http://www.misty-stix.com/ Christian's Blog Entries for "Misty-Stix - The Clouded Vision". Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:00:00 +0800 Copyright 2006, Misty-Stix - The Clouded Vision http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/importance-of-sleep.xhtml It is 3pm in the afternoon and I was doing my usual task writing some code. I accidentally came across an interesting code that actually saves your processing power when implemented. Let me show you my findings. Im using PHP by the way to code a project that handles several processes at a time. I stumbled on this funny situation where you have to code a sleep function that runs a pause in an execution momentarily and then resumes. Putting this in real life experience, you have to take a break some times even if you got a ton of work at least get a minute or two to get yourself together then start working again. Ok now heres the scenario, I put a sleep method and this is what happens... the code whats happening Since I put a sleep method, the CPU is quite calm at least for me If you remove the sleep method this is what happens... the code whats happening When i removed the sleep method the CPUs processing became quite hectic and thats because it is doing tasks continuously. So, resting doesnt only apply in real life but also our machines can benefit from it Keep in mind that sleep is also important. Mon, 28 Jun 2010 03:07:51 -0500 Haphazard Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/importance-of-sleep.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/require-message-in-svn.xhtml Ive been looking for ways on how to make svn commits require a message just before they get committed. A problem is that some developers make a mistake by making empty commits making the reason of the commit unknown. I found this code via google and I wanted to share it. This has been tested working in VisualSVN Server. 1. open your visual svn server2. right click on a repository then click properties3. on the hooks tab, edit the Pre-commit hook then paste the codeecho off Stops commits that have empty log messages.echo offsetlocalrem Subversion sends through the path to the repository and transaction idset REPOS1set TXN2rem check for an empty log messagesvnlook log REPOS -t TXN findstr . nulif errorlevel gtr 0 goto err else exit 0errecho. 12echo Your commit has been blocked because you didnt give any log message 12echo Please write a log message describing the purpose of your changes and 12echo then try committing again. -- Thank you 12exit 14. click ok, then ok If you happen to find a better script than this, please let me know. Mon, 24 May 2010 03:43:23 -0500 Techy Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/require-message-in-svn.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/ive-been-to-cebu-and-bohol.xhtml Ok, so to start things off Id like to say that there are a lot of places here in the Philippines worth visiting. I have decided to visit a few more places here before I step out in the world.I got an invitation from my mom and her club to take a trip to Cebu and Bohol for 6 days. At first I was reluctant as I was thinking about the expenses. I was convinced that the trip cost was a good deal so I decided to give it a shot. I also invited some of my friends to accompany me.Manila to CebuI admit its my first time riding a jet plane. I envy my friends who took a jet plane as their first over-the-air transport. But oh well, we all get our first time. Ok about Cebu, its almost like the capital. The city is so urbanized and it wasnt like what I heard from the stories. Though I wasnt totally disappointed, the city was clean but barely tourist-friendly. I mean, when I say barely tourist-friendly, people there speak back in their own language. I had a hard time communicating with some of the people but we came out just fine. We took a few pictures from the tourist-spots and they were ok. Anyways, for those people who wish to visit Cebu dont keep your hopes high because its very similar to your average city. Although, if you want a change of view and a feel to visit a new place then Cebu will definitely welcome youCebu to BoholWe rode a 2-hour trip via sea to Bohol from Cebu. Im kind of shocked on how expensive the goods on the boat were. I braced my cash as it would be stripped off me if I bought some from them. And at last we reached the docks.Okay, so Bohol is kind of underrated in these parts. But this time Im not in accord with their reviews of it. Bohol is a place to visit hands down. The tourist spots there were so spectacular that taking pictures is a must if you want to take home the memories of the view with you. The people there were kind and welcoming. The tour-bus drivers were very energetic, helpful, benevolent and accommodating. We were really glad we were in their care.Weve been to the chocolate hills, although its not as chocolaty as you think. Weve seen the worlds smallest primate which is the tarsier. The tarsier was small, cute, could fit in your pocket and would stare at you for minutes Weve been through several different places too like caves and the famous location of the blood pact.And that concludes the trip details. I suggest you try and visit places locally as there is too much to see. Mon, 17 May 2010 05:36:46 -0500 Enlightened Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/ive-been-to-cebu-and-bohol.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/blog-design-and-web-design-pricing.xhtml Chris Pearson started an interesting conversation on pricing over on his blog. A few folks have complained about the cost of blog design in the comments and around the web as a result of this. Pricing is a hot topic in web design, especially at the small to medium end of the spectrum that most designers and clients occupy. At issue is the fact that there are no standards no standard industry rate, no standard industry process. No standard industry anything. Shopping for a designer must be incredibly frustrating. Asking how much to design my blog will return quotes ranging from the insanely low to the absurdly high. Why There are a number of reasons, a few of which Ill review here. First, weve got to separate providers of web sites into three groups professional designdevelop agencies, professional designdevelop freelancers, and amateurs. Generally speaking, agencies will charge more per hour than freelancers, and freelancers more than amateurs. Agencies have greater overhead, but are able to offer more full featured services, including marketing, copywriting, and strategy. Often a blog or web design agency will have deeper technological skills, more well rounded and specific experience, and may be able to offer more complete advice. Most professional web designdevelopment agencies charge between 90 and 250 per hour. Professional freelancers are able to offer specialized service for less than the average firm. Most charge between 50 to 100 per hour. Working with a freelancer offers significant benefits, and significant risks. For example, a client who knew specifically which details and features would best suit her business may save some money by hiring talented freelancer vs a full service agency. Also, a project dependent on a single individual can fall victim to the designers other simultaneous projects, to illness, etc. While agencies deeper talent pools reduce that risk. Amateurs are often students fresh out of school, or self taught individuals. They will often charge