Ramblings of a Crowe

Week 1: The Torment Begins

Today I finished my first full week of my "New Healthy Life" attitude.

My entire friggen body hurts... (^_^)

But it's a good pain, so I don't mind. I went to the gym five days this week, which was really cool, considering I've been so damn busy with work and other stuff I was worried I wouldn't be alboe to find the time. I even went today, on a Saturday. I've always avoided weekends, thinking they'd be busy, but there was hardly anyone there!

With some coaxing from Mikey today, I tried out one of those stair-stepper thingies. OMG, it requires multi-tasking! *laughs* It was a bit akward at first, but once I found a rythem, I really enjoyed it! That machine really makes you sweat, but it did hurt my knee a bit. I have an old softball injury with my left knee, and thanks to a hyperextension and knee cap reallignment, I have little to no cartiledge left beneath that kneecap. So, it hurts when I do certain exercises. Also, the treadmill is out of the question, thanks to a work related injury that disconnected my tendon in my right ankle from the boney groove it's suppose to slip through while I walk. Now the tendon rubs over the bone like a rope across a wire...not pleasant. However, it oddly only bothers me when I walk on a treadmill or have to push things for a long distance. Thankfully, doctors have told me that if I strengthen the muscles in my legs to compensate, I shouldn't have to have surgury anytime soon. So, the pain is all for a good reason.

The stairstepper was fun...though I got really nervous when I first got on it. Mike had to tell me to calm down and relax. Once I did, it was much easier on me. It's funny, but monitoring my heartrate from day one has shown me how much stress can mess with your blood pressure. The first few days I was at the gym, my heartrate was really high, but the more comfortable I got being there, the more it dropped. By friday, I was totally relaxed, feeling secure about being there. I guess new stuff still scares the hell out of me...*laughs*

I still haven't touched junk food or pop. Infact, I went out and bought a bunch of fruits and veggies to have at the house. I haven't even craved sugar, chocolate, or caffiene.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how the first week went. I know it will be hard, but I'm having more fun with this than I expected! I even had enough energy to go out and play tennis with Hunter today!

Yay! (^_^)

Making Changes...

There comes a time in life when you have to step back and seriously evaluate yourself. If you don't do that, I think it's far to easy to stray off the beaten path and become a habitual sheep. It's take me three years, but I finally sat back and took a good, long look at myself.

I'm such a slob.

Seriously. I'm messy and I don't do a damn thing but go to work and come home. When did I become like that? I use to never be idle. I HATED sitting around doing nothing...but now, that's all I do. Oh, I have my hobbies I certainly enjoy, but I miss playing sports, going to areobics, being 20 pounds lighter (heh), meeting new people....When did I become such a recluse? When did I stop caring about my health? When did I start disliking people so much?

And why?

I guess none of that really matters much. It won't change things, but I decided mid last week to move ahead and put some certain aspects of myself into perspective. Things need to change...NOW....no more of this "Oh well" attitude. That's so not me...Once, I was outgoing, fun, and lively...I miss that part of myself...Once I was in super good shape (areobics three times a week, gym everyday, bicycling on the weekends...seriously...I was obsessed)...I worry about my health, especially since I had the surgry to remove that cancerous lesion several years ago, not to meniton I see my mother and her health and I don't want to be like that. I see my son, playing tennis twice a week and Tae Kwon Do three times a week, with the occasional baseball clinic or wrestling clinic in between...I was like that when he was young...I was like that through highschool and into college...

What happened doesn't matter...I can't begin to guess...all I know is that I've started moving forward and setting goals for myself. I have things I want to do, places I want to see...and with a bit of effort, I can do anything...Somewhere a long the line, I've forgotten that...

So, I went back to the gym on Monday...I've been three days out of this week, with plans to go tomorrow on lunch break and Saturday after work. At home I lift weights (not heavy ones, since I tend to pack on muscle easily and I don't want to be one of those buff chicks you see on the fitness channel). I want to join Karate Lessons in a few months, when I'm more comfortable being around large groups of people again. When I joined the gym, I was scared to death of going by myself, so when my friend quit, I stopped going too...I don't know why I'm so nervous around people now, I never was like that before. Talking to strangers was so easy for me, but now I'm learning those skills all over again...Thankfully, my good friend Mikey (and personal trainer) has been nothing but supportive and encouraging...I really appriciate his help and concern (despite the fact I pick on him relentlessly at work...ha ha).

Maybe it's some sort of strange regression...When I was a kid, everything terrified me...but as I got older, I lost a lot of fear...To tell the truth, I'm was pretty fearless for awhile...Nothing scared me and I welcomed challenges. Now I hide from them, tucked away in my house or at work...

I'm more competant than that. I'm more alive than that...

I'm so pissed at myself for becoming the way I am now...It ticks me off...but instead of sitting on my ass moping about it, I decided I'm going to do something about it. Turning that angry energy into something useful has certainly helped me so far...In the past week and a half, I've been more awake, full of energy, raring to go every day...I'm not tired...I'm not grumpy...I'm less nervous....

I expect lots of people are expecting me to fail in my new found endevour.

Well...Screw you...

My other friend Mike ( I distinguish my "Mike friends" by using Mike and Mikey to address them) made a comment to me the other day when I told him about what I was planning. We were out at the mall, searching for tennis stuff for Hunter and he asked if I'd like to go out to eat. I said sure and suggested Sheri's (not for it's great food obviously, but it is cheap). He was surprised and expected me to say something like Taco Bell or Burger King...I told him I had given up on fast food, junk food, crap food, all of it, and had no plans to touch it again. He laughed and said "We'll see how long that lasts." I was startled at first, but then not surprised. As much as I adore Mike, he's never very supportive, though he honestly doesn't mean any harm. He just says what's on his mind without thinking first. Still, I did get pissed at him and as we got in the car I told him "Nevermind, I should just go home, since I'm not very hungry anyway." And I went home...end of story.

Stuff like that pisses me off. I don't expect anyone to be rooting for me or encouraging me (though it's nice once in a while), but if you can't say something nice, keep your yap shut.

It's not like I'm 400 pounds...no where near it...but I miss being in shape. Getting back to the 160 pounds I use to be won't be easy, but it's do-able. (Note: I'm 5'8" and built like an ox anyway, so 145-160 is my target weight...I'll shoot for the upper end of the scale so I don't look like a skeleton). I like this challenge...it's given me something positive to shoot for and opened a lot of doors for me as well...

My main goal...I want to take martial arts classes like my son. *laughs* I don't know why, but I think it would be good for me. I am an aggressive person by nature, and I think learning some patience, control, and confidence would do me a world of good. Not to mention it sounds like a great way to expend excess fusteration and energy, as well as stay in shape. Even more so, it sounds like a lot of fun. For the longest time I thought I was too old to do those sorts of things, but my cousin and his wife (who are only a couple years younger than me) have been doing Tae Kwon Do (right Jeff???) for awhile now. They sound like they have a lot of fun doing it, especially Glenna! I admire that...but that's a step I'll have to take later...though my mom is all for it! *laughs* And Hunter things it would be cool!

