL).

Thanks to all who voted for me.
I really appreciate it! Got a lot of votes for a first design, and that makes me happy. Unfortunately, the site pre-picked a blue budgie their staff member designed - exactly the color as mine -- ummmmm... and I don't recall ever seeing it up for vote at all. Weird. It's just there.

Well, as my first experience, it sucked, and I will not be giving them any more free designs. I do have a lot of designs that will still be up for voting, and I have mixed emotions about that. Should I hope to "win"? It's not really winning - the people that win are the staff, since they get free work done for a pittance. I need the money badly, but the last designer on the team that emailed me had issues. There was no "hey, maybe you could do it this way" or "we feel this might need a change". It was more "DO IT LIKE THIS, STUPID. NOW."

Ugh. I went to college for art too, you know guys. I just wasn't lucky enough to land a cush job.

eBay seller issue

seller: dsager455

Just remember, eBay sellers, stuff goes both ways! Take this scenario, for example...

I bought a rare squishable from someone on eBay. I paid immediately, and yet a week later, when the item was supposed to actually be there, it still hadn't shipped yet. I PM'd the seller.

The seller told me they had to have "impromptu back surgery" and they'd ship it out immediately. Okay, I was super polite... stuff happens. So I wait. The tracking number is added, and then the next day, it says the item was delivered to an address in the seller's home state.

SIGH

So I PM again. The seller says 'whoops, wrong number, I'll just fix that'.

I THEN WAIT AN ENTIRE DAY

No number.

This sounds fishy as hell, right? So I report them.

Sweet bleeding Jesus, they give the wrong tracking number AGAIN. The one that proves it shipped to the different address. So I comment on that. Then they add the right number - get this, a day later -- WHEN THE PACKAGE IS DUE TO ARRIVE HERE. Ughhh. So, it arrives, and I give positive feedback. Positive! Since it's a weekend, I don't go on eBay, I take those days off. And usually when you give positive feedback everything is okay, ebay cancels the alert thing 'cause it's been delivered.

Also, I didn't go online on my computer (where I'd hafta close the case), I went on my phone for feedback.

Nope. I waited until Sunday and the seller is freaking out, acting like they're gonna be screwed that I'm trying to "fool" them.

*hisses*

It's perfectly okay for him to make ME wait more than a week, to give me all the proper info and crap, but he's flipping shit because it was a weekend and I didn't cancel the case in a couple days? After I gave the bastard positive feedback?!! 

I'm supposed to wait for them, but they can't for me? 

@##$%, way to rep my home state, asshole. I know why they make fun of it all the time in EVERY single other state - you're jerks! UGHHH.

Lying scam bucket seller on eBay

I hate when people try to scam others.

(click for bigger image)!

This "person" on eBay (see how nice I'm being? I didn't call them an @#$ at all) is trying to sell a micro squishable for approximately $40 more than it's worth by lying and saying it's a "big" item. It's really tiny, and you can even see it's a micro in the photos (not the first, of course, they think they can fool people by putting that later on, so you think it's the bigger version if you don't check).

UGHHH

NEW eBay SCAM ALERT

All right, we'll cut to the chase here on this one. I ordered 5 things from a seller in China. They sent me a very tiny, very small package with tracking, that included a spring "hair band" inside (not what I ordered of course, it was just to make it look like something was inside).

Seller profile
The feedback says they do this a lot. Send empty packages or "hairbands" when folks order things worth way more than that.

Twitter link to me calling eBay out (with image)

Item numbers I purchased: 391503042737, 351733894035, 351778965725, 391503042035, 391503042737

This is what they told me when I called them out on it, demanding a refund. Classic, right? Like anyone is going to believe it's a "test" package. I've done business for 20+ years and have never heard of that excuse. The worst problem is, I can't figure out how to report them! eBay doesn't want them gone, obviously, because they make them money. And there is no way to report without going out of my way and calling the company. Which, I know because I've done it before, does nothing to the seller. Augh.

