Hey everyone, Grin here. So you may have noticed a long dead space in my post dates. Sorry about that. Grinning Studios is still here and I have a new website for my YouTube channel.
http://youtube.grinningstudios.com
So, if you have not watched any of my videos and are wondering where my gaming posts are, then here is a short explanation.
I'm a father now! Here's my insanely photogenic baby Malukah Smiles!
Being a father now, means that my priorities kind of changed a bit. I'm still doing videos and such, but my writing on all of my websites has gone down extensively. I will be doing more writing soon and bringing some more interesting content as well in the next few weeks and I have a lot planned for the next few months.
First, I am going to be hosting some videos from friends, this includes Time Lapse Japan and a documentary by Linh Vien Thai about Mongolia! My video game series and Let's Plays will be available as well of course.
Soon I will be posting a lot of information about the Larian Studios game "Divinity: Dragon Commander." This will include tips, let's play video, and Strategy and Tips videos. I sent an Email asking for permission to make the videos and Larion Studios accepted. Not only do they make awesome games, but they are a team of equally awesome people who love their fans!
If you don't own the game Divinity: Dragon Commander, I highly recommend adding it to your collections. You can find it on Steam, Here.
Some other great "Living in Japan" videos are also coming and more. I have over 1TB of video to edit and will get to it when my daughter isn't hogging all of my attention. Seriously, check out that Malukah Smiles video, you'll totally love it!
Sincerely,
Grin
Stay Creative, It's Good For You.
Stay Creative, It's good for you.
Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
Malukah Smiles! A cute compilation of baby smiles that will brighten your day! Must see!
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This video is all about the many smiles of Malukah. Before she was born, and while deciding baby names, my wife and I happened to be listening to one of (the singer,) Malukah's, cover songs. We thought the music and her name were great, so we decided to name our baby, Malukah. We contacted Malukah, told her, and she gave us her blessing.
Malukah was supposed to be born in May, but she was two weeks late and ended up being born, coincidentally, on (the singer,) Malukah's same birthday. So now they have the same name and the same birthday. ^_^
Please visit Malufenix's channel too. https://www.youtube.com/user/malufenix
The music from this video is; TeknoAXE's Royalty Free Music - Royalty Free Music #196 (Harassing the Mailman) Comedy_Orchestra_Drama and can be found at -
http://youtu.be/WyqN0pee1XU
The video was recorded by Grin Isobe, The sound effects can be found for free use at - http://www.freesound.org - http://www.freesound.org/people/PhreaKsAccount/
Grinning Studios owns all rights to use, monetize, distribute, modify, and do what ever we want to all the elements in this video. All rights are reserved by Grinning Studios. For information about becoming a network partner, please message us, or visit our FaceBook Page link at the top of this description.
Please like and subscribe to support my 4 hours of video work per month.
Thanks for watching. If you like these videos even a little, Please spread the butter on the bread! and by butter I mean the videos, and by bread I mean the social network of your choice. Share it wherever you share things, like it when you do, post your comments and show me your Nerdswagger.
Stay Creative, It's Good For You.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Be careful buying from steam while connected to a VPN or Proxy.
Bioshock Infinite is shaping up to be the biggest winner, and likely Game of the Year, even though - as of this writing - it has only been release for about a four days. For a game with such high acclaim, a price tag of $59.99 may be a great value, Unless you live in Japan. In Japan, the cost is $69.99. Ten dollars more than in the USA. Why? Well, maybe it is because there are some rewards you can earn by pre-ordering. Those rewards include the original Bioshock title that started it all, Team fortress unique items, and Xcom: all included with the pre-order. The extra stuff that comes with the pre-order may very well be worth the extra $10.00, unless something goes wrong and you don't get your rewards.
I Pre-purchased Bioshock Infinite on Steam this March 28th here in Japan. I was a bit annoyed by the extra ten dollars, but, what the heck! It's worth it right? So I paid the price and bought the game. Then I noticed my rewards were not available to me. Where were they? I wrote a message to Steam Support and this is the current conversation.
Update 3/30 - 2013 11:15 JST.
I got a response from Steam and made a reply. Here is the current conversation:
So there we have it. The gist of this story is that I am being over charged $10.00 and Steam is deflecting the issue and not addressing the situation. Instead, they are placing the blame for my complaint elsewhere and attempting to avoid changing anything. We'll see how they deflect this most recent "question," I added. Perhaps I am a bit pessimistic, but have a feeling they will ignore the $10.00 and attempt to avoid a refund or provide any real "service." Stay tuned!
Update 04/03 - 2013 12:15 JST.
I got a response back from steam. Here's what they said:
The Steam End User License Agreement (that thing that pops up whenever you install or update steam and forces you to click the agree button before continuing - even though you probably didn't read the whole thing because it is 50 pages long, and filled with confusing language and legal jargon,) Strictly prohibits using proxies or VPNs when purchasing games on Steam.
This was a learning experience on my part. I should have read the EULA better and I should have connected to steam out of my proxied network. They were nice enough not to close my steam account for the violation. Perhaps because it wasn't malicious or done purposely, but they could have and would have been within their right to do so.
