Ramblings of a Crowe

American Culture DOES exist

I can't count how many times I've heard, "There's no such thing as American culture."

Whatever.

If you believe that, you're an ignorant fool.

Anyway, check out this site to see some various cultural influences of various countries and so on...including the USA.

Physic's of Hell

A funny e-mail I recieved today. Thought it was worth sharing.

The following is supposedly (and if it's not, it's still funny as hell) an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.

As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell.

With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, " it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you", and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number 2 must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over.

The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct...leaving only Heaven thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God."

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A"

Turkey Day in the ER

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. It started out as a normal day, everything was great. We went to eat dinner at my Grandma's house, as our family tradition dictates. I stayed there for about two hours or so, then came home and took a nap until about 6. Hunter's dad came and picked Hunter up at 7pm and they went to Yakima on a truck run.

Pretty normal stuff. No big deal.

Later I answered a few e-mails and started reading a book.

I felt fine, but after about a half hour of laying down, I felt a sharp pain in my back and my lower stomach. I thought it might be from eating too much, so I laid down to wait it out, but laying down made it worse. I suddenly became worried I had another kidney infection, which I get all the time. They often come on with little or no warning...

It wasn't long before I could barely stand up, nor could I lay down. I felt sick, started shaking, and finally relented into going to the ER. There, they hooked me up to an IV, took my blood, made me pee in a cup....You know, all that fun stuff. Oddly, they told me I didn't have a kidney infection, they found no bacteria in the sample I'd given them. Instead, the doctor told me he was almost positive I had a kidney stone.

WTF!!!

Okay, at that point I didn't care. I just wanted drugs to make the pain stop. It hurt so bad I threw up (but I didn't cry...heh). They gave me morphine and after that things were good. I slept for about two hours and they finally discharged me with a pat on the back and handful of pain meds. Apparently, you just have to pass the kidney stone. Not much they can do about it, except some sort of proceedure if it's too big. The didn't do a cat scan or anything like that, so I'm wondering how they know it really IS a kidney stone, though the doctor said after looking through a few tests, he was certain that was the deal.

Nice. So now I'm at home, it still hurts a bit, but having to pee every 20 minutes sucks more. I'm suppose to drink like a gallon of water and not lay in bed....*sigh* I'm so friggin tired though...but at least it doesn't feel like someone ran over my lower torso with a bull dozer...

What pisses me off even more is that stupid shit like this always happens right after lay off. Now I have a hospital bill to pay. Sheesh...my luck is so sucky....

Anyway, I would like to say that on Thanksgiving, the ER is pretty empty. I didn't have to wait at all....which was good, cause last night, I don't think I could have sat in a waiting room with out throwing a major fit...

Upgrading

Well, today I upgraded Firefox to version 1.0. I've been incredibly happy with this browser. Very happy. I urge everyone using IE (Internet Explorer) to dump that peice of crap and get Firefox. I haven't been bothered by a pop-up or spyware since. I can't say how much I friggin HATE Microsoft...but it's beyond loathing, that's for sure. So, all you people still using IE, go get Firefox and browse the web in a much safter, user friendly atomsphere. I love all the little extentions availible for download that make Firefox customizable (is that even a word?).

Anyway, I spent the last three hours trying to figure out why in the hell Hotmail refuses to allow Japanese text in my e-mails anymore. Oh, if I switch the language to Japanese (where the entire MSN Hotmail site is in Japanese) it works fine...but other than that, it's encoding all the texts into numbers. Christ, that pisses me off. I can keep the page in Japanese, no big deal...but since I'd rather read most things in my native language, this just annoys the hell out of me. So, I sat and sent myself email after email...and finally (probably because I'm a 'tard) I realized it has something to do with my "Rich Text" options being GONE...if I do the html by hand, the Japanese works fine...but talk about a pain in the ass....After figuring that out, I had to re-write my email to a friend in Japan...which took me a couple more hours...where I spent most of the time apologizing profusely for looking like an idiot...

Microsoft....

このいんぽやろう。。。。。。Ｂｉｌｌ　Ｇａｔｅｓは。。。

Now I feel a bit better...Not that much, but a little bit. It must be nice to be a friggin monopoly. You can just fuck with people however you please and know they can't do shit about it. Well, you know how the proverb goes, don'tcha?

We can only hope someone takes a hammer to Microsoft's head...someone needs to make them take better stock of their crappy products. People dump tons of cash into their computers, only to dump more cash into fixing them and upgrading them with stupid shit that should be free, or at the least, cost a hell of a lot less. Does Mr. Gates get a cut of all the dough people spend removing viruses and worms from their computers? If so, no wonder he's so damn rich...

The Foreign Angle:Horror Movies

Firstly, check out J's great blog on the up-coming PSP. Personally, I can't wait for this to hit the shelves! I feel a little bad for Nintendo, though they have a pretty loyal fan base that will probably keep them a float when Sony breaks through this market with their powerhouse trump card, the PSP. I'm hardly anti-Nintendo (I am anti-Xbox), I love the Gamecube and even the Gameboy Advance, but from what I've seen of Nintendo's new DS system, I'm not that impressed. I probably won't buy one...

As many people know, I'm on a never ending quest for Japanese movies. Not cartoons. Those are easy to find, but cinema movies. J and I have a past time of renting the few we can find here in town and making an evening of watching them. I stumbled upon a data base of many Japanese films, and I'm working at tracking down a few of them. I may have to wait until the spring, when I go visit my sister and pay my yearly visit to Chinatown in Seattle to buy them though.

People are always shaking their head at my obession with Japan and Japanese culture. Many assume I just enjoy the cartoons and comic books, but they're wrong. It might have started out that way, but after watching several films by Akira Kurosawa, I was hooked on cinema movies made in Japan. Not only that, I have a strong appriciation for the language and a culture that is so very different from mine. I'm a firm believer in learning about our "foreign" neighbors makes the world a better place to live. Too bad people would rather fight than try to understand one another.