*edit: I followed through on EVERY ONE of the auctions, and eventually they caved & mailed the items to me.

*edit 8/23: AUUUGHHH it happened again! Different seller this time, sent me 2 "party favor" stick-on mustache sets. I ordered 2 "squishies", not that cheap dimestore crap! I'll be reporting and giving bad feedback, of course. Bleah.

You know, China, if these sellers keep doing this, no one is going to buy from anyone from your country. Ever. I mean, sheez, it's already all knock off stuff, and not worth a lot, not made well, etc. Now you're not even going to send the crap, because it's "too expensive"? You're going to send something that's a quarter of a pennies' worth?! Argh.

Stupid Cat Plays Minecraft: Gear VR

So... yeah. First time playing Minecraft via the Gear VR system, and Zoro thought it was so amusing he uploaded a Youtube video on my account. LOL.

Yes, I'm fat, and have a shaved head. I'm also super sick right now with a crazy virus I picked up from going to 2 WWE/NXT events in one week when they visited our area. Ha!

Anyway, "stupid cat plays" for the first time. Enjoy my stupidity.

Ghostbusters (and Star Trek)

I was born in 1976. I lived the 80's, loved the movies and everything: neon colors, rainbow stuff that didn't automatically make people label your sexual preference, the toys, the TV... the movies. Oh, the movies. They didn't run for three hours, they were fun and happy-ending, for the most part, and generally just made you smile.

My favorite movie of ALL TIME that has always been my favorite movie of all time, is Ghostbusters. I loved the comedy, the general silliness, the cast of SNL members (and SCTV for that matter), the scifi/fantasy aspect. Everything about it combines to make it the perfect fun-to-watch movie in my opinion.

And guess what?

I'm looking forward to the remake.

Didn't see that coming, did you? And I'm a huge fan. I mean, so giant - I went to Universal Studios when they had the Ghostbusters skyline and ride set up. I was ecstatic, always thought it was better than Disneyland (which we didn't go to) and Epcot (which we did). I had the toys, I had the candy dispensers, soaps, all the trading cards and Panini albums, shampoo stuff. You name it - whatever came out I got because I loved it so much. It's a gigantic part of my childhood.

And yet, I'm not upset they're remaking the movie like so many self-proclaimed "fans".

I was upset at the JJ Abrams Star Trek remakes. There are differences, and I'll see if I can explain. The Trek movies take the "old" characters and change them. Everything that was ST was corrupted - Spock banging Uhura, etc. I understand why: it made business sense. Nerds got mad, like me, but hey, most saw it anyway (I refused to). What the studio needed to was snag the wallets of the other movie-going crowd - the general populace. And it succeeded. But they don't ruin my enjoyment of the good shows, because I can pop in a blu-ray or DVD, or turn on some streaming service and watch ST:TNG right now.

That's what these crazy Ghostbusters fans need to do.

It's not a religion, for Christ's sake - don't try and control people by making them think it sucks before it's even out. And despite what you think, it's NOT ruining your childhood. You still have the old movie. If you're that angry, don't see the new one and just watch the old one in the sanctity of your own home on the day it premieres.

But let's see - why are these "fans" are angry?

1) The cast is all female
WTF. Sexist much? As a female, I have to watch countless scores of movies, games, even cartoons with nothing but male leads in them. There are so many it's ridiculous. Females get depicted as shit and we rarely come up as the leads without being hung up on some guy. F-ing deal with it. Would you have been upset if they were still males, but different races? What does sex matter? If they do a good job, then they do a good job. It's not a carbon copy of the original movie.

Also, studies have shown that ladies go to the movies more than men right now. Business sense, again: cater to those that are paying you.

Also also wik: we have a super ton of awesome female comediennes right now. They get picked for movies because they're good at what they do.

