Topic: The Chit-Chat Thread

@Pastellioli My girlfriend said the same thing (she's also a coworker). She went for a Microsoft Surface tablet that was also available, but she said that she always loses these things. Then she won the tablet.

My parents once attended one of those company picnics (they used to be coworkers as well), and after taking a good look at the raffle prizes, my mom saw a random stand mixer among them, and confidently declared they would walk out with that mixer.

Attempt to guess what prize she won at the raffle.

_{And it’s not the only time she’s done that. When my dad claims he married a witch, he’s not trying to be rude.}

@Eel That is kind of cool. I mean, I don't consider myself to be psychic, but I have had premonitions of things before that turned out to be true. More than once, in fact. And far be it from me to sound New Age, but I can also sense a person's personality based on the aura they give off. And more often than not, I tend to be right.

@AstroTheGamosian Congratulations to her too! You all got really nice things. Enjoy that TV when you get it!

@Pastellioli I’m really glad to hear you’ve been doing better. Positive reinforcement is essential in our lives. If you need someone to talk to, just drop me a word and I’ll be there for ya buddy.

Chapatti is tasty. It’s a flat Indian bread that became popular in Kuwait. An alternate name would be Roti, depends on who you ask. Na’an has different names too, so does Sambosa. Kabab is an exception though, it’s often misspelled with an E, I dunno why non-arabs spread a false name like that when they could just ask us. We’re not ghosts.

But that’s a bit off topic, because I wanted to discuss our breakfast. It was all wraps. The filling was either hard boiled eggs or soft fried potatoes, both with kraft cream cheese. It was incredibly cheap, only a 100 fils each, which is 0.100 Kuwaiti dinar, which is equal to a third of a dollar. Since one Kuwaiti dinar = three US dollars, in today’s conversions.

I believe society does not understand self-esteem at all. Individuals with low self-esteem must not be treated harshly. They must be treated with positive feedback. There’s this myth that they need to “toughen up” or “they’re just acting”. These are harmful stereotypes about mental health, and I hope society progresses past this and learns to treat depressed people better. For shame!

Hirohiko Araki is a masterclass at fight choreography. He’s unmatched in sheer creativity. Battle Tendency is a masterpiece from beginning to end.

There’s more I’ll say in the anime thread. I think I replied to everything here that I could.

If I forgot to reply to something, let me know. I can miss a few stuff here and there.

@Sunsy I am talking a bit more with my friends now! They are sometimes a bit busy and sleepy, but I am happy to be chatting with them more. It would be fun if I could meet my NL and PX friends in real life, but we all unfortunately live in different countries and have different things going on in our lives. I do have a small bit of hope I can see them one day in a few more years, but it isn’t happening right now lol. I do want to play with one of my friends online later this month, but I need to try to make sure I wake up at the right time, because he sometimes plays games late where he is and when I wake up in the morning where I live he is almost ready to go to bed.

I loved Rumble World a ton! I had a lot of Pokémon there. I still have my handheld, maybe I could find the charger and plug it up. A lot of people I think never liked the Rumble games, but I for sure loved Rumble World and the mobile game they had for it before it was closed a few years ago. I watched the direct-to-video Disney sequels a lot, even though people hated them. I watched a video a few months ago where a guy watched all the direct-to-video films and ranked them, and I think the only ones everyone collectively agrees is amazing is Cinderella 3 and The Lion King 1 1/2, I loved the latter and I do agree it’s a well-done and hilarious prequel film. Though, one of the worst direct-to-video Disney films I watched was The Hunchback of Notre Dame II. Just plain awful with the writing and the downgraded animation. That is maybe the only “bad” film I have maybe watched and can think of.

