Houshou the Flying Squirrel of Death

Letter to my Congressman

2009-07-18T03:01:26Z

The below is a letter I just wrote and sent to my Congressman concerning the voices and outcries against President Obama's Eligibility for Office. This is merely a copy for my record, but I also post it up for your viewing pleasure. Whether or not you agree with me, this is my opinion. I have nothing further to say, so comments are disabled.

Dear Mr. Clark,
I am writing to you, so that I know that my voice has been heard concerning the situation surrounding President Obama's Birth Certificate, or more accurately the apparent lack there of. I can't put this in nice, politically correct words because that is not me. So please excuse any thing that may come across as rude and impolite towards you or your staff. I am merely expressing my opinion about this whole situation.

I have given the matter some careful thought, and I am of the opinion...Who cares? Long-Form, Short-Form... Legal or Not. He was chosen by the Voting System we have here in place, he has taken the Oath of Office, twice. He is one of thee most charismatic President's we have had in several decades. Why should anyone really care, whether or not his Birth Certificate is real, authentic, and legal. In today's world, almost anything can be forged. Those who choose not to believe something, won't.
The people of this day and age are impatient and lazy. If something isn't fixed as soon as it is convenient for them they get upset and blame the people in the lime-light. As such, President Obama is merely the figure-head of America for the next 4 years, hopefully longer. People seem to forget that just because he wants something done, doesn't mean it's going to happen. It still has to go through the House of Representatives and Congress. But he gets blamed for the shit storm that is currently happening. Why aren't people pointing fingers at George Bush? This whole recession problem started during his career, and since its been falling since 2007 its suddenly President Obama's fault? Fuck no!
He has merely accepted what was already started, and is trying to turn it around. But because it's not happening fast enough for the American Public, it's his fault. And now, they are trying to find some fault with him by claiming he was ineligible from the beginning because he will not produce the Long-Form Birth Certificate. This is a out right disgrace to him. He mentioned that getting out of this recession is going to take time and effort on the American Public's part. He can not, and should not, be held responsible for families who do not wish to help themselves.
October 29th, 1929. The infamous day the Stock Market crashed and sent our glorious economy into hell. It lasted almost an entire decade. Our society has survived only because of the increased number of wars we have entered into since then. Those wars created jobs. Those jobs created technology, and technology has fueled today's populace.
President Obama, is doing what he can to return the United States of America to a peaceful self-promoting country. Trying to reduce out sourcing to other countries to increase the job market here. Trying to keep some of the major businesses in business with a little help from a supposedly infinitely deep bank account. Trying to increase the rate at which we can pay off the National Debt.
It is unfortunate that something similiar to what happened almost 80 years ago is being blamed on someone, who knew what he was accepting when he stepped up to take the office from George Bush. This whole recession began during the last bit of Bush's Presidency, Obama is doing what he can to fix that mess. But because it isn't fast enough for today's society, he is getting the blame and not the man who it started with.
Regardless if President Obama is or isn't legally eligible for the position, even we needed German Scientists during World War II to develope the Atomic Bomb, before Germany. If someone who is elected via the legal election process, by the American Public, thinks they can solve some of the worst problems to come out of our country since the Bush Family. Then by all means we should let them try, and stop bickering about whether or not it is right or wrong. But should be asking the question; Am I doing what I can to help out my fellow Americans, or am I being a lazy, good-for-nothing, impatient, whiny, counter-productive member of society, whose only dream that all this isn't real is when I wake up tomorrow in a 5 story mansion and sleeping on a billion dollars of gold and precious gems?

Shit won't be fixed until someone cleans it up! And if everyone waits for President Obama to personally come by their house to clean up their shit, He would die of Old Age before getting out of Washington D.C.! Everyone must do their part to help out, or everyone will continue to suffer!

I can only hope that my voice, no matter how small it is, is heard. I understand that I may also be sending this to the wrong Representative, as my home of record is Saint George, Utah. Located in Green Valley. Regardless of that fact, I appreciate the time and concern you and your staff have shared with me on this matter. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Houshou Rattengod

Dating Meme - Stole'd from Sorayume :3

2009-05-28T16:54:33Z

Your dating personality profile:
Liberal - Politics matters to you, and you aren't afraid to share your left-leaning views. You would never be caught voting for a conservative candidate.
Adventurous - Just sitting around the house is not something that appeals to you. You love to be out trying new things and really experiencing life.
Romantic - You know exactly how to melt your date's heart. Romance comes naturally to you and is an important component of any relationship you have.Your Top Ten Traits

1. Liberal
2. Adventurous
3. Romantic
4. Big-Hearted
5. Shy
6. Sensual
7. Practical
8. Wealthy/Ambitious
9. Intellectual
10. Religious

Your date match profile:
Practical - You are drawn to people who are sensible and smart. Flashy, materialistic people turn you off. You appreciate the simpler side of living.
Conservative - Forget liberals, you need a conservative match. Political discussions interest you, and a conservative will offer the viewpoint you need.
Adventurous - You are looking for someone who is willing to try new things and experience life to its fullest. You need a companion who encourages you to take risks and do exciting things.Your Top Ten Match Traits

1. Practical
2. Conservative
3. Adventurous
4. Shy
5. Big-Hearted
6. Sensual
7. Intellectual
8. Religious
9. Traditional
10. Romantic

Take the Dating Profile Quiz at Would I Date You
So I haven't posted anything in awhile. Not like it matters much, not very many peopl read my journals any way....
I'm totally psyched about the upcoming Convention, AnthroCon. I just can't believe my supervisor almost cut m out of my leave. Honestly! The very first day I got up there I told him, I was approved to take leave in a couple months back at my last section, and well....I would only agree to being up there if I could still go. I told him I had already bought tickets and reserved a Hotel.
Well... here a couple weeks ago, I looked at the schedule and my leave wasn't on there. I confronted him about it, and sadly...they can't support my leave. There's not enough people in this shop to cover your leave. I looked at him and said, I told you that I bought tickets and a Hotel before I came up here. I am prepared to go on EML (Emergency Moral Leave) if I have to. I am taking this leave, and if there isn't enough people up here...then you're not doing your job. It's your job to ensure this place has manning. And just because several of the guys up here are getting out of the AF and are on Terminal Leave. Means they no longer work here, and you need replacements. If your not getting replacements to cover them, before they leave...you failed.
He looked at me and said bring in your receipts, if you truly did buy them before you came up here, we'll have to bite the bullet. "Gladly~" All I said, I brought in my tickets and said, here you go. I bought them the morning of the 17th. Before I even knew about my chances of coming up here. I started on the 20th. I know because its my 5 Year Anniversary in the AF. All he could say was... damn...

Now, I have my PT test next month...Hopefully no problems from that.

What Big Cat Are You?