Tips for using Steam to buy games:
1. Don't buy from Steam. You can buy games for less from online stores that include serial keys and downloadable digital copies or you can even download from steam after your purchase and activation. The only exceptions are Steam exclusive games. There are a lot of great Steam exclusive games, and if you want to purchase one, check tip number 2.
2. If you are buying a game on steam, don't connect to any proxies or VPN's when buying.
3. Read the EULAs of games and services that you buy or join. It is tedious, boring and may cause some pain, but better than the possible suffering you can sustain from breaking the EULA even by accident.
Thanks for reading and let me know what you thing of this article and occurrence in the comments section. Want to say how much you love or hate steam? Want to say how big of an idiot or victim you think I am? Want to tell me your story? Feel free to do so in the comments.
Stay Creative, It's Good For You.
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I Pre-purchased Bioshock Infinite on Steam this March 28th here in Japan. I was a bit annoyed by the extra ten dollars, but, what the heck! It's worth it right? So I paid the price and bought the game. Then I noticed my rewards were not available to me. Where were they? I wrote a message to Steam Support and this is the current conversation.
1 Message by you on Thu, 28th Mar 2013 6:55 am
I purchased the game Bioshock Infinite, but did not receive my rewards. How or when do I get the three rewards that come with buying the game?
2 Message by Support Tech Ronald on Thu, 28th Mar 2013 2:24 pm
Hello Grin,Thank you for contacting Steam Support.Our records indicate that your purchase was completed after the title was released.The rewards in question were valid with prepurchases only.If you have any further questions, please let us know - we will be happy to assist you.
3 Message by you on Thu, 28th Mar 2013 5:08 pm
I live in Japan, and I paid $69.99 for the game. I paid an extra $10.00, I can't play the game yet and I get no rewards. I don't know what your "records" say, but they are not correct.Here's my purchase information. Please, either refund me $10.00 and let me play the game, or give me the rewards.Thank you.
*********************
Thank you for your recent purchase on Steam.If you’re new to Steam, install the free Steam application now:http://www.steampowered.com/getsteamTo play your new games, just launch the Steam application on your computer and log in using your Steam account name: hirosha_x@lycos.com. Your games will be available in Steam on the "Library" tab.Any Downloadable Content (DLC) you've purchased is automatically downloaded and will be accessible from within the base game on Steam. To view your new DLC from within your Library, right-click on the base game and select "View Downloadable Content."This email message will serve as your receipt. You can also access your Purchase Historyonline at any time by visiting
https://store.steampowered.com/account.Bioshock Infinite (WW)69.99 USDSubtotal:69.99 USD
Tax:0.00 USDTotal:69.99 USD
Payment Info:MasterCard ending with ----
69.99 USD
Confirmation Number:135360408194969****
Date confirmed:Thu Mar 28 07:27:17 2013So, here it is. I paid an extra $10.00 for no reason. I have no idea how they will finally respond, but I will post it when they do. The lesson here, be careful what you buy online.
Update 3/30 - 2013 11:15 JST.
I got a response from Steam and made a reply. Here is the current conversation:
5 Message by Support Tech Ronald on Fri, 29th Mar 2013 12:21 pm
6 Message by you on Sat, 30th Mar 2013 6:14 am
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the continued communication as I think we still need to work this out.
It appears to me that the cost of the game in the USA is $59.99. Since that is what it says at the following address. http://www.steamprices.com/us/app/8870/bioshock-infinite
However, I was charged $69.99 - which just so happens to be the cost of Bioshock Infinite in Japan according to your steam store. I added a picture attachment to show you the price in Japan.
So, either I bought it in Japan for $69.99 and deserve the pre-order rewards, or I bought it in the USA, in which case I deserve to pay the USA price of $59.99 and you should refund $10.00 to my card.
In case whoever answers this "question," has not read the previous posts, my purchase confirmation number is: 135360408194969****
This is a very interesting dilemma. I've posted it on my blog and I am getting quite a response. Apparently, there are other people with this or a similar problem. I can tell by the search queries they use to find my blog post.
For some clarity, I have discovered what happened. The computer I used to purchase the game was connected to a network with a proxy or VPN. It may have placed me somewhere I was not. Later, when I switched networks and attempted to load X-com and pre-load Bioshock infinite, I noticed I hadn't received the rewards. I suppose I may have appeared to be in the USA by your network, and that's fine, but why then was I overcharged $10.00?
Thank you, and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Grin Isobe.
So there we have it. The gist of this story is that I am being over charged $10.00 and Steam is deflecting the issue and not addressing the situation. Instead, they are placing the blame for my complaint elsewhere and attempting to avoid changing anything. We'll see how they deflect this most recent "question," I added. Perhaps I am a bit pessimistic, but have a feeling they will ignore the $10.00 and attempt to avoid a refund or provide any real "service." Stay tuned!
Update 04/03 - 2013 12:15 JST.