Anyway, all these prospects excite me, and for the first time in several years, I'm actually excited to get up in the morning. My days are no longer dull and monotonous. Perhaps I finally got to bored with my life. It was bound to catch up with me, I'm not an idle person...I wasn't meant to be. I'm glad I realize that now...

However, I won't be giving up my enthusiasim for anime, manga, Japanese, or drawing anytime soon. If anything, I have more energy to spend on them now, and they are things I'll do when I'm at home with time on my hands. I recently ordered Bleach 2 and Naruto 4...which should be here next week! Yeah, everyone should read Bleach!

Well, time for bed, got to be up early tomorrow!

(Ugh, it's nearly 9pm and still 100 degrees outside)

Angry Iraqis

It seems that in our media, here in the US, the Iraqi conflict is being swept under the rug by coverage to political conventions and election "propaganda." To tell you the truth, I'm far more interested in what's going on over there than what that moron Kerry and his even bigger moron wife has to say. To think, I actually thought about voting for him!!! Alas, I'm stuck with the question "Who will I vote for?" thanks to the lack of competent candidates. Even more strange, I find myself leaning to Bush, which scares the hell out me because I can't stand his foreign policy...but I have come to hate and distrust Kerry even more...

Anyway, I haven't relied much on our media anyway for correct and informative news. Media is worthless, no matter what country your in. It's all about money, ratings, and destroying people. Whatever makes the story, right?

For Iraq views, I've been reading the blogs of many Iraqis, fully aware that they are indeed biased, but I think they give us a clear and truthful out look on what it really going on over there inside the society. Yesterday, I opened up Iraq the Model and was startled to see vehniment posts by Mohammed and Ali regarding terrorists and the governments who have bowed to terrorists threats. Over at Hammorabi, Sam shows off the use of English profanity as he expresses his disgust for these so called "freedom fighters." Earlier in the week, Najima posted pictures of the bullets that went through her house. It gives a person a perspective of what's going on there, though personally, I can't imagine what it would be like to have shots fired through my house and into my wall! And from a soliders perspective, CBFTW gives us first hand info on what it's like to be stationed in Iraq, deal with the people, fight with the terrorists, see carbombings and suicide missions carried out, etc.

I am still torn on the idea of our troops being over there, though after following these people's plight as well as many others, I think part of me feels we should help them. I still am pissed about Bush making a debotchery of the whole ordeal and lying to the public. I'm pissed that our government and several other governments created a horrible mess while gathering information. I'm just pissed about the whole thing in general...but perhaps, being there will give these people the back bone and spine the stand up on their own. I suggest reading their blogs, if not to gain some non media insight, but to gain some understanding that not all Iraqi's are peace hating, American loathing, reglious fanatics who jump about on cars and drag bodies through the streets (like our media portrays).

*****ON ANOTHER NOTE*****

"Manhunt" a violent and bloody videogame has been pulled from the shelves in Britain after a teen killed another teen and then his parents blamed the game on his murderous tendancies.

Of course, personally, I think games like this are stupid and uncessisary, but then again, I don't have to play them nor do I have to let my son play them. That's why there's a rating and description on the back of the box. So, I'd like to say to these parents this:

No. It wasn't the game's fault your son blugeoned another kid to death with a clawhammer. Your son is fucked up in the head. End of story. Also, you as parents, are fucked up too, since obviously you didn't realize how screwed your son was and didn't get him proper help. I imagine your parenting skills aren't to hot either, letting him play these games while his sense of reality and morality were so out of whack. Let's give credit where it's due, okay? It's YOUR fault for not being attentive parents. It's YOUR son's fault for being a nutball.

People like these make me sick, blaming and finger pointing when the blame lays with them. It's called being accountable, something the world seems to have forgotten...

Morons...

Thank God...someone finally wrote a book about it!

*GASP* Discipline my kids? In this day and age? The idea is absured! That's not my job as a parent! The school, chruch, youth group, my neighbors dog is responsible for that stuff. I'm just too busy to deal with that in this day and age.

This is the mantra from many parents today. It's this thinking that has spawned an entire pelthora of self-centered, narrow minded humanbeings, not to mention become the main line of self defense for lazy parents to place the blame on everyone but themselves when the children go wrong.

Thank God someone other than Dr. Spock wrote a book about child discipline. One that means something and makes sense.

Congrats on #6 Lance!

Congratulations Lance Armstrong! Today you've made history and proved to the world that you are indeed a phenominon in the world of sports. More importantly, you've also given hope to people across the globe and sent your message loud and clear. Livestrong and fight like hell! Anything is possible! Thank you Lance. You are an inspiration to many people, cancer survivors and many, many others.

****

Today, cyclist Lance Armstrong went down in history as the first man to win the Tour de France 6 times. Even more astounding is he did it six times in a row! Everybody said it was impossible. It had been tried many times, by some of the most awesome cyclists in history such as Eddie Merckx, Jaques Anquetil, and Bernard Hinault, but the all failed to go beyond five.

The Tour de France has been called the most grueling sporting event known to man. At 3391KM, with nearly 200 riders and 20 grueling stages, this race pushes the contestants to the very limits of their bodies over a three week period. Over the three week period, most cyclists will consume over 100,000 calories, partake in skin peeling crashes, bruised muscles, ruptured internal organs, fight off crazed fans that literally flow into the road, and climb some of the most wickedly steep peaks in Europe. Many drop out, unable to contend with the stress on their bodies and minds. Others will succumb to serious injuries. By the end of the race, only half or less of the riders will remain. The Tour isn't for the weak of heart, and it demands that the contestants be in the best of shape.

In 1996, the world said Lance Armstrong would never race again. He was diagnosed with stage 4 testicular cancer. By the time he discovered the disease, it had spread to his abdomen, lungs, and brain. He underwent surgury twice. Once to remove the diseased testicle and then again to remove lesions on his brain. Soon after, he started on a severe regimine of chemo that burned his skin from the inside out, left him bald, and drastically changed the muscular structure of his body. His chances of living were less than 3 percent (he learned later from his doctors). Most tagged him as a dead man, the rest said that if he did miraculously recover, he would never ride a bike again.

They were wrong.

"If you can move, you're still alive." Those are the words he told himself over and over again while he was sick. He refused to be bedridden. He refused to stop riding his bike until he was so sick from chemo that he had no choice, but even then, he wouldn't ride in a wheelchair, even if it meant he had to walk for an hour to get to where he was going.

Like everything else in his life, Lance saw cancer as a competitor. He talked to it, gave it a name (The Bastard), and swore he would not succumb to it. Those who said he was finished only fueled his desire to win, and he fought like hell to prove them wrong. Shortly after starting chemo, Lance's HCG levels began to drop drastically (HCG is the marker used by the doctors to measure the cancer inside the body). The numbers kept falling. Drastically. His doctors were amazed, stunned even.

In December 1996 he took his last chemo treatments and went home. However, his even with his success, he was left a nervous wreck. Uncertain if the disease would return or not, afraid to ride his bike, Lance was left in a sort of limbo. Still, he felt obligated to share his experience with the world and he started a foundation to support cancer survivorship and research. He called it Livestrong.