2009-04-13T01:06:59Z

You Are a Lynx

You are a quiet observer of the world around you. Your wisdom comes from listening carefully.
You've always been extra sensitive and aware. And it's made it difficult for you to fit in.

You see past people's outward personas. You are able to penetrate a stranger's soul.
What you've learned about people is both beautiful and ugly. And you keep these secrets to yourself.

What Big Cat Are You?

Interesting. The first part is true, but the second-half...not so much.

Okinawa Adventures #1

2009-02-12T17:37:27Z

http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c.....0On%20Okinawa/

I uploaded a SHIT TON of photos to my photobucket account of my adventure I had last weekend on the island. There's gonna be a SHIT TON MORE this weekend too. And to avoid uploading a bunch of photos on FA, I'm just gonna link you guys to the folders I uploaded the photos to.

Enjoy~

Tribute for your Soldiers

2009-01-31T02:26:50Z

So, my Uncle sent me a email today containing a link to a YouTube Video. And I thought I would share it with everyone.
He co-wrote the song itself, and did the video. It's a wonderful song so I hope everyone enjoys it.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2gQ54VJWbkI

Puppy Meme's

2008-12-28T05:43:46Z

You Are a Beagle Puppy

Cheerful, energetic, and happy go lucky.

And you're sense of smell is absolutely amazing!

What Breed of Puppy Are You?

You Are a Boxer

You are playful and energetic. You bring joy to everyone who crosses your path.

You are hyper to the point of being a comedian. Everyone is wondering what you will do next.

You energy can get the better of you if you're not careful. You can have a destructive streak when you're bored.

You're very strong willed and powerful. You get you way without even trying to.

What Breed of Dog Are You?

Yeah I know. First Journal entry from me in a while and it's only a Meme...

Day off...

2008-12-23T16:27:47Z

GAWD I'm going crazy!

I can't stand day off's with no one to go out with! Since I have no one to go out and share experiences with, I spend my time sitting around my room going INSANE!

I've already gotten bored of everything, except Photoshop....which is gradually taking over every other priority I've set on a nightly basis. Because I can spend HOURS in Photoshop and never finish a picture. Just so I can restart all over and make it better or try something else out. See what simple and complex images I can make.

How to know when I want to use a realistic looking shading/coloring versus a slightly cartoonish style. AND perfecting both styles....

I swear, Photoshop has become my WoW-Crack-Addiction...
What gets me is, I don't know which is worse!

TDY to the States - Canceled -

2008-12-06T04:57:35Z

Right so fur the last couple months I've been gearing fur a trip to the states. It was to take an FTD class, that I had already taken. That in itself is wrong, but, fur some reason the "system" wasn't updating me and showing me as have ever been to the class. regardless of the fact that I had orders and certificates.
After months of trying to get the system to update me and show me as completed, someone made the decision to just send me again. Unfortunately, I have a bad memory problems and can't remember exactly who said it. So I'm gonna possibly take the brunt of a landslide of shit.

So, yeah...any one who might have been wondering what has been going on in my life...its been one disaster after another over the last month.

Soundtrack Meme

2008-10-23T19:21:22Z

Stolen from many people

1. Open your music library.
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.

Opening Credits: The Roots - Why (What's Goin On?) <--- I have no idea who this is and what its doing in my library....

Waking Up: Brad Paisley - Whiskey Lullaby <--- God Damn Good Song.

First Day At School: Jay-Z - 99 Problems <--- Who the hell put Rap in my library???

Falling In love: Vision F - Can Be Real <--- DDR Party Collection

Fight Song: Metallica - Sad But True <--- (`n.n) Yes!

Breaking Up: Jason Aldean - Laugh Until We Cried

Prom: Linkin Park - No More Sorrow

Life's OK: Diamond Rio - They Don't Make Hearts (Like They Used to...) <--- Finally, some Country!

Mental Breakdown: Disney Soundtracks = Pirates of the Caribbean (Curse of the Black Pearl) - Track 03 <--- Fuck yeah!

Driving: Weird Al Yankovic - The Night Santa Went Crazy <--- Yes (`n.n) ...from his beer to his boots, covered in ammo....

Flashback: Bing Crosby - O Holy Night <--- What the .... Did not see that one coming. 2 Christmas songs back to back.

Getting Back Together: Pokemon - Everything Changes <--- Oh shit....did NOT see that one coming.....

Wedding: Lunar 2 = Eternal Blue - Track 21 Zophar's Arrival <--- Fucking GREAT Game!

Birth of Child: 3 Doors Down - Loser <--- Nice I like them

Final Battle: Sonic Adventure Battle 2 - The way I like It (Metal Harbor) <--- OMGWTFBBQ SONIKUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!

Death Scene: RavenG - Exotic Ethnic - DDR Max (6th Mix)

Funeral Song: DJ Sammy & Yanou feat. DO - Heaven <--- DDR PSX -Max2 USA-

End Credits: Green Day - When I look Around <--- Meh, they're alright.....

------------------------------------------------------

Just because I wanted actual songs to in the spots that got "Talk Shows" or Audio Books. I listed only songs above, but the original ones for those spots are below:

Waking Up: 2 Sense Episode 22 Part 2 (Aired Dec. 7th, 2003) <--- (`n.n) I gots most of these in my list!

Breaking Up: Unabridged Audio CD = Eldest - Disc ?? Track 02 <--- Book 2 in the Eragon Series by Christopher Paolini (Didn't catch the CD)

Prom: Unabridged Audio CD = Out Of Control - Disc 3 Track 14 <--- Book 3 in the Defender Series by Jerry Ahern

Wedding: Unabridged Audio CD = No Survivors - Disc 1 Track 24 <--- Book 12 in the Defender Series by Jerry Ahern

Final Battle: Unabridged Audio CD = Eragon - Disc 2 Track 08 <--- Book 1 in the Eragon Series by Christopher Paolini

You wouldn't believe how many times I had to keep hitting Skip because it kept coming up with more and more Audio Book Tracks, trying to replace these!

Meme 38 / 59

2008-10-08T04:38:04Z

Bold the establishments you've been to. Underline your favorites. Strikethrough the ones you don't like.

1. Arby's
2. Beefeater
3. Benihana
4. Black Angus
~~5. Blimpie's~~
6. Buffalo Grill
7. Burger King
8. California Pizza Kitchen
9. Carl's Jr.
10. Chick-fil-A
11. Checkers (or Rally's)
12. Chipotle
13. Chuck E. Cheese's
14. Claim Jumper
15. Cluck-U-Chicken
16. Coney Island Hot Dogs
17. Del Taco
18. Denny's
19. El Pollo Loco
20. Fatburger
21. Firehouse Subs
22. Hard Rock Cafe
23. Hardee's
24. Harvey's
25. HomeTown Buffet
26. Hooters
27. In-n-Out
~~28. Jack in the Box~~
29. Jimmy Johns
30. Johnny Rocket's
31. Kelsey's
32. KFC
33. Krispy Kreme
34. Krystals
35. Long John Silver's
36. McDonald's
37. Oporto
38. Panda Express
39. Outback Steakhouse
40. Planet Hollywood
41. Quizno's
42. Rainforest Cafe
43. Red Lobster
44. Red Robin
45. Red Rooster
46. Señor Frog's
47. Skyline Chili
48. Sonic
49. Steak and Shake
50. Subway
51. Sweet Tomatoes
52. T.G.I.Friday's
53. Taco Bell
54. TCBY
55. The Old Spaghetti Factory
56. Tim Horton's
57. Wendy's
~~58. Whataburger~~
59. White Castle
Wow, I eat out a lot!