anywhere from 10 to 50 per hour. Note that Im not using the word amateur disparagingly, but as its defined by Dictionary.com A person who engages in an art, science, study, or athletic activity as a pastime rather than as a profession While the amateur may know how to code a page, beware or at least know what youre getting into. Building a website for a client involves a heck of a lot more than negotiating html. One must be skilled at client relations, project management, marketing, communications, and more. Note that most professional freelancers were amateurs. Hiring an amateur does not mean youll receive sub-par work I was an amateur fairly recently myself I have the battle scars to prove it. But its playing the odds. The range of hourly rates is only half of the equation. The other is the number of hours included in a quote. In my experience, many designers tend to significantly under estimate the amount of time jobs actually take. This is especially true of amateurs and the occasional freelancer. This is a very dangerous practice, and often leads to feelings of animosity between the client and the designer. Secondly, based on my own research, designers include wildly different levels of service in their quotes. For example, most projects include some multiple variations of design comps. The multiple may vary, affecting pricing dramatically. To explain further, the finished work that the public sees is one of only two, three, or even four site designs presented. Some clients are willing to pay a premium in order to have greater choice. They offset their risk by buying more of our time. In the end, a website that cost 2000 may not look hugely different than a website that costs 4000. But odds are, that more expensive site is doing a better job of fulfilling the clients needs. We also frequently include training and ongoing management services including hosting as part of a project. Thirdly, supply and demand affects the rate dramatically and quickly. There are only so many good design firms out there. We design bloggers tend to think there are many, because all we look at is design blogs. But as a percentage, its a pretty tiny number. Maybe a couple of thousand firms around the world that are suited to your particular needs. In many locations and niches, like blog design, that number is much, much smaller. For example, were very busy at the moment. Were in the luxurious position of being choosy about the projects we take. Wed be incompetent business people not to be sensitive to that situation. Were not being foolish about it were building long term relationships, not wham bam thank you ma-ams. But the opportunity cost of our time has become more valuable if youre not willing to pay us X per hour, that fellow over there will. So taking your project has to bring some value other than the immediate revenue. As designers and developers, we occupy a nebulous no-mans land of quasi service and quasi product. What we build doesnt actually exist. It cant be felt in your hands. Yet its not a pure service either we dont usually consult and not execute. Our potential clients often dont know what to make of us. They may not be aware that we often have experience that is broad and deep. Were craftsmen and skilled marketers. Our time has value. And our deliverables hopefully reflect that. One must finally be aware that usually a designer or agency gives an estimate. The final bill may be quite different. The estimate that was low due to inexperience or error may not be billed out at the same amount. The estimate that was higher because it more clearly reflected actual experience may be billed at less than the initial estimate it happens rarely. Pricing is tricky. Theres no real science to it, and no standard estimating process to follow. When considering a range of estimates, be aware of the range of deliverables, the additional services included, the experience of the individual or team, and the supply and demand of the moment. Credits httpwww.theblogstudio.comsingleblog_design_and_web_design_pricing Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:24:00 -0600 Freelance Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/blog-design-and-web-design-pricing.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/why-you-are-losing-clients-(how-to-reverse-it).xhtml We spend a lot of time on Freelance Folder talking about marketing. That is because good marketing is very important to a free-lancers success. It is important to get those clients in the door and signed up for your products or services if you are going to earn enough to really support yourself as a freelancer.For some freelancers, though, that in door is actually a revolving door. If this is you, it may seem that no sooner do you get a client signed up for your products or services than they leave. You have no idea why you are losing clients, but you know that it has to stop. This post should take some of the mystery out of why freelancers lose clients. It will also provide some tips for how to hang on to the clients that you do have.Eight Reasons Why Your Clients LeaveThere are many reasons why clients stop doing business with a freelancer. While we may never know all of those reasons, we can identify and correct some of the most common problems that clients have with freelancers.Here are eight common reasons that clients stop working with a freelancerMissed deadlines. In general, clients like freelancers who meet their deadlines. They want to know when they can expect a completed project. While most freelancers occasionally miss a deadline, frequent missed deadlines give your client the impression that you dont care about them. If you must turn a project in late, contact the client and let them know when they can expect the work.Lack of communications. While no client has the right to expect a freelancer to be on call 247, they do have the right to expect timely answers to their questions. No client should have to wait days or weeks to get a response from a freelancer. If you will be going on vacation or otherwise unavailable, let your clients know ahead of time as a courtesy.Quality. Do you take shortcuts with your work If you do, guess what Your client can tell. The quality of your work demonstrates how thorough you are. If your work is poor or has to be redone, dont expect your clients to stick around. You can solve this problem by having someone else check over large projects or by double-checking your work yourself.Talking too much. Many freelancers enter a project with a set agenda in mindtheir own. Good listening skills are vital to the successful freelancer. Not only do you need to find out what the client wants, to do the best job for them you also need to find out why they want it. The only way to do that is through listening.Not fulfilling instructions. Nothing makes a client more upset than a freelancer who ignores their instructions. Read the project assignment over carefully until you are sure that you understand what the client wants. If you have a question about something be sure to ask it. Its better to ask a question early than have to do rework later.Not keeping up with your field. What year is it Do your business practices reflect the current trends and knowledge If your work is out of date, then clients may want to go with a freelancer whose skills and knowledge are more current. This is why it is important for freelancers to make time to learn new things.Dishonesty. This should go without saying, but unfortunately