Once Lance decided to ride again, he found himself shunned by the cycling world. His old team, Confidis had terminated his contract after sending a representive to see him while he was at the sickest point of his chemo. They assumed he would die, and made a business decision to part ways with him, despite publically announcing they would stand by him to the end. Teamless, Lance struggled to find someone to take him on, and the blackball against him only aided his fervor. Again and again he was told he would never ride the way he did in the past, that those days of victory were finished. He would prove them all wrong again and make them pay for it to boot. US Postal took the chance and signed him.

His comeback wasn't immediate. Still plagued with fear of the cancer returning, Lance seasawed back and forth between wanting to race and wanting to retire. He quit the race in Paris-Nice, packed up, and headed for Austin, declaring he was finished. For awhile, he did nothing with himself, besides playing golf and watching television. His friends and wife convinced him to enter the US Pro Championships as a final race, and his manager took him to the Appalachians to train. It was there that he learned to love to ride again, and decided to return to racing.

Cancer had reshaped his body, changing his muscular structure compeletely. He was no longer the heavy, top heavy ex-triathlete, but instead a lean, light cyclist. His new wieght and frame accomidated his sport incredibly. Combined with his body's unique ability to stay the build up of lactic acid in his muscles (to that of 1/4 the normal human) and maintain a freakish heartrate understress, Lance was made to cycle. But it he hadn't only changed physically, but mentally as well. Cancer had shown him the big picture of life. He wasn't invincible. He could be defeated. He was human.

The diseased matured him in more ways than one. He became a tactical rider, instead of his pre-cancer days of being brash, cocky, and reckless. He began to train, and while other riders were off playing during the winter months, Lance was busy riding in the rain, sleet, and snow (he actully rode L'Alpe D'Huez four times in one day). He was pouring over numbers and data, sleeping in an altitude tent, wieghing his food before he ate it. He became obessive about his equpiment, measuring, wieghing, testing...trying to find ways to shave off seconds from his time. He was one of the first riders to use windtunnel testing to improve his form, to test his data. Racing took on an entirly different meaning to him...it wasn't just about riding anymore.

In 1999 he won his first tour. People said it was a fluke. In 2000, he won again, taking the cycling world by surprise. Alegations of drug use began to surface, though Lance had denied using performance enhancing drugs vehnemently. "I've been to the brink of death. I've seen that reality. Why would I put something in my body that could possibly kill me?" Why work so hard to survive, only to take drugs that could kill you? It maked no sense, but the press and media didn't care. No one who'd been a sick as Lance could possibly make a come back as miraculous as he did. A cancer survivor couldn't compete unless he was taking something. He soon found himself the most tested athlete in the world, and each test came back clean. He had people knocking on his door at the break of dawn, telling him to piss in a cup. French reporters rummaged through his trash, searching for something to seal his guilt (he actually moved out of France due to harrassment from the French press and this year, a French TV channel tried to break into his hotel room). Despite finding nothing, people swore he was taking something that wasn't yet tested for.

They're right. It's called hard work. It's called determination. It's called will power. The media loves a failure. It makes a great story. To see Lance Armstrong go down for drugs would be the story of the year in sports. People have written books about his use of EPO. He's been smeared in the press. He's been spit on by fans. He's had death threats sent to him. The world hates heros, but they love to hate a liar. To answer them, Lance won again in 2001, 2002, and 2003...but the speculation continued to pour in.

However, Lance is unphased. If anything, anomosity seems to drive him to win even more. His attitude is stubborn, and there's a vengeful streak in him. Just ask Simeoni who learned first hand what it means to piss Armstrong off. He was denied a break-away when Lance chased him down personally and ushered him back into the pelaton this year. The two have a standing legal dispute, where Simeoni is suing Lance for calling him a liar after he told athorities that a certain doctor aquatience of Lance's was distributing perfromance enhancing drugs to athletes. Simeoni also told the press that he "only wanted Lance to come clean and tell the world the truth," insinuating that Armstrong himself does drugs(we might want to note that Simeoni was suspended for three months for using EPO himself). After bringing Simeoni back into the pelaton, Lance was thanked by many other cyclists (even laughed with Ullrich after the incident), who find Simeoni to be an unpleasant, self-centered competitor who likes to point fingers at other cyclists. Armstrong stated he was "looking out for the intrest of the peleton," when asked about his shocking move to riegn in Simeoni. Of course, the press took the story and smeared Armstrong, calling him a selfish champion who denied a lesser cyclist the opportunity to win.

All the bad press. All the assumptions. All the hatred seems to only fuel Lance's desire to win. He devours his opponants, bearing down on them like a powerful machine. When they see him coming they either pedal harder, determined to try to stay away from him, or they give up and fade away. Armstrong strikes fear into the hearts of other riders. So much that the other break away riders in the Simeoni inicident told Simeoni to leave the group and return to the pelaton. If Lance was going to stay on his wheel, they knew none of them had a chance of winning the stage. During the time trial of L'Alpe D'Huez, German fans spit loogies into Lance's face. They swore at him. Wrote "Fuck Lance" across the road. Drew pictures of needles and syringes with the words EPO. Lance won the stage, passing Ivan Basso. The next day, T-Mobile's German rider Kloden made a mad sprint for the win, followed by Ullrich and Lance's team-mate Landis. The stage win meant nothing to Lance, who was secure in his yellow jersey, but he later said "I remembered a few of those loogies in the face and thought to myself 'He's not winning this'." Eveyone thought Kloden had the win in the bag, even the commentators on television, but Lance made a massive sprint, closing the gap in a matter of seconds, and won the stage by a half length. "That win was for them," he said later, referring to the German's who behaved so disgustingly the day before.

Don't mess with the "Boss".

One needs to remember the history behind Lance and his European "friends," and perhaps we can see where a lot of his animosity and finger pointing began. The French love the second best. They enjoy seeing the suffering of their main men, such as Thomas Voeckler, who is undoubtably a courageous and amazing young man. Lance is virtuously unemotional while riding. He keeps his poker face the entire ride, and it appears he's not feeling any pain. He assures us that's not true, however. Also, the bad blood between himself and his old team, "Confidis" plays a part as well. After his first win during his comeback, he walked by his former team, who left him for dead, and said "That one was for you." To most Europeans, he's brash, arrogant, and typically "American", whatever that means. He speaks his mind and isn't afraid to complain if he feels something is unsafe or unfair. He's not afraid to fire insults back at those who attack him either. Finally, we have to remember that cycling is a European sport. Competitive Americans are virtually unheard of, but are now beginning to take a solid foot hold in the sport. It must be insulting to our neighbors to have their own sport ripped out from under them by us uncivilized, clumsy Americans. Not to mention the French haven't had a tour winner since the late 80's ( I would keep and eye on men like Voeckler, however).

Everything aside, Lance is an incredible athlete. The speculation will continue to roll in. Even the legendary cyclist Greg Lemond has publically stated he believes Lance to be a "doper". However, many shrug off Greg's allegations as jealousy, since Lance has upsurped his "legend" status by miles. Some top dogs just can't make room for new blood. Armstrong remains sturdy in his claims. Basically, he tells them to "Bring it on", he has nothing to hide, and I think we can see this in his actions. He's not afraid to draw attention to himself. He's handed over medical records. He's currently suing two authors in Europe for printing a book about his alleged "doping". He's angry. He's tired of it all. He's going to fight back inside the media's eye.