Friend at work

2008-09-25T05:04:34Z

So, yeah...
Last night was kinda fun. We finally got a plane off the ground thats been broken for a couple months. Everyone was crossing their fingers it wouldn't fall out of the sky.
Anywho, my shop and I climbed up into it to do some pressurization checks. and just as we began all the fun stuff, I noticed that we had some unexpected company.

The webs were easily 2 feet across, and I was kinda hoping the inhabitants would show up with more detail, but my flash made them light up like that...Oh well. It was fun, freaked out my supervisor, as you can see in the above picture. xP
There was roughly 3 of these little guys all over the cockpit.

Picture Meme

2008-09-24T03:58:58Z

take a picture of yourself right now.don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair... just take a picture.
post that picture with NO editing.
post these instructions with your picture.

I did this a couple days ago, I've just been waiting on Photobucket to upload the damn files....
Anywho, I had just gotten home from shift. As you can see, I'm still partially in uniform. And yes, I've had a hair cut since this picture was taken.

~Tears~

2008-09-11T17:02:03Z

~Tears~
I shed a Tear of Sadness for the Innocent;
May they always be Remembered.

I shed a Tear of Pride for the Brave;
May they always be Honored.

I shed a Tear of Humility for the Scared;
May they always be Protected.

I shed a Tear of Defiance for the Accused;
May they always be Fortified.

I shed a Tear of Anguish for the Wounded;
May they always be Rhapsodic.

I shed a Tear of Nihility for the Nemesis;
May the always be Damned.

I shed a Tear of Fervor for the Cavalry;
May they always be Sanctified.

I have shed Seven Tears for Seven Years.
May my prayers continue to rise,
As long as only these Tears fall.
~Tears~
(C)91108 - Houshou Rattengod

Category 4 Typhoon

2008-09-10T16:08:38Z

Hey everyone, this is a mass post going to multiple places on the internet. There is a Category 4 Typhoon that will be hitting the Island of Okinawa dead on from the west. For all of those who care, my dormitory building is like 10 clicks from the West Coast Line, but my room faces East. From what I understand the Typhoon Winds will be here Thursday Night/Friday Morning.
I'll be fine, I'll ride this thing out and post up some whacked up entries of shit that happened during the 'shut-in' from the Typhoon. I'm actually headed over to a friends house *crosses fingers the request gets approved* and chill with them through the whole thing.
It is possible we will lose power and internet, so if you don't hear from me don't panic. I could just be going crazy without all of you.

Sincerely,
Houshou

Duct Tape Dummy, Complete! ((Also posted on FA))

2008-09-01T19:01:22Z

Right, so I finally asked a couple friends to help me out with making a DTD of me so I can get it sent over to Joy the Bunny. Cause she makes thee most awesome suits I've seen. Plus its really good quality, and by really good, I mean I've heard word its all Hand Sewn!

Anywho, we just finished cutting me out, and I just realized there was no pictures taken during the process. Mainly because the husband has just had some medical issues, so his wife started the process. Now, I want to say a few things here regarding my experience with making a DTD that you really don't see in the couple tutorials I've seen on the internet.

1: Ensure, that you have had 8 - 10 cups of water the day before, and even several throughout the day of.

I don't know if it was because of the type of Duct Tape I got, but during the process I started to get really hot, and I could barely breathe, and I started to burp, and with the burps came the really delicious smell of stomach acids. This is about when we woke the husband up and he helped finish the process.

2: In the event something goes wrong, ensure someone in the room with you knows basic Self Aid Buddy Care.

I'm not just saying CPR, but also shock and the other easy to perform without a medical personnel techniques. I'm not saying you should rely on this other person in favor of a medical person. But, someone who can help other than standing around going 'Oh shit! Oh shit!'.
Like I said in the previous paragraph, I started to taste dinner, but I also started to get light headed and dizzy. Now, I know it wasn't because my knees were locked, they were bent. But, more probably because I had been wrapped up decently snug and then stood on my feet in that position for roughly 3 hours. That's right, 3 HOURS I stood on my feet, stuck in one position.

3: Ensure that a minimum of two people will be helping you out.

I know each tutorial you can find says 1 person is enough to do this. But take it from me, with 1 person you're going to run into a time issue versus how long you can stand still. More people who help you out, the merrier the entire situation will be.

So...yeah. Joy.... It'll be in the mail in like a week, I can't remember if you gave me an address to ship it to or not. Send me a note, ok?
And unfortunately Joy. You're the first commission of mine with a deadline. You got till Anthrocon 2009 to have it done. Is that long enough? I would like it sooner, but if you can't get it to me before than, than at AC'09 is good fur me.

Well, I'm tired as shit. It's been fun yall, I gtg.

TTFN
~Houshou

Stole MEME from FuziBuni

2008-08-28T17:51:48Z

Tell me what you think of me, and post it in your own LJs if interested :)

0= I don't know you
1= I like you
2= I love you!!
3= You are funny
4= You are cool
5= I don't really care for your personality
6= I want to fuck you
7= You are sexy!
8= You have a nice body
9= I want to get to know you
10= I hope you die
11= Marry me, PLEASE?
12= wanna yiff later?
13= lets cuddle
14= Let's go have some fun ;)
15= Wanna date some time?

You may select multiple numbers :)

*Comments Screened*

Personality Tests

2008-08-21T17:13:16Z

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

NBPS - The Idealist

Nature, Background, Big Picture, and Shape

You perceive the world with particular attention to nature. You focus on the hidden treasures of life (the background) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the shapes around you. Because of the value you place on nature, you tend to find comfort in more subdued settings and find energy in solitude. You like to ponder ideas and imagine the many possibilities of your life without worrying about the details or specifics. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You prefer a structured environment within which to live and you like things to be predictable.

The Perception Personality Types:

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

more...

Your result for What kind of romantic are you? quiz...

The High-grade lover

74% Romance, 59% Spontanaiety and 76% Thoughtfulness!

Basically your score isn't outstanding in any one department but you aren't closed off from your partner. You're a well-balanced romantic that is pretty good at doing things your partner appreciates. You like to plan quiet evenings for both of you to relax. You're also okay with dropping everything for a romantic weekend roadtrip. You have great timing and good taste.

