Journey into Mystery

Because, as a fictional character whose name I don't want to remember said, how can you learn without asking?

1. This one is for the graphic gurus. How do you prepare HQ color images, like manga illustrations or photos? I don't mean in icons, but for bigger graphics like layouts or banners. No matter what I do, it tends to look all grainy and ugly, and when I try to use smudge or blur it ends up ugly.

What's the secret? Because I've been having this problem for years. And quite frankly, I'm tired of all the failed attempts without even knowing if I'm using adequate techniques or just wasting my time.

2. Do you guys know of any gallery with good Spirited Away images? Screencaps or official art, any of them.

3. This is for people living in Spain: ( Cut for the other folks )

Okay then. Operative Systems practice? Uploaded. OO Programming exercises? Uploaded. The deadline was until tomorrow, so for the first time or whatever I'm delivering something a DAY before. Go me or something.

I found the fourth book of Earthsea by chance, and I bought it even though I still haven't gotten the third one. And while I'm only by chapter two, I already know Ghibli screwed the books' timeline. WTF is Therru doing in that movie?

By the way, I went for a walk at the mini-mall near home today, because I like to peek at the pet shop. And the shop next to it is a decoration one. And there was this stand that -I SWEAR TO GOD- looked like my Card Captor Sakura mangas puked on it. There were these rustic Teddy bears made of regular fabric, the ones that look like they're hand-made by an aunt of yours but you know, in your heart, they were manufactured in [insert Asian country]. But see, these bears? They were THE CCS BEARS. They looked so similar it's eerie. There was one that was coffee-and-milk-colored and I was all like "Li made this one lololol" (yeah, it's darker than that, but humor me)

To make it better: The shelf right below the rustic bears? You know what it had? You know?!

SHEEP PLUSHIES. Assorted sizes. OMFGYAYHGHJSGKGKGS.

I had to leave before I went all "fly, my pretties!", and threw the whole lot at people. I think I'm honesty fucked from the head just to consider the idea.

ETA: this is kind of addequate, because today at OS the professor was talking about passwords, and how his account in the university in Santiago de Compostela was abused by some student who guessed his password -which happened to be, of course, professor's very own first name.

Man, a stupid unit in class reminded me of fandoms. We saw today something called greedy algorhythms.

For the love of... *headdesks* Fate, stop rubbing it in!

Interestingly enough, the original name was translated in Spanish as "algoritmos voraces" (voracious algorhythms). Which reminds me, of course, of Gluttony.

Homunculi? Stop showing up everywhere, please.

And now for something different.

I just saw on my flist that Studio Ghibli is adapting yet another fantasy book into a movie. The name of the movie? Gedo Senki: Tales of Earthsea.

...yeah, Miyazaki's son is adapting Earthsea to anime. Which is awesome and scary at the same time. Awesome because it's going to be first-class eyecandy. Scary because they butchered HMC so much. That, and the fact Ged seems... *squints at pre-production poster* you know, too white. Again. Or maybe he's Asian? Adapters can't get his skin right, can they?