Showing posts with label About Me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About Me. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' 7th Anniversary Q&A

Today is that day! It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns has been around for the last 7 years. Wow! It's amazing how time flies.

Normally, I color code questions and answers in orange and green because I usually change the background scenery for Halloween. 

It goes without saying that 2020 has been an extremely shitty year for most of us.

The incessant Doomsday reports about the Coronavirus by the media and social media fucked up everything for all of us.

In celebration of It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns'  7th anniversary, questions about rare Horror Anime, Carl Jung's Typologist Test, and more will be answered in today's Q&A blog. All questions are in bold red italics and my answers are simply bolded. So, let's begin!

1) DanniDarkness: Are there any rare Horror Anime that you would recommend?

Answer: Murder Princess OVA's, Another, Tokko, Shiki, and the Hell Girl franchise.

I don't know your exact definition of Horror Anime but... if you happen to like Horror Comedy, I highly recommend watching Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge.   

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge was renamed "The Wallflower" in English.

Sunako Nakahara is the protagonist spoofed off the character from the J-Horror movie, Ringu, which soon became the Americanized remake called The Ring in 2002.

2) A. P. Fuchs: Do you write regardless of how you feel, whether you're tired or slightly sick or just plain unmotivated?

Answer: It really all depends on the situation. If I am extremely nauseated from something and have been barfing up my lungs for rounds, then no. 

If lethargic, I will take a nap. Then, finish writing.

Meanwhile, writing angry poetry was my personal catharsis during my adolescence.

Growing up, I always took a lot of shit from people ranging from my classmates to certain teachers intentionally making negative examples out of me.

Generally speaking, the preceding ALWAYS contributed to bullying and has especially led to more school shootings if not teen suicides within the last nearly 3 decades. I don't condone school shootings and teenagers committing suicide, but I understand why both happen.

Sometimes teachers ARE to blame for the bullying, school shootings, and suicides with their need to make negative examples out of their students.

It has been 15 years, since I last wrote any poetry. Whenever I did, it was usually angry poetry. Yeah, in some ways, I've been that weird, stereotypical, angry Goth Chick for 2-3 decades.

An estranged guy friend from college loved making snide remarks, mocking me and the Goth Sub-culture. 

Within the last few years or so, a longtime mutual friend of ours introduced him to some BDSM and fetish communities. Gotta love those bandwagoners always trying to "fit in." 

Most average people do NOT  know, that BDSM originated from the Goth Sub-culture.

BDSM is NOTHING like 50 Shades of B.S. Those novels are piss poor representations of BDSM.

3) Donald: Based on Carl Jung standards, what is your personality type?

Answer: For those who didn't already know, Carl Jung is usually discussed in both Psychology and Sociology classes. 

It has been many years, since the time of taking those classes.

If you are interested, you can learn more about Carl Jung's theory of personality types, RIGHT HERE.

According to the Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test I took last Friday, my type is ISTJ. 12% Introvert 25% Sensing 3% Thinking 56% Judging

4) DJ Scott Wilcox: It's so hard to get published nowadays. What is the status of your short story collection?

Answer: Please re-read the beginning of this Q&A blog. Also, ~2 weeks ago, I published a blog explaining more about my writing status.

"Maliciousness," "The Bill Collector," and "Psycho Vs. Psycho" have all been converted into 1 novella.

"Across The Street," "The Horrors Of Womanhood," and "All Of Chastity's Men" still have yet to be published. The last 3 stories are much darker and grislier than my novella.

"Across The Street" is a Horror Flash Fiction piece and the shortest story I have ever written.

Because that story is different from the others, I don't know HOW it will be published. Maybe it will have to be published separately from the others.

Also, I still have yet to finish writing "All Of Chastity's Men." This particular story has been put on hiatus more times than any other story I have ever written. You may be wondering, "WHY?"

I think the hiatus is somewhat because I am writing "All Of Chastity's Men" more for my own personal catharsis.

Normally, I wrote poems for my catharsis. Writing THIS story for my own catharsis is a much bigger challenge.

Well, it appears that I answered everyone's questions for today's Q&A blog. It would've really been fantastic, if more readers and subscribers had questions to ask. Then again, less is more.

Thank you for asking your questions and reading today's Q&A blog in celebration of It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns'  7th anniversary! I look forward to your feedback!

Monday, September 23, 2019

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns Q&A 2019

Wow! Can you believe it? Today is the day that marks It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' 6th anniversary. How's it going my gumdrops? 

Before I forget, Happy Birthday to Whiskey Brewer on MeWe!

While still working for my uncle, I self-built this website on September 23, 2013. In a way, I cannot help feeling somewhat disappointed that I still have not accomplished as much as I really wanted this year.

Since 2017, I have endured a plethora of issues ranging from dealing with my mother's eternal health issues to chores, editing, revising, and submitting my short stories for publishing, contacting publishers, voice actors, editors, job hunting, etc.

Earlier this year, I was sick at least twice. For the 4th time in 19 years, I had bronchitis and a cold. Long story short, this year has been brutal.

Since this year's Q&A blog has a few jargon-filled questions, I tried answering them as best as I could by giving them the so-called "college try." Anyway, let's begin!

[It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns Q&A 2019:]

 Kersten's Questions:

1) What is the most difficult part about having kept a blog this long? 

2) Who is your favorite Horror artist?

My Answers: 

1) Creating a blog is nothing compared to self-building a website full of content. All the while, trying to generate exposure and attracting the right demographic. 