I got a response back from steam. Here's what they said:
7 Message by Support Tech Ronald on Sun, 31st Mar 2013 1:46 pm
Conclusion:
The Steam End User License Agreement (that thing that pops up whenever you install or update steam and forces you to click the agree button before continuing - even though you probably didn't read the whole thing because it is 50 pages long, and filled with confusing language and legal jargon,) Strictly prohibits using proxies or VPNs when purchasing games on Steam.
This was a learning experience on my part. I should have read the EULA better and I should have connected to steam out of my proxied network. They were nice enough not to close my steam account for the violation. Perhaps because it wasn't malicious or done purposely, but they could have and would have been within their right to do so.
Tips for using Steam to buy games:
1. Don't buy from Steam. You can buy games for less from online stores that include serial keys and downloadable digital copies or you can even download from steam after your purchase and activation. The only exceptions are Steam exclusive games. There are a lot of great Steam exclusive games, and if you want to purchase one, check tip number 2.
2. If you are buying a game on steam, don't connect to any proxies or VPN's when buying.
3. Read the EULAs of games and services that you buy or join. It is tedious, boring and may cause some pain, but better than the possible suffering you can sustain from breaking the EULA even by accident.
Thanks for reading and let me know what you thing of this article and occurrence in the comments section. Want to say how much you love or hate steam? Want to say how big of an idiot or victim you think I am? Want to tell me your story? Feel free to do so in the comments.
Stay Creative, It's Good For You.
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Saturday, December 1, 2012
Dumb Ways To Die - parody, just as cool as the original.
Recently a public service video for Australia's Metro Railway service titled, "Dumb Ways to Die," has hit the internet and gone viral in a big way. But but less than a week later, parodies of this catchy, morbidly entertaining PS announcement have also gone viral. Here are some notable parodies worth looking at. Stay Creative, It's Good For You.
Cool Things To Find
This parody takes the less appealing topic of death on a railway and spins it into a more upbeat promotion of the Mars Rovers. The voice is uncanny and the theme is entertaining and geekily creative enough to have me singing it to myself when I'm in a good nerd-mood. Check it out, and your nerd level will raise one up!
Dumber Ways To Die
This Parody is more like a non-metro oriented extention to the original. The male voice really makes it stick out, though it is well done and also entertaining.
Dumb Ways To Die Song: Battlefield 3 Edition
For the gamer, or more specifically, the Battlefield 3 gamer. This parody features many dumb ways to die while playing the game... in game, not in real life.
Dumb Ways To Die (in Video Games)
Another gamer parody, though not as good as the Battlefield 3 in my personal opinion. Still, this one is worth a mention as it touches on many games and almost any gamer can relate to it at some point.
Dumb Ways To Die
The original. Very entertaining and has an important, albeit morbid, message. Such a catchy tune.
If you find a video worth adding, please contact me with the contact Grin link above, or post the address in a comment below. Remember to like these videos on YouTube, subscribe if you want to see more from the creators, or favorite if you really like them.
Cool Things To Find
This parody takes the less appealing topic of death on a railway and spins it into a more upbeat promotion of the Mars Rovers. The voice is uncanny and the theme is entertaining and geekily creative enough to have me singing it to myself when I'm in a good nerd-mood. Check it out, and your nerd level will raise one up!
Dumber Ways To Die
This Parody is more like a non-metro oriented extention to the original. The male voice really makes it stick out, though it is well done and also entertaining.
Dumb Ways To Die Song: Battlefield 3 Edition
For the gamer, or more specifically, the Battlefield 3 gamer. This parody features many dumb ways to die while playing the game... in game, not in real life.
Dumb Ways To Die (in Video Games)
Another gamer parody, though not as good as the Battlefield 3 in my personal opinion. Still, this one is worth a mention as it touches on many games and almost any gamer can relate to it at some point.
Dumb Ways To Die
The original. Very entertaining and has an important, albeit morbid, message. Such a catchy tune.
If you find a video worth adding, please contact me with the contact Grin link above, or post the address in a comment below. Remember to like these videos on YouTube, subscribe if you want to see more from the creators, or favorite if you really like them.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Steam Sale - My wallet isn't ready.
SOURCE: http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/steams-autumn-sale-starts-tomorrow-winter-sale-dated-too/
Reposted from the Luftahraan forum; http://luftahraan.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=554&p=5323#p5323
What is it?
For those of you that don't know, Steam has been kind enough to offer wonderful and cheap deals off many games within its library. For many its a time of joy, of wonderful things, of mystique and wonder, with each day a new deal popping up. Indeed, the Steam sales are perhaps the true version of Christmas.
It isn't uncommon to see popular and AAA games at near bargain cuts like 75% or even up to 85%! Many games such as Dishonored, Borderlands 2, and The Elderscrolls V: Skyrim, are all expected to be at very low prices. Currently we are at Valve's equinox, a time that is followed by three sales. We have just experienced the first passing of the Halloween Sale, a minor appetizer to the main courses to come. Within the week, the annual Autumn Steam Sales is to come, and after that comes to greatest of all sales: The Winter Steam Sale.