there are a few dishonest freelancers out there just as there are a few dishonest clients. My best advice to you dont be one of them. Any so-called benefits that you may gain through your dishonesty will be far outweighed by the hit to your reputation.Personality clash. Freelancers are people. Clients are people. Once in a while, they just dont get along. While a good freelancer should be professional enough to work with many different personality types there are a few times when a freelancer should just acknowledge that they arent person to work with this particular client.Theres good news, though. You dont have to keep losing clients. You can stop the revolving door. To learn more, read the next section.How to Keep From Losing ClientsThe most important step that you can take to keep from losing clients is to recognize that you have a problem. Once you acknowledge that clients are leaving your freelance business you can begin to determine why they are leaving and take steps to correct the problem.You can start out by reviewing the list above. Do one, or more, of these categories describe you If so, you know what you need to do to solve the problem. Stop the offending behavior and you should start to retain more clients.If you dont fit into one of the categories above, dont panic. Its possible that you are losing clients through a misunderstanding. You may have to ask your clients why they are dissatisfied. Conduct a friendly survey of clients who have been inactive for more than a specified length of time.How Do You Retain ClientsShare your experience.Have you solved a client retention problem What did you doLet us know in the comments.Conversely, are you the client of a freelancer What would make you stop using a particular freelancerShare your answers in the comments.Credits httpfreelancefolder.comwhy-you-are-losing-clients-and-how-to-stop Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:53:19 -0600 Freelance Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/why-you-are-losing-clients-(how-to-reverse-it).xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/7-ways-to-drastically-improve-your-social-life.xhtml What does your current social situation look like Are you surrounded by people who bring the best out of you Or are you held back by individuals who just drag you down Do you have an abundance of connections Or do you constantly feel aloneRegardless of your current social situation, its safe to say that one of the most important aspects of your life, is your relationships. Aside from perhaps your spiritual beliefs, your relationships have the greatest impact on who you are as a person.Unfortunately, one area many people struggle with is their social life, and for much of my life I struggled to. Fortunately , I soon realized that we are in complete control of our social situation. Id like to share with you some ways to drastically improve your social life.Stop Fearing RejectionOne of the main reasons people struggle to have the social life that they desire is because the fear of rejection is constantly on their mind.What if they dont like meWhat if Im not good enoughWhat if Im different from everyone elseWhat if they make fun of meHave you ever had any of these thoughts If so youre not alone. But heres the thing, everyone is insecure. Yes, some are more insecure than others but everyone has their faults. Dont waste a second of your time thinking youre not good enough. Drop those beliefs immediately.When you focus your attention on what you lack, you cant see what you currently have. Realize that no one is perfect. No one has everything figured out. Thats what makes you, well you. Remember not everyone is going to like you accept that. Embrace your differences and rise above the fear of rejection.As soon as you make the decision to stop fearing rejection, your social life will dramatically improve.Focus on Quality Not QuantityWhich would you rather have a ton of half-hearted-connections, or a small group of really good friends I dont know about you, but Id gladly choose the later.Unfortunately, many equate having a ton of friends to having an amazing social life, which isnt always true. While its certainly possible to have a large group of friends who you share a wonderful connection with, true intimacy generally occurs in small numbers.I know plenty of people who have a ton of friends but at the end of the day they remain all alone. Dont fall into that trap. Im not suggesting you cant or shouldnt have a bunch of friends, but rather you should focus on the quality of your relationships instead of the amount of people you can call friends.As you develop more and more deep connections your social life will slowly begin to expand to the place where you want it to be.CareWhile this tip may come off as common sense, so many people forget to do this. Instead of making their relationships a mutual source of happiness, it quickly becomes all about them.Its important to make a conscious effort to be as understanding and compassionate as possible. Genuinely care about the connection youre creating.When someone needs a friend, be there to listen. When someone needs advice, be there to give it to them. When you truly care about someone youll often find that that person will soon begin to care about you.The sole purpose of relationships is to care.Dont ComplainDo you enjoy listening to people complain I know I dont. When you complain you do nothing but attract more negative thoughts. Instead of focusing on whats wrong, choose to focus on whats right. People like hanging around people that make them feel better about life, not worse.Although complaining may seem like a good outlet of frustration, it radiates a considerably bad vibe to all those who notice. While a complaint every now and then isnt the end of the world, dont fall into the habit of becoming a chronic complainer.There was once a period of my life that I would do nothing but complain. During that time I also found that very few people wanted to hang out with me. Coincidence I think not.NetworkOne of the amazing things about being alive today is that we literally have the ability to connect with millions of people all around the world. 50 years ago that wasnt possible.Thanks to the likes of Facebook and Twitter we can connect with virtually anyone we want to. We can establish relationships with people who share our interests and goals, as well as explore other types of belief systems and ideas.Reach out to people. Share your story. Connect.Over the past year Ive literally made hundreds of new friends because of how easy it is to network online. If youre not actively using social media to mold a social life with an abundance of wonderful connections, youre missing out.Take Responsibility For Your Social LifeTake a look at your current social situation. Realize that you are responsible for each and every relationship you currently have in your life. Only when you take full responsibility for your relationships can you then begin to craft the social circle you desire.Taking full responsibility isnt always effortless. Sometimes its easier to blame other people for your relationship shortcomings. However when you do that you lose your ability to craft the relationships you wish to have. If you want more meaningful connections in your life its up to you make them. If you want more friends in your life its up to you to find them. Sitting back and doing nothing will get you nowhere.As human beings we are incredibly social creatures and relationships play a large role in how we live our life. Are you happy with who you surround yourself with Or could you use some work in this areaBelieve Youre WorthyPerhaps the greatest thing you can do to drastically improve your social life is this Believe youre worthy.Dont walk around with your head down low thinking you have nothing to offer. Know deep down that you have something meaningful to share with this world. If you dont know what that is just quite yet, continue to search.No matter where you are currently, know that you have the ability to change your social life. It doesnt matter if youre shy, or youre just trying to make a few more friends, you are deserving of the relationships you want.You have nothing to prove to anyone, youre perfect the way you are, faults and all. An abundance of wonderful relationships await.Credits httpwww.dragosroua.com7-ways-to-drastically-improve-your-social-life Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:29:15 -0600 Enlightened Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/7-ways-to-drastically-improve-your-social-life.