2) The plot is stupid
Please take a moment to think about, in a few words, what what plots of the original two Ghostbusters movies are about. Yeahhhh... the plot is about the same, "silly" wise, as both of those movies. it's campy fun, meant for laughs.


3) The actresses suck
The critics said the same thing about your precious Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd & Harold ramis back in the day. They're not gods, people, they're actors. And people thought their performance sucked back in the day. Google an old Starlog (magazine) review or something, you'll see what I'm talking about.

And hey - the cast from the old movies is from SNL. The cast from the new movie is from... well, shit. Funny people from SNL. People nowadays love Melissa McCarthy. She's generally seen as hilarious, as well as Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. It's your personal preference, but these women were picked because they're f-ing funny, because they're good actresses. Just like the guys were back in the day.


Let's just watch the damned movie before we judge it, okay? From the trailers it looks hilarious to me. I'm not going to say anything until I see it, because forming an opinion before the f-ing thing is out is the dumbest thing you can do. It's stupidly mean, forming opinions and calling it a "feminist" Ghostbusters. It's feminist simply because the main cast is female? WTF logic is that?! That's using a buzzword that riles a lot of men up to get them to hate the movie before it even airs.

And people that do that suck.

Dollhouse/Doll Miniature Lots //taken off

Myep. I figured I had too much stuff, once again, and whittled my collection down. So you profit, basically, because I paid way more than what I'm starting these auctions at. They're good for Barbie, Monster High, Ever After High and smaller dolls. Check 'em out!

BTW you can always check ALL of my auctions I'm listing (lots of toys, anime, games) here if the links break because the auction ended. I'll relist them, of course.

:)

1:6 Barbie Pets, Food, Items Lot
Rare vintage afghan hound dog pet, golden retriever dog pet (magnet nose with baby it picks up), baby items, food items, bathroom items

Cool Rare Pullip Doll Miniatures/Dollhouse stuff
Glowing, color changing cubes, rare rainbow beanie boo mini pet, rare Barbie birdhouse (blue)! & more

Farm Country Stables Dollhouse items
Haybales, fencing, seed packets, trowel/gardening items, butter churn, sacks of flour, coffee, etc., cabinet/hutch, chair, broom +

SO MUCH BARBIE CRAP (dollhouse/pet items)
Can't list it all! Vintage celluloid toys (minis), plates, horse saddles, reins, combs, brushes, balloons, mice on cheese, and much more.

How to Be Happy

This is a guide to letting go and not living a life of stress and despair. I found this once on the internet, but the site was taken down, unfortunately. I've since added to it greatly and always kept it up everywhere I go since I feel this is the most straightforward piece I've ever seen on the topic.

Stop Being a Shit
Seriously. Just stop. Even when other people are being shits. Just stop. When you get a reaction from strangers, they're not actually reacting to you. They're reacting to some stereotype and set of assumptions about who you are based on how you look, how you carry yourself, what they would do, and the kind of person they are expecting to bump into in their current situation. So whatever it is they just did, whatever it is that you think was some great offense to your person, just let it go. It's not worth escalating the situation, because you aren't going to get anything positive out of the situation and you're just ruining everyone's time. So leave strangers alone. As for everyone else, you've got even more reason to stop being a shit. If someone says something that you don't like, yelling isn't going to accomplish anything except make everyone else sorry they're around you. Oh, sure, you may get them to shut up. You may even intimidate them to admitting you're right or taking back what they said. But they didn't mean it, and as soon as you leave the room or they think you won't notice, they'll go back to being exactly they way they were before you yelled at them. Congratulations, you've done nothing by being a shit except make everyone regret that you were invited to the party. So how about you stop being a shit?

Stop Whining
Look, everything you might want to whine about falls into one of two camps: either you can do something about it, or you can't. If you can do something about it, then put the energy you were going to put into whining into actually fixing it. If you can't do anything about it, then your whining isn't going to do anything except continue your cycle of self-loathing and make you a general downer. Reality isn't going to change because you whined at it, so deal with the life you have, not the one you want. Whining is counter-productive to everything you want to accomplish. Save your energy and use it to find a hobby instead.

