If you're looking for any really deep thoughts, then you've come to the wrong place. However, if you're looking for simple opinions on ordinary, mundane things, then you've come to the right place.
It's the start of a new year, and I'm going to start something new here: an annual state of the website address. I'll let you know what's going on, what will be going on, and what will likely not be going on any time soon. So, on to the address!
With all the outside distractions that reality throws at me, I've been lax in doing a lot with the updates. My book reviews have tapered off, the fanfiction has stalled, and I've practically stopped doing monster movie reviews. It isn't because I haven't wanted to do these things--believe me, I want to--but simply because there never seem to be enough hours in the day or days in the week to get all of these things done promptly. Which means that when I finally have time to do the reviews, I've already forgotten a lot of what I saw or read and therefore must go back and reread or re-watch the book or movie. Which of course takes more time, and I'd much rather spend my free time doing something new (as in watching new movies or anime or reading new books) than going back and doing something over again. Of course, I never get around to reviewing the new things either, so I have all these books and movies piling up, waiting for reviews. Can anybody say "overload"?
Of course, having a part-time/full-time job doesn't help any. I spend much of my day helping students improve their reading skills, so when I'm at home, I'm really too tired to pick up a book of my own. You'd think I'd have time to do movie or anime reviews then, right? Well, that stalls too because I'm so tired that I usually doze off in the middle of the movie. Either that, or something else comes along to distract me from the movie, or simply keep me from watching the movie or anime at all. Lately it's been my work on Pokemon Gold and Silver. As I mentioned once before, I try to raise all my Pokemon to the same level before moving on to the next town/route/challenge, so even though I've had the games since October, most of my Pokemon are only at level 25. For those of you who know about the Unowns, you know how difficult it is to battle with them, and it costs too much to put them in daycare for that long. So...that's another distraction. It's maybe not as legitimate as being at work all day, but it's there.
Now, let me fill you in on what's going on with the website as it is.
Astral Animations and Astral Animations Galleries: I'm still updating this section, though not as often as I'd like. I've been watching a lot of anime, so it's there for me to review. It's just that I haven't been reviewing it. Bad Xerxes! On the other hand, I've a lot of the anime I've been watching have belonged to series like Fushigi Yuugi or Maison Ikkoku and I'm not sure yet how I'm going to review those. So that's part of the problem, too. As for the galleries, those probably won't be expanding anytime soon. I simply don't have enough space at my website to post more pictures (not at the size they're at) without buying more space, which is definitely out of the question. So, until Yahoo! Geocities gives its homesteaders more space or until I get a new website with unlimited space, we're stuck with only three galleries. On the other hand, since Fake seems to be so very popular with my visitors, you can't really complain, right?
Starfire Reviews: This has been updated regularly, though with varying success as to the number of reviews per update. I know, I promised to always have at least three. Sorry! But I explained why this has fallen off. I'll try to get a lot of reading and reviewing done during each vacation that comes up so the updates won't be quite so slender, all right?
Celestial Contemplations: Well, I'm updating this now, so what are you worried about? Seriously, though, I'm at a loss of what to write about. I can't write a whole lot without plummeting into politics and stuff, which is something I don't want to do. As a result, the only things I'd like to write about are so specific that it's highly likely no one will want to read about it. I'll keep trying, though. And of course, there will be one of these addresses at the beginning of each new year.
Starfire Fanfics: I'll continue with these as much as I can, but these, too, will depend on how much time I have to write, and how much time I'm able to spend on editing. But hopefully you'll enjoy the finished, polished product. In the meantime, there's still the two complete stories that you can read and enjoy. And yes, I will hopefully get around to adding links to each previous and subsequent chapter so that you don't have to keep going back to the main page, okay?
Corridors of Communication: Now, this is a slightly harder section to update since it depends heavily on someone other than myself to complete. However, I am still working on obtaining interviews with authors here and there, and possibly with other interesting people as well. Wish me luck, okay?
Monster Mania: I'll continue working on this one as well, just as soon as I can re-view my Godzilla movies. See, I've been watching some of the newer ones fairly regularly because my younger cousins really enjoy it. I'm trying to keep the reviews in chronological order according to the movies, though, so it's a little convoluted and involved. I'm working on it!
Galactic Theater: This has, as you've seen, been updated relatively frequently, with a particularly large update back in October. I may revamp the page, though, since the layout is rather long. Maybe I'll put it all in tables again. Well, we'll see.
Starfire's Verses: Well, what can I say? I can only write poetry when the mood hits me, and if I'm not at the computer when the mood hits, the verses don't get written. I suppose I could try writing things down on paper and then transcribing the whole thing, but where am I going to find the time to write something down on paper? I'm a much faster typer than writer, so it's a problem. But, having been awarded for some of the writing at my site, which includes the poetry, I will keep trying to work on this.
Cosmic Tomes Bazaar and Stellar Video Outpost: These, too, have been regularly maintained, and that's not going to change. With any luck, though, they'll be joined by another store or two, and the whole thing combined into one section. It all depends on how much time I have to prepare the overall pages, though.
Starfire's Legend of the Pages and Starfire's Mission: These will stay as is, at least until I have a chance to reevaluate the pages' contents.
Starfire Scanning and Starfire's Special Feature: I haven't been updating or using either page lately, so I'm going to start phasing them out. It will take a while to change all the page links, so just wait for it.
Spatial Rings, Wards of the Pages, and Luminary Awards: No changes foreseeable...although that may change if I decide the layout doesn't quite work. On the other hand, I think I'll probably split up the rings across several pages instead of all on one. You know, according to interest like one for reading rings, one for anime rings, etc.
Tome of Visitors and Old Tome of Visitors: Nothing to change here, although eventually I'll probably have to shift more pages out of the current guestbook into the older one. Maybe.
I think that's it. Of course, I may change my mind about all of this later on, or I may come up with something new as the inspiration hits. But that's the whole idea, right? To change and grow. Well, that's my goal anyway, to constantly update and improve my site so that it remains interesting yet easily accessible and comfortable to visitors as well as true to myself. So, wish me luck, and we'll see what 2001 brings!
I don't know if this has prompted any deep or interesting thoughts in you, but if you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to send me an e-mail. I'm generally up for any debate and maybe--just maybe--we can start some sort of regular exchange of thoughts.
Comments? Suggestions? E-mail me with your words of wisdom. I'm up for a hearty e-mail debate if you are!
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