Conker is rated M more for the content being sometimes super suggestive and eyebrow raising, gory violence, occasional cursing, and the crude toilet humor. I was a bit surprised with some of the content in it, though it was more so with the ending cutscene of the caveman boss battle, cuz was watching a playthrough of the N64 version while I was playing the Xbox port and I was so shocked they left it uncensored in the original, but I can’t say anything else about it because it’s not age-appropriate. I was also a bit surprised that one of Conker’s idle animations shows some pretty risqué imagery if you look up close, but the entire point of the game was to be as crude as possible and making their characters super crass and discourteous, and it did surprise me a bit Nintendo allowed Rare to release it with little to no cuts back in the day, because Nintendo liked to keep everything strictly family-friendly, but I think that only applied to them, and they didn’t really care if companies went ahead and released M-rated games on their consoles. Nintendo wasn’t involved in the game at all, except requesting that 2-3 scenes in the game be cut, being a Pokémon reference and two for referencing dark and extremely violent stuff that I shouldn’t mention here.

Perfect Dark did get that M-rating probably for the genre, but otherwise the violence is very tame nowadays, same goes for Zero. It was the early 2000s, so content in both those games was probably treated differently than they are today. Who knows, they could have gotten different age ratings if they released today!

@Yousef- Thank you, usually when I get upset over something it only lasts for about a day or so. I forget about it the next day and I’m feeling way better!

Gosh food in Kuwait sounds awesome. I need to check if there are any restaurants that sell Kuwait or West Asian cuisine. I could maybe try to make a version of what you ate with ingredients from the store here.

A lot of the reels I’ve come across on Instagram, while funny, are a bit self-deprecating to be “relatable.” Usually, the content that is super relatable is the ones that get the most likes and views, so online it’s pretty much encouraged to be like that for comedy and relatability. It doesn’t really take me down a lot or upset me, but it’s something I did realize a bit now.

From what I’ve seen so far, he is so creative with his concepts and battle scenes, how Joseph took a few strands of Stroheim’s hair and then used Ripple/Hamon to turn the hair into a makeshift barrier to deflect Santana’s bullets really surprised me from how creative it was. I should also give praise to the character designs as well; my gosh, his designs are on a whole other level. They are so impressive, unique and memorable, and I remember I used to draw the characters a lot a few years ago. Araki’s designs are so fun to draw! I haven’t gotten onto the parts yet, but from what I saw a few years ago, the outfits the casts of Golden Wind and Stone Ocean wear are probably my favorites. I do have specific designs that I like a lot.

@AstroTheGamosian another one of her favorite anecdotes is when she found a chocolate box my dad had given her for Valentine’s Day empty, and after not getting a confession out of my brother or I, she declared that whoever ate her chocolates would get a bad case of the runs.

Cue my Dad arriving home later that day, desperately heading straight to the bathroom.

@Pastellioli understandable. But even if you “forget about it”, it’s quite healthy you acknowledged being upset, spoke about it and attempted to receive some consolation. This is the behavior that helps people heal, rather than stay wounded and risk long term damage.

Self-deprecation is oddly common amongst people with poor self-esteem and that’s not good. It’s the equivalent to a sleep-deprived person preferring to drink caffeine at night… oh crap that’s me. Uhhh, moving along! But yeah, there’s a healthy balance to everything. Having a laugh at yourself is mature and humble, self-deprecating on the other hand, is not. At least not always. Hope that helps.

Kuwaiti cuisine and west Asian cuisine in general being represented in the states…. Actually has a hope of happening, believe it or not. One of the biggest Kuwaiti franchises, Fareej Saweeleh, did open a branch in London. It’s not completely impossible for it open a branch in North America. Who knows.
Gulf/west Asian cuisine is quite a unique fusion of arab, Indian and middetterian cuisine. It’s a very one-of-a-kind experience so I hope more people get to experience it.
Kuwaitis, Saudis, Emiratis, Bahrainis, Qataris, Omanis and just the gulf in general don’t quite have a reason to go to the states due to how far it is, and how well-off we usually are. So the cuisine has less of a chance to spread but hopefully that changes in the future.