Can I afford it?
The short term answer? Absolutely yes!
The long term answer? Nobody survives the Steam Sales, especially the behemoths of the Winter and Summer sales. Just recently a man by the name of John Doe reported the following after the Summer sale:
However, other people have found wonderful and productive means of achieving money for the sales! Many have completely changed living styles and converted to the masterrace of PC gaming completely!
So why a megathread?
Because the Steam Sales are a horrendous monster, a terrible plague that seeks to destroy all of our wallets. Many will suffer with these sales, losing money, and most importantly, their lives to the amount of amazing games that go on sale! We can see this through several photographic pieces of evidence:
Dated back to 1932 CE, somewhere in New York.
A painting by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Commissioned by the USSR against the Sales, 1972.
What's on your wishlist?
FOR ME? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I'M BROKE, TAKE THAT VALVE! Oh but...
Well ok, but I really don't have any...
No, I really-really don't have any...
NO! NO! I CAN'T...
What's the result of the Sale?
Probably these:
Or this
In Conclusion?
A true Santa heralds in a real holiday, with tangible gifts and wonderful toys.
I mean- the only way to win is not to buy. Save yourself!
Written by Vizard38, Honorary Consul of the Luftahraan Skyrim Mod Project. http://www.luftahraan.com
Monday, November 5, 2012
Zombie infection on twitter. What Zombie Would You Be?
There is a Zombie infection spreading on twitter!
Day 1. 11/5/2012
Virus Vector Carrier:
A fast, 28 days later kind of zombie. with an eye that dangles as he runs.
Infections:
A walking dead kind, where everyone is already infected, and it's only a matter of time...He shambles as he hunts for more victims.
Infections: Unknown.
A merpy derp Zombie that has a cheezy face and eyes that face diff directions.
Infections: Unknown.
an _I Am Legend_ zombie with a huge head and runs like an antelope and goes "ROOOAAARRRRGGGH!" all night.
Infections: Unknown.
Infection Prognosis.
No further infections at the moment as of 11/6/2012. The virus appears to be contained as virality of the infected is very low. However, the infection could jump at any time and more of the infected could surface. There is no way to know how many people may have been exposed to the vector carrier or the infected.
If you think you have been infected, tweet what zombie you would be and add the tag #WzWyBe to your tweet so I can track the infected.
Day 5. 11/9/2012
The virus appears to have succumbed to obscurity. No new infections have been reported and the strain has disappeared. Back to the drawing board. I will create a new strain of the virus and see if I can get it to be more viral. I need either something so catchy, people can't resist, or a kick start. I will try changing the strain from #WzWyBe to something more catchy.
Stay tuned!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Kahjiit, Damn Dawg!
Here's a funny Gif I put together recently. It stems from the guys at Elderscrolls Off The Record always using the word Kahjiit as an cuss word, and saying weird things like "Do you poop in the sand?" Haha! They keep me laughing! This is for you guys!
Click the image to see a larger version.
 |
| From Grinning Studios |
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Japan public event: 24 hour television in Nagaoka, Niigata - 08-26-2012
This is my artistic report on the 35th 24 hour television charity event for the Local area of Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan. This public and free event is a local part of the larger tokyo broadcasted 24 hour television event, and fundraiser for many charities. You can learn more about the Charity at: http://www.ntv.co.jp/24h/contents/english.html
Or in Japanese at: http://www.ntv.co.jp/24h/
Learn more about the specific local show that I was at here: http://www.teny.co.jp/tokuban/24h/index.html
The contents of this video are news based and fair-use. I am fully within my right as a commenter, artist, participant, and reporter to use these images in my news report and do with the video as I see fit. The arrangement, and structure of this video is my artistic expression of my experience at this free public event. No tickets were issued and no license agreement was made or implied at this public, local, and free event. no restrictions were made and video recording was encouraged as the parents of many of the children performing were taking video of their children. I have full right to use this video as my own creation as did everyone else that attended and recorded the event in Nagaoka. I own the rights to this video and the BGM "Try 2 B." as my own creations.
"Try 2 B." BGM written, arranged, produced, recorded and everything else, by me: Grin
Thanks for watching. If you like these videos even a little, Please spread the butter on the bread! and by butter I mean the videos, and by bread I mean the social network of your choice. Share it wherever you share things, like it when you do, post your comments and show me your Nerdswagger.
Stay Creative, It's Good For You.
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Thursday, March 29, 2012
Big names in comic, fiction, and art industry, banded together by one man, publish Fables For Japan's disaster victims.
It isn't breaking news that Japan was hit hard by a 9.0 earthquake, tsunami, and three nuclear meltdowns. If you are reading this blog, it is highly unlikely that you are reading about it for the first time. What may be news to you, is that the disaster isn't over yet.
An estimated 80,000 refugees from fukushima and surrounding areas are still in government issued "temporary" housing. Even a year after the disaster. Read more about that here. That's just the refugees living in government housing, according to Wikipedia the disaster aftermath left over 300,000 refugees.