Anyway...back to movies...

Many of the movies J and I watch are Japanese horror films. I can firmly say that the Japanese know how to do horror the right way, while their American counterparts flounder miserably, too stuck up in their blood and gore Hollywood cliches to understand what scary truely is. Harsh, eh? Well, it's true. Name an American horror film in the past three years that has left you with a nagging sense of dread for over a week or two? I can't think of any, and I'm a big fan of scary movies.

The Ring, you say? Sorry, that movie was orginally Japanese...I highly suggest watching the orginal over it's silly American counterpart (what the hell was up with the horses, anyway?). The Grudge? Nope, sorry again. Go watch Ju-On, the basis of Sarah Michelle Gellar's new film. I have yet to see the orginal, and I did like the American movie, though it wasn't nearly as scary as The Ring. One might note that the Japanese director directed the American film as well. He's of the same mind set as I am. America doesn't know how to do scary.

Oh there's been a few exceptions. One of the scariest movies I've see was Pet Semetary (the first one, not that hack job second one). Stephen King is a master of horror. Too bad American director's rarely get it when making his books into movies. Poltergiest and Exorcist were alright, but not really that frightening. Blair Witch creeped me out...

Texas Chainsaw Massacre...don't get me started...Freddy? Jason? Chucky? Hellraiser...Give me a break...

Why do people have to get chopped up, sawed in half, chased, boiled in oil, etc., for things to be scary? American directors need to learn that the human imagination can be a far more terrifying place WITHOUT seeing things with our own two eyes...

The "what if" factor is what scares people for days, weeks, maybe months. The fear of the unknown, the taboo frighten people. Pet Semetary scared the hell out of me because we don't know what happens after death, and as humans we have no right to know. Dead is dead for a reason. The Ring scared me for weeks. We don't know if curses exist or not. You're a believer or your not, but being a non-believer won't grant you immunity if you happen to be wrong. Same as the goes for the Grudge. What happens when people die such horribly violent deaths? Can they remain behind, trapped by their own pain? Do they wish their hurt on others and what happens if they do?

How do you fight things that don't have bodies? How do you handle the intangible? You can't pick up a gun and shoot these things. You can't hide from them. No church protects you, since you aren't dealing with devils or demons. You're completely helpless. That's what makes movies like these so terrifying.

I'm looking forward to the movie "White Noise". It show's promise. A movie about messing with the afterlife has immense possiblities, and that line in the trailer scared the bejeesus out of me. You can bet if someone recorded a ghost's voice in my home stating "Get out of my house", I'd be the first to grab my keys and leave for good. I hope they do this one right. With all the money tied up in Hollywood productions, you'd think American directors could put out better horror movies.

Then again, at the risk of sounding like an elitist, perhaps American directors will make better horror films when the American public stops needing things spelled out in crayon for them...Many of the films I listed above get poor reviews from American horror fanatics. They complain about "there was no plot", "things were over exaggerated", "they didn't explain such and such"... *sigh* Thanks to our American standards of television and media, many of us are so used to being pampered and babied while watching movies, having everything tied up in a nice, neat little bow with all inconsistancies cleared up, we can no longer utilize our God given imagination. Sometimes, folks, not everything has a definite meaning...sometimes, leaving things hanging requires our brains to work and devise our own twisted little thoughts...that's part of what makes movies like "The Ring" and co. scary...They require us to do some thinking on our own...

Perhaps, America isn't ready for that kind of feat...

Cake in a Jar?

Well...I'm offically on my first day of lay off...The phone call to unemployment went rather well. Though I have to call them next Monday to open a new claim...which strikes me as stupid, but then again, a lot of things about the way our government works are stupid.

Unfortunatly, this week isn't going to be as relaxing as I'd hoped. Thanksgiving is happening on Thursday, so there's preperations being made for that as I write this. I'm not allowed to cook, so I get out of most of the "helping".

Cooking+Me=Bad Things (like fire...ask J if you don't believe me...)

Still, there's shopping to be done, dishes to wash, cleaning to accomplish...So, it's fairly hectic around here.

My entire family is also at home for the week. (insert deep sigh) I love my family, but I also like having a nice quiet house for the majority of the day. Hunter has homework to do, even though he's not in school. Mom's cooking and cleaning for the holidays (the Christmas stuff will be coming down soon...*cringe*)

Today I have to go to the school and meet with Hunter's teacher for his "quartly conference". I hate these things, because they don't tell us anything other than what we already know. Still, it's a formality, despite being a waste of time, in my opinion. As his mom, I have to go and hear them tell me his writing still sucks and his math skills are even worse. We know that, but we're working with him...he does probably double the homework other kids do...and I don't know why his writing sucks...the kid can read really well. Infact, he's been tested at the level of a seventh grader...*shrug* Math...well...he takes after the rest of the family...We're all utter idiots when it comes to math...

Anyway, enough about that...

Yesterday, my grandma gave us "Cake in a Jar."

Apple cake, to be exact. Now, I know she's made this stuff before, but this is the first time I've paid attention. God Bless my Grandma, cause she's the coolest grandma in the entire world, but where did she come up with this idea? I mean, I'm not knocking the idea or anything, but it's perplexing. The cake is cooked in a regular canning jar and sealed shut. I wonder how long it would keep? Do I eat it with a spoon? Hmmmm....I don't get it, but it's a neat idea. I'm suppose to give one to my boss on Wednesday as thanks for doing free work at my grandma's house. It's not really free...she pays our technicians in cookies and goodies, which they all fight over. *laughs*

Enough about the cake...

I'm still pondering the entire "K-mart buys Sears" thing. How the hell did that happen? Though, as J mentioned, K-mart probably wanted Sears for the "Sears Card", since so many people have them. Makes sense, but I still can't see how the two companies can possibly combat the evilness of Walmart....

Things that make you go..."Hmmmm"

Will someone please explain this to me?