This year, he won his sixth tour. He made history. He's a hero for people all around the world. He's beaten all odds, from surviving a deadly cancer, to winning six Tours in a row. He's shown us what the human will is capable of, and that living can mean somthing if we...Livestrong.

His future is uncertain. He may or may not return next year to try for seven in a row. He has signed a three year contract with Discovery Channel. The US Postal jersey will retire this year. There will be no 2004 Olympics for him either, as he's stated he wants to go home and spend time with his three children. We can only wait and see what his next plans are, and wish him the best of luck in all he does.

Good job, Lance. We love you!

Monday all week...

Have you ever had a week full of Mondays?

It seemed like all week it was Monday, just one bad thing after another, but despite it all, I'm feeling pretty good. It's surprising actually...I haven't felt this energetic in a long time, and today I found myself wondering if something was wrong with me! *laughs* Despite all the drama of this week, I found time to visit with several friends, get some stuff done around the house, go shopping, and tomorrow I'll be seeing a movie with a friend. Usually I just tuck myself away in my house when the going gets rough, but lately I've been handling drama fairly well. Good for me. I get a cookie.

Hunter came home today. A week earlier than planned. He called me on Tuesday and said he wanted to come home. I found it strange so I asked him if that's what he really wanted to do and if so, he needed to tell his dad first. I called his dad on Wednesday to talk with him and make sure that Hunter really wanted to come back and it became a borderline argument. Of course, I try to remain objective, since it's always been my stance that Hunter and his relationship with his dad is thier own business.

Cody felt that Hunter wanted to come home because the two of them had a disagreement, and he though Hunter should just stick out the remaining week. Irritated with the both of them, I had him put Hunter on the phone and I asked him why he wanted to come home and if he was angry with his dad. He replied "No!" in a startled voice, so I told him fine, he could come home, but I made it clear that this was his final decision and there was no turning back. He would come home for good and that was it. He was totally fine with that.

Cody and I talked about it some more, and I told him Hunter had to make his own decisions and live with them. My parents would pick him up on Friday and that was the end of it. If Hunter decided to change his mind....Tough....he was coming home.

I knew there was something else going on....I knew the minute Hunter called on Tuesday and said he wanted to come back. Many people view me as a stand-offish mother, because I'm not a worrier and I don't baby him. I'm blunt and direct, sometimes I can be abrasive...but I'm like that with everyone, including Hunter. However, I am perceptive....and I know my son better than anyone else. For him to call and say he wants to leave his dad's house set off a ton of alarm bells in my head.

Hunter loves his dad very much. The two of them are incredibly close and spending any time they can find to be with each other is important. Cody works a lot and so the summers are a big deal for the both of them. Hunter looks forward to seeing his dad a month out of the summer and we've never had this problem before.

Knowing that, I asked Hunter several times if something had happened between him and his dad that made him want to come home. He told me "no" over and over, and I believed him. Hunter would tell me if he and Cody had a serious argument. Hunter tells me everything. I've made it very clear to him that I will always listen, no matter how bad it is, so he's comfortable coming to me.

Anyway, when I got home today, Hunter was swimming and already had a friend over. I kind of wish my parents would have asked me if it was okay, since I would have liked to spend some time with Hunter by myself. No big deal though. Later, he managed to find some time to come into my room where I was watching the Tour on TV and give me a big hug. I noticed he was trying not to cry and that's when he told me that his step-mom, Ronnie had called him a "selfish brat" because he was choosing to come home. He also told me that she had said several uncalled for things to him earlier during his stay, telling him that maybe her own son "didn't like him" and stuff like that.

Needless to say, I'm friggen pissed right now. I don't even think that honestly describes how mad I am. I almost called them, but decided it would be better to wait until I calm down...I have a nasty temper and when I'm this upset, things wouldn't be pretty. I did manage to ask Hunter if he told his dad what she had said, and he told me no, his dad knew nothing about it. I told him he needed to tell his dad when things like that happen, and I stressed how important that was. If his dad wouldn't listen, I told him he needed to call me and I would leave work if I had to, to go get him (the live two hours away).

I'm pretty sure Cody has no clue what was going on. He's protective of Hunter and I can't see him letting her say stuff like that to Hunter. I'll find out though, since I fully intend on calling him tomorrow and letting him know how I feel about the situation. Oddly, his wife and I get along too, but I've never really "liked" her. I thought she was okay enough, and I was a bit surprised. However, I believe I know now why Hunter wanted to come home, and why he's reluctant to go back up there any time soon.

My mom shrugged it off, which only made me even more mad. I wasn't mad at my mom, just the whole situation. Cody and I have worked very hard to maintain a good friendship with each other and it's worked out really well. My family loves him and I've never worried about Hunter going to his house...EVER...Both of us feel it is more important to get along so Hunter will be comfortable and happy. He's a good guy and loves Hunter, but sometimes he's just so stupid (the main reason we aren't together). I have very little patience for "stupid".

What kind of person says something like that to a little kid who is homesick? What kind of mom puts down a child the way she has? Perhaps she's just pissed because her two kids are hellions...honest to God brats...while Hunter has manners and is well behaved. He's not perfect, I'm aware of that, but compared to her two, he looks like a saint. Her daughter steals money, her son is ADDHD and impossible to deal with. She insecure about Cody and I's relationship, despite the fact it's more than obvious I want nothing to do with him. I know the two of them have been fighting. Hunter's told me about it. And now she's taking it out on Hunter. She even had the nerve to lie to me and say she made Hunter do the summer homework he was suppose to do while he was away. She lied even after Hunter told me "No mom, I haven't worked on it at all." Why would my son lie about NOT doing his homework when it would get him in trouble? *shakes head* I told Hunter that wasn't very responsible of him and even if Ronnie or Cody didn't make him do it, he should have done it on his own.

I don't know if he'll go back. If he doesn't want to, I won't make him. Cody will have to make some serious considerations and set the dumbass wife of his straight if Hunter is to go and visit again. If he won't do it, I sure as hell will and it won't be nice.

Overall, Hunter seems to be okay though. It's like he's almost relieved to be home. He dried his tears after talking to me and went back to playing with his friend, though he slips into my room every so often to sit with me and talk about things like tennis, the Tour, drawing, Naruto (which he's DYING to catch up on), and how bad the movie Spiderman was. *laughs* I'm so glad he's home. I missed him so much and I feel so bad for putting him in a situation where he was hurt. I suppose it's one of those life learning experinces and I'm sure there are more to follow....

Yellow is the Color to be!

Stage 15 of Le Tour de France was a nail biter. With two early break aways, one of which included Armstrong's main rival, Jan Ullrich, it was amazing to see that US Postal barely batted an eye. Cool and collected, they pounded forward, waiting for the speedy rivals to expend themselves...Ullrich included. Personally, I panicked when Ullrich made his break and pulled away, thinking for sure the machine like cyclist would be nearly impossible for Armstrong and his team to catch. Even more astounding, nearly everyone thought Ullrich had given up the race, considering his performance in the previous stages. Today he proved just how dangerous he can be and that he shouldn't be written off so quickly.