Also, spambots, site, and server glitches. Those have been my biggest problems.

In addition to self-building It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns, there is managing it, generating SEO, traffic, visitors, and loyal subscribers. 

At the same time, enduring social climbing opportunists, selfish and misanthropic "friends" pretending to care about me, indifference, jealousy, envy, the bitterness of others, and copycats.

2) When it comes to Horror artists (because they are more than just Metal vocalists and guitarists), I guess I would say Rob Zombie, Glenn Danzig, and Wes Borland. Even though Wes Borland is best known as Limp Bizkit's lead guitarist, he collaborates with other bands besides fronting his own.

Tard Tardnation: What's your favorite type of weather?

Answer: I love the hot summer weather. 

Then again, I was born ~1 week before Summer Solstice. Now that it's fall, I dread having to rake leaves and shovel snow again.

Meanwhile, rain and snow help set ominous tones to my short stories, since I mostly write Psychological Horror, Crime, and Psychological Thriller.

Jesse: Do you ever use Duolingo or Babbel to help learn a new language? I've just started using Duolingo recently because I am interested in learning German.

Answer: Yes, I have heard of both Duolingo and Babbel but have never used either. 

Even though it has been years since I last took German I highly recommend the book, Komm mit! You may want to visit the 50 Languages foreign language website and download their app, too.

Much like my family, I believe it is best to traditionally learn a foreign language with drills. Using apps make for great aids but it is best to have a quality foreign language book. My youngest aunt uses Duolingo to help her with learning Japanese.

According to her, Duolingo is not the best way to become fluent in a foreign language. 

Regardless of what foreign language you want to learn, you MUST have quality foreign language books with drills to help learn a foreign language.

DJ Scott: What's your fondest memory from blogging/blog responses?

Answer: My fondest memories actually predate building It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns.

For those, who didn't already know, I originally started blogging 13 years ago on Yahoo 360. This was months after graduating from Carthage College, while STILL battling a severe bleeding disorder at the time.

My English Literature Professor sometimes used my Yahoo 360 blog as an educational source for his classes. Compared to the last 6 years of blogging on here AND Blogster, more educational information was published on my Yahoo 360 blog.

Unfortunately, all good things always come to an end. This can most definitely be said about Yahoo 360. Yahoo always discontinues their best products.

Years later, I discovered the blogging community, Xanga. I regret not discovering Xanga years sooner.

Before The Xanga Team dumped their money problems into OUR laps by making it mandatory to pay to blog, which caused division within our community, I had both national AND international traffic, friends, and loyal subscribers. 

In addition, more readers genuinely cared about my content and I made top blogger AT LEAST  a few times, 6 years ago.

C. Afflerbach: Do you like crafting? Ancient aliens? Ghosts?

My Answers: 

1) The closest I will ever get to crafting is building this website. Otherwise, I always suck at crafting. As cool as crafts look, I never had that skill. 25 years later and I still suck at doing Origami.

2) I'm not a huge fan of ghosts and aliens. Blame it on Hollywood filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, for example and the media. 

They love spreading (as I use the cliche term) "misinformation" and stupid ass stereotypes about the paranormal and extraterrestrials.

The contrived and unrealistic scripts and special effects in Spielberg's movies only validate all those skeptics, who don't believe in ghosts and aliens. 

Even though I'm not a huge fan of either, I know that both DO exist, especially the paranormal.

Whiskey Brewer: Are there any cartoons you grew up watching, that you'd actually like to see remade for youngsters nowadays?

Answer: When it comes to movies and shows, including animation, you could say, that I am more of a "purist." Today's filmmakers, writers, and animators should leave Classics alone.

Continuously remaking and rebooting movies, shows, and cartoons because they want to stay relevant only proves, that all these filmmakers lack creativity and originality.

The incessant political activism and correctness, which mostly consists of CONTRIVED tokenism to pander to politically correct hipsters are biggest problems with today's writers, filmmakers, cartoonists, musicians, etc.

Why does Ariel from The Little Mermaid suddenly have to be black?

Why does a famous superhero suddenly have to be non-heterosexual or female? 

Speaking of, have you seen the commercials for CW's Batwoman?

Batwoman Trailer CW (2019)

If anything, more network programmers should introduce younger demographics to Classics. 

Yes, they may look dated but as they get older, they might have a better appreciation for said movies, shows, and especially cartoons. They should be able to imagine what life was like during an era(s) that was before their existence.

For example, every time I watch a movie that was made before, during, and slightly after I was born, that film allows me to embrace and reflect on what life was like before we had cell phones, laptops, tablets, the Internet, social media, etc.

As a 37-year-old woman, I do miss the days of publicly socializing with friends and on my bedroom's phone line as a teenager, going to public places without someone staring at his cell phone, while playing video games on it, and being able to cherish memories WITHOUT some girl snapping selfies and recording the play by play of her vapid, daily life with poses on social media for instant praises by sycophants.

C.S. Michel's Questions:

1) Have you seen the trailer for the new Joker movie?

2) Have you seen Doom Patrol?

3) Do you like Erotic Anime?

My Answers:

1) Yes, I have and please reread my answer to Whiskey Brewer's question. The Batman franchise was meant to be campy. Since the time of the 21st Century, filmmakers have ruined Batman by dramatizing what was originally a campy franchise.

2) I had no idea what Doom Patrol was until Googling it, last week only to discover that it was ANOTHER DC Comic Flick.  

