Due to popular demand, I will be extending the contest deadline to Jan. 30th.

Well, there goes another year, and it was certainly an unusual one. Most of the years in my life are like rollar coasters, with varying ups and downs and the occasional loop. This year was more like Sheikra: a steady rise and then a drastic drop at the halfway mark. At the bottom of the slope, I realize that there is much uncertainty for me in this upcoming year, and I'm very anxious about it.

My grades slipped this last semester, so I know I need to buckle down and study harder.

My dog is 13 years old, and I'm terrified that she won't be with me much longer. She's been my emotional crutch for so many years.

One of my immediate family members keeps getting sick, and she isn't getting any better. I'm scared.

My grandmother is in the hospital, and she's my last grandparent. My mom is staying in South Carolina to be with her, and I miss her right now.

There is still a lot of tension between me and close friends, and I'm still distressed over it.

The country that I love is currently undergoing turmoil, and I have no idea what our future will look like.

My dad works for Wachovia (for those who don't know much about the American bank business as of late, Wachovia was recently bought by Wells Fargo), and he'll be finding out in the next few weeks whether he will keep his job or not.

In fact, I'd like to talk a bit about my father and his career, before anything happens. My dad, in my eyes, is an example of the American Dream, which is why his career (and him keeping it) means so much to me. My dad was born of two high school dropouts, one due to the Great Depression and the other due to WWII. His father was a humble barber, and his mother (I miss her terribly) worked various jobs. At times, they worked multiple jobs, to make ends meet. Through their hard work, they managed to send all four of their children to college, including my dad. They were first-generation college students, since their own grandparents were Italian immigrants.

My dad, at first, did not plan on attending college. He and his best friend John decided to be diving boat captains right after high school. My dad loved diving, and he still loves diving today (in fact, his desktop background is a picture of my mother when they were diving together in the Keys). However, his dream of owning a diving boat business was shattered when John was murdered by a drunk driver a week after graduation. My dad then had to apply for a community college.

After three semesters of working hard and getting good grades, my dad was accepting to the University of Tennessee. However, his parents were unable to pay for all of his tuition, so my dad had to work a job (sometimes two) on top of his studies to keep enrolled. Of course, his mother would send him $5 every weekend, so that he could eat out with friends.

My dad graduated as a Finance major, and he eventually got work at national bank (he had to work as an ice cream man before that). Eventually, my dad transferred to First Union (now known as Wachovia and within a year will be part of Wells Fargo), where he met and stalked (only for a couple days) a lovely woman whom he later married (aka my mom). The two of them, both Finance majors, were very wise about their investments, and so she was able to retire comfortably and raise four girls.

My dad, on the other hand, worked on to become Senior Vice President of Risk Management (Commercial) and Senior Underwriter of Wachovia, and is ranked #2 in Commercial loans for Wachovia. He is not particularly smart or gifted, but he is an earnest and honest man who has worked hard and efficiently throughout his career. Every time I meet one of his coworkers, they would always tell me that my father is really good at what he does. From modest, blue-collar backgrounds, he and his three sisters have become very successful, living with greater means than their parents did. To me, this is what the American Dream is.

Even if my dad loses his job because of the economic turmoil, I will still believe in the American Dream. I will still be incredibly proud of my father. My dad is confident that he can easily get another job with his resume, but he really does love his current job, and I hope that he will keep it.

Well, I certainly got a load off my chest. I'm still not sure how much work I'll be doing for my long-term art projects. Heck, I've been so distracted as of late that I haven't been able to finish any of the sketches I've drawn. I seriously have five sketches lying around, waiting to be finished or photoshopped.

Contest Theme: This contest is all about underappreciated characters. Characters like Naruto and Sasuke get plenty of attention; it's time to let other characters shine.

Prizes:
First Place- 3 month subscription, a feature in my journal, and a request art from me
Second Place- 1 month subscription and a feature
Third Place- A feature

Rules:
1. Multiple characters are allowed. However, certain characters are not allowed because: Naruto, any Uchiha, Sakura, Kakashi, any of the Akatsuki, the Sanin, Hinata, Shikamaru, Temari, Neji, Lee, and Gaara
2. No pairing fanart. There's plenty. ^^
3. All mediums are allowed. So, fanfictions, cosplays, 3D art, etc can be entered into the contest.
4. It must be a work submitted AFTER today. You can't submit old deviations. The purpose of the contest is to inspire more art.
5. It must be your own work. A wallpaper featuring someone's else's fanart or screencaps is not elligible.
6. No bashing of any character in your entry.
7. You can submit up to 2 entries.
8. Anyone can enter the contest. You don't even have to be a watcher to join.
9. Rules are subject to change during this week. I may have forgotten something, since I'm typing this at 2 am and I'm tired.

How to Enter
The deadline for entries will be January 30. Send me a note with a link to your entry if you wish to enter.

Voting
Voting will begin right after the deadline. Anyone can vote in the contest, even visitors who aren't watchers. Since I'm not the only voter, making a fanart of one of my favorites (like Shino) won't necessarily win the contest. It could win my vote, of course, but I'm not the only voter. So don't feel pressured to create something to appease just me.

Entries So Far (32)
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NEXT KIRIBAN: 250,000 PAGEVIEWS

My manga coloring: Shino, ch. 394

My fandom essays:
In Defense of DeiSaku
Deidara Character Analysis

*HatakeKelley's essays:
Countering Common Anti-NaruSaku Arguments
Ch. 386 Analysis
Deidara is Superior to Sasuke

Collab essay:
Why Yamato's Comment to Sakura Shouldn't be Dismissed
Debating the Common Arguements for NH/SS