__________________________________________________________________

This guy is my hero!

Creepy Online Game

My sister pointed me out to THIS SITE, which features several mystery games that are quite irritating. You're locked in a room, and had to uncover various clues and tools to get yourself out. It's pretty creepy...Check it out.

I'm officially laid off as of today. It was sort of a relief....but still the idea of less income isn't very appealing. Oh well...I'm going to enjoy my time off.

I wonder where J is? I haven't talked to him all week. I hope you're okay.

I've been feeling pretty shitty lately too. Yes, sick again....*sigh* Hence the short little blog today. I don't feel like talking much right now.

Grrr....Bitch Fest!!!!!

Why is it, that fast food places insist on hiring morons? Okay, that's not fair to everyone who works at a fastfood place, I'm sure there are some really smart people who slave away in that sort of business, so maybe I should rephrase the question:

Why is it everytime I decide to go get something to eat from one of these places, I get stuck dealing with the "Dummy Shift"? I mean, how hard is it to put a hamburger into a bag? How come when I get home, I have two hamburgers, no fries, and the wrong drink? sigh You know, normally I would blow this off as just an "oopsy" and let it slide, but this time, they realized they gave me the wrong stuff, tried to make me pay extra until I showed them the reciept, and still ended up giving me the wrong stuff in the end. I should have checked the bag....again...

Scratch that.

I should have went get a noodle bowl or something instead. I like those better anyway.

Old news, but what's up with Kohta Hiraino killing off Pip? DAMMIT! That makes me sad...very sad...dammit... :-(

VIZ is pissing me off too. I went to their site today to try and find some reliable source that would key me in to exactly WHEN Angel Sanctuary #5 would be released. B&N told me it was shipping, then told me it would be availible for two more weeks. VIZ site says December...WHY, WHY, WHY, can't anyone have reliable information? I mean, by the time I left VIZ's site, I was so confused I didn't know which way was up. I wish they'd tell me why Hana Kimi is such a big seceret too. You can't find it ANYWHERE! It was released as an exclusive for Waldons and Borders, but that was months ago. So what, those of us who don't have a Waldons or Borders around can't buy it? And why the hell isn't it availible on VIZ's site.

Ooooh...one more thing about B&N...Those retards don't remember me ordering "Dr. Faustus". Nice, huh? That was like three weeks ago. I asked and they had no friggin clue! I was looking forward to reading that one too. What? Do they think people don't read the classic's anymore?

You all may have noticed I changed the picture beneath this blog's header. (Thanks everyone, for telling me I spelled insanity wrong. You're all a bunch of pals...) ;-) Anyway, after using this picture in an earlier post, I decided it should be here to stay...for awhile. For those wondering, it's Haruka, the dark Tengu from "Tactics". It's a good series, very funny. I don't feel like talking about funny today though, so let's just say, Haruka's mood mirrors mine....

J touched on something else that bugs me. People who take that damn "Drawn Together" so seriously. GET OVER IT! For the love of God and all things holy! The entire point of this show is to poke fun at sterotypes and people like YOU who take themselves (and their morals) too seriously. Someone commented here earlier about how the show offended them because of a certain sterotype. You know what, I'd bet a nickle that none of the other sterotypes bothered her much at all (considering she didn't mention any of the other outrageous aspects of the show...only those that pertained to "her people"). I'm sure the "stupid white girl sterotype" or "the flaming gay homosexual" or "the lunk-headed, womanizing frat-boy" sterotype bugged her much at all. Why? Well of course, they don't pertain to her, so why should they bother her? I mean, it's okay to sterotype other people just so long as you don't fall into that sterotype, right? (rollseyes) Newsflash people, you don't like a certain show, turn it over. It's as simple as that. Only a total dumbass would watch something that offends them so much.

Finally, I'm so sick of seeing Halo crap on the tech channel. We get it, already. Not everyone who watches that channel thinks Halo is the greatest thing next to grandma's apple pie. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

Okay, I'm finished for today. I'm gonna go to bed and maybe I'll wake up on the "right side" tomorrow... Heh

Pip Bernadette

There's a Little Bit of Walmart in Us All

You know, Walmart is a frightening concept. It's a monster. A terrifying beast that is chewing up speciality stores and spitting them out like fat rinds. Just look at Toys 'R Us. They've stated that competition with Walmart is making them consider exiting the business all together.

Oh no! What will happen to Geoffry the Giraffe?!

For those of you not aware how big a creature Walmart has become, look no further than it's fiscal budget last year! $259 BILLION PROFIT!!!!

Now, in 2005 Walmart is planning to expand its endevors even further by opening 310 new stores, 30 new Sam's Clubs. If this goes on, it's been thought that Walmart will have over 3,000 supercenters (compared to the 1600 now) and have a total sales market of half a TRILLION dollars.

Walmart is already the worlds leading retailer. Yup, the WORLDS, as in it's sales exceed another other sales merchant in the entire world. That's frickin scary. I've been to Walmart...

Now, what I'd like to know is why the hell they can't pay their employees fairly or decently with all this cash they reap in? Hmmmm? Do I smell a monopoly in the works? Microsoft is bad enough, now we have Walmart to contend with....

(Thanks to "Southpark" for title of this blog)

Xenosaga II Gets Offical Website

So, I'm a bit late...but Namco finally threw together a website for the game which has been scheduled for release 2/15/05. (the trailer looks cool)

I've heard from other Xenosaga fans that game part II sucks big time. We'll see. I tend to take fellow gamer's opinions with a grain of salt. Game fans are as bad as anime fans...tons of freaky elitists and raving idiots....

At anyrate, I've been waiting for this game for a long time, so I won't miss it....

Oh, and for those waiting for FF12, here's the link to the Japanese site. They have a trailer availible, one has English subs (it's the one on the right), but the quality sucks. I really wish this one was coming out this winter, instead of the summer....Also, Devil May Cry 3 has been slated for a March 3, 2005 shipping date. The new trailer kicks ass!!!!