Batman, Blade, The Phantom, and The Crow are probably the only movies based on comic books that I liked. Otherwise, I was never a comic book fan. 

As as a teenage girl 20 years ago, I tried but reading comic books just don't resonate with me.

3) Erotic Anime or in other words, Hentai? Since I love Anime, I am not that fast to dismiss Hentai. It has been a long time, since I last watched any Hentai.

Over the last 13 years, I have watched more Ecchi, Seinen, and Josei Anime that somewhat border the lines of Hentai Anime than actual Hentai.

Donald's Questions:

1) Over the past year, what has been the best resource you have turned toward to promote your own growth, both personal and professional?

2) The notion of incremental improvement is a powerful one, compared to yourself a year ago how have you bettered yourself and in what ways?

3) What are the best books or lectures you have interacted with on the subject of personal development?

My Answers:

1) I would say... reading articles published by John Matthew Fox, Writer's Relief, Web Design Relief, and Authors Publish Magazine. Just last week, I read this enlightening article published by Thriller author, Joanna Penn about Comparisonitis.

2) While re-revising my short stories recently, I noticed that I am able to mentally re-edit certain lines as I type. I believe that spending HOURS editing AND revising all the blogs I've published over these last 6 years, from night to beyond sunrise made me a better writer.

Despite what pompous elitists (including a few delusional Fan Fiction writers) think, BLOGGING is a fantastic way to improve writing skills. Blogging is journaling for the most part.

3) Please reread Answer #1.

So, how did I do with answering all your questions?

By giving it the "good ol' college try," I answered each question to the best of my ability.

If I misunderstood your questions, I apologize. However, I will NOT apologize for MY opinions in regards to today's Hollywood entertainment and how political correctness is destroying it with contrived tokenism.

So, thank you my gumdrops! Please leave your feedback in the comments section below!

Sunday, September 23, 2018

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns Q&A 2018

How's it going my gumdrops? Can you believe that 2018 will be over in 4 more months? I can't believe how much time has gone passed. 

This year did not exactly go the way I planned, which is highly disappointing. Realizing this makes me feel unaccomplished.

Throughout every year, I always hope for the better but it seems like everything keeps getting worse. Anyway...

Today is the 5th anniversary of It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns. There are fewer questions this year. Here are the following questions I have answered: 

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns Q&A 2018:

Zombified: How do you think things with your website will evolve in the future?

Answer: Honestly, I have no idea. Webs' engineers need to hurry with their repairs. They are that 1 straw breaking every camel's back. In other words, most of us, who use Webs as a platform for publishing content like myself and/or business owners are suffering.

As I explained to a Webs Customer Service Representative over the phone last Friday, we have been losing customers, subscribers, traffic, etc. It all depends on what that person is using Webs for.

I personally use Webs.com's platform for blogging at least 2-3 days a week along with publishing and sharing excerpts of my short stories for only members of It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns to read on my Horror/Thriller page.

Earlier this year (late January to be more specific), I stopped blogging on It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns and started experimenting again on Blogger.

After building my 2nd Blogger page, OMG, Anna! What's Going On?! I noticed there were less problems with publishing my blogs. 

Also, the features that us bloggers can use on Blogger like scheduling blogs to be published and meta tagging WITHOUT any glitches are free.

Not having to pay for more artistic designs on Blogger is another bonus.

Countless times over these last 5 years, I have said that WordPress is highly overrated and overpriced for vapid designs and is user UNFRIENDLY.  The preceding statement still holds true today. The ball is currently in everyone else's court other than mine.

Only YOU can help generate traffic to content by liking, sharing, and having discussions. Discussions especially generate THE MOST traffic to a website.

Marquis DeBlood: What inspired you to start writing?

Answer: This is a great question. Since elementary school, I learned how to create my own short stories. My 1st and 2nd grade teachers in made us draw our own pictures and write short stories.

By 3rd grade, my English teacher gave us a monthly chart with ideas to create stories with for assignments. 

Once it reached October, we had to create our own Halloween stories. You, as well as some other Horror fans would've loved those assignments in school. That year in October, I really had fun. 

I wrote short stories about werewolves, zombies, vampires, and Chucky from Child's Play. Looking back, I suppose that would've been labeled as "Fan Fiction," before Fan Fiction was ever a term or a website. Not that I support Fan Fiction, but you get my point.

After becoming a teenager, that was when I really became interested in Creative Writing.

As a form of personal catharsis, I wrote angry poetry, when I wasn't creating my own characters and writing short stories. 

During my high school senior year, I had a disparaging teacher for Creative Writing Class. That same teacher claimed, that all my stories and poems were "depressing." 

Maybe some of my poems were but NOT  my stories. You have read some of the excerpts of my short stories on my Horror/Thriller page to know, that they are NOT  "depressing."

After minoring In Creative Writing in college, my professors appreciated my work. Those disparaging remarks from my Creative Writing teacher in high school did NOT  stop me from graduating college with a Creative Writing Minor.

In a nutshell, that frumpy, red-headed, divorced cow (or pig) from high school, along with my asshole study hall monitor, who labeled me as "The Next Columbine Student" can go fuck themselves to Icy Hot.

BTW: I added more excerpts to the Horror/Thriller page. Whenever you have the chance, I highly encourage every member to sign in and read them.

Robert: What is your favorite album of all time?