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/best-of-2009.xhtml Its about time 2009 has come to a close but before everything else I would want to thank you all for visiting my site once again. Alright, this year has been so much fun for me and guess what I have completed around 20 titles this year and thats far more otaku-ish than last year as I only gave time for 13 titles. But anyways Im amazed as I was able to find time to finish these series. Before we proceed to the top 10, I would like to list down the 2009 anime I watched. note this list is in alphabetical order 07-Ghost Akikan Aoi Hana Asu no Yoichi Blassreiter CANAAN Casshern Sins Chrome Shelled Regios Clannad After Story Eureka Seven Pocket Full of Rainbows Hatsukoi Limited Hayate the Combat Butler OVA K-ON Kuroshitsuji MariaHolic Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Minami-ke Betsubara Minami-ke Okaeri Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Second Season Pandora Hearts Seto no Hanayome OVA Skip Beat Soul Eater Tears to Tiara Tetsuwan Birdy Decode02 Toaru Majutsu no Index Toradora Tower of Druaga - the Sword of Uruk Xamd Lost Memories Although some titles this year were less pleasing there are still most that will raise your eyebrows if you give them a try. Well then without further ado, my top 10 anime list for this year. click next entry to advance 10. Toaru Majutsu no Index Genre action, comedy, drama, fantasy, science fiction Tags superpowers Plot In a world where science clarifies supernatural powers. In a huge college that has power development in its curriculum. To a resident high school student, Kamijou Touma, a pure white sister appears. She calls herself Index and says that sorcerers are chasing her. Thus, Kamijou Touma enters the world of the occult.Personal Notes I got caught up on the supernatural feel of this anime. Although its got a taste of religious factors - you should definitely not miss this title 09. Skip Beat Genre comedy, drama, psychological, romance, supernatural Tags idols, inner demons, stardom Plot Kyoko followed her true love and childhood friend Sho to Tokyo so she could help him reach his dream of becoming an idol. She cleans, cooks, works three jobs and does nothing for herself because she loves him so much, but gets nothing in return. Still, she remains by his side. But then one day she goes unannounced to his agency with a delivery, and overhears him talking about her he reveals to his manager that he only took her with him as a maid, and that he doesnt care for her at all. Upon hearing this, Kyoko doesnt just sit around and cry. She cuts and dyes her hair, changes her clothes and attitude and thus begins her journey to join showbiz and have her revenge against Sho.Personal Notes At first I thought it was just about the love-love relationship until one great factor snapped and changed the flow of the story. It gets exciting as it progresses, the only thing was it kinda became stagnant in story after some point but it has several good aspects - like romance. 08. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Second Season Genre action, drama, science fiction Tags mecha, military, real robot Plot 2312 A.D. Four years have passed since the final battle between Celestial Being and the UN Forces. Humanity, after having established the Earth Sphere Federation, forms an independent security force, A-LAWS, separate from the formal Federation army to further unify nations and the will of mankind. But in reality it is simply inhumane oppressing anti-government powers, doctrines, and ideologies in the name of unity. Setsuna F. Seiei, after surviving the battle four years ago, has decided to once again fight with his Gundam.Personal Notes I really like this series not only because Im a gundam fan but because sunrise never ceases to impress me yet. Its a direct continuation of its predecessor and provides a lot of action than before. 07. Toradora Genre comedy, romance, slice of life Tags school Plot Despite Ryuji Takasus gentle personality, his eyes make him look like an intimidating delinquent so he is utterly hopeless about his chances of getting a girlfriend anytime soon, and does not have many close friends either. After being greeted by his hungover mother in the morning, Ryuji goes to school and is happy to find that he gets to be in the same class as his best friend Yusaku Kitamura and crush Minori Kushieda. However, it is then that he unexpectedly knocks into the schools most dangerous animal of the highest risk level Taiga Aisaka who just happens to also be in his class, and is a good friend of Minori.errorsource Despite Ryuji Takasus gentle personality, his eyes make him look like an intimidating delinquent. Class rearrangements on his second high school year put him together with his best friend, Yusaku Kitamura, and his hidden crush, Minori Kushieda. Along with these two comes Kushiedas best friend, Taiga Aisaka. Her delicate appearance contrasts with her brutal personality. Secretly in love with Kitamura, Taiga agrees to help Ryuji with his love interest as long as he helps her get closer to hers. Its a new school year and Ryuuji Takasu discovers not only is he in the same class as his best friend, Yusaku Kitamura, but also Minori Kukshieda whom hes had an undisclosed crush on for quite some time. Along with Kitamura and Minori is Minoris best friend, the Palmtop Tiger, tiny Taiga Aisaka whom, despite her small stature, takes nothing from nobody. When unflattering pictures of her in a bathing suit were circulated, Of course, I made it rain blood in the photography club. Taiga is secretly in love with Kitamura and she and Ryuuji, despite an oil and water relationship, agree to mutually support each other in their quests for their hearts desire. Personal Notes This anime kinda reminds me of lovely complex but is different in several ways. One is the rejection from both parties is greater and both Taiga and Ryuuji seem miles away from each other because of their individual attitudes. Im somewhat impressed on how they made the story progress. 