Television sucks

TV just sucks these days.

Oh, there's a few shows that entertain me...like...uh...

Nevermind...

For the lack of anything better to do, I watched an episode of "The Real World" on MTV today. Is it just me, or do they intentionally pick the most retarded, idiotic dumbasses for this show? Just watching them makes me ill. I liked the first couple shows, when it first came on, but the newer ones are just rediculous.

Most reality shows are like that anyway, I suppose. They're all pretty stupid and most of the contestants are candidates for the "Darwin Awards". No wonder TV sucks so badly.

And what's up with GTV cutting off Gungrave at episode 12? Huuuuuuh? That pisses me off. Why can't they play the show all the way through, dammit? Or did I miss something? Their website doesn't say jack, the last time I checked...other than Gad Gaurd is taking it's spot and will be replayed repeatedly over and over again...Aren't there enough Mech shows on TV already? Gungrave was one of the few shows on TV that I'd watch religiously...Now I'll just have to wait for the DVD's (and the next one isn't out until January *grumbles*)

Thank God for channels like Discovery, History, Cartoon Network, etc. Even though a lot of the shows they air suck too, my chances are better than if I only had the regular channels minus Cable. Honestly, I've started keeping the TV off when I'm doing other things, like reading or picking away at the computer. I used to leave it on all the time, but now it's just annoying.

On another note, next week will be my last week of work for awhile. I think I mentioned that earlier. Of course, I hoped my last week would be fairly normal with little or no speed bumps....

Wishful thinking...

Three more "Guest Technicians" will be joining us, including that moron who pissed me off the week before. I'm going to try to play nice, but with a jerk-face like him, it's really hard to keep my mouth shut. Not only that, it's rankled our own techncians feathers and they've been particularly pissy and moany lately. They're worried that with the extra help, they'll be laid off sooner. They're right. However, what did they expect? We work for a business, and these days, businesses look out for themselves, there's none of that old fashioned "employer/employee" loyalty. It irritates me when they whine about shit with out even trying to understand...One of them threw a hissy fit, threatening that he was quitting and blah blah blah...If I had a nickle for everytime he said crap like that, I'd be a frickin millionaire...

How annoying...

Then again, most things annoy me these days...

PS:
J, I won't be going to the movie tomorrow...sorry! And a big hello to Maynard! You rock!!! ;-)

"Spiderman" isn't an Acceptable Name

According to the Japanese government.

I'm inclined to agree with them...

蜘蛛人？？？
蜘蛛男？？？

どれが正確ですか？　知りないよ。。。(>_<)

Sometimes I wish there were laws here that would prevent parents from naming their kids stuff like Dweezle and Moon Unit...(coughfrankzappacough)

You see, in Japan, in order for a baby's birth to be registered, the Kanji chosen must be approved by the Justice Ministry. Parents have 1,945 regular use Kanji to choose from, as well as a list of "name Kanji" (人名用漢字), or they can write the name in kana.

Apparently, some of the Kanji that are NOT allowed to be used while naming your child are kanji pertaining to things like, say, feces, corpse, lewdness, cancer, curse, hemmroid, butts, crotches of any sort, various body parts, pus, things pertaining to violent death, problem animals (bees, foxes, tanuki, frog), etc.

It sounds like naming children in Japan is a complicated process, but it makes sense. With the use of Kanji, I can understand the governments need to feel obligated to prevent children from being named things like "Gloomy Flower" or "Pussy Armpit".

Being Poor Sucks and I'm NOT too old! ;-P

So, my lay-off date from work is two weeks earlier than expected...

I have mixed feelings about that. I'm pretty poor right now, and was banking on the last few paychecks to save up some cash. That's not gonna happen now. *sigh* I'm not looking forward to dealing with "Unenjoyment" either. That's unemployment for those of us who deal with it on a year to year basis. Last year went uncannily smooth, so I'm praying that will happen again this year.

On the other hand, I'm really looking forward to the time off. I've been offered a part time job somewhere else...oddly enough a place where I buy a lot of my anime and japanese comics. *laughs* That tells you how good of a customer I am! Scary, huh? I've thought about it, but I really do like sitting on my ass for six weeks during the winter. Believe me, when I say my "real" job is stressful, you have no idea....any time off I can get is needed to re-coop.

Some people are waiting for some updates on a few of my projects. I'd like to say, "I'm working on it" and "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten". You know who you are. I'll update stuff soon, have no fear! (considering I'll have tons of time on my hands after next Friday)

I've been drawing a lot more lately. That makes me happy. I still think I suck at it, but oh well. I love art. All kinds. Creativity is a beautiful thing! People who draw, write stories, create music are the most awesome people in the world! Self expression is important these days. I've always wanted to do a comic book of my own. Ever since I was a little girl. My first real love of comics came when I was like 10 or 12. I collected "Elfquest", which to this day I just adore for the wonderful story and beautiful characters. I read things like X-men and Spiderman. I recently developed fondness for "Witchblade". Japanese comics came way later, and I'm atttracted to their various art styles and expressive stories. "Elfquest", in my opinion, is very "mangaesque", so I suppose I've always been partial to comics like that.

It bugs me when people say things like "You're too old for that kind of stuff". I really want to smack them in the mouth (especially the silly little teenagers). Why is it, when you reach a certain age, people expect you to abandon your creativity for things like CNN and the stockmarket? I don't like those sort of things. Why should I pay any attention to them? Sure, I watch the news, but I'm not glued to it 24/7, nor do I feel the need to read a newspaper everyday. Why should I give up the things I enjoy just because the number of years I've lived has gone past a certain number?

That doesn't make much sense to me.