Answer: That is a tough question to answer. After being exposed to numerous music genres, sub-genres, and albums by so many mainstream and underground bands and singers, I cannot name only 1 album. The following is a list of my favorite albums:

Gravity Kills' Gravity Kills and Perversion

Stabbing Westward's Wither, Blister, Burn, & Peel and Darkest Days

Lords Of Acid's Lust, Voodoo-U, and Our Little Secret

Stone Temple Pilots' Core, Purple, and No. 4

Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses and October Rust

KoRn's KoRn, Life Is Peachy, Follow The Leader, and Untouchables

Dokken's Breaking The Chains and Back For The Attack

London After Midnight's Psycho Magnet

Lacuna Coil's In a Reverie, Unleashed Memories, and Comalies

My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult's A Crime For All Seasons

The preceding list only names a few of my favorite albums.

With all that has been answered, did you enjoy learning anything new from today's Q&A blog? What are your thoughts?

In the near future, I always look forward to seeing more of you on It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns and on OMG, Anna! What's Going On?! Thank you!

Sunday, September 24, 2017

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns Q&A 2017 {Part 2}


How's it going my gumdrops? Looks like more readers were interested in yesterday's Q&A blog. This is fantastic. I spent all last week working on these Q&A blogs mainly yesterday's. Hopefully, new readers learned something informative.

In case you missed yesterday's Q&A, you can read it HERE.

Song Saturday will resume on September 30th and Cartoon Sunday on October 1st. 

Speaking of cartoons, I think about how younger Millennials and Generation Z got shafted as children sometimes.

Younger Millennials and Generation Z don't necessarily know what it was like as children to watch all their favorite cartoons on local networks in a block before going to school in the morning, racing home to watch all their favorite cartoons after school, and watching more of them on Saturday and Sunday mornings. 

By the time I attended high school during the late '90s, most local channels removed cartoons and other programming for minors.

More families began paying for cable and local programming for children and teenagers was replaced with Court and Daytime Talk Shows.

In 1996, Cartoon Network became nationwide on cable, as opposed to remaining in only SELECT cities in certain states. Then, 1 year later, the network launched Toonami

Local networks stopped caring about their younger viewers because all their programming was sent to cable. Basically, children's local programming became obsolete.

Those same local networks assumed that everybody had cable 20 years ago, just like most people today assume that everyone has Internet access and want to watch online streams of shows rather than watching TV. 

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns Q&A 2017 [Part 2]

Today is Part 2 of my Q&A blog. Because there was only 1 last person to ask me a question, today's Q&A is all about answering Victor's question. He asks:

I have found a recent rare interview with Stuart Snyder from 2017. I have been listening to the podcast and it's a very interesting insect on the man himself. 

What are your thoughts about this podcast? Here's a link to it:

WGN Radio: The Business Behind Cartoons

Victor, I listened to this podcast last Sunday night. From the sounds of the podcaster, she seemed to be gushing over her interview with Stuart Snyder. 

It is understandable why she would be because he is best known for running Cartoon Network. 

However, this is the SAME man, who is notorious for DESTROYING Cartoon Network by launching boy-centric Reality TV Shows and sexist programming in general as Toonami's replacement, 9 years ago.

For Snyder to say, that Toonami tanked in the ratings, it was mostly due to airing some of the WORST Action Anime, the network could find.

Last I remembered, Stuart Snyder was and still is the most hated president of Cartoon Network. 

Who in their right mind wanted to sit through watching something as low brow as Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo? 

I mean, really? C'mon! Even One Piece isn't that dumb.

Not that I was severely heartbroken over Toonami's cancellation like most fans were. I always cherry picked, which cartoons I watched from both Cartoon Network and Adult Swim.

The podcaster and Stuart Snyder did make some valid points about Cartoon Network needing to air more child friendly cartoons. 

At the same time, Snyder RUINED quality animation with his tendency to air the most dimwitted cartoons such as Chowder and The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack.

You may be rolling your eyes, scoffing, and thinking, "This is coming from the same lady, who still thinks Beavis and Butt-Head is hilarious." 

See, there's the whole "so stupid, that it is hilarious." Then, there is mind numbingly stupid, that you can feel your IQ dropping kind of stupid.

It also did not help that by 2005, Cartoon Network started airing more live action movies. It was named "Cartoon Network" for a reason. Cartoon Network and Adult Swim should return to airing animation ONLY.

Both networks are mostly garbage programming. Therefore, more people both young and old are forced to watch online streams of shows. If Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and all cable/satellite networks still had some level of integrity left, they would stop patronizing, insulting, dumbing down, politicizing, and dictating what viewers want to watch.

I believe more viewers would spend less time watching shows online and more time watching TV again, if creators tried being original. When I say original, I mean stop remaking/rebooting classic shows ad nauseam and come up with their own ideas.

How about TV networks and Hollywood entertainers make entertainment FUN, again?

Victor, I hope I answered your question. 

This concludes It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' 2017 Q&A blog. Let me know what you think! 

Saturday, September 23, 2017

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns Q&A 2017 {Part 1}

 
How's it going my gumdrops? Today is the 4th anniversary of me building as well as launching It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns. Throughout these last 4 years, It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns has been through numerous changes.

Last week, I had my friend, DJ Scott from Horror-Punks.net make some alterations to the home page design. There is now a bat laying dead next to the dead unicorn, while a crow is flying in the company of those hailing gumdrops.

Once again like last year, there have been lesser questions for me to answer. As I went through your questions, I noticed this year is also more like a so-called "Sausage Party." This really should not be a surprise to me.