Get Out, Get Some Exercise, Unplug, and Deal with Real People
If you're in your house all the time, surrounded by your own hand-picked decorations and designs, and you go out only when insulated by your iPod's earphones and something to be burying your eyes in, the it's no surprise you're unhappy. Human beings are social creatures. That means you will be a lot happier if you socialize. And, y'know what's really weird? Most people won't think you're anything other than friendly if you strike up a conversation. We're also creatures of nature and built for movement. Being surrounded by neon and advertisements has been scientifically proven to make you unhappy, so get into nature and go for a walk. Discover a local park. It's a bigger deal than most people give it credit for.

If People Are Treating You Like Crap, Then Let Them Go
There are lots of people out there who aren't listening to #1 ("don't be a shit"). They, for some reason or another, are out to bully you, to passive-aggressively control you, to tell you that you are wrong, to use you as a punching bag (verbally or otherwise) and to generally be a problem. So let them go. Stop hanging out with them, and put plenty of distance between you and them. No matter what that person might say, you know that you don't deserve what they're dishing out, so pick up your dignity and hit the road. There are 7 billion people on this planet. You can afford to not hang out with that one again.

Your Critics Are Always Right
Ever watch the show Kitchen Nightmares? Good God, these people miss the obvious - if 100 people don't like your food, then quit saying "it's good"! If someone seriously says that you are some way – if they tell you you're embarrassing to be around, or if they compare you to someone you hate, or if they say you're not a very nice person, or whatever – then you are that way. You may not be that way in the core of your being, and you may not want to be that way, and it may be a surprise that you have come off that way, but their perception of you is valid, and you need to accept and deal with that. What did you do that made them think that was true? Where are they coming from with their experience of you that made it seem accurate? Ask yourself (and them) these questions, and see if you can take it as an opportunity for self-improvement. Don't do what most people do, which is to take it as an attack that needs to be responded to with anger and yelling. Then you're just taking an opportunity to make yourself better and replacing it with an opportunity to hurt your relationship with them. Now, of course, you need to be sure they're serious: something said in the middle of a fight doesn't really qualify. So you need to be sure they're serious. But if your critic is serious, then your critic is right in some way.

Do Hard Stuff for a Change
For some reason, our society tries to ask as little as possible from you. Don't let it. It's hard to make a new friend. It's hard to vest yourself in a job, or in a project, and to really start to care about it. It's hard to fight for your career, and to do what needs to be done to advance it. It's hard to get out of your comfort zone and draw something difficult for you to draw, experience things or listen to people that are totally foreign. Nothing takes your sorrows away more than thinking about something besides yourself. Give freely and with a smile. Find a new friend or get involved in your old one's lives. See if you can donate some hours to the community food bank, or a charitable organization. Or how about talking to that new employee at your workplace? There's a ton of things that you can do. If you are single and lonely, this is a sure-fire way to help ease that void, though it's not fair to others if you only show up someplace because you expect to receive a spouse. It's hard to demand your dignity, it's hard to submit to humility, and it's hard to focus on self-improvement instead of self-destruction. But, if you do those things, you'll be happier for it. Take the hard road: that's where the good stuff is.

Let Stuff Go/Suck It Up
Most things aren't worth the effort we put into them. We get angrier about them than they're worth, we worry more about them than they're worth, and we ruin ourselves over nothing. Let it go. Not a huge fan of where the RPG you're playing in is going? Suck it up and roll with it for awhile. Try something different. Did someone "blacklist" or "foelist" you? Let it go: the reality is that they probably don't even remember it - or they won't in a year or so, maybe less. Whatever it is that you're all hung up on that's been ruining your decade, just let it go. It's seriously not worth the effort you're putting into it. Along this same vein: you can't control everything, so don't try. Let it go. Have some confidence in yourself: you'll find a way to deal with it – whatever "it" is – when you get to it. Human beings are wonderfully adaptable creatures, and there have been others who have found ways to deal with worse than you will ever see. 