06. Tears to Tiara Genre adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, romance Tags bishounen, harem, war, war-medieval Plot Set in a fictitious land during a medieval-like era of magic and fantasy, Tears to Tiara unfolds with the Divine Empires rise to power as it conquers and rules lands far and wide. On the island of Erin, still ruled by the Ancient Kingdom, the Goidelic people are attempting to sacrifice priestess Riannon to revive protagonist and demon king Arawn to lead the resistance against the Empire. Although the ritual fails and Riannon survives, the seal imprisoning the demon king is broken and Arawn is resurrected. Armed with mysterious and devastating powers and a humans demeanour, Arawn joins Riannon, her brother and battalion commander, Arthur, as well as their team of fighters comprising a swordsman, an archer and a quintet of magical pixies, in the epic struggle against the Divine Empire.Personal Notes Tears to Tiara, ah yes I could reminisce the times way back the rpg days. Its definitely a cool piece this year as I was searching for an adventure-type anime. If you know utawarerumono youll get a glimpse of what this anime is like. The adventure touch and medieval period was somewhat similar to utawarerumono but I personally prefer utawarerumono over this hands down although they did a great job coming up with the concept and story. 05. Minami-ke Okaeri Genre comedy, slice of life Tags crossdressing, family, school Plot A year has passed since Okawari and the 3 sisters have grown up. Their likings and mods are almost the same, Haruka the older sister is a love-giving mother to the younger sisters, but shes also a discipline follower, Kana the middle one leaves everything to the last possible moment and always gives trouble to this trio, and Chiaki the little one is the calculating and manipulating one, she likes to be admired and loved by Haruka and always gives trouble to the less blessed Kana. An unbalanced family, but besides of that they love each other with their whole heart. This familys daily life is as funny as ever, trouble and love is always present, now its time to see if theyll survive this age change since Haruka is now a Young adult and she has even more responsabilities while having to watch over the younger while integrating to the adult life.Peronal Notes minami-ke was a blast like its predecessors it never ceased to make me laugh the comedy factor was definitely something, although it did not provide a fixed story - the humor and uniqueness per episode was its key points which made me interested in this title. 04. Hatsukoi Limited Genre comedy, romance, slice of life Tags ecchi, school Plot A series of short stories depicting the complicated love lives of eight middle school and high school girls, their classmates and relatives. These stories later intertwine to form a main story involving most of the cast.Personal Notes I just watched this a day before writing this list and Im glad I was able to put it in this list. The individual romance per character was cool and I liked how the story progressed. Compared to the previous once Ive watched - they were kinda serious and sort of beat-around-the bush if you know what I mean. This time it was different - it gave me the feel of curiosity till the end and was satisfied. Again a good job for the author Mizuki Kawashita - the same author of Ichigo 100 which is one of my all-time favorite publications 03. Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Genre slice of life Tags shoujo-ai, yuri Plot Life goes on for the ladies in the Yamayurikai. On the one-year anniversary of Sachiko and Yumi becoming surs, Yumi receives a difficult task from Sachiko to finally acknowledge someone as her younger sister.Personal Notes I understand that most people dont agree with this being on the 3 spot of my list but I cant deny it Although its genre being sort of a girl-girl relationship it wasnt explicit like the others. The story is more of like a sisterly relationship which is a plus for this. I totally suggest this title for those who can add some shoujo-ai titles in their list. For one - its story is one of a kind apart from it being a school-life anime. It has several good points like character-to-character story progress and misunderstandings but thats what kept me yearning for it till the end of this season. 02. K-ON Genre comedy, slice of life Tags bishoujo, moe, music, school Plot Its Yui Hirasawas first year in high school, and shes eagerly searching for a club to join. At the same time, Ritsu Tainaka, a drummer, and her friend Mio Akiyama, a bassist, are desperately trying to save the schools light music club, which is about to be disbanded due to lack of members. They manage to recruit Tsumugi Kotobuki to play the keyboard, meaning they only need one more member to get the club running again. Yui joins, thinking it will be an easy experience for her to play the castanets, the only instrument she knows. However, the other members think their new addition is actually a guitar prodigy...Personal Notes I thought this was just another make-over similar to the anime beck but I was mistaken. Without a doubt this broke the record of being a great moe-music type of anime. It reminds us on how dedicated we are to what we love doing and how important that thing is to us. Im very thankful something good like this one came out this year. 01. Clannad After Story Genre comedy, drama, psychological, romance, supernatural Tags family, moe Plot A sequel to the recently wrapped anime based on the Key Clannad franchise. After Story is a path that opens in the original visual novel after all the other paths have been opened. Life continues on for Tomoya. A few months have passed since he confessed his love to Nagisa. Now entering the second semester, he continues to meet a variety of different people, expanding his own world in the process. As well, Tomoya and Nagisas relationship begins to enter a level of intimacy unlike before. Through his relationship with Nagisa, and his various encounters, Tomoya begins to understand the meaning and importance of family. Unfortunately, as Tomoya and Nagisa begin their own family together, they are faced with many hardships and challenges along the way.Personal Notes yes you are not mistaken, Clannad After story is the 1 in my list. I admit, this title left a great impact to me and my life. I realized how important it is to life on and move forward despite the hardships that come across you, always think that your family will always back you up in times of need. This is a MUST watch for any anime lover out there. next entryAnd that wraps up my 2009 top 10 list. Thanks for your time and Happy New YearComments and opinions regarding this list are welcome. Creditshttpwww.animenewsnetwork.com - got anime profiles from herehttpmyanimelist.net - for organizing my anime list Tue, 29 Dec 2009 05:46:24 -0600 Enlightened Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/best-of-2009.