Since the time of being a Radio DJ at WIPZ in 2002, my audience was ALWAYS male-dominated. 

It always felt as if my hobbies, interests, and views hardly ever resonated with most women. It has been this way for YEARS. 

Typically, I have more in common with men than with women. Most men were usually more loyal to me than women were, in the platonic sense. 

They still are today. If this does NOT say something, it really should.

Regarding the amount I questions I have answered from subscribers these last 2 years, just because I have less to answer now, doesn't necessarily mean other people don't have any questions. Quantity is not always quality.

Anyway, to celebrate the 4th anniversary of It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns, here are the questions I answered:

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns 2017 Q&A [Part 1:]

Jesse: I have received new e-mail notifications about the new Song Saturday and Cartoon Sunday blogs, but they're invisible on this website. I can't find them and don't know why. Am I the only one with this problem?

Answer: No, Jesse you were NOT  the only person having these problems. As of 2 days ago, you should be able to see the newest blogs on the main page.

Whenever I send new e-mail notifications, I send shortened weblinks for you to copy and paste. Those same links send you directly to those blogs. Here are the latest blogs:

Cartoon Sunday: Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask Of Amontillado [OMG! HE TALKS!] (2015)

Song Saturday: Tristania's My Lost Lenore (2017)

Donald's Questions:

1) In what way do you think you have grown as a content creator?

2) What would you do differently, if you were given the chance to go back and alter your course?

3) With the knowledge you have accumulated over the years, what would be your words of advice for other aspiring content creators?

My Answers:

1) During the '90s, only the "computer geeks" had their own websites. Now, it is important for us entrepreneurs and entertainers to have our own sites for gaining exposure.

Technology has advanced immensely, over the last 3 decades. It continues to do so. Today anyone can build his/her own site whether having a degree in Graphic Design, Computers, or not.

Over these last 4 years, I've learned so much as a content creator. Before ever building a site, I was not the most tech savvy. Had someone told me 20 years ago, that I would build my own website to blog on it in the future, I would've scoffed, rolled my eyes, and dismissed it.

I learned how to build It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns by watching Webs.com's YouTube tutorials. I continue to learn something new everyday.

2) Since the time The Xanga Team dumped their own money problems on us and caused division within the community in 2013, I have REALLY struggled to generate national and international traffic to my blogs these last 4 years.

After learning what I know now, I should've joined Xanga 10 YEARS or so before the original website shut down and relaunched on WordPress, years ago. Like most Xangans, I miss Xanga 1.0 as well.

I really should've learned how to build my own website MUCH sooner in 2013, while gaining more subscribers for an e-mail list, after the original announcement about Xanga shutting down. It would've been so much better than joining a highly divisive, flaky, and temperamental blogging community like Blogster.

Song Saturday was the best quality about Blogster. Otherwise, that community is a standoffish, Baby Boomer dominated community with a high turnover of bloggers.

3) Like I have said countless times in the past, you have to really love what you do. This is similar to being that so-called "starving artist." If you are PASSIONATE about building your own website and publishing your content, it takes a LOT  of time, energy, patience, and usually money.

If you are only building your own website for the sake of status and vanity, DON'T waste yours and OTHER people's time social climbing, copycatting, and acting like a pretentious, attention whore because you saw someone like yours truly with a site.

Yes, somebody else can always build your website or whatever it is, that you want for you. 

However, once I learned how to build It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns by watching tutorials on YouTube, I have a much greater pride, appreciation, and respect for the professionals, that get paid to build websites. Also, I find it fun learning as I go with managing this website because I discover something new everyday.

DJ Scott's Questions:

1) What is your favorite Beavis and Butt-Head episode and why

2) What is your favorite new animation and why?

My Answers:

1) You asked 2 hard questions. Even as a woman in my mid-30's, I still laugh my ass off watching Beavis and Butt-Head.

There was 1 particular episode of Beavis and Butt-Head, which showed Butt-Head throwing the trash can at Beavis and knocking him unconscious. My other favorite episode is "Take A Number."

"Take A Number" featured Beavis and Butt-Head at a Rock concert. It had 2 female characters with the same traits as them. Although, this is my favorite scene:

{My Favorite Scene}: Beavis and Butt-Head "Take A Number" (1995)

That scene NEVER gets old!

2) Honestly, I don't have any right now, UNLESS American Dad counts on TBS. Most of my time is spent hunting for animation to share for Cartoon Sunday blogs, that I find on YouTube, if not something from Japan like an Anime. Adult Swim does not air too many cartoons I want to watch, unless they are cartoons on the weekends.

Marquis DeBlood: What started your obsession with Anime?

Answer: I am not nearly as obsessed with Japanese animation as I used to be. When I did marathon Anime years ago, I still watched a wide variety of animation and I love sharing some of that variety in Cartoon Sunday blogs.

During the mid-80's as a toddler, I was already exposed to Japanese animation. It started with the Mecha Anime, Robotech. This was YEARS before Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, the Toonami block, Chiller TV, Syfy, and other cable/satellite networks were launched.

It was not until the early 21st Century, that Anime (also known as "Japanimation" during the '90s), reached its pinnacle.

Originally, Anime was scarce on TV, at video stores, and the Internet. That was until more cable networks took an interest in them. It wasn't until 11-12 years ago, that I discovered other types of Anime genres and sub-genres existed for different sexual orientations, age, and gender demographics.

Shonen Jump Action Anime have been the most popular for the last 20-30 + years in The West. That's what is normally shown on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. They ignore other genres, sub-genres, female, and age demographics.