One of the great things about being grown up is that you can make choices and know that not everyone will agree with them. I know people think my hobbies are strange for someone in their late 20's. You know what, I don't care. I choose to endulge in the stuff I enjoy because it makes me happy. There's nothing wrong with that, and frankly, it's no one's business but my own. What is wrong, is giving up things you love, whether it be cartoons, comics, books, music, movies, toys, etc., just because society says it's necessary.

To me, that's stupid, not to mention weak. Why are people such sheep? Why are they so willing to throw away things they love just because society says it's suppose to be that way? If my tastes change in the next few years, so be it, but you won't find me giving up my love of comics, games, or cartoons just because I'm a grown up.

I have to laugh though, because no matter how surprised people are at my hobbies, I know that there are many grown-ups out there like me. Evil Smiley makes the most killer lego designs and loves Godzilla! He's in the military too. (You rock! And I want those tractor pictures!) Two of my friends, one who is in his 40s and the most active individual I've ever met, still love their Marvel comics. Another friend is hooked on anime and cartoons too. My best friend loves Batman and Spiderman, manga, anime, etc. All of these people are older than me, save the last one. They all lead productive, mature, adult lives. Imagine that....

Who are you, or anyone else for that matter, to tell them that they should give up the things they like? Hmmm? Kudo's for them for knowing their own minds and being comfortable enough to be who they are and like what they want!

All my friends kick ass.

Anyway, people, just give it some thought before you start judging people. Is it your place? I think not and I imagine that you have some hobbies and quirks of your own that other's find "peculiar". Also, hold on to the things you love the most. Don't let them go because the bigger picture says it must be so. That's a dirty lie fed to us from the time we are small. Prioritize what's important, that's for sure, but never let someone tell you you have to give something up because you're too old.

You best listen when a drunk Tengu tells you to! *laughs*

A Thursday Funny: Shuichi Style

Dis entree iz 4 u!!!XDXD

i really can't standz it when ppl r 2 lay-z 2 rite like normal ppl. it bugz da shitz outta me. my splling izn't da best, but itz surez uh hellova lot betterz dan dis crap. Lern to rite like decent ppls fer Godz sake!

Ok.

I'm done with that. I think I've damaged my eyes permenantly writing that. My spelling sucks, but sheesh, I can't stand seeing the stuff above. It just bugs the hell out of me. Pure laziness being hidden behind an "it's cool" or "it's cute" facade.

IT'S NOT COOL AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOT CUTE!

*scratches eyes out*

Anyhoo...

I've fallen behind on a few of my projects once again...No suprise there. I spent my entire weekend off doing nothing...except playing Shadow Hearts 2, which is an entertaining enough game, but what in the hell did they do the Yuri? Whatever. I feel guilty for neglecting the things I have planned, so I suppose I should work on them tonight...or maybe tomorrow...

*laughs*

I did spend all day researching stuff for a story I have planned. All day. Loads and loads of info I want to sit down and go through. It was fun. I have all sorts of ideas running through my head now. If only I could get them on paper the way I imagine.

J...GO FOR IT! You've got nothin to lose, baby! Take a chance! *heh* I'm so proud of you! :-)

Projects aside, right now I'm just happy to be alive. You see, it took me an hour to get to work again today...But this time it wasn't because of road construction. No...the fog was so damn thick I couldn't see anything. Doesn't make for good driving...There were accidents all over the place. Just pulling onto the highway was like rolling the dice. I passed one accident, and a flagger who had no idea what the hell he was doing waved me somewhere...I don't even think he knew where...and I ended up going down this road I've never been on before. Turns out it was a dead end...Soooooo, I had to turn all the way around and find my way back to the highway...*sigh*

Oh...and before I forget...

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY! TURN ON YOUR FRIGGIN LIGHTS WHEN IT'S FOGGY!
No wonder there were like a gazillion accidents today. I saw people everywhere driving with their lights off. I wanted to ram my car into them...then say I didn't see them just to prove my point. Of course, I wouldn't do something like that. I need my car.

In about three more weeks, I'll be laid off from work. I'm looking forward to it, though I don't like the idea of being broke...Oh well.

Speaking of work...

Can I go home yet?

Angel Sanctuary and Mythology

I finally got my hands on Angel Sanctuary 4...and ordered #5. What's the deal with certain manga being so damn hard to find? And what the hell is up with B&N offering pre-orders when all they do is cancel them for me? Sheesh! I've yelled at them several times for pulling that shit on me.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading #5. Things pick up big time in book 4, but book five is one of my favorites because of Kato's story. I cried reading it the first time. His retelling of his life is just painful, and so very realistic. Crap like that happens to kids, and it's horrible.

Angel Sanctuary is just a sad story, period. It's got some messed up themes, not for the light at heart or those who are bound tight by their morals. Still, that's what makes it a good story, because of the spin it puts onto such things.

And Lordy...Rosiel is just MESSED UP! I mean, feeding orphaned kids to his pet Katan, his servant who he turned into a pulsing ball of meat monster...Not to mention he's obessed with his sister...his twin sister...*shakes head* The evil guys in this story are scary...really scary...like insane but smart really scary...(Think Hannibal Lecter). The boy...er...Angel is insanity incarnate...

Angel Sanctuary is a complicated story. In talking with some of my friends who share my love of manga, and browsing various forum and mailing lists, I realized how many people don't even begin to understand some of the significance of the names and places in this series. Hell, even I get confused, and I'm a big fan of mythology and crap like that. I also see many people complaining about the English translation, which is to be expected in a fandom over-run with elitist morons (read:otaku). Most of these complainers have read various fan translations, which we all know are far more accurate than a professional translation. I mean, Yggdrasil is spelled "Yugdorashil" in Japanese dammit! How dare they change it to the English spelling! Bastards! (yes, this is sarcasam).