Emotions happen. Sometimes it's good to really be present in the moment, but you shouldn't always live there. Don't be emo about your life. It's not just you that has a hard time, everybody does. And there isn't a soul on earth who looks as happy and together as you think that they do. Also, I can guarantee you there's always a person that has it worse than you. Take the opportunity to learn how others dealt with the situation, don't just act like you're the only one who has had this happen to you – being self-centered is the fastest way to lose friends. So, cheer up, I'm sorry that you're having a rough time but things are going to get better- if you let them and work a little at it.

Appreciate Stuff
There's lots of cool stuff on this green earth, it's always helpful to find things to keep your mood lifted. Perhaps a pretty sunset, the smell of coffee, your best friend, how much you pet loves you, how mind boggling it is that the universe has no end and no beginning. If you find yourself hating everything and everybody, act like you appreciate something instead, pretty soon, you will. This trick works great for troubled marriages. If you listen/read any kind of media, you will observe that people get hurt and sometimes die. Next year could be your last year. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Or next week, or even tomorrow. Appreciate the time you have here. Tell your spouse you love them, pet your dog a little more. Stop telling yourself "I'll donate blood when I'm not busy" or "I don't have time right now to be happy, I'll do it when I'm married instead", and do it now. I'm not saying that you should spend all of your life savings on a Porsche; act responsibly, but stop putting off the small things you want/like/need.

Drawing for you?

Like every artist alive, I need money. You know, to continue paying the bills and such. So if you like my work, here's a chance to get some for yourself! I'll be adding to this page often, so check back if you're interested, or drop me a line.

Never fear! Professional here.
I'm a 39 year old freelance artist with a Bachelor's under my belt in graphic arts/web design. When you buy art from me - whether it's writing, drawing, a craft or whatever -- it will be very different from most types of "commission work" you can get online. I am committed to excellence and must feel that I have perfected everything that I work on. You will be updated on the progress, shown sketches/samples and/or concept(s), and sign off on a final draft of whatever type you are purchasing, so you know exactly what you are getting. I work quickly and well, you will not be waiting for weeks. It often takes only a couple days for me to finish something unless I'm bogged down by holidays or a big workload.

For both download art and writing, you will not receive a physical copy, of course. You will be emailed a downloadable form of your piece in whatever file form(s) you want. You can use it on things that you will be enjoying, for your personal pleasure. Please do not mass produce anything that I make for you for any resale scenario.

I have the right, of course, to refuse any request that makes me uncomfortable, and I will not draw or construct anything illegal. Just ask if you're unsure - I won't freak out. If I decide I don't want to or should not draw it, I'll let you know calmly. 

Trading
Yes, I do trades! If you're an artist and want to trade artwork, crafts, your own writing and/or anime/game stuff you have for what I can do/have, just let me know. I'm open to most trades if your skill level is at least equal with mine. I feel sad that I have to say it, but I get a lot of offers from folks that should know their work isn't comparable. If you have doubt, show me samples! I promise I won't be "mean", I'll just say yes or no.

Artwork
I can draw anything: inanimate objects, animals, cartoons/anime, any body type of person (male or female). Prices are below, for one character/object each. For additional, simply ask - depending on complexity prices vary.

Work sheet showing my art is coming! I've got to reinstall some programs.