At Carthage College, I wrote my Junior Symposium on Shojo Anime and Manga. 

Creative Writing, Sociology, Japanese Culture, Language, History, and Religion were all covered in my symposium.

Most of my favorite primetime shows were canceled and had series finales, 10-11 years ago. This was especially when shows I really invested in were constantly being canceled. After graduating in 2006, I discovered there was a plethora of Anime online for fans to watch.

Between 2006 to 2010, I took a so-called "pause" from most primetime shows and marathoned online streams of Anime. In addition, I started watching more of it on Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Fuse TV, Colours TV, IFC, SciFi, Starz, and wait for it... Chiller TV. 

After those networks stopped airing Anime except for Adult Swim, I continued to stream it online. 

Over these last 5 years, I am far behind on the latest Anime titles which released in Japan. 

Because you are a Horror fan like yours truly, I believe you would really enjoy the Horror Anime genre.

This concludes Part 1 of this Q&A blog. I am really surprised to see there were no Horror or music questions asked. Tomorrow, I will continue with Victor's question.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

What Are Anna H's Answers To Your Questions About Music, Anime, & Pets?

How's it going my gumdrops? Today I am answering more questions. Like I have said in the past, I normally reserve Q&A blogs for September 23rd. Next month, on the 23rd will be the 4th anniversary of It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns.

Since a number of my subscribers typically have a lot of questions to ask, I have been trying to decide if I should do Q&A blogs more routinely.

Here are 3 questions from Victor. Victor asks the following:

1) Have you ever listened to a song, that you liked but you can't remember the artist or name of said song and would get it stuck in your head for hours hoping to remember the artist's name?

2) What brand of anime do you like that are of your taste buds? (Dark Comedy, Horror, Gritty Grindhouse, mature shows, etc.)

3) Did you ever have pets when you were younger and wish you had seen them one last time?

These are excellent and fun questions to answer, Victor! I am actually glad that you asked them. To answer the following questions you asked:

1) Yes! This has happened, since childhood. You would be amazed at the many times throughout my life, that I have heard songs but didn't know, who sang them. This is something most of us listeners face at least once in our lifetime, I'm sure.

After watching commercials that advertise music compilations, if not watching a classic music video on MTV Classic (nowadays), I'll usually say either, "Oh! So that's who sang this song! I always thought it was ___," or something similar.

In fact, I was in the middle of watching MTV Classic the other night and saw the music video for the song "Broken Wings." I always thought it was Don Henley's growing up. It turns out it was Mr. Mister, who sang "Broken Wings."

Interesting enough, Mr. Mister DID actually go on tour with Don Henley, The Bangles, The Eurythmics, etc. during the 1980's.

Also, the Indie Grebo Industrial Rock band, Pop Will Eat Itself. For the last 2 decades, I never knew who sang the song, "Ich Bin Ein Ausländer," meaning "I am a foreigner"  in German. 

When 102.1's Radio DJ, Raven hosted her radio show, Industrial Nation on late Saturday nights, she played Industrial Metal and Electronica remixes of Rock songs. 

It wasn't until a year or 2 ago, that I learned the name of this band. To be more specific, Raven used to host her Saturday night show, Industrial Nation, in my hometown at New Rock 102.1, during the mid to late 1990's.

2) When it comes to Anime, I try not to limit genres and sub-genres. I watch a wide variety of Japanese animation meant for both genders, different age groups, sexual orientations, etc. both English subtitled and dubbed.

Lately, I haven't had as much time to watch as many as I used to because I'm busy both on and offline. I still have yet to stream xxxHolic in its entirety. However, I am currently watching JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Tokyo Ghoul, and re-watching Naruto Shippuden dubbed in English on Adult Swim's Toonami block.

If I had more time, I would stream Anime again. My biggest complaint about both Cartoon Network and Adult Swim these last 5-9 years has been, that both only care about Shonen Jump Action Anime.

Because of these restrictions, both networks have bred a lot of ignorant, entitled, and highly misinformed sycophants and zealots for fans in America.

Toonami only represents Action Animation specifically meant for teenage boys. It does not represent the female demographics. 

Those currently running Cartoon Network AND Adult Swim intentionally alienate most of their viewers regardless of their age and gender.

Colours TV was the only network that represented a wide variety of Anime genres for both genders. 

Even though Colours TV was a highly syndicated multi-cultural network, it STILL aired Shonen, Shojo, Comedy, Romance, Action, Mystery, etc.

Cartoon Network and Adult Swim could afford to tear a page out of Colours TV's book. Colours was EXTREMELY  lowly-funded. Although, those running it were still able and willing to air something for most types of Anime fans.

3) Yes, I've had 3 dogs and 4 guinea pigs, during my youth. I haven't owned any pets for the last 13 years. 

Pets require a lot of time, money, energy, and care. I always took care of my guinea pigs and they normally lived for at least 5 years.

After my last dog, Alexis had to be euthanized in 2004, I stopped wanting pets. I hate the fact, that my pets normally died around Christmas.

Who wants to wake up to dead pets on Christmas Day?

I sure as hell don't. I don't want to be in tears on Christmas Day because my pet died naturally or was euthanized without being told about it, until the very last minute.

I REALLY  wish I could've seen my dog, Mendy 1 last time before doing my high school final exams before Christmas Break, almost 2 decades ago. After coming home from school and learning, that he was euthanized, I cried my eyes out.