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/doctrine-in-kohana.xhtml Ive been using kohana and its query builder for a while now - its good but in time I came to notice that I begin rewriting code over and over again so I tried to break out of the kohana-database shell and tried out existing ORM frameworks. If youre curious about ORM check here - httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiObject-relational_mapping. In short using orm frameworks may greatly reduce the data-access layer code you write in your application and ensures functionality and ease in retrieving data and treating them as objects.Without further ado the integration of kohana and doctrine.Instructions1 Download doctrine module here - httpdl.dropbox.comu617821mistydoctrine.1.2.zip2 Extract the doctrine folder to your modules directory. eg public_htmlmodules3 Include doctrine in your modules list located in applicationconfigconfig.php configmodules array MODPATH.doctrine, Doctrine MODPATH.archive, Archive utility MODPATH.payment, Online payments MODPATH.unit_test, Unit testing4 Make sure you enable hooks for your particular application in applicationconfigconfig.php configenable_hooks TRUE5 Before running your application, create these configuration folders be sure to set permissions to 777, doctrine will import and export doctrine-specific configurations here applicationconfigdoctrinesqlapplicationconfigdoctrinefixturesapplicationconfigdoctrinemigrationsapplicationconfigdoctrineschema6 Before running your application, create these models folders be sure to set permissions to 777, doctrine will store and load your auto-generated models from here applicationmodelsdoctrineapplicationmodelsdoctrinegenerated7 Test your application. You can generate models from your database schema by executing this code DoctrinegenerateModelsFromDb applicationmodelsdoctrine, arraydoctrine, arraygenerateTableClasses true And thats pretty much it to make doctrine work with kohana. Ive tested this configuration both local and online. This configuration uses the applicationconfigdatabase.php so you dont have to re-specify the credentials of your database elsewhere in the application.If it doesnt work on your end dont hesitate to let me know. Other Information Tested working in Kohana v2.3.4, PHP v5.2.6, MySQL v5.0.67-community-nt ORM framework used Doctrine v1.2 Other References httpwww.mapledesign.co.ukcodekohana-doctrine - I got most of the idea from here httpwww.doctrine-project.orgdocumentationmanual1_2enintroduction - doctrine documentation manual httpwww.kohanaphp.com - kohana php framework Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:18:05 -0600 Techy Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/doctrine-in-kohana.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/misty-version-3-design-fixture.xhtml Before anything else, I would like thank you once again for visiting my humble website. Ok now as you can see, misty has a whole new look. Apparently it took me quite a while to finish this layout as Im not much of a designer although sometimes i get the hang of it by staring at other godly sites with awesome designs I would wish to thank the guys at twitter for sharing inspiration that has given me a drive to do this fixture.You might be wondering, yes this is version 3, where the hell is version 2 Id say that version 2 was a failure, if you want to check it out then click misty version 2. I wasnt so impressed with the way I did things so I had to scrap it. Good thing version 3 is finished and here you see it although I believe there could be more improvements to it. For those who havent seen the previous version then click misty version 1. I would like to ask your opinion about the new design and if there are problems or layout issues please dont hesitate to leave a comment. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:02:26 -0500 Techy Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/misty-version-3-design-fixture.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/setting-up-redmine.xhtml Lately Ive been having problems in managing projects and stuff so I told myself that I need some sort of a project-management tool that would tell me what projects Im working on and what tasks need to be done. A superior of mine taught me about Redmine. Redmine is a project management web application that solves my problem.For more information about redmine click here.For those who interested in installing redmine and are using windows here are some useful pointersFirst of all you have to have ruby installed on your machine. Heres how to install ruby click here.Secondly, Redmine requires a mysql database installed on your machine. If you have mysql installed then you may skip this step otherwise click here.Then finally install redmine by following the steps found at redmine.org click here.I installed redmine on my machine for about an hour since I had to download all dependencies. I included all the links I used for your convenience. Before I started installing ruby on my machine, I already had XAMPP installed - which means I didnt have to install the mysql service. If you found an easier way to install Redmine, please dont hesitate to leave a message. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:21:25 -0500 Techy Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/setting-up-redmine.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/backend-fixture.xhtml I finally found the time, strength, and courage to fix the back-end of my site. Although at first it took me like 3 days to complete a full blown blog such as this one with no architecture or somesort. Now it runs on a framework and is following a design pattern - MVC which stands for model-view-controller.Ive always been thinking about how I could start fixing my site and I often thought of making my own framework but what difference does it make Creating your own framework will just like be re-inventing the wheel which was not a good idea and the fact that I had less time on my end. After days of thinking and imagining, I finally came to the thought of using one of the frameworks available and I was shocked - like thats it. Thinking of fixing then re-coding my site would take me a week or so but this time it only took me 2 daysSo far the results were good but Im not sure if you would notice the changes done, Im sure it runs smoother now and provides better user-feedback.I want to hear comments about your viewpoint towards frameworks and why or why not use it Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:44:10 -0500 Techy Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/backend-fixture.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/baguio-cosplay-2009.xhtml Cosplay is a very natural thing in the main cities like say Manila which is the capital of our country. At first I was thinking if anyone will join the cosplay that will be held here in Baguio as this is the very first time we experience this event. Anyways the event was a success and there were 14 participants and that surprised me as it was unexpected. For those who dont know what cosplay is heres some info for you Cosplay is an event where people dress up as anime or game characters and try to imitate their personalities. Detailed info Wikipedia - CosplayI took some pictures from the event to show you how successful it was.Gerald of Greepo Comic Group - Host of Bcos 09... and thats pretty much it whew. I really enjoyed this event and was very excited. I hope there will be another cosplay in Baguio and more participants in the future. Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Enlightened Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/baguio-cosplay-2009.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/2-weeks-of-oblivion.xhtml As a programmer, I cannot avoid occurrences such as being involved in a tight project that need completed in a short span of time. We all know that this is complex activity under pressure. Anyway, I have gone through a few projects that had to be completed immediately. Some people dont really understand a software development process and think of it similar to any other production process say like the production of mechanical devices or clothing and stuff. But programming isnt as simple. The next project were gonna work in should be completed in 2 months. The time line was based on the completion of the requirements of the project and the number of resources involved. We had a debate on the project and that we stated why it would really take 2 months to complete it but then again the product owner insisted that we need to finish it in 2 weeks. Since its the words of the product owner, we cannot do anything, we can only assure them that the project will have to sacrifice some requirements for it to be completed.For now, we have to do what we can to accomplish this 2-week project deliverable. You said it, were in for a tough ride in this 2 weeks of oblivion. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Enlightened Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/2-weeks-of-oblivion.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/soul-eater.xhtml Ahh finally I get to blog yet again. My download computer went down and it took some time before it came to once again. Now my computer is back to normal and finally I can talk about Soul Eater.And so another anime popped out from my anime to-watch queue. This anime somewhat reminded me of the anime Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which was in a word epic. Soul eater is one of those series that would keep you entertained as the action continues. The animation was excellent and I couldnt ask more for the sound effects as well as the sound track. In other words it was GOOD. Soul eater starts with a meister named Maka and a weapon named Soul who in turn starts to purge the world of evil souls and a witch. Meisters are people who can control their weapons and resonate with a weapons soul. I was really intrigued as they mentioned in the first episode that they need 99 evil souls and 1 witch soul to get to make a Death Scythe. As the story progresses, I witness a lot of adventures of a group of meisters. There are a lot of awesome fight scenes and very humorous scenarios that would definitely entertain you. While I was still watching soul eater I overheard some of my colleagues mentioning about the ending of the anime and I somewhat heard something about it being sucky. Well the manga hasnrsquot ended yet and the anime producers did a good job for ending the series. It seems that I need to keep up with the manga too in the future but for now Irsquom satisfied.Soul eater is not like the really mainstream ones such as Bleach, Full Metal Alchemist, etc. It has its own amazing dose that would definitely spark an interest in you. Soul eater is an action, comedy, super-power type of anime for those who are curious on the genre. I really enjoyed soul eater and am looking forward in the future to watch an anime similar to this one. Sat, 02 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Haphazard Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/soul-eater.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/misty-is-back.xhtml Good day folks Misty is up and running once again. My apologies for the sudden down of my site. I have been busy with a few things at work and I just realized recently that the host suspended the entire domain because of security issues. Luckily, with the help of a friend it was resolved as soon as we figured out the source of the problem and hopefully we shouldnt be worrying about such issues in the future.I wish to thank you all for keeping tuned to my site and I hope that youll continue visiting misty. Have a nice day Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Haphazard Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/misty-is-back.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/new-phone.xhtml And I finally got myself a new phone. I admit that its been ages since I last bought a NEW one. Suffice to say, Ive been only claiming the used ones by my parents and siblings but this time its different. I claim a brand new cellphone for myself which is quite satisfying in my part. Oh well I just hope that this gadget would last long and serve its purpose.By the way, my previous phone was a 5300 now upgraded to 5800. As you can see how addicted I am to music, the 5300 and 5800 are music phone editions. The very first thing that claimed my attention was the find option in which you can instantly play the music you want in your music list, ahhh winamp. Now Im full of content with my current device thanks to this feature very neatYou could say that Im fan of nokia because of the user friendly ui features and Im not sure what difference does it make compared to other music phones namely samsung or sony but as long as I can listen to my favorite tracks while on the go Im satisfied with it. Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Haphazard Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/new-phone.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/zegapain.xhtml I was searching for some good anime thru comments and suggestions then I came across this one. My genre preference as of the moment is Mecha since I still havent got enough out of Code Geass. I was interested and anxious in this one since I saw that the creators of Zegapain were TV TokyoNaruto, D.Gray Man, Bleach and Sunrise Gundam, Mai-Hime, Code Geass. I then said to myself This I must see.Youre nothing but DATA - was one of my favorite quotes after playing the a popular Role-Playing-Game in the Play Station 2 platform until I came to watch this piece. This anime contains a very deep story and a sci-fi action genre combination. Its a story of a high school student named Kyo living his daily life normally like any person would until suddenly things changed.At some point Itll become hectic and full of action while battles take over. A group of giant mechs against a horde of hornets and whatever you may call them. And eventually youll come up with a lot of questions as you continue with this anime. I admit - I was engulfed in curiosity. The main dilemma in this anime is Is it real Are you REAL or rather... AM I REAL. These questions will be clarified as the story advances. Dont worry youll not be left hanging with a lot of unanswered questions.Suffice to say that this anime was not like any other except for the fact that its of a sci-fi mecha genre. The animation and story was awesome and so was the cast. If you want a change of mind give Zegapain a try Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Haphazard Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/zegapain.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/best-of-2008.xhtml And finally the year 2008 is about to come to an end. I would like to extend my sincerest apologies for not being able to update my site for some time and I would like to thank you all for visiting my website once again.To start off I will list down the anime I watched this year which was made this year - which means I will not include the older anime series I have watched which were not created this year. There are just a few since Ive been goofing off, doing some gaming and watching some retro anime like Flame of Recca, Trigun etc. sighs I think I still have a lot to watch in order to catch up.List of 2008 anime I watched alphabetical order1. Aria the Origination2. Bamboo Blade3. Clannad4. Code Geass Hangyaku no Lelouch R25. Hayate no Gotoku6. Itazura na Kiss7. Kekkaishi8. Kurenai9. Macross F10. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu11. Ookami to Koushinryou12. Shakugan no Shana II13. Tetsuwan Birdy DecodeThere are plenty of anime titles created this year and are very interesting.Now I shall begin picking out my top 5 favorite anime titles for this year5. Macross Frontier If youre a fan of awesome and cool soundtracks, opera, and meccha then Macross Frontier is the anime for you. Macross F sets out in the year 2059 A.D. The F is short for Frontier, which is also the name of the migration fleet this story is about. This anime has caught my attention when I was listening to one of its soundtracks.In my case, I completed the soundtracks first before watching the anime. This anime is sci-fi, meccha and concentrates on the future post apocalyptic when the human race is scattered accross the galaxy.4. Ookami to KoushinryouAlso known as Spice and Wolf. Lawrence is a traveling merchant who finds a 600 year old pagan deitywolf girl named Horo in his wagon one night. She begins traveling with him, and her wisdom helps increase his profits. But her true nature draws unwanted attention from the church.Horo appears to be a fifteen-year-old girl, except for a wolfs tail and ears. She introduces herself as the towns goddess of harvest, who has kept it blessed with good harvests of wheat for many years. I love the story of this one, it makes a good impression when you go on travels and seek fortune though full of sarcasm and such.3. Aria the OriginationAt first I began watching the Aria The Animation series to be able to move on to Aria the Natural then to Aria the Origination. I was caught up in this anime because of the cuteness of the characters. Aria is a sci-fi, drama, spice of life anime.Aqua and Aria take place in the early twenty-fourth century, in the city of Neo-Venezia on the planet Aquamdashformerly Mars, which was renamed after being terraformed into a habitable planet covered in oceans. Neo-Venezia, based on Venice in both architecture and atmosphere, is a harbor city of narrow canals instead of streets, traveled by unmotorized gondolas. The plot revolves around Akari Mizunashi, Aika Granzchesta, Alice Carroll and their seniors. Ive shed tears on this one since it was too good of an anime in terms of drama and friendship.2. Itazura na KissAlso known as Mischievious Kiss. This is by far the best drama, love-romance anime Ive watched yet. It has a considerable amount of laughter that can be at par with its romance. Itazura na Kiss tells the love story of Kotoko and Naoki from their days as high school students to their marriage. The story continues after the marriage as they continue to grow as a couple. The story starts with Kotoko finally building up the courage to confess to Naoki Irie by giving him a love letter but was rejected in front of everybody. After that humiliating moment, she decided to give up on her love for Naoki. That same day, the Aiharas newly-built home was destroyed during a mild earthquake due to poor construction. They ended up staying in the Irie household thus starting the development of their relationship.1. Code Geass Hangyaku no Lelouch R2And now for the 1 anime for this year Code Geass Lelouche of Rebellion R2 Season 2. Ever since season 1 this anime has never let me down. It kept me entertained and interested on what would happen next. This is one of the anime series that is full of action and suspense. I love how the author plot the story. It was excellent that Im even at a loss for words while sitted watching.Code Geass Season 1 On August 10, 2010, a.t.b., the Holy Empire of Britannia overpowered Japanese forces and conquered the country with their new robotic weapons, the Knightmare Frames, in less than a month. In the aftermath of Britannias invasion, Japan lost its freedom, its rights, and even its name, becoming Area 11 of the Britannian Empire. The Japanese people, renamed as Elevens, are forced to survive in poor neighborhoods, while Britannians live in first-class settlements. Rebel elements persist, however, as pockets of Japanese organizations struggle against the Empire for the independence of Japan.Code Geass Season 2 Its been one year since the failure of the Black Rebellion and the supposed death of Zero. Britannia has assigned Area 11 a correctional education status, where Elevens are made an example of by brute force, to try to prevent any future uprisings and suppress rebellious thoughts. Unsuspecting high school student Lelouch, oblivious to his rebellious past as Zero, stumbles upon a scheme on his life and the life of a mysterious woman known as C.C., who reveals to him his forgotten purpose and his true self. Destroying his assailants and declaring himself Zero once again, Lelouch sets out to finish what he started.And that wraps up the best of 2008. I hope you enjoyed reading some of my reviews although some of it have been referenced for description purposes. Ive had fun this year because even if Im drowned at work I could still find time to watch anime. I wish everyone happy holidays Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Enlightened Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/best-of-2008.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/seasons-greetings-to-all.xhtml Seasons Greetings everyone Its finally time of the year where we all exchange gifts and greet each other for the time of Christmas is here. I hope you all enjoy this season and that we can all have a safe celebration. Asuka ReiRin Saber Merry X-mas and Advanced Happy New Year to all Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Haphazard Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/seasons-greetings-to-all.xhtml http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/code-geass-r2.xhtml Good Day Folks I must say that Im sorry I havent been able to attend to my blog for some time. Well I have my reasons at least. Anyhow thanks to anime Im still here Ahh its really been some time since I last watched an anime in one sitting. today well be taking a look at code geass. I have finished both seasons and I am more than happy that I did watch them. This anime has great potential that it could even possibly rival those of your favorite mecha animes. Code Geass is a product of clamp and sunrise. If you know sunrise, the creators of our favorite gundam series and clamp, creator of chobits, tsubasa chronicles. Both parties came up with a very awesome anime Code Geass is a mecha-scifi based anime fully packed with action that would absolutely spark an interest in you. As the story advances, it becomes more interesting as you explore the world of Lelouch Lamperouge who is the main character and protagonist of the show, Suzaku Kururugi, C.C., Nunnally Lamperouge, Kallen Kozuki and more. Youll be surprised upon completing an episode as many secrets unveil. Additional information on the mechanics of this anime. What is Geass Geass is a mysterious power which certain people can bestow upon others C.C. is the most prominent character who grants the power of Geass. The form the Geass takes is different in each individual. C.C. calls Geass the Power of Kings. It is represented by a bird-shaped symbol which glows red when active. If you ask me, Code Geass is a very interesting piece that you should not let slip past you. I really enjoyed watching it to the end. One of the best series ever created yet this year. Hopefully more will come, I have acquired some new ones and hope to get the same enjoyment hopes and pray. Well anyway thats it. Im sure youll enjoy Code Geass as much as I did or perhaps even more. Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Haphazard Thoughts http://www.misty-stix.com/blog/entry/code-geass-r2.xhtml