Your partner is lucky to have you. There isn't much about your style that needs improvement.
Take What kind of romantic are you? quiz at HelloQuizzy

and more...

Your result for The Lover Style Profile Test...

The Romantic Lover

59% partner focus, 57% aggressiveness, 40% adventurousness

Based on the results of this test, it is highly likely that:

You prefer your romance and love to be traditional rather than daring or out-of-the-ordinary, you would rather pursue than be pursued and, when it comes to physical love, your satisfaction comes more from providing a wonderful time to your partner than simply seeking your own.

This places you in the Lover Style of: The Romantic Lover.

The Romantic Lover is a wonderful Lover Style, and is the hallmark of young love--the Romantic Lover often loves the idea of being in love, and being a wonderful lover, and so they try to bring their prospective partners every bit of joy or happiness that they can. They are the serenaders, and the ones to rent carriages in the park or take a gondola ride down a canal. The Romantic Lover is a treasure to find, though they sometimes are prone to being hurt if their advances are ignored or harshly rebuffed.

In terms of physical love, the Romantic Lover can seem shy, but usually it is simply a by-product of wanting to be perfect for their lover, and often needs some extra encouragement and re-assurance to truly feel at ease. Given a special, intimate evening, and the right lover, the Romantic Lover can be a delight in bed.

Best Compatibility can probably be found with: The Classic Lover (most of all) or the Suave Lover, or the Exotic Lover.

Congratulations!

If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback! Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in the following:

Nerds, Geeks & Dorks

Professional Wrestling

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE LOVER STYLE PROFILE TEST

Take The Lover Style Profile Test at HelloQuizzy

And finally....

I'm done. I'm not taking anymore. I think yall should have a good idea of who I am from that.

Books Meme 21/100

2008-08-21T04:24:49Z

You know, for a Classic Book Meme. I thought it would at least contain one of thee best classic books: The Princess Bride.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter Series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert {Class assignment}
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Alborn
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Today & Thoughts of Tomorrow

2008-08-14T11:56:15Z

Well, I believe I can finally say some things about work, the people, and in general my thoughts.
So sit back, grab a drink, and make sure you have plenty of time to read. I like to type, as I can express myself via words so much more than I can with actual vocal speech.

Today we had an actual official training day. The last few training days we've had have been shit-stained and just in general, not worth the effort. Past training days have been, ensuring that we were 100% complete with all computer based training. Going to meeting after meeting and sitting there and have people tell us statistics of the last years worth of fuck-ups and how they want to stress we need to do this and do that to ensure we don't repeat all of these unnecessary mishaps.
Today, we actually got to go out to the aircraft without intention of fixing something and actually looking at parts, and where they are located. Great, fun, that's nice. smiles and two thumbs up But....those scenario's are kinda mixed. Yes, you learn quite a bit about where things are located. But every single one of the supervisors, will have some sort of story where that part failed and they couldn't figure out what the fuck was wrong, until they changed that part and BOOM. Problem solved, case closed.
That's what the rest of the shop did today. I, however, took today for what it was worth. I was asked to put some dates in my "competency folder". Pretty much a record of things that I have accomplished and/or feel comfortable doing and a supervisor saying, "Yes, he is competent enough to perform this task without a supervisor over his shoulder." And I can thereafter perform task. Of course, if I fuck up, the signatures can get erased, and I lose that task(s) and must prove to more people of how competent I am at those tasks, again. No problem. So, I opened it up, and I said, "I don't really feel too comfortable putting any dates in here. I personally don't like the idea of having start dates on a bunch of stuff I have very limited knowledge on. I do, however, feel I could get some start dates in this one entire section. I've been reading up on that section all last week, and well...I feel I know a decent amount about it."

Now, I'mma have to put the nice story on hold to give you guys a little background of things that have been going on here, and a little before that.

Start at my last base. Beale AFB, CA. I was stationed with the 12AMU, at Beale AFB. The aircraft there, in that squadron is the R-Q4A Global Hawk. They may or may not have the 'B' Model by now, I don't know (and don't care). Karma, smiled on me and gave me the one base I wanted. On top of that, she also gave me the squadron I wanted to go to (The one I am currently in). Then she said, go to Florida. Have a great time, oh and while you are down there. Why don't you just take this nice little rental car and go be a Furry for a Weekend in Atlanta. Meet more friends, and more good people, and join a community full of generally all around nice and wonderful people.

But Karma....is a bitch. I am naturally accident prone. I don't need Karma's help. But when you take from her candy jar, that she so graciously leaves out. You're gonna get whats comin' to ya. For me, I'd been having some real depression issues, even before I left California. And when I got here, I was excited. I was in Japan! I was working on the aircraft that I want to work on. I have plans that I would like to do before I get out of the military, and I only have that opportunity while I am in the military. SO I'm all fired up for this.
But, I have a speech problem. I can't control the tone of my voice and I'm a sarcastic mouthy piece of shit. I say and do stuff with good and meaningful intentions. But it's not what they want. They heard I was in the Base Honor Guard for Beale AFB, and they had this image of me before I got here, that I was some sort of hot shit airman who was everything. I get here, and shoot that thought of me right in the foot. Most of the people I work with, seriously do not like me, and I seriously do not understand why. It's really even more depressing...

Ok, so about the people in my 'shop'. Shops are pretty much just broken down into systems for the aircraft. Instead of having a bunch of Jack-of-All-Trades (Master of None), they split us into shops. Where we study certain systems assigned to our shop. This way my shop is the masters of this system, and another shop is the masters of another system, and we can more or less fix/build an entire aircraft between us. That's a nice summary of it all.
Pretty much, no one thinks I am competent at my job. I'm accident prone like mad, I seriously can not express this enough. It takes me hours to do something that most anyone else, would do in half an hour. I like to think about what I am doing, and how I am going to do it. I don't like rushing into things. I did that just a little over a couple weeks ago. I removed a panel in which I wanted to get behind. But, I wasn't thinking and didn't think to turn electrical power off before removing the panel. I almost fried a bunch of other electronics, and myself, all because, I just wanted to see what was going on behind this panel so I could determine where to go from there. My guess at what the problem was, was correct. And the problem was fixed in minutes flat, but the only thing everyone saw was what had happened, and what could have happened. And it made me look like a fuck up. A couple of the other younger airman in the shop told me that they never would have thought to go where I did, first. Said, they would have been out there probably all damn night before they found the problem. But still, that's not any one with a direct supervisory roll over me. That's a couple (2) peers.
I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I wasn't feeling great. Not in a journal (I don't think) but in passing to some friends. Turns out, I have a sinus infection. It happened to flare up and get pretty bad that week or so. I ended up sleeping through Squadron PT. I got scolded for this, and I knew I deserved it. No biggy, I'll just make next week. No, I was still sick by the time it came around again. So I figured, I'd call the clinic and see if I can get seen that day. A couple people told me I looked and sounded like shit. So, I was doing them a favor. I was told to call back in the afternoon, get this, to make an appointment to be seen, atleast 1 week later.
So I call back at like, 1300 and say ya. I called earlier and I would like to get seen. Apparently, if she had been doing her job, I could have been seen that day. But I had to wait till the next morning. But the doctor wanted to talk to me over the phone. She was seeing another patient but would call me when she was done. So I waited for that phone call. About 1350ish I got that phone call, and talked to her till 1405-1410. I said, oh shit. I missed PT, again! And this time I was in some serious shit. Not like I wasn't already the favorite joke in the offices.