Hamon is a very creative power system, and Maybe one of the first “alternative” power systems in battle shonen history. There’s insane potential and Araki explored it quite well in PB and BT.
Araki has some of the manliest yet flamboyant designs in manga history. Truly, a one of a kind artist.

@Yousef- I feel happier and positive now. Having talks with everyone else in the artists thread is so fun too. Pretty good so far!

Similarly, I am having a bit of a laugh at myself in the artists thread, but it’s more in a way that makes me happy and is hilarious. I ended up drawing one of those Viva Piñata animals weird and I’d say it’s the least impressive of the four, but some of the comments everyone else left on it made me laugh instead of being sad, and they aren’t trying to make me feel bad either! They are all being funny and I like it, and the way they described the animal I drew poorly actually made me laugh a lot. I have a couple of bad art saved onto my phone that I made around 2018 or so and I laugh at my mistakes on those pieces instead of getting sad and disappointed over them. I felt awful about it at first, but finding humor in it is what makes me happy.

There are so many JoJo characters I could list that have amazing character designs. I think the ones I drew a lot back then was Giorno, Jolyne and Foo Fighters. There is something that I just really love about their three designs in particular.

I really like all their hairstyles from how unique they are. I think one of the best aspects of JoJo’s character design is some of the hairstyles Araki gives for his characters, in fact, I think the hairstyles are what made me want to draw those three a lot in particular! I love the donut-looking curls in Giorno’s hair, Jolyne’s half and half hair buns and braid, and Foo Fighters’ hairstyle is so unique. When I was drawing characters from Stone Ocean, I saw that a lot of the main characters had their shoes attached to their pants as part of their designs. It’s super unique! I like the two different art styles Araki utilized for the manga over the years, both the old one for the first three parts where he drew his characters super muscular, and the newer one he has used since the fourth part where he draws the characters more slimmer.

@Pastellioli I think an art budget would probably help you a lot, at least if you buy stuff frequently. Or at least go into a store with a max amount in mind. I don't think there are any issues with experimenting with new art materials - it's a process after all - just be careful with some of the pricey stuff lol. Maybe only buy a limited amount of that, and definitely research what all you'll need. Art can take time. IMO even if a drawing is a "failure", you still learn from the experience. We all fail in some way at times in life - this isn't a bad thing. It means we're learning and willing to take risks. And remember that social media is sanitized; you don't know how many failed attempts someone made to get to the finished piece you see.

Sadly, I also only have a finite amount of time to game, so I fully get your dad and brother not playing as much as they'd like. Like money, I also try to budget how much free time I put it into things. The issue is my free time widely varies lol. Sounds like you have some great memories related to PlayStation. It's a decent platform and one I'd still consider if I had more free time. I'm just happy your dad was more invested than the classic "Buy Call of Duty and [insert sports games here] every year" crowd. Those still counts as gaming in my book, but very limited in scope IMO.

The saga regarding Game Pass is an interesting one from the outside looking in, though I'm not surprised prices went up. Stinks that Microsoft completely revamped the subscription tiers though. Hopefully you and your friend can find time to play together before too long. Dealing with different time zones and schedules can be rough sometimes.

@Sunsy Regarding new theater seats and carpeting, the pandemic actually helped the normal local theater in that regard. The owners apparently had some cash secreted away; they used the empty theater houses during my state's shutdowns to redo a lot of the seating. Not sure if they would have still been in the black if things carried on much longer though.

@Tyranexx I think I need to buy stuff I would maybe be super comfortable with using and at least know how to use. I wouldn’t buy oil paints again since they weren’t for me and costed a lot. It’s also a moment where I should have researched a bit on how to use them properly. I watched videos on oil painting, but I didn’t know some of the basics and how oil is very necessary in oil painting and cleaning brushes. I am content with the art materials I have right now, and I’m trying to practice restraint lol.

