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My Favorite Things: August 2015

August 5, 2015 by Anna — 19 Comments
Filed Under: Tag You're It!

Photo: Unsplash

Eep, I didn’t realize that I am due to do another MFT post. I should have checked the calendar and scheduled the previous post to be published sometime during the next coming weeks. Between this and my previous post.. they’re too close and they’re of the same concept. I hate that. Filler posts. 🙁

I’ll mark this experience as a lesson learned; definitely look into using those editorial calendars very soon.

Happy August, everyone! One more month ’til the -ber months roll in and before you know it, it’s Christmas season already. Actually, over here.. people start to anticipate for the Christmas holiday as early as September. We’re just that excited!

In my case, I am looking forward to those big storewide discounted sales around US shops like Amazon. 😉 What materialistic desires will I be able to cross off my list this year, I wonder?

For this month’s favorite things.. it will be an assortment of videos and apps that I find to be entertaining and useful. I thought of making separate posts for these a few days ago. But, nah, let’s just cram everything in a list in one post.. because lists are fun!

1. Kiwi, an Animated Short from 2006

According to YouTube, this video was uploaded in 2006. I remember the first time I saw this was around freshman year in college. Nine years later, it’s still a good, well thought of animated short in my book that makes me a wee bit teary eyed whenever I watch it.

The synopsis is very simple and basic (“Kiwi! is an animation about a Kiwi – a type of bird that cannot fly, who spends its whole life working towards achieving his dream.”), but when you watch the video – it’s very heartbreaking. Watch!

2. Jinxy Jenkins, Lucky Lou Animated Short, 2014

Staying up late has some perks sometimes.. you find yourself watching a loooot of random videos, both good and bad. Once in a while you find gems such as this one. Looks inspired by the movie Just My Luck, too! 😛 Cute story, cute animation above all.

Although I found myself thinking while I was watching that the guy represents the pessimist, while the girl is the optimist. And that.. it reminds me of animation classes back in school.

I would love to hear your thoughts after you watch the video (also with Kiwi)!

3. ‘Outlaw’ by Hilary Duff

It is such. a. shame. that I cannot find a full version of this song that I can easily share so everyone can listen to it legally. But here’s to hoping this snippet will be catchy enough for your sensibilities that you’ll be convinced to really look for it, if you know what I mean.

PS: It’s also not available on Spotify. 🙁

It’s one of those songs that should have been included in the tracklist of the regular album instead of a super hidden/bonus track off the hard-to-find edition of Breathe In, Breathe Out called Lovejoy. Sigh. Even All About You and Chasing the Sun are bonus tracks which should have been regulars in my opinion.

4. IV by The 1975 album

Hahahaha, it seems like The 1975 is insanely popular among my peers here. As for me.. I just started appreciating their music when the hype was gone and weeks after the band has left the country. There was a time that everyone was obsessed about them and I could not understand what was so special about them. Whenever I had the chance to listen to their songs, it sounds like the guy is just murmuring random words along with the music.

It doesn’t get better from there.. there were a couple of times I had misheard a lot of their lyrics too. I won’t elaborate specifically about this part but I’m sure you understand what I’m saying. 😛 Hmm, but when I’ve warmed up to their ~sound~, I found some nice songs to settle into. This is one of them.

Oh, I only like them for their music. I don’t know anything about the people (not even their names, lol) in the band, and I’d like to keep it that way. So yeah, if you’re rejoicing because you think you have found a 1975 fangirl, read again: I only like them for their music. 😛

5. Us The Duo

Same as The 1975, I found the appreciation for Us the Duo’s music just when they left the country, after they’ve done a lot of shows (even some extra shows confirmed at the last minute, just to accommodate more fans who wanted to see them during their stay here, AFAIK).

It’s nice to discover new music once in a while, but sometimes it sucks when you discover them in an inconvenient time? If I had known they were going to be here much sooner, I would have done the usual with musicians I like (go out of my way to meet them, get a signed CD, go to their show, etc).. but alas, I was.. unprepared. I haven’t been to any gigs lately!

Anyway, go listen to them. I’m sure you’ve heard of them and I’m probably the only one left who’s late to be an Us The Duo fan in the world. This is one of their songs from their album and it’s 2:33 of positive, happy, good vibes. 🙂 Hoping they’ll return soon, and when they do.. I’ll be ready.

6. ImageTransfer iOS App (free, $2.99 for premium)

I may do a more extensive review of this but basically what ImageTransfer does is transfer Photos and Videos from your iPhone/iPad devices to your computer and vice versa with ease through wifi. I love Apple and all but transferring sure is a hassle between phone to computer, why can’t they just enable Bluetooth transfer to work and not just to pair devices? 😐

Yes I could just Airdrop photos and videos, but unfortunately my laptop’s model, since it’s an old model, does not support iOS-Mac transfer via Airdrop. Also, Airdrop is not the most reliable in my experience. Sometimes it can detect the device, sometimes it can’t.