Anyway, I don't feel like ranting about the idocies of otaku today, but instead I'm going to talk about a few of the significances found in Angel Sanctuary. If you like a bit of mythology, sit back and relax. You'll probably learn something interesting! (for a bit of fun, I'll tag on some of the Angel Sanctuary characters as well)

Yggdrasil (not "Yugdorashil") Means "Terrible Horse or "The Horse of Ygg". It's the name of the World Ash Tree that became the gallows of Odin. The name is probably meant to be poetic, since "drasil" means horse and men rode to their deaths from the gallows on horseback. That's a theory anyway. Another thing about Yggdrasil, it was considered the "axis mundi". It's roots supported the earth, it's trunk passed through the world's middle, it's branched stretched across the sky like stars. You know those famous Fates ( or Norns)? They lived under it's roots by the famous "Fount of Wisdom". Oh, one more thing, Yggdrasil was chewed upon by a giant serpent who would eventually topple it. That was when doomsday would arrive and everything would crumble.

Hvergelmir was known as the "roaring caludron" or the well spring of cold in Niflheim. All cold rivers were believed to come from this place and it was guarded by Ivaldi and his sons.

Nidhogg is the name of the serpant that chews upon Yggdrasil. He was said to fight with the eagle that lived in the upper most branches of the tree and fed upon dead corpses to sustain himself. His job is to destroy Yggdrasil and bring about the apocolypse.

Adam Kadamon (also written as Adam Kadmon in Kabbalah) is primordial man. The first being to emerge and become one with God's creation of the the cosmos. There are many different beliefs revolving around Adam Kadamon and his significance. In some Gnostic sects, Adam Kadamon is coextensive with the cosmos, his body is the body of the world, and his soul the soul of all souls.

(Adam Kadamon acts as a guide for Setsuna)

Aziluth is the "World of Nobility", or the highest and most abstract of the four Qabalistic worlds. It the divine world, also known as the Archetypes.

Etemenanki is the temple of the creation of heaven and earth. It was seven stories in height, but is nothing more than ruins now. Some believe it is the Tower of Babel.

Metatron was the Angel who sat next to God. He was believed to be a prophet and his job in Heaven was to transcribe events as they happened. He was the greatest of all Angels, honored as the angel of the face, the angel of the presence, chief of the ministering angels, the chief recording angel, chancellor of heaven, the angel by whom the world is maintained, and a being so mighty that he held many, many titles. He also has a twin, Sandalphon.

Metatron is a child in Angel Sanctuary. However, he's still the ruler of Heaven.

Sandalphon was said to be the master of song and the Angel of Prayer. He was also known to be the one who determines the sex of unborne children. His primary function, however, was to act as a guide. He was the twin of Metatron.

Belial comes from the Hebrew meaning "Wicked One". Lucifer's head henchman, the number one demon in Hell. Thought Lucifer ruled, Belial was in charge. Belial was said to govern 80 Infernal Legions, and he is the Sixty-eighth Spirit listed in the Goetia.

(Belial, also known as the Mad Hatter in Angel Sanctuary, she is Lucifer's right hand but has her own agenda)

Asmodeus Asmodeus, also known as Ashmadia, most likely originated from the Persian Aeshmadeva.

Lilith was Adam's first wife in the Hebrew bible. She was stubborn, willful, and refused to be subserviant. She left him and was turned out of Paradise. Before God created Eve, he sent three angels to try and convince Lilith to return to Adam, but she refused. God then cursed her and sent 100 of her offspring to die.

Astaroth was the 29th spirit who appears in the form of a hurtful angel riding on the back of a dragon and carrying a viper in his right hand. Possibly the treasurer of Hell and said to reign over 40 legions.

(one of Lucifer's men, Astaroth)

Raphael was the Angel of healing. He is known as the Semitic God of Air and one of the four presences set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the children of men. He is charged with the health of the Earth and is also known as the Angel of joy and regeant of travelers.

(Archangel Rafael is the angel of healing, but in AS, he has his own set of issues)

Uriel is the spirit of ministration and peace. He's also known as the dark angel, as he was the one who wrestled with Jacob, was the destroyer of the hosts of Sennacherib, was the messenger sent by God to Noah to warn him of the impending flood, etc.

(Uriel in AS is the dark angel that guards the gates of Hell. His home is Yggdrasil)

Zaphkiel was the angel of mercy and freedom.

Gehenna is old english for "hell", comparable to that of the Hebrew "sheol" or Greek "hades", though the meaning isn't quite the same as today.

For those curious to how Lucifer (Satan) appears in this story, here are a few pictures:

It might be worth noting that Lucifer (once known as Lucifel in Heaven) has a very special role in this story. Though we are taught that the devil is all things evil and horrible, Angel Sanctuary puts a spin on his objectives. He's one of my favorite characters in this series, in a story where everything we've learned about right and wrong, good and bad is defied.

I've left out many other key players and specific terms this time. I'm lazy that way, but I suggesting picking up these books and taking a look for yourself. Yuki Kaori delves deep into biblical terms and draws from all various aspects of different religions. The tale she weaves is masterful and beautiful. The art work is the best I've seen, the only rival would be from Yami no Matsuei, which is a fabulously drawn and constructed story as well.

Full Metal Alchemist makes its debut

And I'm quite pleased with the results.

Then again, I wasn't really too worried about Funimation (the people who dubbed DBZ) aquiring this series. Many people fail to look past the entire mess that was DBZ, and see some of Funi's more decent accomplishments. Look no further than Fruits Basket, an excellent dub, even when compared to other companies.

Anyway, Funi did a great job on this episode. Ed and Al's voices were bang on, in my opinion. Some people say Ed sounds too old, but more like an honest to God 15 year old than a lot of other shows I've watched. Al's voice was perfect, with the child-like innocence and quiet demenor.

As for the showing on Cartoon Network, I saw no editing issues. Ed's leg gushed blood and a few of his more "choice" words were left in. I finished the show with a real good feeling, but that was probably just because I love FMA so much. My son and his friend stayed up to watch it as well to see how it turned out. The only thing my son says was, "They sound a bit weird, but that's 'cause I'm used to listening to them in Japanese." Other than that, he loved it and can't wait for the DVD's to come out so he can watch it over, and over, and over...*sigh*

One of THOSE days....