To just recap all that, there's a bunch of people over me. Who don't have this very nice picture of me. I try to do things with good intentions, I haven't truly fucked something up. I've just had the bumps and bruises that, 'stand out'.
Now, there's a couple supervisors in the shop, that I like. In fact, I don't think there isn't one Supervisor in my shop I don't admire in some small way. But its the fact that, I get this look from them that's like: "What the hell do you want, this time?" or "Shut up so I can get back to spreading rumors of you behind your back."
I get that kind of look from those people, whom are supposed to be training me. Those people, that once they leave in only a few months. Me and the rest of the new guys will be left here by ourselves. These older individuals won't be around much longer, we can't continue to use them as a crutch. Once they leave, its on me. I don't feel ready for them to leave. Especially not with the image of the me that they have.
So I can wallow in my own self pity and continue to dig deeper into a depressed state, or I can do something about it. But to change their minds on how they view me, thats going to take a lot of work. I'm going to have to prove myself to these guys, that I am competent. I do want learn this aircraft. That I am a good and hard worker. That, I am just as accident prone as I say I am. I told myself I wouldn't tell any more lies, once I got here to this base. And, I've told 2 lies. Both of which, were dumb and I got in shit for them. Sometimes I wish, I could go back in time and change, only things that I have said, not done. Not said some things, when I did, or changed how it was presented. But we gotta live with our mistakes, and what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger.

So I figured, the only way I can prove myself to these people that I can do my job and better than most of the other kids in the shop. I started studying, and boy is my head spinning. I've probably spent time studying the manuals and tech data, then I spent my entire High School career studying (and I studied pretty damn hard for my Novel Administrations test). I actually was getting into the habit of studying again. I swear, work and this aircraft is almost the only thing I can think about. I've studied that hard, and it's only for a fraction of everything.
Back to the original story. I didn't go out with the gaggle of people and look at parts. I got books out and read about the parts. Chit-chatted about the system with one of those supervisors I would like to prove myself to, and I think I may have, even if it were just a tiny little spark. I was able to follow him most of the time, and stay in conversation about one subject of the aircraft. But I had only touched the surface. I need to go deeper into the material, truly turn this into a College Class type deal and really, truly, honestly, study my ass off. I'm not certain, but today, with one supervisor. I think, he saw that I am putting an effort into this. I am trying to learn these systems. It's just a lot of knowledge to take in.
And thats the other side of the coin. Sure, its nice that I can pull a book out, and study it. Know the book inside and out. You have no idea what kind of euphoria I get when I finally and truly understand something. But knowledge will only take me so far. I need to be able to actually perform the tasks as well. Which means I need to be more in shape, I need to spend more time in the gym and on the track. So I've got the mindset, to kill myself with an overload of information, and yet, some how physically incapacitate my body.
All the while, all I want is the recognition that I feel I deserve. I don't deserve to be treated like the gum stain on the bottom of a shoe. I don't deserve to have so much negativity surrounding my name. Everyone, I see it. They all look at me, glaring. With those unblinking stares, condensending tones, sarcastic remarks, and derogatory nicknames. Most of this isn't from inside the shop I'm in. This is coming from the other shops I work with and around. Constantly I hear, is that Houshou? No, go away. I don't want to talk to you. Send me someone who is worth a shit.

I don't know if you guys reading this can imagine what kind of emotional distress does to someone. That's all I have heard since I got here. How, I'm not worth a shit. Go get someone else. You can't do anything, so just sit back and let someone else do the work. I get put down so much at work, its nearly suffacating.
But I can't let it get to me. I've got to stand up, and walk as best as I can forward. I don't like the fact that I've been sitting on my ass, being a whiny bitch and not getting what I want. I'm not crying anymore because someone won't help me get what I wanted. It's back to me doing things for me. Cause then I can only blame myself.

So I'm moving forward. I have stood still for far too long. I forgot what it felt like to move forward. Everyone has a reason in their life why they want to better themselves, and the worse part of it this is, it changes. Whether you know it or not, it changes. And when it does change without you knowing it, you'll find it if you want it.

Tomorrow, its today all over again. Maybe I can show someone else, that I am doing my best to move forward.

What is it that drives you?

Meme - 108 / 120

2008-08-12T16:58:58Z

Level 1
(X) Smoked A Cigarette
( ) Smoked A Cigar
( ) Kissed A Member Of The Same Sex
SO FAR: 1

Level 2
(x) Are / Been In Love
( ) Dumped someone
(x) Been Fired
(x) Been In A Fist Fight
SO FAR: 4

Level 3
(x) Had A Crush On An Older Person
(x) Skipped Class
( ) Slept With A Co-worker
(x) Seen Someone / Something Die
SO FAR: 7

Level 4
(X) Had / Have A Crush On One Of Your Furaffinity Friends
( ) Been To Paris
( ) Been To Spain
(x) Been On A Plane
(X) Thrown Up From Drinking
SO FAR: 10

Level 5
(x) Eaten Sushi
(X) Been Snowboarding
(x) Met Someone Through Internet
(x) Been in a Mosh Pit
SO FAR: 14

Level 6
( ) Been In An Abusive Relationship
(x) Taken Pain Killers
(x) Liked/loved Someone Who You Cant Have
(x) Laid On Your Back And Watched Cloud Shapes Go By
(x) Made A Snow Angel
SO FAR: 18

Level 7
(x) Had A Tea Party
(x) Flown A Kite
(x) Built A Sand Castle
(X) Gone mudding
(x) Played Dress Up
SO FAR: 23

Level 8
(x) Jumped Into A Pile Of Leaves
(x) Gone Sledding
(x) Cheated While Playing A Game
(x) Been Lonely
(x) Fallen Asleep At Work / School
SO far: 28

Level 10
(x) Watched The Sun Set
(x) Felt An Earthquake
(X) Killed A Snake
SO FAR: 31

Level 11
(x) Been Tickled
(x) Been Robbed / Vandalized
(x) Been cheated on
(x) Been Misunderstood
SO FAR: 35

Level 12
(x) Won A Contest
(X) Been Suspended From School
(X) Had Detention
(x) Been In A Car / Motorcycle Accident
SO FAR: 39