He has so many games, a few I did play before and thought were really great, and he is why I got super into Overwatch years ago and I loved it a lot back then. I miss playing PlayStation, I found all the main three console manufacturers to have great gaming systems. My dad did have some Call of Duty games, but he wasn’t super into playing them, and he had other games like Persona 5 and Battlefield, and he of course had a lot of Sony’s first-party games too. he actually had a LOT of games in his collection, both the super well-known and critically acclaimed games, as well as smaller games too. I still love LittleBigPlanet, sad I can’t play 3 anymore or finish it.

It can be hard with the time zones stuff. We still haven’t figured out a date or game to play yet, but it looks like we might play Perfect Dark Zero. it’s usually because whenever I’m awake, he could be asleep, and whenever I could be sleepy, he could be awake, and it’s super unfortunate with the different time zones. But, I am hopeful we can play together later this month when I have more free time or on the weekend. I just need to find the right time to get the $1 Ultimate deal when I get the chance… I haven’t actually booted up my Xbox this month yet. I was supposed to because a game club decided that one of the games for this month would be Banjo-Tooie, but I’ve been trying to watch anime, do work, and get into drawing more. I’ll probably boot it up Sunday, since that’s when I have all the time in the world to play games

The Game Pass stuff was unfortunate, because I had cancelled for a bit, planned to get it back, and then came the announcement the cheapest tier would be removed and the prices would go up, but it’s not surprising subscription services are doing that. The price hike and changed tiers sort of remind me of what Netflix is doing, making the cheaper tiers have worse features and having the highest tier have all the good stuff and pushing for consumers to buy it. I still love Xbox a lot, but I think Microsoft makes a bit of poor decisions and moves that disappoint their consumers a lot. Some people have pointed out that console users have it way worse than PC users in terms of Game Pass subscriptions, but I don’t really think about that a lot since I’m not a PC gamer.

Oh it’s another beautiful morning to be awake and alive! How is everyone doing today? I fell asleep with my phone in hand again and I woke up to it nearly dead…I can almost never remember what I did last night when that happens. When I was younger, I used to always love sleeping, now I try to always fight it and fail miserably haha. Drawing something small right now.

@Pastellioli just got home. I’m doing A-kay. HBU, bud? Your mood been well? You seem in high spirits lately, which is good to see. Like I said, I’m always here if anyone need to drop a word to someone.
As for my day, Me and my dad and hung out and ate sandwiches. It’s kuwaiti food so they’re pretty different and small, but we had fun. It’s still quite hot but at least my big bum is getting wine exercise, means I can hopefully head home and sleep more easily. I’ll still do some planks just in case though.

I had a reply I was gonna send you in A&M thread, but it’s started to take me so long I just decided to save it in a google doc and finish it later so it’s not lost. I got a lot to say, including a recommendation and a thorough explanation over how the manga industry works. The latter is why I’m taking so long because I’m trying to make it as easy to understand as possible.

Sleeping can be a pain, I agree. I’ve had a twitching left eye for weeks. I should really see a doctor.
Right now I’m having chai/milktea. Im also managing things at the pushsquare game club. We’re really enjoying Child of Light.

@Yousef- I am pretty good yes, interactions on NL are also why I’m so happy. I was working on a JoJo drawing and I’m trying to redraw an artwork Araki drew in my style. Sketching is going fine, but I need to make sure it looks proportional and fits in my style. It’s sometimes hard to make characters fit my art style well.

My day just started a few hours ago, so nothing much besides drawing and chores. Your day sounded fun. I’m probably just going to keep drawing later and get something done for it. Yesterday we got chocolate croissants at a store and they are so delicious but way too addicting…I had four yesterday and I’m resisting the urge to eat more. I’m sharing the croissants with my brother, so I’m trying to make sure he also gets an equal amount as well. The chocolate is so tasty, but it’s not gooey and its chocolate filing is melted and has some bits of melted chocolate chips. The store often has a small clearance section consisting of bakery items at a cheap price. It’s usually full, but yesterday it was nearly empty. I usually see a lot of cake and cake slices being sold alongside plain bread. It’s good tasting, but you need to have it in moderation. I got a buttercreme strawberry cake from there maybe a week ago. Tasty, but probably not getting it again.