Still, as I watched him on the decents, I could see his desperation to make up time as he recklessly took corners (nearly crashing once as he took one too fast and too wide). Astoundingly, US Postal never gave chase and that led me to believe that Armstrong indeed had a plan, and wasn't concered too much about his main rival's surprising break. A plan it was...to ride a senseable race and pace himself to the very end.

And pace himself to the very end is exactly what he did. Right down to the last mile...Armstrong faded to the back of the small field, getting a better veiw of what everyone was going to do....waiting to see who would break first and if he would have to chase them. Ivan Basso, quite possibly more of a danger than Ullrich this year, was the first to go. As he made his break, I will never forget how Lance Armstrong looked as he gave chase, passing Ullrich and the others, coming up behind Basso like a deisel truck bearing down on a Miada, and then passing him like he was standing still....

It was incredible....

I shouted as he crossed the line, several bike lengths infront of Basso, and I couldn't stop smiling as Armstrong launched his arms into the air, grinning from ear to ear. I've watched the race three times, and I still don't tire of seeing it...

Simply amazing.

Today's win puts Armstrong in the Yellow. He's the race leader...his 61st yellow...his 18th stage win in a Tour de France. The man is just awesome.

As tomorrow draws near, I've set my clock to wake up at 5am to watch the time trial at L'Alpe d'Huez. Stage 16 will play a major role in determining who will be in the leading positions at the end of the race, and could possibly make or break Armstrong's chances at a 6th tour victory. I really would like to see him suceed....He is an inspiration to people all over the world and I can't think of anyone who deserves this more than him. Not because of his defeat of cancer, but because of the blood, sweat, and tears he's put into making his comeback mean something.

Go Lance! We're rooting for you!

Arnold...you're my hero!

Offending the delicate sensibilities of Democrats everywhere...GO ARNOLD!!!

Don't put a shotgun down your pants...

Why THIS is a bad idea....

Hi Everyone!!!!

Just a quick note to all five people who read this blog that my cousing told me the server has been having trouble lately, so if you get an error message, don't sweat it, just try back later!

Also...

Thanks Jeff, for fixing it for me! I hate bugging you because I know your busy, but I do appriciate your help!

(I have a super cool cousin, don'tcha think?) (^-^)

Good Grief....

I went out to get the mail this
afternoon, hoping one of my books I ordered would finally arrive and
found a letter instead. It was addressed to me, which surprised
me and I eye balled it suspiciously...I get a ton of junk mail (and
bills), but never anything hand written...

I opened it and found an invitation to a riverboat ride down the Columbia River...FOR MY 10 YEAR REUNION!!!!!

It hit me then...

"Am I really THAT old?"

Apparenly so. It's kind of humbling to see your first highschool
reunion letter in your hand, especially when it seems like it was just
a couple of years ago that I was still there...I don't feel old, not
really. I'm only 28 (as of last month). There are days when
I have wierd pains and I go to bed earlier than I use to...but I don't
feel old. I wonder what "old" really feels like anyway?

Now, am I going to go to this? To put it plainly....Nope. I
have no desire to sit around and visit with a bunch of nobodies from my
past. That sounds harsh, but the people I went to school with
that I still see today are my good friends even now, everyone else is
just moot. I don't care what they're doing. I don't care if
they have families. I don't care if they're successful or
not. It doesn't matter to me.

Was highschool bad for me? Not at all! I got along with
everyone, went to prom, played sports, was active in clubs.
Highschool was easy for me. I had lots of friends. I was
socially adept and liked by almost everyone. However, now that I am
older, I just don't really care about that aspect of my life. It
may sound like fun to some people, but I have pleanty of people in my
life right now that I'd rather visit with than old highschool comrades
who are now nothing but strangers to me.

Still, I couldn't help but laugh when I read through the
invitation. Somehow, recieving it symbolized that I am actually a
grown up now, and it struck me as funny.

My rediculous anime/manga collection

Just to show how utterly rediculous my anime/manga habit is, I've complied a list that you all can see here (anime) and here (manga). Some of the titles are missing, several of my imports aren't availible on the site and the fan subs I have aren't listed either....I was stunned at what I had once it was all compiled, considering I've just went through and gotten rid of a bunch of things I don't read or watch any more...

I should find a cheaper hobby...(>_<)

Computer trouble again...

My computer is having issues once again...I woke up this morning to find Norton gone again and myself unable to connect to hotmail or messenger. Of course, my account works on other computers so I'm wondering what the hell is going on. I won't be using MSN Messenger, for those of you have me on your list...not until I decided if/when i'm going to fix this. I keep getting an "Active X" error when I try to do any virus scans on IE...I've adjusted the settings, but nothing seems to work....so I have (which I should have done when I was told a long time ago) abandoned IE for good. I'm sick of it...And if I ever get to meet a hacker/virus writer/ad-ware designer, I'm going to take a bat to his/her fucking head....*smiles sweetly*

Anyhoo....now I have to figure out what to do about re-installing Norton and getting it to work...*sigh* I did managed to do a Stinger scan, which came up blank, so I suppose that's a good sign...but I'd much perfer to do a full virus scan instead...all Adware has been totally nuked, which made me happy...This weekend, I'll probably reinstall it to see if I can get it to work...

I've changed to Firefox, which I'm still "getting used to." It's pretty straight forward, though I'm not sure if I should be making any setting adjustments or what...*Laughs* I noticed that it isn't compatible with certain sites and I'm not sure if there's a way to fix this...no big deal anyway...I'm sure I'll figure it out. Also on my agenda, is to get everything saved to CD and Zip this weekend. If I have to, I'm going to take this thing down and start all over again...That's my very last option, though right now, I'm hesitant because other than Norton and Hotmail (etc.), everything else is working great....Wierd...

I'm also thinking of moving my e-mail account to Yahoo...which would be a REAL pain in the ass, but I'm tired of stupid hotmail too...I just don't know if I want to spend all that effort redoing my email addy with the stores, people, forums, etc I frequent....I'm so lazy...We'll see about that one...As of right now, I can access my hotmail through Firefox, but not IE....I think I'm going to send Bill Gates more hate mail...(heh)

Soooooo.....is anyone else watching the Tour de France? I've become a junkie...I can't wait until stage 10 or so, when the climbers start to take over...I'm rooting for Lance Armstrong. Not because he's American (though that makes it all the better), but he's an incredible athlete, truely amazing. Go Lance!!! (^-^)

Stores I frequent online

I've been meaning to do this for a little while, but I keep forgetting....

Those of you who enjoy Japanese books and things of that nature might find these sites helpful if you don't already know about them. Some of them are fun sites selling novelties, while others are large/small bookstores.

Good Orient
Chibi Tokyo
Sasuga Japanese Bookstore
Kinokuniya (in Japanese)
Gaijin Cafe (t-shirts)
jpqueen

Personally, for books such as dictionaries and learning tools, I suggest Kinokuniya. I love that store!