Level 13
(x) Had / Have Braces
(x) Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(x) Danced in the moonlight
SO FAR : 42

Level 14
(x) Hated The Way You Look
(x) Witnessed A Crime
( ) Pole Danced
(x) Questioned Your Heart
(X) Been obsessed with post-it-notes
SO FAR: 46

Level 15
(x) Squished Barefoot Through The Mud
(X) Been To The Opposite Side Of The World
(x) Swam In The Ocean
(x) Felt Like You Were Dying (Heat Stroke Body Temp 105.1+)
SO FAR: 50

Level 16
(x) Cried Yourself To Sleep
(x) Played Cops And Robbers
(x) Recently Colored With Crayons / Colored Pencils / Markers
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid For A Meal With Only Coins
SO FAR: 55

Level 17
(x) Done Something You Told Yourself You Wouldn't
(x) Made Prank Phone Calls
(x) Laughed Until Some Kind Of Beverage Came Out Of Your Nose
( ) Kissed In The Rain
SO FAR: 58

Level 18
(x) Written A Letter To Santa Claus
(x) Watched The Sun Set/ sun rise With Someone You Care/Cared About
(x) Blown Bubbles
(x) Made A Bonfire On The Beach Or Anywhere
SO FAR: 62

Level 19
( ) Crashed A Party
(x) Have Traveled More Than 5 Days With A Car Full Of People
(x) Had A Wish Come True
( ) Been Humped By A Monkey
SO FAR: 64

Level 20
(x) Worn Pearls
( ) Jumped Off A Bridge
(x) Screamed "Penis" or "Vagina"
( ) Swam With Dolphins
SO FAR: 66

Level 21
(x) Got Your Tongue Stuck To A Pole/Freezer/ice Cubes
(x) Kicked A Fish
(x) Worn The Opposite Sex's Clothes
(x) Sat On A Roof Top and watched the stars (And a Lightning Storm)
SO FAR: 70

Level 22
(x) Screamed At The Top Of Your Lungs
(x) Done / Attempted A One-Handed Cartwheel
(x) Talked On The Phone For More Than 6 Hours
(x) Recently stayed up for a while talking to someone you care about
SO FAR: 74

Level 23
(x) Picked And Ate An Apple Right Off The Tree
(x) Climbed A Tree
(x) Had/Been In A Tree House
(x) Been scared To Watch Scary Movies Alone
SO FAR: 78

Level 24
(x) Believed In Ghosts
( ) Have had More Then 30 Pairs Of Shoes
( ) Gone Streaking
(x) Visited Jail
SO FAR: 80

Level 25
(x) Played Chinese Chicken
(x) Been Pushed into a pool with all your clothes on
(x) Been Told You're Hot By A Complete Stranger
(x) Broken A Bone
(x) Been Easily Amused
SO FAR: 85

Level 26
(x) Caught A Fish Then Ate It Later
( ) Made A Porn Video/got asked to make one
(x) Caught A Butterfly
(x) Laughed So Hard You Cried
(x) Cried So Hard You Laughed
SO FAR: 89

Level 27
(x) Mooned/Flashed Someone
(x) Had Someone Moon/Flash You
(x) Cheated On A Test
(x) Forgotten Someone's Name
(x) French Braided Someones Hair
(x) Gone Skinny Dipping
(x) Been Kicked Out Of Your House
SO FAR: 96

Level 28
(x) Rode A Roller Coaster
( ) Went Scuba-Diving/Snorkeling
(x) Had A Cavity
( ) Black-Mailed Someone
(x) Been Black Mailed
SO FAR: 99

Level 29
(x) Been Used
(x) Fell Going Up The Stairs
(x) Licked A Cat
(x) Bitten Someone
(x) Licked Someone
SO FAR: 104

Level 30
(x) Been shot at/or at gunpoint
( ) Had sex in the rain
(x) Flattened someones tires
(x) Rode in a car/truck until the gas light came on
(x) Got five dollars or less worth of gas
TOTAL: 108

What does one do?

2008-08-09T18:46:44Z

What does one do on their 24th birthday?

Me, I'mma rollover and go back to sleep. Until, I have to get out of bed and go to work. Cause It happens to be a Monday, this year.
Speaking of Birthday's, I'm certain everyone got a note about a particular Gryphon's Birthday...Holy shit fuck Batman! His birthday is one week, exactly, prior to mine! If I had known that I would be shit faced drunk right now!
And you know what, he's prolly gonna do the same thing I plan on doing. Hit the snooze button and rollover.

Speaking of snoozing....おやすみなさい

MEME - from FuziBunny

2008-08-08T05:40:33Z

Wow...I uh, read over this MEME.
I can't fill out like, over 3/4 of it!

Sex
1] Firstly, are you a virgin?: Yes
2] If so, are you saving yourself for marriage? If not, how old were you?: That's what I plan on doing.
3] How many people have you done anything sexual with?: 0
4] How far have you gone?: Never been kissed
5] How many people have you given oral to?: 0
6] How many people have you fingered/given a hand job?: 0
7] Have you ever sent nude pictures to a boyfriend/girlfriend?: Nope
8] What about someone you weren't dating?: o.O people do that?
9] What about someone you met online?: Hellz no!
10] Have you ever cybered? How many times?: Nope, but I like to flirt.
11] Have you ever stripped on web cam?: Don't own a webcam
12] Ever had someone strip on web cam for you?: Haven't met someone who has a webcam
13] Ever been used?: Nope
14] Ever used someone?: Never
15] How many people have you made out with?: 0
16] Would you rather date someone who was sexually experienced or not?: I don't care what their sexual experience is. What matters to me, is how I've carried myself and how true to my morals I have been.
17] Would you/have you given your virginity away to someone who wasn't a virgin?: Well...at least one of us would have some experience.
18] Favorite brand of condoms?: I don't know. Whats the point of wearing a condom, if all you're gonna do is jack off?
19] What protection do you use?: Amnesty
20] Ever ordered condoms or other protection online?: o.O no
21] Ever had a pregnancy scare?: Nope
22] Ever gotten pregnant/got someone pregnant?: Nope
23] If you got pregnant RIGHT NOW, what would you do with the child?: I would see to it that the child was given a proper upbringing.
24] Ever tried 69? Nope, but I think it would be fun.
25] Would you ever wear costumes and do role playing in the bedroom?: (`n.n) Now that sounds like real fun!
26] Ever given/received a lap dance?: Received, yes. My friends took me to a strip club and paid for a lap dance on my birthday one year.
27] Would you/have you ever had sex in the shower?: I've heard it's one of the better places to have sex.
28] What about in a pool?: Ok, as virgin as I am, I will try anything. So long as it is done with the one special person of my life.
29] Weirdest place you've done something sexual?: How's 'bout. I find that special someone first. Than we can talk about finding the weirdest place evah!
30] Your ideal place to do something sexual?: I'd say. Outdoors...in a Pinewood Forest. Near a cliff side, watching the sunset first. A little foreplay, some fun in the last rays of light. and end it all with a nice ride back to the family cabin on some ATV Bikes.
31] Does the whole "we might get caught" factor turn you on or off?: I'm straddling the fence.
32] What's one thing a guy/girl can do that would REALLY turn you on?: So far, just giving me some special attention.
33] An instant turn-off during foreplay would be...: I ... don't know.
34] Do you like rough, sweaty sex or slow, comfortable sex?: Right now, I think I would prefer slow & comfortable. But that's not to say I might like some crazy monkey sex too.
35] Favorite sexual position?: I'm really clueless...now.