Similarly, in Android there is Airdroid that does the same functions and a whole lot more. ImageTransfer is only for Photo and Video transfer; this Android app can also remotely access your phone’s messages, contacts, gallery through wifi. You might want to give this app a try because of that feature. This is also what I used when I actively used my other phone before.

7. Sketch App for Mac ($99)

Aah, another app discovered because of work! If I were to describe it, I would say Sketch is like Adobe Illustrator specifically for website designing. Fonts load fast, no lags, fast rendering, and the guides are much intuitive and better than in Photoshop. There are also ready templates, for devices and mobile display sizes should you need to design a responsive website too.

For first time users (like myself), takes some time to get used to. I had to watch a couple of videos before I got the hang of using Sketch. Haven’t got to use this for leisure purposes though.. mostly just for work, but whenever I do, I find it enjoyable and fun to use.

Do you have a most favorite animated film (may be full length movie or as simple as a short clip)? Share it below!


My Favorite Things: A Blog Linkup

The Rules: Write an entry about your favorite things.

They can be anything — books, movies, gadgets, websites, food, whatever you’re feeling this month. There is no limit either. You can have just one favorite thing or twenty!

My Favorite Things: A Blog Linkup

Eirene of Sleepless Romantics is hosting this month’s link up, hence a change of header!

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Filed under: Tag You're It!

About the author: Anna

Internet lurker since the early 2000s. Blogger of So Stellar, an anything goes blog. Web designer @ AnnaEsguerra.com. Previously a concert addict who loved covering events for this blog. Currently on break as I'm focusing on health and recovery.. (More about Anna)

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19 Responses

  1. Janine Ella says

    August 9, 2015 at 3:13 PM

    I use dropbox for transferring my photos to my laptop ever since my laptop’s usb port stopped detecting my iphone’s usb cable! It actually works the same as imagetransfer, you can have your iphone photos transferred to your laptop through wifi. 🙂

    xo,
    ablissfulblog.com

    Reply
    • Anna says

      August 9, 2015 at 3:29 PM

      I have Dropbox too but I find it takes a long time to upload the photos from my phone to the Dropbox network that syncs with my desktop. :/ Also, my storage is limited there, haha.

      Reply
  2. Eirene says

    August 9, 2015 at 7:45 AM

    KIWI! D:!!!!!! Omg that scene with the tear huhuhuhuhu. IT’S LITTLE WINGS HUHUHUHU.

    I know I messaged you this already, but lol I have a lot of feelings about the Lucky Lou and Jinxy Jenkins. I don’t think it was more of the girl being an optimist/the dude being the pessimist. I think it was more of the girl leading a more charmed/easier life and so she kind of takes it for granted. So when things are going well for her, she’s more “eh” and prefers the ~challenges~ while the dude has lead a rougher life and is hesitant towards good things. I really liked it. (Also lol, really I read a lot of romance novels so I probably read more into that video than what was intended hahahaha.)

    Us the Duo sounds good! I’m listening to them on Spotify right now. They sound really happy lol. I guess they’re a good counterpart to The Civil Wars. Also, they’re not country-gothic like The Civil Wars haha.

    …. also what, why is there special Hilary Duff? HOW DO I LISTEN TO THEM????

    Reply
    • Anna says

      August 10, 2015 at 12:35 AM

      LOL I had the same reaction about his little wings. SUPER KAWAWA NIYA, NO?? 🙁

      Hahahahahaha wow daming feelings with that particular short ah. I actually liked reading your thoughts about it! I DARE YOU MAKE THAT ESSAY TOO. Kaso I might not be as madaldal about it. I just thought it was cute, though I haaaad a feeling na there are other, deeper interpretations to it. Di ko lang maexpress ng maayos because I ain’t no literary critic hahaha. Pero, yun, tama din pala ako, thank you for proving me right! 😛

      I’m glad you liked UtD!! Hahaha random find lang yan eh, as stated in the post nga.. salamat sa mga fumafangirl sa kanila LOL. Pero enjoy silang pakinggan kasi sobrang good vibes sila, no? The Civil Wars, the name looks familiar.. yep, pasok nga yang description mo. I have one song of them dito sa library ko. Aaaand now I will listen to their discography on Spotify! 😛

      Yeah I don’t get it either bakit naginarte si ate na may special edition pa siya. Di nalang ilagay lahat sa regular edition ng CD. I’ll email it to you! 😛

      Reply
  3. Raisa says

    August 8, 2015 at 2:45 PM

    NOOOO KIWI!! 🙁

    We also use Sketch for work. It’s so easy to import images from it! 😀 I don’t have to make the comps so I’m still learning my way around it, but it’s already much better than Photoshop for mockups!

    Reply
    • Anna says

      August 10, 2015 at 12:37 AM

      Totally agree with Sketch being -much better- than Photoshop. It is definitely faster than PS, for one! Haha.