I had one of "those" days...

You know, one of the ones where you just know when you wake up that you should stay in bed.

I woke up this morning and found 11 or so spam posts on this blog. It wouldn't have bothered me so much, but they were all for r ape sites....Yup...Nice huh? That seriously pissed me off. Not much you can do about the spam bastards, so I spent my morning banning and deleting. Oh well...

It took me 30 minutes to get to work today. Normally it's a 10 minute trip. My car was covered in ice...the first time this year. I went to the store to get gas, and realized that the road construction I wasn't aware of would force me to back track and take a different route to the highway. Of course, it was so damn foggy I couldn't see my hand in front of my face and missed my exit...

Thank goodness I left early, 'cause I still made it to work on time...and I only left early because I had to get gas...I didn't expect all the other crap to happen...

My knee hurts worse today...I don't like to walk much anymore...and I drive a stick, so that's not fun either...

At work today, one of our "guest" technicians, who is here from another company branch helping us catch up with work, decided for some odd reason that he could write a nasty note on an invoice to me. I believe it said "This is Bull S. Stop wasting my time. These people need to be contacted verbally. This is the fifth time I've been to their house and gate was locked."

Apparently he thought he could order me around.

He thought wrong...

And I told him so...

Stupid dumbass. I told him the next time he has a problem with something, to bring it to me personally instead of writing retarded notes. I also told him I wasn't changing any account to a verbal notification if we've been there five previous times before with no problems (different jobs, not the one he was complaining about). If he'd been leaving notes on their door or calling them back like he should have been, it wouldn't be a problem. He might be able to treat office staff like shit where he comes from, but I won't put up with it.

I hate idiots...

He's an idiot.

The only good things about today were I had lunch at a cafe in town with my friend and I got a hold of the third DVD of Gungrave. I love that show. Oh, and mom brought home pizza...

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday. I plan on deadening my soul for one more day so I can make it to the weekend.

Here's to being cold blooded *cheers*

That's All She Wrote...

Well, thank God the elections are over. I'm not sure how I feel about the outcome, but I will say I'm relieved that there will not be any rediculous court battles this time. I don't care for Bush...but I didn't like Kerry much either...

So who did I vote for?

That's a private matter.

I will say this, to all those people protesting in foreign countries....Mind your own business. You only think you understand American politics and our elections, but really, you know nothing. For you, our election was only about Iraq and foreign policy, but for us, there were many, many issues at stake. In the end, it's our country and our president, your opinion doesn't mean jack. End of story.

I can only imagine the hub-bub that it would cause if we raised a stink about all the European leaders we dislike...Example, that French retard, Chirac...You need to get rid of him...Right now! He supports dictators and recieves blood money from doing so!

That piss you off? Good. That's exactly how many of us Americans feel about other nations poking their noses into our elections. Get over yourselves...your national leaders are hardly clean and you know it.

I'm so sick of reading stuff about France, Germany, China, and Lord knows who else being "disappointed" in the American people and how they "fear" the rise of Anti-Americanism in the world. Screw you. If I could, I'd photocopy my middle finger and send it to them all...

And to all those idiots they keep interveiwing on the street saying shit like, "I'm so ashamed to be an American," and "I guess it's time to move to another country," there's the fucking door. Obviously you're a minority within the American public (the press wants you to believe otherwise), so if you're so ashamed and thinking living elsewhere would be better, then get the hell out. I'm not happy with this year's election (Kerry or Bush), but I'll be damned if I EVER say I'm not proud to be an American or even think that living somewhere else would be in my best interest. People like that make me totally sick. It's okay to be disappointed, but denouncing your country while reaping the benifits is disgusting. Grow up. Take the good with the bad. And stop sniviling like spoiled brats.

Anyway...here's to another four years...*cringe* I'm hoping for the best.

On to more pleasant things...(I really dislike politics)

My aunt called me the other day and gave me the yearly scolding on not updating my Amazon list for Christmas. *sigh* I told myself that this year I'd have it done before she called, but she beat me to it. Is it just me, or is she getting earlier and earlier each year? Anyway, I can't think of a damn thing to put on it really...It's still too early for thinking about Christmas!

I've somehow injured my knee...

I don't know how I did it. It just hurts. Bad. I told my boss I thought I might have a blood clot and he could expect me to drop dead anytime. He just laughed. I made sure to tell him that I want AC/DC played at my funeral. None of that sappy sad shit for me. Seriously though, I have no clue what I did to it. I woke up one day and could barely walk. It's a bit better, but I gimp around rather slow. My boss said if I was a horse they'd shoot me. Apparently I've gone lame....

...I just thought of something else that's been bugging me....

The price of gas? What the hell is up with that? I'm about to trade my car in for a horse and buggy! Last night, I had to pick my dog up at my grandma's house because my dad didn't want to dive into town to pick him up himself due to the price of gas. Diesel costs like $2.50 a gallon here...So I went and got the dog...it had been raining all day...he'd been outside...he's a BIG dog...

Needless to say the ride home was gag worthy smelly...

Oh! One more thing about animals.

My cat is chasing cars.

Yes, you read that right. She's chasing cars. I don't predict a long life for her. I always knew that she wasn't normal, but when I came home from lunch today I caught her by the road, hiding in the bushes. As my car drove by, she leapt out and ran after it...Hopefully it's just the family cars she's chasing....

Did anyone catch Southpark? Ha ha! Wal-Mart is a part of all of us. We have to defeat the Wal-Mart inside us all. Drawn Together was pretty funny, though not hysterical like South Park. The princess's "Octpusoua" was good for a laugh, and the entire lynch mob thing made me chuckle.

Okay, I'm done rambling for today.

Ode to "K"

THIS...is why I love Gravitation so much...