The assistance from the government, and Tokyo Electric Power, the company that owns the reactors, has not been enough to help these people get the medical, psychological, housing, financial, or job assistance they need. Read more about that here.
It was by luck that I stumbled upon one concerned man trying to make a difference and move mountains on his own for the suffering peoples of Japan. His name is Jason Temujin Minor, a talented comic and 3D artist. If you haven't heard of him, you have probably heard of some of the comics and games he has worked on; from TMNT to Star Wars. Being moved to lend a hand to the people of Japan when the disaster first struck, Jason made a donation to the Red Cross. At first he felt good about his donation, and the part he was playing in helping the victims. Then he saw a video of an entire village, on fire, and being swept away by the tsunami. His small donation just did not fill the hole in his heart for what he saw.
Jason is not a rich man, and was not sure how one person could make a difference, but he was determined to make that difference. In his search for how to help, Jason contacted a college student, Matt Funk, that was looking for artists to illustrate some short stories he had written. Matt intended to bind the stories and art into an anthology to sell and donate the money to charity for Japan. Jason volunteered, but due to logistical problems, Matt eventually called it off.
Inspired by Matt's Idea, Jason decided to give another try at it. With Matt's permission, he picked up the project and all of it's challenges. Jason contacted many writers, and artists from all walks of the industry to promote his idea. His determination began to pay off as many industry big names began to show interest in his anthology. Here is a list of contributors. How many can you recognize?
| Mark Badger | Jeff Baker | Anna Bron | Leanne Buckley |
| Ross Carnes | Christopher Clements | Nancy A. Collins | Federico Dallocchio |
| Nathanael Dodge | Amy Evans | Mathew Funk | Joan Upton Hall |
| Kristen Grace Hall | Mary Elizabeth Hall | Phillip Hester | Risa Horiuchi |
| Ryan Kelly | Teddy Kristiansen | Patricia Morse-McNeely | Jason Temujin Minor |
| Stuart Moore | Martin Pèrez | Tom Peyer | Eric Prince |
| Ayan Sengupta | Gareth Sleightholme | Leigh Walls | Yao Xiao |
| Carlos Cara Álvarez | Andy Catlin | Claudio Cerri | Kourtis Charalampos (Babisu) |
| Mitch Cook | Kristine Angela Demetrio | Carolyn Watson Dbisch | Mike Dubisch |
| Mathew Funk | Vasia Glava | Christopher Golden | Keith Grachow |
| Joan Upton Hall | Kristen Grace Hall | Mary Elizabeth Hall | Unnur Jònsdòttir |
| Achilleas Kokkinakis | Khoa Le | David Lloyd | Pablo Marcos |
| Patricia Morse-McNeely | Carol MacDonald Menchu | Amy Mihara | Jason Temujin Minor |
| Rebecca Minor | Viktoria Piechowitz | Neel Sawhney | Andrew Segal |
| Gary Shipman | Todd Shulek | Gareth Sleightholme | J.C. Vaughn |
| Shawn Wagner | Mark Weatley | Charles T. Whipple | Charlotte Winroth |
To Be announced...
That's a pretty impressive list of writers and illustrators, but the content will get you hooked. In the next few days, I will be writing detailed book reviews for both books. Strangely, even with such great support, paying for a bound book and hoping to make any money for the charity would create huge money, and logistical hurdles, and one of the many reasons Matt had given up. Jason decided to give it a shot as an e-book and set in motion the collection of artists, illustrators, and contributors.
Through incredible persistence and perseverance, Jason realized his project with the final construction of the first book on September 11th 2011. He put the book up for sale for $3.95, and announced it to the world! Even though he made a few sales and collected some money for charity, few people were buying the book compared to the supporters he had. After the second book was released January 9th, 2012 a lot of the hype for the book had subsided. People weren't talking about it as much any longer. Charity sales were dropping. There was still one more book to release but the support wasn't growing. He dropped the price to $2.95 and still nothing much changed.
When I found Jason it was the beginning of March 2012. I was online searching for e-books to review for my websites and came across his. I asked him if I could see a few pages of the books so that I could write an article about them on my blog and give his project some promotion. I was pleasantly surprised when he gave me a free copy of both book one and two and asked me to promote it as much as I could.
I poured over the books, enjoying the stories and artwork and just delighted by the product overall. The writers and illustrators are first class, the stories are interesting and the entirety of both books are beautifully put together. Even if it were $19.95, which is what this e-book should be priced at in my opinion, the value within the digital pages is worth every cent. I couldn't fathom why he was having difficulty selling these books.
After some thought, I realized what the problem was. Jason was just one man promoting his idea. He didn't have the marketing clout of a publisher necessary to promote this book and get noticed by enough people to really set it into sales motion. I encouraged into him that he would make a lot more sales for his charity if he could get more people talking about it on their websites. After some convincing, and willing to try whatever he could to keep his charity drive going, Jason joined an affiliate program.
