here is my mask

Cosmic Jester
pixelated jester of the cosmos

Updated January 26, 2004--New FAQ! More anime/manga listed!
This is the FAQ/about me site. Click the little Jester here to head down to the FAQ!

About the Webmistress

All about me! Real Name: I hate it, not telling.
Age: 21
Height: 5'9"
Weight: Too high a number, but falling.
Astrological sign: Pisces/Aries cusp.
Birthday: Send me money and/or anime.
Hair: Five inches below my shoulders and almost black.
Eyes: Golden jade rimmed by emerald.
Favorite Color: Uh, look around the website.
Favorite TV Show: I honestly don't watch much tv, but I love Stargate: SG-1.
Favorite CD: Trans-Siberian Orchestra, "Beethoven's Last Night".
Favorite Anime/Manga of all time, in alphebetical order:

Aa! Megami-sama! [Oh! My Goddess!], Akira, The Big O, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, Black Magic M-66, Cowboy Bebop, Cutey Honey, Darkstalkers [Night Warriors], Digi Charat, The Dirty Pair, Dominion Tank Police, Dragon Half, Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Galaxy Express 999, Ghost in the Shell/Ghost in the Shell: Man-Machine Interface, Gundam Wing, The Guyver, Hikaru no Go, Inu Yasha, Iria, Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu, Kodomo no Omocha [Kodocha], Kyuketsuki Miyu [Vampire Princess Miyu OAV and tv show], Lupin III, Macross Plus, Mononoke Hime [Princess Mononoke], Naruto, Ninja Scroll, Outlaw Star, Orion, Panyo Panyo Digi Charat, Pocket Monsters [Pokémon], Project A-ko, Ranma Nibunoichi [Ranma 1/2], The Record of Lodoss War, Rurouni Kenshin [Rurouni Kenshin, Samurai X], Sandland, Shaman King, Slayers, Slayers NEXT, Slayers TRY, Tenchi Muyo, Trigun, X [X/1999], Yotoden Samurai Troopers [Ronin Warriors], Yu Yu Hakusho [Poltergeist Report], Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters [Yu-Gi-Oh!].

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What the heck's a 'cosmic jester' anyway?
The reason I call myself the Cosmic Jester, besides my rather interesting periods of mania, is sort of a mean joke at my own expense. 'Cosmic' can mean either having to do with the entire universe or be describing something as being very large. A 'jester' was a person who entered into the service of a lord or king as an entertainer in place of the typical 'fool' and the two words came to mean the same position; a modern word held as a synonymn of 'fool' is 'idiot'. The joke of "Cosmic Jester" is that I could be the Jester of the Cosmos (meaning a happy, manic, punning entertainer to the universe), the biggest moron in the universe, or the fat idiot. Yes, as a matter of face I rather enjoy subtle humor. How'd you know?

Q. Why do you have two spellings of your handle?
A. The name "Cosmic Jester" came first, and "Kosmiku Jastaa" is a possible Japanese phonetic spelling of it. Technically it should be "Kosumiku Jasutaa" but that's too long for alot of free internet services. After stripping off two of the silent and soft U's except the one that makes the second K a hard consonent one has a fourteen character handle.

Q. So why "The Cosmic Masquerade"?
A. Too be honest I'm not really certain. Perhaps it's shorthand for my belief that no matter who you are or who's with you, humans always mask ourselves; sometimes wearing several masks at once. Life is a farce, really, where the masked players dance, caught up in the spectacle, believing in the masks around them. Or perhaps it's from more along the lines of a subconsious analogy to how I feel I don't belong in any social group. I cloak myself in bright colors and put on my show, pleading for attention... begging for friendship, for love. Or maybe I just like it because it sounds all philosophical and zen and makes one think. Or it could remind me of one of my favorite scenes in "Phantom of the Opera". In any case, don't try too hard to interpret my choices--odds are they're just random or far too complicated for a short explaination.