) MS Paint b/w: $1
) Pencil Sketch: $5
) Pencil drawing: $15
) Inked drawing: $20
) Oil Pastels: $30

) CG simple color furry badge: $5
) CG black and white sketch: $10
) CG black and white/graytones drawing: $20
) CG simple color drawing (plain color BG): $25
) CG complex color drawing (full BG): $40
) CG Couple art color (simple BG): $50
) CG Static Avatar (bust or simple): $15

) Flash Dressup Game (simple, 10 outfits): $50
) Animated Avatar (simple): $20
) Hand-drawn cartoon poster (many characters/objects): $100 b/w, $200 color  - example 1 (color)



Crafts
I can usually work anything: inanimate objects, animals, cartoons/anime, any body type of person (male or female). Just ask, really. Prices vary depending on complexity of the object/character and materials used. You will receive an item from a crafts listing, and I can place it in my Etsy Shop if you desire for your safe shopping concerns.


Work sheet showing my art is coming! I've got to reinstall some programs.


) Clay (sculpey, simple): example 1  . example 2 . example 3 (on right) . example 4
) Needle-Felted Soft Sculpture (simple): example 1 (on left) .
) Needle-Felted Soft Sculpture (complex):

) Sculpture Repair (prices vary): example 1  . example 2

) Plastic jewelry/keychains/tags/Con IDs (prices vary): example 1 . example 2 (b/w)
) Photo Collages (prices vary): example 1 . example 2 . example 3

Writing
If you want to see examples, I have an erotica blog for that. I really have to know the series that I'm writing about to get it "just right" so this is a bit tricky. If you ask for something I haven't read or seen, I may have to immerse myself in it before I begin. This is why written pieces are a bit pricier than drawings. The prices below are for series I know.

Standard size for my works is around 3,000-5,000 words. I don't cap myself when writing as it stifles me. The only thing I do not write is female x female (yuri) pieces. 

Standard Fluff - romance, nothing serious, just cute stuff. $25 /PG
Minor Romance - romance, a little seriousness. $35 /PG-13
Adult Romance - simple sexual scenes, nothing "fancy". Missionary stuff. $40/adult
Adult Romance, extra - extra interesting stuff! Fetishes, etc. $50/adult
Yaoi Adult - guy/guy pairings. $60/adult



Books
I'm looking into getting some of my finished work printed instead of sold as eBooks, so this will be coming soon. I have more erotica novels in progress as well, all with original characters of course.

Pokemon Center LTD Suicune GB Advance - // sold!

eBay Link

*edit: sold! It's a reseller of course, but they understood it was worth more than I was asking for that very reason and purchased it for the full amount. 

Okay, so I've been trying to sell this for a year or more now. I'm open to some offers, but... seriously. WTF. I paid $300 way back when for this, as it was hard to get something that was limited to Japan only. It still has the box, paperwork, and isn't damaged at all - the box has some wear but that's it. I used it like, maybe 6 times. Seriously. And once was to test it before I started selling it.

Every one I see that's being sold is a refurb or doesn't work, or doesn't have the box, etc., etc. I've got all of that. I'm asking $100 less than I paid, and I've seen these damn things sell for $500.

All I get are vintage game/game system SHOPS, asking for way less because they want to resell for loads of profit, or jokesters that want to pay $50.

I'll keep the damn thing, you know? I'd like the money, but I have other stuff to sell, you know. And I'm scared shitless to sell besides, knowing people will whine about it (Pokemon collectors and game folks are notorious for cheating you or blackmailing about the "condition" of something). My stuff is always in what condition I list it as. I don't lie; I show pictures and I even underestimate how good it is because it's easier than saying how awesome something is and then someone not agreeing. I'd rather someone be pleasantly surprised it's better than they thought.

I even had one asshole ask if I could send more pics so they could see "the scratches" on it.

It doesn't have scratches.

I've listed it doesn't, for chrissake. I mean, maybe you can see some barely-there something, but if you're that type of buyer you can f- off. I don't need that.

I always want to make people happy with what they buy from me, but more often than not they're just selfish little bastards that want $300 for a penny.

Oh, and free shipping. And shipping yesterday. They always want it shipped the second they buy. I can't do that, okay? ;_;

Twitter Hijinx: WARNING for users of popular named accounts!