      Half the time when I use PS, nauubos oras ko kakaantay for fonts to render. It starts to slow down kasi when I’m working on a file that has too many layers. With Sketch, that kind of thing is yet to happen. Haha!

      Reply
  4. Shellyyum says

    August 8, 2015 at 5:16 AM

    I’ve never heard of these things before, except I do know who is Hilary Duff. I used to listen to some of her stuff back in the day. Good list! ^^ I might check out these things.

    Reply
    • Anna says

      August 10, 2015 at 12:40 AM

      I highly suggest you do.. especially the videos. 😉 Takes less than 5 minutes hehe. You’ll feel a range of emotions in the end.

      Reply
      • Shellyyum says

        August 13, 2015 at 12:58 PM

        I love all the feels. I’ll definitely do this! ^^

        Reply
  5. Alissa @ TheWallflowerSecrets says

    August 6, 2015 at 8:42 PM

    I haven’t seen that animated short film before. After going through the comments, I will definitely check on them. I haven’t heard Outlaw cuz it was not on Spotify but thanks for mentioning it here! 🙂

    Reply
  6. JHANZEY says

    August 6, 2015 at 6:18 PM

    I was once told by a friend to watch Kiwi, but never got the chance to watch it. Thanks for the link tho hehehe 🙂 Imma watch it later when I get home!

    Reply
    • Anna says

      August 10, 2015 at 12:39 AM

      Sooo.. have you seen it na? DON’T FORGET TO LOOK AT HIS LITTLE WINGS. 🙁

      Reply
  7. Mikyu Maglasang // mikyu.com says

    August 5, 2015 at 10:31 PM

    I think I’ve seen that Kiwi video somewhere. But anyway, I was pouting while watching it again! I mean, you know, it’s really sad. It did everything it could to achieve its dream, and in the end… 🙁

    Reply
    • Anna says

      August 10, 2015 at 12:39 AM

      You’ve been around the internet for a long as I have (maybe longer).. for sure you’ve seen this na. Unang kumalat yan nung time ng Plurk eh. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kalliste says

    August 5, 2015 at 7:31 PM

    I loved Kiwi! I remember the first time I watched it, wondering why he would nail trees into a mountain and then obviously it clicks and is so sad. Poor Kiwi.

    Reply
    • Anna says

      August 5, 2015 at 10:31 PM

      I love that it doesn’t hit us about what just happened immediately until after a few seconds when the clip ends. </3

      Reply
  9. Nana says

    August 5, 2015 at 1:43 PM

    I lovee Kiwi too. The ending is so sad though T___T I just watched “Jinxy Jenkins, Lucky Lou” and omgg IT’S SO CUTE. The music is so uplifting and that pianos scene was so random, I love it hahahah XD

    The song by 1975 is really chill :O Even though I don’t understand what they’re singing for most of the song, that cute piano tune is so soothing!

    Have you heard of Domics? He makes animations on youtube. His videos are so simple, yet very original and funny haha. This is his most popular (and my fave) video of his XD https://youtu.be/Qmkn59N5SDg (psst it’s about butts LOL)

    *edit: oops sorry, you asked for animated films.. uhm, well that video is not a film but it’s an animation, so that sorta counts right? haha > < My fave animated full length movies are Wall-E, Rise of The Guardians, Frozen, and Up. (I knoww I'm forever a kid heh..)

    NANA’S NOTEBOOK – personal, food, travel & beauty+

    Reply
    • Anna says

      August 5, 2015 at 1:54 PM

      Aahhh I’m glad you watched Kiwi! It’s a really old video but I’m still hoping it would get viral around this time. Haha! Agree with your comment about Jinxy Jenkins, Lucky Lou.. same sentiments. 😀

      Lolll I’m relieved that other people see it as well.. that whatever the guy is singing seems to be hard to understand. Phew! 😛 I may have liked it more because of the piano tune in the background, too.

      OMG YES! I love Domics and I hate myself for forgetting to mention him! Lol. His style is simple, but the story behind the videos is what makes his videos more valuable and as good as these expensive animated films in terms of quality. x)

      The butt video is my least fave though, sorry! Haha I’m not a butt person. Retales is my favorite. The way he tells is SO hilarious, but I sympathise with him and get the feeling (have never worked in retail but the mess customers leave for retail staff to clean after is a nightmare I’m sure).

      How could I have forgotten to mention Domics?! *d’oh* Maybe it’s because he hasn’t uploaded a new video in months… or am I not subscribed to his page in this account I am currently logged on into YouTube lol that’s why I missed it. :<

      Thank you for mentioning him.. going to check if he has something new! (Loool at my super long response, mostly about Domics xD)

      Reply
    • Anna says

      August 5, 2015 at 9:47 PM

      Yes, those movies count! I’ve seen them except for Up and Rise of The Guardians. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂

      Reply


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