Hopefully, all 3 questions have been answered Victor. Since I mentioned Pop Will Eat Itself, here is their music video for "Ich Bin Ein Ausländer."

Pop Will Eat Itself "Ich Bin Ein Ausländer" Dos Dedos Mis Amigos (1994)

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Song Saturday: The Cure Block

How's it going my gumdrops? Sorry for my lack of presence. These last 3 weeks have been brutal. As you already know, I have been recovering from a minor head injury. In addition to my head injury, my right hand is swollen.

Let's all hope and pray that I don't spend this entire year enduring injuries. I'm already hating this new year. Hopefully, 2017 will be better than 2016.

Aside from my injuries, I joined another forum earlier this month. Tomorrow I will explain more about this forum for Cartoon Sunday. However, I will say that this particular forum has sub-forums for general topics outside of Anime.

Someone posted a thread on that exact message board about being Goth. Apparently, some of the posters have very little knowledge about what it is like being a Goth. For people, who knew and still know very little about me, I have always been Goth.

There is more to being Goth than wearing all black clothes and liking certain bands. If you are somebody with a dark, morbid, and creepy personality and interests, you may be Goth. Although, you're NOT  required to only like something with the "Goth" label attached to it.

Something everyone should understand is that being Goth is NOT easy. Since the time of the Columbine High School Massacre on April 20, 1999, the mainstream media has been demonizing and condemning Goths and the Goth Sub-culture.

Everyone should take most the negative stereotypes and depictions of being Goth in the media worth a grain of salt. Not all Goths are depressed, suicidal, and homicidal maniacs worshiping Satan, sacrificing anything and everyone, while ONLY dressed in black attire.

Yes, even though some Goths are Satanists, they do NOT  purposely go out their way to hurt innocent humans and animals like sociopaths. The same most definitely applies for Wiccans, who are Goths.

Yes, there are some of us Goths who generally have serious baggage. We are not any different from the average person with baggage. Also, Goths are NOT  required to be Pagans. 

We can be Atheist, Agnostic, Christian, Muslim, Pagan (Wiccan or Satanist), etc.

Because we may look and act differently and don't always share the same interests and views as most "normal people" do, we're automatically ostracized and condemned for not conforming to everything in society.

As I was saying earlier, we can like whatever we like whenever we like without having the "Goth" label. Goths are normally the most well-rounded, open-minded, accepting, and nicest people you will ever encounter in public. This cannot always be said about "normal" people.

If you would like to learn more about the Goth Sub-culture and its community, you may want to visit the website, What Is Goth?  This will give you a better explanation about what it's like to be Goth.

Last year, I published a blog about me being morbid, since childhood. If you would like to learn more about my "dark and morbid history," you can read it right HERE.

Speaking of being Goth on the latest forum I joined, I introduced that same group of posters to the pioneers of Goth Rock. 

It's amazing. Over the last 3 years, I already published Song Saturday blogs about bands such as Bauhaus, Siouxsie And The Banshees, and other Goth Rock bands.

All the while, I have never published a Song Saturday blog about The Cure. All this time and not a single Song Saturday blog about this Classic Goth Rock band!

For The Cure fans, today is your lucky day. This band has been around for nearly 4 decades and their sound has changed a lot over the years. Between 1980-82, they were more of a Goth Rock band in the sense that their music sounded darker and more ominous.

The Cure's albums, Seventeen Seconds and Pornography sounded much better than Faith, in regards to the the band's darker sound. Faith wasn't that enjoyable. I feel the best song on that album is "Carnage Visors."

To warn you in advance, "Carnage Visors" is literally close to a 30-minute song. It sounds like a really long Horror film score. If you'd like to listen to "Carnage Visors," go for it!

After 1982, The Cure evolved and crossed over as being Alternative and Pop-Rock. Most people don't hear the band's older and more obscure songs from the late '70s and early '80s. 

Therefore, I am sharing some of The Cure's older and more obscure songs with you for today's Song Saturday, including their song, which was originally featured on The Crow Soundtrack in 1994.

1) The Cure "The Final Sound" Seventeen Seconds (1980)

2) The Cure "A Forest" Seventeen Seconds (1980)

3) The Cure "Carnage Visors" Faith (1981)

 
4) The Cure "One Hundred Years" Pornography (1982)

5) The Cure "The Figurehead" Pornography (1982)

6) The Cure "A Strange Day" Pornography (1982)


[BONUS SONG:]

The Cure "Burn" The Crow Soundtrack (1994)

Friday, September 23, 2016

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns Q&A 2016 [3rd Anniversary]


How's it going my gumdrops? Today is the day! It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns turns 3, this year! 

After announcing that I would be publishing another Q&A blog for It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' 3rd anniversary, I seriously expected more questions from everyone on here and social media. 

Were you scared? Unsure where to submit your questions? Had no questions to ask? Do you believe you know everything about me (Trust me, you don't!)? OR Do some of you feel extremely indifferent/apathetic about me publishing another Q&A blog?

Lately, I have considered publishing Q&A blogs once a week besides publishing Song Saturday and Cartoon Sunday blogs. 

However, I try keeping Q&A blogs for It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' anniversaries like today. I consider these Q&A's as "intimate fall treats."

Some friends think they know EVERYTHING about me, when they really don't. I have always been a very complex and multi-passionate person. Sometimes it can be really difficult to decide if I should publish blogs about more different topics on It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns, or stay with the current topics.