It wasn't an easy decision for Jason. He had already collected $1,200 for International Medical Corps, doing a lot of work dealing with relocating the Fukushima evacuees and treating the psychological needs of the survivors (along with basic medical care.) Being in an affiliate program means he will have to give up a small portion of what he makes to pay the people marketing his book for him. However, the amount of marketing exposure he will get could really shoot his charity project into success! His creativity, motivation, and care knows no bounds, and I hope everyone get's a chance to read this wonderful book and support his project.
To really show the people his idea, story, book and charities, Jason will be on the Grinning Studios Podcast April 2nd in an open interview to tell us all about it. The podcast will be available for download on April 8th. Comment on this post or send any questions you might have specifically to me in the contact me page and I will make sure they get asked in the interview.
I can't wait to talk to Jason and hear how this story progressed from desire to help, to fantastic e-book and beyond. I hope you will join me in celebrating this creative, philanthropic adventure. Good job Jason, I admire you and though you don't call yourself a hero - and don't like it when other people call you a hero - heroes don't get to chose who calls them heroes. The victims get to choose, and as a first hand participant in the Japanese Disaster, I can tell you that you and the great list of people you have brought together for this production, are my heroes.
Keep up to date on this and other events coming to Grinning Studios by Joining the mailing list. As an added bonus, anyone that joins the Grinning Studios mailing list will get an update on the release of the third book and more bonuses in the future, including information on how to promote your idea, tips and tricks for getting the word out and selling your creativity, and much more!
Stay Creative Jason Temujin Minor, It's Good For You.
Join the grinning studios mailing list here.
Jason Temujin Minor's bio page.
Update 3/30/2012
I am writing a review for the contents of the books, Please look for it in the next few days.
I paid for my books today. Both books. It was nice to get them for free, but now I feel legit.
Dear Steven,
Thank you for your purchase. Your Invoice ID is 3xq2dri4jrmj2oby8dwfdra0gs0wsk
You can download your order here:
We appreciate your support of Fables for Japan and sincerely hope you enjoy the e-books.
70% of the money from this purchase will be going directly to those affected by the March 11th, 2011 earthquake in Japan.
If you'd like to leave a comment or a review, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to post them here: http://www.fables4japan.com/p/
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Fables for Japan
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70% of the money from this purchase will be going directly to those affected by the March 11th, 2011 earthquake in Japan.
If you'd like to leave a comment or a review, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to post them here: http://www.fables4japan.com/p/
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Thank you.
Sincerely,
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Friday, March 16, 2012
Thomas Janak: The Rainbow Bridge - CD Album Review.
Last month I was interviewed by Thomas Janak on his animal and world conservation show Wild Time Radio. I must say, Thomas Janak is a very creative person, wonderful to talk to, and a good friend to have. I wish he was in Japan, because I would love to have him on my podcast. However, I am pleased to say I have his most recent Album and have been enjoying it for the past week. Here is my review of the album.
Thomas Janak's Newest and 13th Electronica Album was delivered to me on March 10th. The packaging is beautiful, but the inside of the booklet has a jarring typo. "It is my believe that..." instead of "it is my belief that..." The pinkish negative image really speaks to the type of music within. Creative and electronic.
(TI) Technical interest: The parts of the song that were catchy, different, or interesting.
(VOC) Vocal: Enjoyable vocal style elements, or lyrics.
(REPLAY) Re-playability: How much I want to listen to the song over and over again.
The Track list:
1. I am here to stay 3.42: This track is ambient heavy with haunting vocals high on the electronic reverberation.
TI: 6 - Voc: 7 - Replay: 6
2. Don't chase the dragon 3.39: Beat driven with soft fade in fade out ambient electric strings. The vocals are the same haunting electronic reverberation.
TI: 6 - Voc: 5 - Replay: 6
3. I Understand 3.50: The simple beat and great use of harmonies, vocal discordance at just the artistically perfect moments, and heartfelt lyrics make this song one of the best tracks on the CD!
TI: 8 - Voc: 8 - Replay: 9
4. It is time (lounge mix) 3.28: The intro and guitar of this song really caught my attention. The chord progression kept me interested. The harmony and vocal placement are very well done! The overall enjoyment of this song is tipped by excellent progression and great lyrics! The soft vocal AHHHs are catchy and this song got me tapping my feet and feeling great! Perfect replay value! I will find myself thinking about this song years from now and wanting to listen to it again.
TI: 8 - Voc: 8 - Replay: 10
5. Falling apart 4.40: The bowy electronic bass-line, angelical fade synthstrings, metallic staccato and fantastic lyrics of this song make it easily my favorite of the CD. This song is relaxing and filled with melancholic symbolism.
TI: 9 - Voc: 9 - Replay: 10
6. Only Love 4.10: This song is poppy and relaxing. The lyrics are interesting if not overly poetic. There is a technical BGM value to this song that gives it a good replay value.
TI: 8 - Voc: 7 - Replay: 8
7. Butterflies 4.09: This song is super easy to listen to. The snap and electronic chorus arpeggio are beautiful! The lyrics bordering on cliche without going over the line adding to the song and making it that much more enjoyable. My second favorite song on this CD with great Replay Value.