So, I Beta-tested Twitter.

I really did! My account here is from July 2007. And I gave some accounts out when they started... one account run by my beloved is a super high anime ranking one. The actual name, you know. The kind that gets hate tweets and mail because others want it. Awhile ago, he had a tweet from someone that tried to interact with him. He answered back, and they "freaked out" and immediately requested that he "DM" (direct message) them.

Get this straight: the person contacting him wanted him to DM them.

DO NOT EVER DO THIS TO SOMEONE YOU DO NOT KNOW. It's a trap. Folks can infect your Twitter account this way and steal it, with a link (or on the page I found, without, which is weirder). He's naturally reticent, kind of like his avatar, so he didn't and I looked up why someone would have wanted him to do that... it's actually true. They will screw your account up and then usually sell it.

Anyway, Google "dm virus twitter" or some such and you'll see what I mean. It's not cool. Just a warning!

Review: One Piece Variable Action Heroes Roronoa Zoro

This is going to be a pure, unadulterated "angry nekomata" rant, so if you're not in the mood..

TL:DR - Crunchyroll sucks, don't ever order toys from them (especially pre-orders) & this toy sucks, is not worth the money.

This is off the Crunchyroll website. Mine's back in the box (never have I stuck a Zoro toy so quickly back in his box) and I don't care to open it again for pics. It looks like that.

Anyway, I pre-ordered this with birthday money on June 3, 2015. I got it around December 20 or so of the same year (thank God, or I'd have been foaming with rage  worse than I was already). The Crunchyroll site doesn't care about pre-orders. This is my second purchase, and I'll never make any more. I had the exact same experience last time! Anyway, no contact for months, and then when I see it's showing up IN HAND on sellers' eBay shops, I contact Crunchyroll. The same day the item magically "shipped out". Don't tell me that was a coincidence. They forgot!

Anyway, I was super excited to receive this, it being ball-jointed and posable. I was nervous about the damned robe though - his robe gets in the way all the time. The site and others convinced me that it was soft enough rubber that it would be okay, though. The box came, I opened it... and immediately had an issue with the manufacturer's plastic wrap. The middle of the figure - inside the haramaki (green belly band) -- had plastic wrap. The figure doesn't come apart there, so how the hell are you supposed to get it off? I Google'd "unboxings", but those are all by dipshits that talk about the figure, not actually unbox it. No mention about how hard it was to get off, no mention of what they did. So after nearly breaking it by trying to separate his robe near the part, I clipped a piece of plastic with a small scissors and gently tugged for around 20 minutes. The f- I was gonna break this, it cost $97!

Okay, now I'm pissed anyway, and I have gotten a good look at his face after fiddling with it for ages.

IT LOOKS LIKE HE HAS LIPSTICK ON.

Natural style, but still, what the hell?! Gross! The face is disgusting! On an expensive figure?! UGH! That's a major breaking point for me. And at this point I was willing to place it in our figure case just to get it out of my sight ... we go to put the swords on, and ohhhhh. Guess what? They don't fit. It's a long peg with a hole, and it just won't fit.

@#$%$.

I said some very nasty things and placed him back in the box. I may mess with him later (see below), but long story short: this one's just not worth the exorbitant cost.

Oh, pose-ability on the super mega poseable figure? Next to nil for Zoro, because his robe gets in the way. Crouched, or slightly not crouched.

*edit: took him out and figured I'd swap the head out for one that didn't look lip-sticky. This required a bandanna head, so then I had to take the forearm off (the original has a bandanna wrapped around it) and place the one without (in box) on the figure. HOLY CARP, IT'S SO HARD TO TAKE THINGS OFF/PUT THEM ON! Capslock was needed there, truly, so you can understand I nearly broke my fingers trying to put the damned arm on. I thought I'd broken the figure, too.

*grumbles*