Before this turns into a long-winded blog of my digressions, here is the Q&A for It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' 3rd anniversary.

Donald Clements' Questions: 

1) Within the blogosphere, who are the people you look up to and why? 

2) How big is your current following, and how has it evolved over the years? 

My Answers:

Donald, these are fantastic questions to have asked me. 

1) Marie Forleo and Tim Ferriss are 2 bloggers and authors I suggest checking out.

Watching, reading, and listening to Marie and Tim will be beneficial to you, if you need self-help, want to become a better writer, blogger, etc. Both are really multi-passionate (like MOI except they are more informative, useful, less moody, and snarky).

You can learn so much from them both, especially Marie Forleo. Marie is motivational and entertaining to watch on Marie TV. I always look forward to a good laugh. 

Meanwhile, I believe I have a little more in common with Tim on different levels. The man is an Anime and Metal fan, which makes him awesome when you are a fan of both. 

Tim Ferriss also has personal experience with overcoming adversity such as dealing with being suicidal, years ago. He turned his life into something positive. 

This is all the more reason to commend Tim Ferriss.

2) My current following is gradually regrowing but it is much like a revolving door.  

Having false support from social climbers, open and closet "haters," and opportunistic friends hurts me and my traffic.

If followers TRIED being more interactive, this would definitely help. I ALWAYS respond to comments day and night.

It has been a major struggle these last 3 years. 

The fact that The Xanga Team was divisive by dumping their money issues into our laps at Xanga 1.0 definitely hurt Xangans, including yours truly. 

The Xanga Team REALLY should've taken out a business loan or so rather than beg us for donations, relocate to WordPress as a platform, THEN make it mandatory to pay to blog.

I cannot count, much less remember all the sites I have joined to generate blog traffic and to rebuild my following over these last 3 years. With that being said, my current following is extremely niche and can be temperamental.

The moment I share my opposing views about something, they leave. If I shared my political views, they would NOT be able to handle it. That's why I stay apolitical.

Danni Darkness Questions:

1) What are the logistics of your website? 

2) What was it like working at a radio station?

My Answers: 

Danni, these are 2 more excellent questions! 

1) Readers/visitors must create an account, read my blogs and excerpts to my short stories, comment, and share them on social media or e-mail to friends.

Meanwhile, I am a 1-woman show. In case you have NOT already done so, you should read last week's Cartoon Sunday blog. 

In the preceding blog, I explained the discussions I had with Jonathan Ian Mathers, last week via Facebook.

Whenever I am working on these blogs, most of my time lately is spent on finding the right picture to upload to this site, in order to capture the topic or theme of my blogs. 

Then, I must decide which links, songs, and videos to share. Afterward, I start blogging.

I work on these blogs, while everyone is asleep in bed throughout the night and early morning. Editing anything always takes the most time. Once I am finished editing, I publish these blogs, type and send out e-mail blasts to all my subscribers, share on Facebook and around the Google Plus communities I have joined.

Sharing around Google Plus takes more effort because I must share my blogs to every social circle to generate page views, traffic, feedback, and followers. It would be so much easier and better, if all my subscribers actually commented on It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns and shared these blogs around social media. It's not like Xanga and Blogster where everyone is guaranteed to see these blogs.

2) Since 2002, I have always been a 1-woman show. During Fridays at 4-6pm Central, I hosted All Things Frightening. 

This was while attending and living on campus at UW-Parkside and commuting to Carthage College part-time for Japanese. My show originally broadcasted locally in Kenosha, WI and online. 

Due to FCC regulations, everyone at UW-Parkside's 101.7 WIPZ had to censor music live UNLESS they had a pre-censored CD. 

I usually carried my own CD collections to our campus radio station and played extra albums, that were already on campus.

Sometimes I seriously miss hosting my own radio show. I was able to discover other bands and expose listeners to music, that wasn't always played on traditional radio stations.

Hunter Gibson: Do you have a favorite movie and band?

Answer: Yes, I do and my favorites have always been very broad. 

If only I could narrow them down. As everyone knows, I am a Horror fan hence the Horror page I built with excerpts of my latest short stories.

Re-Animator, the original Carrie, The Crow, The Craft, Child's Play, Beetlejuice, and The Omen instantly come to mind. 

I enjoy movies from several other genres and sub-genres, but I always look forward to watching Horror movies from the 1970's to '90s.

During those decades, Hollywood filmmakers were actually more original and did NOT  remake every movie.

Lately, as for bands, I enjoy... 

Alien Vampires (they are actually an EBM duo), Lacuna Coil circa 1999-2002, Type O Negative, other Goth Rock bands like Bauhaus, Siouxsie And The Banshees. 

Stone Temple Pilots and KoRn from the 1990's were 2 of my favorite bands. So are White Zombie, Stabbing Westward, Gravity Kills, Fear Factory, Arch Enemy, Slipknot, and lots more.

Growing up, music especially Metal was my entertainment and my catharsis. Most people young and old do NOT  realize, that the 1990's had the most music genres and sub-genres compared to now. Today it seems as if Pop and Rap Music have merged and ONLY 1 music genre exists.

There are too WAY many bands to think of from the top of my head. I was already drawing blanks with your questions because I really had to think much HARDER. 

Great questions! Even though there were not as many questions from most subscribers this year, the few I did receive were excellent questions. 

Hopefully, there will be more questions similar to these next year for It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' 4th anniversary!

What are your thoughts? Did you like this year's Q&A blog? If so, let me know in the comments section below!