TI: 9 - Voc: 9 - Replay: 10
8. My turn 3.56: This song's industrial sounding beat and standard predictable lyrics make it a great song for those that like Karaoke electronic lounge music, but it doesn't catch me in technical interest enough to keep it's replay value.
TI: 7 - Voc: 5 - Replay: 6
9. I need the world to know 3.54: This song is also poppy and more up-beat that the others on the CD. I like the progression of this song and the lyrics aren't bad. Not my favorite but not a bad song either. It has replay value.
TI: 8 - Voc: 7 - Replay: 8
10. The Declaration 2.13: This song is in a language that I don't know. It may have some artistic value but I don't understand the context of it and the CD does not give an explanation. I can't give this song a rating.
11. The longing 3.38: This song has beat and progression that doesn't keep my interest. The lyrics are sub-par. At around 2:30 it gets a little interesting with a few harmonies and melody progression, but it isn't enough to perk my replay desire.
TI: 6 - Voc: 5 - Replay: 5
12. To understand a lover 5.05: This one starts out with a Richard Marx: Hazard style ambience, but progresses into a dual voice, over reverberated crooning, and sub par lyrics. The technical progression, though interesting after the halfway point, not enough to make up for the replay value.
TI: 6 - Voc: 5 - Replay: 5
13. Butterflies (Reprise) 1.11: This song is BGM, and impressively short. No progression.
TI: 3 - Voc: NA - Replay: 0
14. Woman featuring Amelia Earhart 3.46: Though this song has historically artistic value, I wouldn't play it for enjoyment. It would make a great BGM for an Amelia Earhart presentation, video, or broadcast.
TI: 5 - Voc: NA - Replay: Artistic only.
15. The Rainbow Bridge 3.42: This song starts out funky and progresses into a technically appealing song. As the title track, I expected it to blow my socks off and the let down crashed me a bit more than I was expecting. It is ambient electronic music without vocals. Doesn't grab my attention.
TI: 7 - Voc: NA - Replay: 6
16. Bonus" Don't chase the dragon Club Mix 3.09: This is the most energetic song on the CD. Though short of super club DJ quality, it is a little interesting. Sadly, the original is better in my own opinion.
TI: 7 - Voc: 5: - Replay: 6
OVERAL:
This new CD by TJ isn't quite professional quality, but it is a self published masterpiece. Four high quality songs with high replay value on one CD is more than most signed musicians can ask for, much less an independent. If you like lounge electronica and want something with a great beat, at about $16 bucks, it is a great value! Rip your favorites into your iPod or mp3 device and you have $16 dollars of enjoyment. If they were singles, I'd pay $2.99 each for tracks 4: It is time, 5: Falling apart, and 7: Butterflies, I'd pay $1.99 for track 3.I understand, and $.99 each for tracks 6: only Love and 8: My turn.
Listen to some of the songs yourself at: http://soundcloud.com/final-composition/sets/from-the-album-tj-the-rainbow/
 |
| Front Cover |
Thomas Janak's Newest and 13th Electronica Album was delivered to me on March 10th. The packaging is beautiful, but the inside of the booklet has a jarring typo. "It is my believe that..." instead of "it is my belief that..." The pinkish negative image really speaks to the type of music within. Creative and electronic.
(TI) Technical interest: The parts of the song that were catchy, different, or interesting.
(VOC) Vocal: Enjoyable vocal style elements, or lyrics.
(REPLAY) Re-playability: How much I want to listen to the song over and over again.
The Track list:
 |
| Back Cover |
TI: 6 - Voc: 7 - Replay: 6
2. Don't chase the dragon 3.39: Beat driven with soft fade in fade out ambient electric strings. The vocals are the same haunting electronic reverberation.
TI: 6 - Voc: 5 - Replay: 6
3. I Understand 3.50: The simple beat and great use of harmonies, vocal discordance at just the artistically perfect moments, and heartfelt lyrics make this song one of the best tracks on the CD!
TI: 8 - Voc: 8 - Replay: 9
4. It is time (lounge mix) 3.28: The intro and guitar of this song really caught my attention. The chord progression kept me interested. The harmony and vocal placement are very well done! The overall enjoyment of this song is tipped by excellent progression and great lyrics! The soft vocal AHHHs are catchy and this song got me tapping my feet and feeling great! Perfect replay value! I will find myself thinking about this song years from now and wanting to listen to it again.
TI: 8 - Voc: 8 - Replay: 10
5. Falling apart 4.40: The bowy electronic bass-line, angelical fade synthstrings, metallic staccato and fantastic lyrics of this song make it easily my favorite of the CD. This song is relaxing and filled with melancholic symbolism.
TI: 9 - Voc: 9 - Replay: 10
6. Only Love 4.10: This song is poppy and relaxing. The lyrics are interesting if not overly poetic. There is a technical BGM value to this song that gives it a good replay value.
TI: 8 - Voc: 7 - Replay: 8
7. Butterflies 4.09: This song is super easy to listen to. The snap and electronic chorus arpeggio are beautiful! The lyrics bordering on cliche without going over the line adding to the song and making it that much more enjoyable. My second favorite song on this CD with great Replay Value.