Happy shopping!

More interesting web blogs

Lord...why am I still awake at this hour? I can't sleep!!!!

Anyway...during my bout of insomnia I uncovered these web blogs which are worth a read.

My War
and
A star from Mosul

The first one is a very detailed blog about life in Iraq from a military man's perspective. It defintiley gives a new perspective on what's really going on over there.

The other is written by a young girl living over there. It's touching to read, since she is so young.

I'm selling stuff on Amazon!

For anyone who's interested, I'm selling a bunch of stuff on Amazon. This is mainly books and DVD's. I'm trying to clean up my room and make space for my new computer desk....not to mention I have TONS of stuff I never read or watch anymore!

Ranma Volume 4

Ranma Volume 2

Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey

Rune Soldier volume 1 DVD

Rune Soldier volume 2 DVD

Night Warriors Omega Collection DVD

El Hazard: The Alternative World DVD (Dreams of Tomorrow)

Berserk: Immortal Soldier DVD

Berserk: White Hawk DVD

Battle Royal volume 2

Battle Royal volume 1

Dragon Hunter volume 1

Haibane-Renmei DVD 1

This isn't all I have...Oh no...I have a huge box that probably weighs like 50 pounds sitting on my bed right now. To make matters worse, it's so full I have had to stack stuff next to it...*sigh* I'm such a pack rat. More than likely, the most of the novels I'll donate to the local library, but the manga and DVD's will go up on Amazon after I get rid of the ones listed above.

I hate cleaning....ugh...

Would YOU use it...?

My good friend sent me the following photo's of what I haven't quite decided to be disturbing or totally cool...Apparently, these are the newest public toilet fashion statements!

(Camouflaged for your convenience! See how they blend into the surroundings, thanks to the mirror effect!!! Splended thinking! NOTE: Drunk people should avoid using these bathrooms at all costs...)

Now...

(I don't know how I feel about this part...Watching people go about their business while you do yours doesn't seem...uh...right, for some reason.)

So...there you have it. The super seceret camo-mirrored spy john...What do you think?

Why Michael Moore is an Idiot

Best rant I've read so far about Michael Moore being a stupid jackass...

A Great Blog on the FCC

I applaud you Jay, for bring more perspective to the FCC issue. I particularly enjoyed this passage, considering this is the exact thing my grandma mentioned when we had a discussion about censorship..."Parent's can't always police thier children." This type of argument doesn't fly with me either. Being a parent myself, I know I can't always be with my son and watch what he's doing while at a friends house. Therefore, it's my job to instill morals, decency, and common sense into his little head. You said it loud and clear yourself:

"I heard probably ten people call in and say they couldn't be with their children all the time, and what if their child is going over to a friends house... what then. I just want to ring their necks and say WELL RETARD, what are you doing entrusting your child to an enviornment where you don't feel there's adequate supervision? Use some sense people! No matter how hard you try, their still may arise situations where your child is privy to things you'd rather they not know, I went to public schools, I know that! But, regardless of whether or not there are shock jocks on the radio, they are still going to hear those things!"

Couldn't agree more...

Get a clue, you lazy, hypocritical suburbite do-gooders! It's not my job or anyone elses to teach your stupid kids. Stop whining about how busy your day at work was and using that as an excuse to be crappy parents. It's as simple as sitting down with your kids for a few hours and just TALKING with them! Don't tell me it can't be done either, that I don't know what I'm talking about. I worked full time, went to school full time, and still managed to find time to teach him the things he needs to know to be a good, decent human being. And I'm still doing it!!!!

***Randomness***
(I stole the picture of Hunter at the Zoo from you J...heh...hope you don't mind!)

(Hunter checks out the 'do' on the chicken J dubbed "Bob Marley")

(Hunter takes up tubing on the Columbia River last summer)

Projects...

I'm one of these people who creates lots of projects for myself to do...and then I take forever to work on them. I have art projects lying all over the place, the most current one is lying on my bedroom floor right now, staring at me...literally...It's a mask, well...sort of...when I finish it, it will be a face, but I've only put the two first layers of paint on it and bought a couple extra's to attach later...*sigh* I have stories to be written, two small comics I've been working on, lots and lots of drawings and photoshop stuff, as well as ZERO to work on.

And I've decided to add another project to my list...

I recently ordered the first five volumes of Aishiteruze Baby and have decided to translate it along with ZERO. After watching the anime, I have become an addict of this amazingly touching story. Being a manga junkie, I did some research (seeing who's been translating or if this series was licensed), I decided to tackle it for myself (there are some translations out there, but they are partials...which is sad).

ZERO takes precident, of course...though I haven't had much time to work on volume 2 translations so far this month (Hey! I worked 10 hours today! ha ha), but rest assured I will continue ZERO. I love that series too much to stop! As for Aishiteruze Baby, it will be at least four to six weeks before I start any work on it (the manga must be imported from Japan first, though volume 4 will be here next week). I haven't decided if I'll do scans or just text...and if I do do any scans, if I'll put them up for everyone to look at. It might be on a "ask me if you want them basis". I've never worried about advertising my translations, and I prefer to keep people to a minimum...the less otaku I have to deal with, the better! (Laughs)...for me, translating has always been a personal thing, and if people find my site with ZERO, they find it...if they don't, they don't. I translate because I like to...it's fun...and it helps me learn...I'm not looking for "fame", like many of the larger groups do. I'm selfish...I do this for me, but I'm happy to share as well.

Anyway...Why Aishiteruze Baby? Well, the anime blew me away at the first episode. It was so cute and touching I couldn't stop watching it! The story is about a young man, Kippei. He's a lazy, not to bright, and womanizing kid (later teens) who spends most of his time sleeping through school and chasing girls. One day, he goes home to find his family sitting around the table looking upset. He soon discovers that his aunt's husband has died and she's gone off and disappeared, leaving behind her 5 year old daughter, Yuzuyu. The family has no choice but to take care of the girl, and Kippei is quickly nominated to be her "babysitter." The family seems to think it will embue him with some sense of responsibility, so Kippei finds himself the surrogate mother of little Yuzuyu until her own mother comes back to get her. Things start out a bit rough...Kippei can barely take care of himself, and now he's in charge of making sure Yuzu gets dressed in the morning, has her lunch, gets to and from kindergarten okay, etc. On top of that, Kippei has to deal with an emotionally scarred child, who fears abandoment, as well as all the drama that goes along with five year old children (teasings at school, growing up, etc.) Kippei is a bit overwhelmed at first, but eventually he comes to realize how much Yuzu needs someone constant in her life. She's a good girl, but carries the scar of her mother up and leaving her. The two become very close, and sometimes it's easy to forget that Kippei is only Yuzu's cousin, and not her father!

Though I'm not to certain as of yet, it also looks like little Yuzu will play a part in bringing Kippei and his classmate, Kokoro together. Kokoro is a distant girl, from a motherless home. The two, Kokoro and Kippei like one another, but Kippei tends to annoy Kokoro with his overly flirtatious ways, buy Yuzu is mellowing him. Kokoro finds Kippei's relationship with Yuzu endearing and is drawn to them.