Smoking, Drinking, & Drugs
1] How many drugs have you tried, if any?: One, Speed
2] Ever gotten high or drunk?: Drunk
3] Favorite beer?: I don't like Beer
4] Favorite wine?: There was one wine I liked, but the label had been removed. So I don't know what it was called.
5] Ever got caught smoking, drinking, or doing drugs?: smoking & drinking
6] What are your parents' view on the issue?: My parents don't know I've smoked cigs. But they do know I drink. However, they don't even think of touching that stuff. Not at all. Except for cooking wine.
7] Ever drank and drove?: No!
8] Do you think marijuana should be legal?: I can see both sides of this, and I tend to lean on yes.
9] How many slang terms for marijuana can you think of? List them.: Pot, Mary Jane, weed, & Grass
10] How often do you smoke, if you do?: 1 cig every month. It actually helps me breathe better. But I don't do it more often, for fear of getting addicted.
11] Favorite band of cigarettes?: Menthol Lights and/or Cloves
12] Ever tried a cigar?: No, and never plan on it.
13] Do you parents smoke, or have they ever?: Nope
14] Who do you usually smoke/drink/do drugs with?: Smoke, well...any friends/co-workers in the area. Drink, only with friends I trust who will keep an eye on me.
15] What's one drug you can NEVER see yourself trying?: X
16] Would you kiss a smoker?: Yes
17] What's worse to you, getting drunk or getting high?: getting high
18] Do you think alcohol is more dangerous than weed?: debatable
19] Ever snorted cocaine?: No!
20] Ever been tempted to try smoking/drinking/drugs?: I'm in the military...
21] Have your friends ever tried to pressure you into it?: Smoking, yes.
22] Do you drink in moderation, or just love to be drunk?: I get drunk once a month. It doesn't take a lot for me to get drunk.
23] Do you have any friends who are stoners?: Probably
24] If your best friend became addicted to heroin, what would you do?: Beat the shit out of him. Then tie him up in a straight jacket and hang him from the ceiling until he got over it.
25] Ever been to rehab or considered going?: Nope
26] Ever done something stupid when you were drunk/high? What was it?: I sparred against a friend (martial arts) while drunk, on a wet porch, in the rain.
27] If you do drugs, where do you buy them?: I don't. I did Speed once, and that was it.
28] Would you date someone who was addicted to drugs?: Never
29] How much money do you spend on smokes/drugs/alcohol per week?: Seeing as how 1 bottle of Jack can last me a month. and it goes for about $12 ... I'd say $3 a week getting drunk.
30] Are you old enough to legally buy cigarettes or alcohol, or do you have someone else do it?: 24 years old (In a week.)
31] Ever been caught by the cops?: Nope
32] Did you ever try legal weed? Do you like it?: No & no
33] If there was a ban on all alcohol, how would you be affected?: I would complain, but run with it. But good hell, you have no idea what all branches of the military would do if suddenly they couldn't get drunk anymore. God help the poor soul who passes that law.
34] Which would you rather have legal, weed or cigarettes?: Neither
35] Did D.A.R.E. or any like programs actually keep you away from doing these things?: Wats DARE?

Short MEME - From Sorayume's Journal

2008-08-05T16:15:43Z

I, uh, found a MEME while going through Sorayume's journals.
I guess I was supposed to post in a reply to her's...oh well.

1. Your Middle Name: Jay
2. Age: 23 (almost 24)
3. Single or Taken: Single
4. Favorite Movie: Secret of NIMH
5. Favorite Song: White Rabbit - Blue Man Group Version
6. Favorite Band/Artist: MiniBosses & Blue Man Group
7. Dirty or Clean: Clean
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings: I have none.

Part II:

1. Do we know each other outside of Live Journal? Probably not.
2. Whats your philosophy on life? Life is too short to be angry. So just smile and be happy for what little time you have left in this world, and enjoy it.
3. Would you have my back in a fight? I'd stand up for you, until you stab me in the back.
4. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest? Depends on the secret. If it was a secret I felt you should know about, I would tell you. If it's not going to hurt you in any way possible (other than feelings) I'll tell you, but only if you ask about it.
5. What is your favorite memory of us? Currently, none. Can we make some?
6. Would you give me a kidney? The Red Cross denies me giving blood...
7. Tell me one odd/intresting fact about you: A dog bit my Right Hand Ring Finger off when I was a small child. The doctors, used tendons in my wrist to recreate the finger.
8. Would you take care of me when I'm sick? Of course.
9. Can we get together and make a cake? *NOM NOM NOMNOM*
10. Have you heard any rumors of me lately? Nope
11. Do you/have you talk(ed) crap about me? Nope
12. Do you think I'm a good person? I give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
13. Would you drive across country with me? I LOVE driving!
14. Do you think I'm attractive? Yush! (`n.n)
15. If you could change anything about me, would you? Location of where you live. That way we can see each other physically.
16. What do you wear to sleep? (`¬.¬)...Boxer-briefs
17. Would you come over for no reason just to hang out? (`n.n) What if the reason is just to be with you?
18. Would you go on a date with me if I asked you? The question should be, would you date with me.
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together? Whatever you wanted. I would accrue any amount of debt to make it happen.
20. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you? ... So was this supposed to go in as a reply to yours? Oops.... Oh well!

(`n.n)

Anime Review: Soul Hunter

2008-07-31T03:13:46Z

Ok, this one was fast. 26 Episodes in all for the entire series, and it couldn't be over sooner.

Now I want to something before I tear this apart. THE MANGA IS MUCH BETTER THAN THIS PIECE OF SHIT!

*Deep Breath*

I am going to quote the best line in this entire series, and unfortunately its within the first 5 minutes of Episode 1:

*Robot 1* We must select a champion from among thee immortals. A great scholar with a mind of genius, learned in rules and laws of history.
*Robot 2* We don't need a bookworm. We need a warrior. A wizard with a heart of lion one who has never known fear or cowardice.
*Robot 3* No, no, no. Who ever we choose must be pure and religious. He must understand that this battle is sacred.
*Genshi Tensen* You're wrong. What we need is child. Our scholars are wise, our warriors indispose-able. Our priests are not fools. We need someone who has no idea of this missions danger. We need an idiot!