Where else can you see the hero running for his life while dressed in a chicken suit

Anyway, that's not exactly what I'm going to talk about today. Rather than go on about how terribly fantastic this series is, I'm going to focus on my favorite character of them all:

The Mysterious (and significantly violent) K.

Yes..."K" is who we are going to talk about today. For those not familar with Gravitation and the characters, K is the manager of "Bad LucK", our main character's (Shuichi Shindou) band.

Honestly, "K" isn't a very significant character...or rather he wasn't meant to be. According to the creator, he took on a life of his own and was there to stay. Funny, since that's exactly how "K" is in the book, aggressive, authoritative, and in your face 100% of the time. Now, "K" plays a much larger role in the future of "Bad Luck" and Shuichi's miserable life.

Why do I like "K" so much?

Heh...For his complexity, of course.

The man is utterly insane and spontaneous, however, he's totally serious about his business and knows how to get things done. He appears to be an crazed American idiot, but he's actually incredibly intellegent. He knows the business and is good at his job, which is taking "Bad Luck" and Shuichi to the top of the music business.

And he'll do whatever it takes...

Including blowing shit up, taking hostages, holding AK-47's to Shuichi's head, making the bandmates partake in some of the most rediculous tasks, etc. Anything to reach the top.

We don't know much about "K", other than he's a violent, uncooth, blonde, typical American. Until recently we didn't even know what his real name was...and it doesn't start with a "K".

Even more shocking was the revelation that our scary manager is married. Honestly, I couldn't picture any woman compatable with our exccentric "K", but apparently there's someone for everyone. His wife Judy,
a mega actress from the States, is nuttier than he his.

They're a match made in heaven...even though she tries to have him killed from time to time.

Shoot him? Uh...isn't he your husband Judy?

How does Shuichi feel about his manager? Well, he's too scared to say much about it. "K" keeps him in line and the pair of them together are hysterical. If there were ever candidates for Ridlin, it would be these two....

Dude...WHAT are you two doing!? It's just a movie...

"K" brings an extra flare to Gravitation. Oh, Shuichi could maintain the insanity on his own, look no further than his starting a suicide riot inside a movie theater...then again, "K" was there for that one too.
The combination of the them together just make things even more halarious. They are so similar on many levels, it's like Shuichi times 2 when they're up to something.

Gravitation is just downright funny. There's nothing normal about this series. The tragity of poor Shuichi, combined with his psychotic manager, balanced by level headed Yuki and Hiro is like trying to mix oil and water. The minute something serious goes down, something outrageous happens shortly after. It's nonstop insanity, and "K" happens to be my most favorite nutball of them all!

Long live Gravi!

A Computer Funny

For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on. At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like! Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I just love thispart):

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car,restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause
your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to
reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and
refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned
the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

Happy November!

Hey, it's November folks! Hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. Shit. That means I have to do some shopping in the near future...

*sigh*

I hate shopping.

As it would be, November marks the count down to my layoff from work. I'm looking forward to it, though I dislike being poor for 4-6 weeks. That sucks. So I've paid off whatever bills I had, except my car and insurence payments, started stocking up on videogames and movies to watch while I'm poor, and made a list of manga and anime I plan to continue collecting while I'm in the layoff period. I'll catch up with the rest next year.

This year's choices:
Peacemaker Kurogane (DVD and Manga)
WallFlower
Bleach
Gravitation (manga only)
Naruto (cause Hunter would kill me if I didn't buy it)
Kenshin (see above)
Tactics
Othello
Gungrave
Kare First Love
Hot Gimmick
Fullmetal Alchemist (DVD out in January)
Getbackers (DVD only)
Chrono Crusade (DVD and manga...Hunter loves this one too)

Luckily for me, most of these are bi-monthly releases, the exception being Kenshin, which has gone monthly.

Those who noticed Gungrave on my list, I've just recently become a fan of this series. I bought the first DVD on a whim and was immediatly hooked. I bought the second one yesterday, and this show has shot up to one I'm seriously interested in. The story is really intreaguing and I happen to like Brandon Heat's character. I feel so sorry for him, even though I don't even know the half of his story yet, but I think I can guess what happened. *laughs* I'm thinking of picking up the videogame as well. I took a peek at it and it looks like something I'd enjoy.

On another note, I went and saw "The Grudge" yesterday with J. I haven't checked to see if he's done a review of it yet or not. He does some pretty good reviews of movies, for those who are interested. Anyway, I liked the movie, though I thought it's scare factor vs that of The Ring wasn't there. Sure, it creeped me out, but I slept fine last night. After I watched The Ring, I had a hard time sleeping for two weeks. If they would have focused more on the grudge (ie: curse) instead of trying to be so spooky and startling, I would have liked it more. Not to mention, nothing pisses me off more than when people keep returning to a place that is obviously friggin dangerous. Would I have gone back to that house...HELL NO...It was super creepy that the grudge followed them even outside of the house it started in, and if they would have played with that more, I think I would have went home terrified...Still, it's a good movie. Go see it if you like that sort of thing.

I think I want to see that show "White Noise" too. That looks pretty scary. *laughs* I thought about seeing "Saw" too...I almost convinced myself to go see it...but after watching a trailer for it last night, I decided I wouldn't. I don't like overly gorey movies for the sole reason I find them stupid and they piss me off. I will refrain from another Texas Chainsaw Massacer rant.

Random news...24 people have made my banned list. All of them spammers. Nice huh? Stupid jackasses. They ruin everything, by spreading their filth. I'll just keep deleting their posts and banning their IP's. No matter how many times they come back.

Well, I hope everyone is well and that you all had a great Halloween. Evil Smiley, if you're out there, I want to see pictures of this years party! *laughs* And the Tractor! Where are the tractor pictures! heh heh!

Oh...J...you need to read Gravi...I'm going to keep bugging you about this...if you don't, I'm just going to tell you that K's name is.....KLONDIKE!!!

JUST KIDDING!!! :-p

it's not...