This story is just adorable. Yuzu is so cute! However, unlike many anime/manga children, she's also very realistic. She's selfish, like most five year olds are, the world confuses her, she blames herslef for her mother leaving (she thinks her mother left because she didn't eat all her lunch), she has trouble fitting in at school, etc. Overall, however, Yuzu is a happy girl who likes to play silly games and adores Kippei.

I can't wait to read the manga for myself and I highly recommend checking out the anime. People who enjoyed Fruits Basket will most likely like this show! It's fantastic!

Anime Expo

Well...it's come and gone, for the most part. I wasn't really too impressed with the licenses that were announced, other than Shura no Toki, which I've only seen a couple episodes of, but liked it quite a bit. I was also happy to hear that Samurai Champloo will be out in January. This is an excellent show with a 'funky' twist. Great stuff! I do wish that Tenjou Tenge would be released a bit sooner than Spring of 05, but that's okay, I've read the manga so I know what's up. This is another good one to keep an eye out for. Saiyuki Reload/Gunlock are also on my list to pick up. Also, I'll probably be picking up Boys Be and To Heart, though I wish I had seen a couple episodes before buying them, but I'll have to trust the masses on these two choices...Full Metal Alchemist seems to be Funi's big hit this year, and I won't disagree...FMA is a phenominal show, you can't do much better...

I was a bit surprised to see that Naruto nor Prince of Tennis were licensed, let alone talked about. It's disappointing to some extent, since I'd much rather buy the dvd's than watch the fansubs, but I imagine these two titles will end up in the US eventually. Both are incredible shows, worth watching in my honest opinion (though I do prefer the POT manga over the anime...Naruto is a toss up, though I tend to lean more towards the anime in this case). I haven't visited any forums lately, since I know the otaku are out in force and I imagine the Narutards are having multiple cows right about now.

On the manga end of things, I was very excited to see titles such as "Kare First Love", and "Yami no Mastsuei (one of the most beautifully drawn manga I've ever seen). Still, it seemed a bit light for my liking (since I am a manga addict).

Con season is hardly over, with Otakon coming up in the near future and I imagine we'll see some more interesting licenses being announced. However, for Anime Expo, I found this year to be less than "lack luster"...

Until next time....

(pardon the many typo's...there are probably more than usual...I have a bandaide on my finger...somehow I managed to take a massive chunk out of my pointer finger and didn't realize it until I saw the blood dried on my hand...funny how it didn't hurt until I looked at it...I have no clue how I did it either....)

Why does IRC suck?

IRC. For awhile now, it's been THEE way to download files in the anime/manga world. "Groups" set up various IRC channels where fans can chat and share files between one another. It sounds like an excellent idea and it makes a lot of sense since bandwith is expensive, espcially for the more popular groups...

However, IRC has become a clique. A club. I have yet to run go into a channel that isn't full of snotty elitist. Being a newbie is even worse, since apparently one or two reads over their "helpful" help guides is enough to make you an instant master. Don't bother asking for help from anyone, you'll get kicked out or "scolded" for not reading the tutorial. Wanna see what I mean....go visit Anbu's IRC channel...heh...starduck will ban you for sneezing the wrong way...

Honestly, IRC is more trouble than it's worth, IMO. Its unfriendly atmosphere, topped by the annoying complexity and the "shaky saftey" issues makes IRC far too much work and worry for me. I've talked to several people who have been hit with viruses (despite anti-virus software), and I've had more than my share of viruses for this year, thank you very much (remember a couple month ago when a virus took out my Norton?) People who go to these channels tell you it's safe if you have a firewall and antivirus software....BULLSHIT...

And who wants to go through all >THIS< just to download manga? Yeah, I'm a lazy person, but that's just rediculous...(to give credit where it's due, Aku Tenshi has the best tutorial I've seen yet, which is expected since AT tends to look out for it's followers...a rareity among manga groups.) I love manga, but not this much...

I'm not the only person who dislikes IRC (it's been months since I've been to a channel.) Many people are turned off by the snootiness and complexity. Of course, IRC users call people like me lazy and incompetant, which is fine. I call them elitist and stupid...for thinking their special for making things more complicated than they need to be. I'll agree that http transfers are slow and annoying, especially when you have an internet connection like mine (I won't get into that, but let's just say is sub-par even with cable). However, I'm a big fan of bittorent, shareware program, and thankfully, it would seem more and more manga groups are turning to this option. It is simplistic, quick (depending on your connection), and realitivly safe...and the best part is you don't have to deal with snotty people while you search for a file! That makes it the best option in my book!

Yay Bittorrent!

****Randomness****

Sesshoumaru is just cool...no further explination is needed....

"Do you think the youkai energy of I, Sesshoumaru, could be contained by someone as lowley as yourself?!"

JP:"Kono Sesshoumaru no youryoku ga kisama gotoki chiisana utsuwa ni osamarikireru ka?!"

If Naraku keeps pissing him off, there's going to be some serious trouble in the near future... (^_~)

FCC

I walk in to a court room and start saying the F word in the back of the room. I insult the judge, condeming his court and his abilities. I swear at the balif, spouting my hate of cops and the judicial system. I spit on the floor. This is my right to free speech, right? I have every right to do this don't I? This is the exact same thing that Howard Stern and other talk radio and television shows do on a daily basis, right?

No.

It's not the same.

Why? Because I have walked into a public place and deliberatly disrupted the system. I have no "off" button to shut me up if people don't like what I have to say. They can't turn me over, which is exactly what should be done if someone is offended by Howards show or any other program they find offensive. No one is forcing them to be watched or listened to, unlike my blantent protest inside the fictional court room.

Can I stand on a street corner and yell explicitives at the passing cars? Can I chase children down the street while swearing at them? I can I stand outside Walmart and tell the customers to F*** off as they go through the doors?

No. I may be speaking my mind publicly, but I am doing it in a manner which is offensive and gives no one the option to "turn me off". They are forced to hear me out. They can't get around me. They can't ignore me.

Now, do I have the right to sit outside a court room or court house and respectfully protest something I dislike? Yes. If I am not disrupting the lives or jobs of those around me, I most certainly can picket something if I feel like it. People can then choose to ignore me. They might not agree with my ideas, but they can walk, drive, bike right by me with nothing more than a glance.

This is the freedom of speech. This is what the first amendment is about. The right to say what you think freely while giving people the option to choose whether or not they wish to listen to you. THAT'S why the FCC and these rediculous moral police are unconstitutional and un-American.

People have a choice to NOT listen to Howard. People have a choice NOT to buy cable television. People have a choice NOT to listen to a radio station playing Ludicrous or Madonna. They have a right to CHOOSE...yet they'd rather take away MY right to choose because they find my tastes immoral and offensive.

Read the First Amendment:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

I applauded when the COPA legislation was shot down. Not because I like pornography, but because I knew that the law was written by a bunch of moralistic do-gooders who included everything that would even remotely mention sex, penis, vagina, etc. This would include sites for sex education, STD awareness, sexual disfunction sites, support groups, as well and the triple X porno sites. Anything having to do with sex, whether it be for cheap thrills or legit informational purposes is seen as wrong by these people. Funny how the media didn't bother to point that out.