Can’t wait to see what you wrote. I’ll take recommendations! I do want to do other stuff besides drawing and playing games. I didn’t watch JoJo yesterday cuz I fell asleep in bed when I planned to stay awake, but I think staying up late is a habit I need to stop. Lots of people say it’s unhealthy, and sometimes throughout the day I am too tired and nap at random moments. If you are wondering, I’m still on episode 14. I still have a long way to go.

I haven’t seen the Push Square game club, but it seems fun! Too bad I don’t have a PlayStation 4 anymore, I loved that thing a lot. I love all game consoles really. I haven’t gone onto the Pure Xbox game club, I was supposed to start playing Banjo-Tooie almost a week ago but I was busy working, and trying to draw and watch JoJo. I am surprised that Nintendo Life doesn’t have a game club like those two. That would be cool.

@Pastellioli it’s good you’re doing well.
Sugar is addicting, yes. Artificial Sugar raises your blood sugar, making you more hungry.

Staying late is unhealthy, but not how you think. Rest isn’t the only factor, timing is of the essence, so sleeping a lot and sleeping at consistent times are both of the utmost importance.

My recommendation will also take a while to write, I remembered it when we discussed Spy x Family, and how I felt a bit dissatisfied with it but remembered a show similar to it that hit all the right spots for me, so it’s something very adorable and cute, and very fun too.

Whenever you obtain or re-obtain a PlayStation console, you are welcome to join the PushSquare Club any time that is of utmost convenience to you. Drop me a word and I’ll add you in a heartbeat. This extends to everyone else, of course.

@Yousef- I’m way too obsessed with sugar. I need to stop eating so much cuz I get a bit worried about my health. Luckily I have a high metabolism so I don’t gain weight from it, but I’m worried about inside my body and my arteries getting clogged. I don’t exactly have a consistent diet, I’m fine health-wise but I need to stop unhealthy habits before they become big issues.

I also don’t have exact time schedules, usually I go to bed at around 11 pm or 12 am and only get around 4 or so hours of sleep, but if I’m really sleepy I get more hours in. I’ve been waking up way more later.

I did love Spy x Family, even though I never finished it. I don’t hear a lot of people talking about it anymore but I know a lot of people love it. I had heard the name going around before I watched it in 2022, and I got into it because my brother put the show on a Hulu watchlist and me and my family watched it. My Crunchyroll playlist has a ton of other animes on there that I haven’t watched yet. I’m sure I put Kaguya-sama, Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan, Soul Eater, Demon Slayer, and Assassination Classroom on there but I never watched any of them. I saw at least one episode of Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun and Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill on there but I also didn’t watch any of those beyond episode one, and the same for Bocchi the Rock! I have way too much anime series that I need to watch, but I’m too busy with JoJo.

You and me both. @Pastellioli Sugar’s damage shockingly doesn’t end at weight gain. My friend is skinny as they come, and he suffers from diabetes at the tragically early age of 24, maybe even before that. I’ll have to ask him.
But don’t take this as a health scare, just take care of yourself and you’ll be fine. If you notice some weird tingles and stings in your body… lay off the stuff.

I’m surprisingly not that caught up with recent SoLs and RomComs. There’s no real reason, my interests just happen to lie elsewhere.

Generally when diabetes comes, consuming sugar is more of a way to exacerbate its effects, rather than a major factor in contracting it.

An otherwise healthy person can develop it simply because it runs in their family.

@Yousef- it’s fine, it’s not really a health scare for me! I need to be aware of it and do my best to avoid getting it. I am probably going to avoid eating a lot of sugar after today because for the past few weeks I’ve eaten way too much, usually for special occasions.