TI: 9 - Voc: 9 - Replay: 10
8. My turn 3.56: This song's industrial sounding beat and standard predictable lyrics make it a great song for those that like Karaoke electronic lounge music, but it doesn't catch me in technical interest enough to keep it's replay value.
TI: 7 - Voc: 5 - Replay: 6
9. I need the world to know 3.54: This song is also poppy and more up-beat that the others on the CD. I like the progression of this song and the lyrics aren't bad. Not my favorite but not a bad song either. It has replay value.
TI: 8 - Voc: 7 - Replay: 8
10. The Declaration 2.13: This song is in a language that I don't know. It may have some artistic value but I don't understand the context of it and the CD does not give an explanation. I can't give this song a rating.
11. The longing 3.38: This song has beat and progression that doesn't keep my interest. The lyrics are sub-par. At around 2:30 it gets a little interesting with a few harmonies and melody progression, but it isn't enough to perk my replay desire.
TI: 6 - Voc: 5 - Replay: 5
12. To understand a lover 5.05: This one starts out with a Richard Marx: Hazard style ambience, but progresses into a dual voice, over reverberated crooning, and sub par lyrics. The technical progression, though interesting after the halfway point, not enough to make up for the replay value.
TI: 6 - Voc: 5 - Replay: 5
13. Butterflies (Reprise) 1.11: This song is BGM, and impressively short. No progression.
TI: 3 - Voc: NA - Replay: 0
14. Woman featuring Amelia Earhart 3.46: Though this song has historically artistic value, I wouldn't play it for enjoyment. It would make a great BGM for an Amelia Earhart presentation, video, or broadcast.
TI: 5 - Voc: NA - Replay: Artistic only.
15. The Rainbow Bridge 3.42: This song starts out funky and progresses into a technically appealing song. As the title track, I expected it to blow my socks off and the let down crashed me a bit more than I was expecting. It is ambient electronic music without vocals. Doesn't grab my attention.
TI: 7 - Voc: NA - Replay: 6
16. Bonus" Don't chase the dragon Club Mix 3.09: This is the most energetic song on the CD. Though short of super club DJ quality, it is a little interesting. Sadly, the original is better in my own opinion.
TI: 7 - Voc: 5: - Replay: 6
OVERAL:
This new CD by TJ isn't quite professional quality, but it is a self published masterpiece. Four high quality songs with high replay value on one CD is more than most signed musicians can ask for, much less an independent. If you like lounge electronica and want something with a great beat, at about $16 bucks, it is a great value! Rip your favorites into your iPod or mp3 device and you have $16 dollars of enjoyment. If they were singles, I'd pay $2.99 each for tracks 4: It is time, 5: Falling apart, and 7: Butterflies, I'd pay $1.99 for track 3.I understand, and $.99 each for tracks 6: only Love and 8: My turn.
Listen to some of the songs yourself at: http://soundcloud.com/final-composition/sets/from-the-album-tj-the-rainbow/
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Into the Wild: Wild Time Radio Show w/host Thomas Janak
Recently I was contacted by a very creative musician, radio host, and blogger, Thomas Janak. He expressed interest in promoting his music, and other creativity in Japan. I was actually sad to tell him that I promote talents in Japan to the western minded audience.We had a few e-mail exchanges and talked a bit. I find him and his work fascinating! So, who is Thomas Janak?
Thomas Janak is a Holistic Animal healer, animal rights activist and host of the Wild Time Radio Show. He is also an avid blogger and musician.
There is so much I could say about this amazingly talented person. He's got his hands in so many creative, philanthropic and charitable works that I haven't been able to catch up with everything he has done yet.
The Wild Time radio show is an animal rights / world conservation show on air globally every first Thursday of the month on TCR FM 106.8 FM. Their online version includes everything else that doesn't make it on the show.
I'm really looking forward to chatting with Thomas and hope you all check out this awesome radio show.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Nothing worth watching in Japan's movie theaters.
My wife and I like watching movies and there have been many times we have been at the mall and thought, Hey, let's watch a movie, only to be severely disappointed by the available screenings. In our area of Niigata, all the movies available in the theater seemed to be either Japanese only, harry potter, or animated. Some of the Biggest blockbusters were in the theaters, but many others never made it to our part of Japan.
Granted, since the March 11 disaster there was a drop in our movie going, but not because we weren't in the mood. It was because none of the movies were interesting.
Buying foreign film leases is a risky gamble, and with the disaster purported to cause an economic windfall, theaters were not willing to spend the money. Maybe there are some decent Japanese films, but the long term affects will be great. This year, less Hollywood movies in the theaters means less people wanting to go. If the people acquire the mind set that the theaters never have anything interesting to see, they will find some other form of entertainment. And that is what my wife and I did. Now we go to live houses, concerts, parks and shopping. Anything is better than going to the movies and realizing you wasted the trip. If you live in Japan, how was the movie selection in your area?
Mainichi Daily
CBS Los Angeles
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