Q. Do you have MPD or something? Alot of the time you use third-person.
A. Jester isn't sure what exact mental and emotional illnesses Jester has, but MPD is not entirely ruled out. According to Jester's doctor Jester has regular depression, borderline personality disorder, and manic depression thrown in for fun. It's not bad, though--it's how Jester was able to become Jester!! ^_^

Q. What are some songs that are favorite to the Jester? :D [Submited by Kimiko]
A. Jester likes many songs, but currently Jester's theme song is "Happy! Smile! Hello!" which is the opening theme song to Panyo Panyo Digi Charat. Also favored are "Love Tropicana DELUXE" (the opening theme to Jungle wa Itsumo Hare Nochi Guu Deluxe), "Intuituin" by Jewel, "Scum of the Earth" by Rob Zombie, "Hella Good" by No Doubt, "Trogdor", "Everybody to the Limit: Live!", and "The System is Down" off the Homestar Runner CD, and "IEAIAIO" by System of a Down. My car radio is usually tuned in to a St Louis radio station that plays swing, jazz, and big band. Yes, I'm eclectic.

Q. How did you get started with writing and sketching?
A. Reading, writing, and drawing were my escapes as a child, and remain some of my favorite activities. I'm rather shy about my artwork most of the time, but in my Jester state I flaunt them. Go figure. I'm more of an author and poet than an artist anyway. My writing and poetry sections should be filling up shortly with samples. A word of caution, however; those that read my works often declare me to be one who has a certifiably demented sense of humor (and that's what my FRIENDS say, heh).

Q. What do you mean by "Jester state"?
A. After I get to a certain point in my depression I will either become self destructive or flip into an uber-genki outgoing persona which speaks in third person. This "self" is what I call my Jester state. It's quite interesting when it happens around family.

Q. When will you update [insert name of fic/project-of-choice here]?
A. Whenever the next chapter or piece is done, and not a moment sooner. There are certain exceptioons to the rule, such as "A Ninja in 20XX". That one is being held hostage at the moment; I refuse to even continue working on it until it recieves 10 constructive reviews.

Q. C'mon, tell me what's going to happen in your stories!
A. No. Next question?

Q. Why are there sketches and references to hermit crabs on your site?
A. My hermit crabs fill a void inside me where my ex-fiançé used to be before he left me for no apparent reason other than to shack up with some girl in Florida. The presence of my darling decapods on this site will soon be expanding.

Q. Why are your stories and poems so dark most of the time?
A. Writing is how I work through my issues, and believe me I have plenty. I often write when I'm depressed or numb, and getting out all the negativity makes me feel better. Although I also write alot when happy. Hee! I'm just a prolific writer.

Q. Has anyone really asked these questions?
A. Most of them, yes. And mostly in my real life.

Q. OMG u sukc!!1stop ur site1 pls die kthx [Recieved via email. Name withheld to protect the idiotic.]
A. First of all if you don't like my site you don't *have* to come back to it ever again. Secondly, you can kiss my ass. Sure, I'm not the best artist or web designer, but I'm certainly at least slightly talented or people wouldn't email me saying they love my icons and stories. Although my self-confidence and self-esteem are tenuous at best I've finally managed to get some after all the shit I've been through, and a loser who thinks sending me a flame will make me cry and shut my site down certainly can't take them away.

~/% Can you see the real me? Can ya? CAN YA?! %/~

No matter how crappy my stuff is it's still *my* stuff. Anyone found claiming my work as their own will be reported to the Proper Authorities and if necisary punished to the fullest extent of the law. It's not nice to steal other people's things. Didn't we all learn that in grammar school..? I do not own "A Ninja in 20XX", Chobits, Dragonball/Dragonball Z, Guyver, Harry Potter, Inu Yasha, Kyuuketsuki Hime Miyu, Mononoke Hime, Ranma Nibunoichi, Sinfest, X/1999, Pokémon, or any other well-known series whose names and/or images are found on this site. I use these names, characters, and images without permission and without profit as fanart, fanfiction, parodies, and 100x100 avatars. Please don't sue me--I'm just a fangirl.