You know what these people's problem is?

They're lazy.

Period.

They can't change a channel. They can't install filters to protect their children from porn. They can't do anything without the government doing it for them. Therefore, they scream about the constitution and their rights while trampling all over mine and the rest of the US who is capable of policing ourselves with little to no governmental influence.

Even more deplorable, they use their children as an excuse for their lazy parenting skills, crying out for ratings on everything from music, movies, televsion shows etc. They want legislation to ban programs, to ban books, to halt offensive music, to police the internet for the sake of their precious kids.

You know what? Get off your damn ass and police your own kids for once. Why do I have to give up watching Family Guy on Fox because you find it "offensive" to your kids? Turn it over...utilize the locks or your TV...install one of those V chip things...the options are out there if you just take the time to LOOK for them. Even better, why not spend some time with your kids and teach them values and morals instead of blaming the media for their problems. Most of the time, when kids have problems, it's because their parents have problems...You'll never convince me that Marilyn Mason was responsible for Columbine...I blame those kids moms and dads...end of story. If you think driving a minivan and living in a ranch house makes you and your kids immune to social, phsycological issues, your sorely mistaken. The suburbia love fairy doesn't exist and kids don't grow themselves.

People say kids will mimic tv and music...yeah, they will...but you know what, kids will mimic their parents before they will any source of media. The catch? The parents have to be around...and that means for us parents, that no matter how tired we are after working 12 hours, we sit down with our kids and spend time with them. We teach them right from wrong. We teach them reality and illusion. We teach them to trust us first and formost so when they do have questions about life, they come ask US first, instead of needing tv or music to solve their problems.

My son is a great kid. He's polite, courteous, obediant and sweet. He's rarely in trouble, save the "norma" nine year old mischief. He watches all sorts of television shows and he's just fine. He's not violent. He's not foul mouthed. He doesn't lie. He's a good kid. But you know what, my son will ask me ANYTHING...it doesn't matter what it is. He knows he can ask me any question and I will always answer him truthfully. He never hesitates. He trusts me because I am his mother and he trusts me more than any movie, talk show host, or singer.

How do YOU know?

I love how people bitch about manga translations not being "perfect". Even better, half of these people claim to import instead, which is probably a lie. It's cool to complain when you're a anime or manga fan...(I complain all the time...about the other fans...heh)

Maybe they do import...but more than likely they just look at the pictures...Not much fun in my opinion. Do I import? Obviously...but at least I can read what's written (with the help of two handy dandy dictionaries). I'm not going to slam people for not being able to read Japanese...it take a long time to just start to grasp the basics of the language, and anyone can tell from my written entires in "Nihongo" that I am far from fluent. However, reading is easier for me than creating my own sentances...(laughs) My Japanese friend will tell you the same is for her when it comes to reading English and writing sentences....funny how that works...

However, my point is, if these fans can't read the language how do they know the translations are crappy? Hmmmm? Can the tell by the pictures? If so, that's a neat trick...

More than likely, they go by hear-say...what they've read on thier favorite web-site or their favorite forum...They don't even bother to try to learn the language for themselves, and end up looking like morons in the process...

Of course, there are the people who actually DO read Japanese and can give their opinions on the translations, though I take them with a grain of salt as well. Usually, these people are so starry eyed by anything Japanese that everything in English becomes "crap". Not a good source to get your info from if you ask me...I think Japanese language and culture is awesome, however, I still love things about my own language and country as well...

Naturally, there are some serious boo-fuu's in translated manga...I've seen some awful stuff done, but for the most part, things usually check out pretty good. Americanization is going to happen, considering that half the populous reading manga would be utterly lost at certain Japanese jokes, sayings, cultural references...and I'm really not too keen on having a bunch of side notes written all over the magin's of my manga....The only time this is necessary is in period novels, in my opinion (Like Kenshin of Blade of the Immortal). Really, if you read and understand Japanese THAT well, then you probably should be buying the JP novels instead...then you'd have no complaints, right?

I've complained...just look a few posts down to see my question regarding volume 3 of Get Backers...stuff like that bugs the hell out of me...Gender changes piss me off, since they strip a character of his/her orginal meaning...Kazuki as a girl is just stupid because...well...Kazuki is a guy (at least he was in the anime)...I'll bitch about stuff like that...Name changes bug me on occasion (Yu-gi-oh anime), but if they aren't totally drastic, then I don't care...Americanization doesn't bother me either....except if they use lame phrases that were out of date in like 1980...Rarely does any of this bug me enough not to buy the english versions (Get Backers might be the first series I stop buying the English GN's, we'll see what happens in the next book)...

So, anyone new to manga or anime should be wary of these threads talking about "selling out", "bad translations", "boycott so and so", etc. These are written by glazed eyed otaku, who, at best, are the most annoying, rediculous, self-centered fans in fandom....

Perfection doesn't exist folks, and I'd be hard pressed to argue with someone who does translations as a living...Though I'd honestly love to see some of these know it all crazies get slammed by someone on the business...that would be amusing...Of course, that won't happen, since offending your customers is never a good idea (since we know these Japanese experts are seceretly buying English GN's anyway and lining the pockets of these companies the loath...I mean...how else would they know how bad the translations are?)

Ja, mata ne! (heh)

(^_^)

This is beautiful...

SpaceShipOne is making some serious waves...

So, what's NASA been up to lately?

You gotta love how so many people are thumbing their noses at this business adventure...perhaps they're just pissed that someone has finally had enough of the "waiting around" and decided to take matters into their own hands. I don't remember space belonging to any government or country, do you? Sure, we need to research space, but at the rate NASA and other space research facilities are going, the human race will be long gone before we actually see what else is out there.

"They shouldn't be screwing around with space tourism," Bahn said of his colleagues. "Space tourism makes a great sound bite. It's a horrendous business model. They should be talking to the military or they should be talking about hauling the mail. If you look at the history of aviation, it is the history of military reconnaissance and airmail."

Sure, it seems like a lousy business venture, aimed for only the richest of the rich...but you know what, I'm fine with that. At least somebody is taking an initiative and perking the curiousity of the world. This could just be the beginning...

I remember a time when people would crowd around the television to watch the shuttles launch, but that has long since passed. People hardly pay any attention to astronauts and the newest space venture...it's old news to us. The same ole same ole again and again. We can create nuclear weapons capable of decimating entire countries. We can eradicate diseases. We can create super computers. Technology is booming, yet we ignore the idea of expanding our knowledge of space.

Why? I think in this day and age, we'd be very interested in going beyond Earth, but yet the govenments seem uninterested...unwilling to take risks...unwilling to spend money...This seems foolish to me...

I don't profess to know much about the space industry or space research...though since the launch of SpaceShipOne, I confess I'm more interested now than ever. What is out there? Can we ever go beyond Earth? Is it possible?

We'll never know if someone doesn't get off their butts and start looking into it. Yeah, the space station is cool...our satellites are cool...but somehow this seems trivial (though research is important). Why do governments balk at spending more for space research? I don't know...