And so, they choose Taikobou (Center). And an idiot is what they get, or is it? Within the first 5 minutes of the first episode, they set everything up. They introduce to you the main villain, Dakki. Dakki has cast a spell over the heart of the Yin Dynasties Emperor Zhou. And through him, has caused pain and suffering for all the people throughout the kingdom. While she wallows in the riches of the Emperor's Palace.

Genshi Tensen (Not shown in the picture) is like the main figure head for Mount Kunlun (Heaven). He recruits Taikobou into a project known as, The Houshin Project. He is given a scroll and told that there are 365 Demons running around the earth down below, and they must all be Houshin'd. Those souls who are houshin'd will then be trapt inside a monument located within Heaven, until they can be rezerected into another world, where they won't bother this world.
Taikobou is given a flying hippo companion named Shibusei, Shibu for short (Not shown in the picture). And together they set off to take care of their mission. And as you watch the series, you can't help but continue to think about what was said in the first episode. "We need an Idiot." And then they choose Taikobou...But is he an idiot?
Eventually, Taikobou says that they, Shibu and himself, can't take care of their mission by themselves. They need to recruit allies. Powerful allies, who will do all the work for him. The first ally they recruit is Nataku (Top Left). Nataku is Half Human, Half Spiritual Weapon (Called paopei). His father eventually gave him the red scarf/cape, which was a paopei itself. He accidentally killed all the fish in a lake, and it upset a dragon. Whom, Nataku killed. But when the Dragon God found out that his son had been killed by Nataku, he came knocking. Nataku excepted his fate to be killed, and died with honor. Only to be reincarnated later as a Lotus Flower.
Next they run into Raishinsei (Top Right). He's the 100th son (adopted) of King Shou, Lord of the West. He's been wandering around the country acting as a vigilante. Using his powers over wind and lightning to take down evil doers and protect the weak. Taikobou, learns of him and signs up as a bodyguard to a greedy man. This enrages Raishinsei and they battle it out. In the end, Taikobou wins the fight and convinces Raishinsei to join his team, and together they will defeat Dakki.
Next up is Yousen (Bottom Left). Genius Disciple. He has the innate ability to transform into any living thing. And if he transforms into someone who uses Paopei, he too has their paopei. He joins Taikobou's group, but has other objectives and motives to follow.
Finally the last person in the group is Kou Tenka (Bottom Right). The son of one of the many other main characters in this slow moving plot line. He is a master of paopei. Requiring no training on how to use it at its fullest potential. But his lacks-a-daisy attitude, and preference for melee fighting. Brings him up to be the heavy 'fighter' character in the series.

To be honest...I had to force myself to watch this one. The only thing that kept me going was to see what new plot twists could they possibly do in the next episode. Plot twist after plot twist...boring. Yawn....dear god, make it end.

As far as the animation goes, its not that bad. The picture above is a good reference for the rest of the series. So, it looks nice.

Sound quality. Well, not that bad in english, better in japanese. But the english subtitles, and the english audio are completely different. You could almost get 2 seperate stories out of it. The opening theme song is annoying as hell, but the BGM for the episodes at the very least, sets the right mood.

Plot line...Ok, this is where I pay thee most attention to. Any thing can "look" nice. Take, Dragon Wars. It looked nice, but the plot line sucked ass. The plot line for this entire series, is nothing but plot twists. One plot twist at the end of the final episode, or a couple episodes before the end is fine. But, this one....good hell! Just thinking about it, there's at least 4 plot twists. And here's something for you. In one episode, King Shou is thrown in jail by the Emperor. The next episode, the son he left in charge while he was away. Takes his leave and visits the Emperor. Guess how much time in the series has gone by. Try this, THEY DON'T TELL YOU! It's not until much later in the series, that you find out that in 1 scene/episode transition, 7 years flew by. 7 YEARS!
And yet, our main characters, don't seem at all worried by this notion. They continue on, as though everything just happened yesterday. Like they exist in some alternate reality where the flow of time in the world is fucking whenever they want it to be. Ughh!

The only thing that saved this show from me destroying it like Napolean Dynamite (In a Microwave). Was some of the character concepts. Like Nataku, and King Shou.

In summary, if you like stupid humor and don't care that much about a story line. This series is for you. Otherwise, this series gets:

2 Stars (Barely)

~Houshou

Hikaru No Go - Anime Review

2008-07-23T03:17:16Z

This is not your typical anime show. There is almost no fighting, physically, in this entire series. Other than a few occasional "I can't believe you just said that!" *Slap*, this show is all about the mental realm.

Go, or Igo, is a board game. The board has 19 lines intersecting 19 lines for a decently sized board, called a Goban. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Floor_Goban_1.JPG
It is played by two people, one person has black stones (kuro go-ishi), the other white stones (Shiro go-ishi). Black always goes first, you place one stone at a time on the board fighting for territory. This intense game of wits is very intense and intellectual.

Why am I talking about a board game, well, this board game is what the anime itself revolves around. Imagine watching a cartoon based on playing Chess or Checkers. That doesn't seem at all interesting, well, in the asian world, that's pretty much exactly what they did here.

In the picture above, Shindo Hikaru (Main character, center) is going through his grandfathers attic looking for something he can pawn off to make some money. He finds an old Goban in the attic and says that its not worth much as there is a stain on the board. But a female friend of his can't see the stain, nor did she hear the voice. This is when you meet, Fujiwarano Sai (Sai for short, character on the right). He is a ghost, who is tied to our material world because he is trying to achieve what is referred to as "The Hand of God" but in Wikipedia terms it is simply:
A divine move that is a truly inspired and an original move in a game of Go. A divine move should be a non-obvious move which balances strategy and tactics to turn a losing game into a winning game. Divine move is singular—they are of such rarity that a full-time go player might be lucky to play a single such move in his or her lifetime. The Divine Move is the ultimate move.

Sai is then bound to Hikaru, and through Hikaru he plays the game Go. The very first time Hikaru lets Sai play a game, he faces off with Touya Akira (Left). Who is the son of a professional Go player, who holds 5 titles and is considered to be among thee best Go Players in the world. And he has taught Touya how to play. But Sai is no amateur at the game, at gives our young rival a good teaching game.

Hikaru eventually learns how to play the game himself, and with Sai as his personal sensei he sets off down a path to become one of the greatest Go players in Japan. But before he becomes one of the best players, he meets lots of new friends, who can all play Go at differing levels. They all have a good time, and some how, this show makes the game and the story line all very interesting. The musical background pieces are just phenominal, and it even made me curious as to how to play this game.

So, for taking a seemingly boring but very intellectual board game that has been played for over 2,000 years. Transforming it into a great show, and even sparking my curiosity on how to play this same game. I give Hikaru No Go:

5 Stars

And highly recommend it as one to watch, for those people who like a good story, and something different from the Dragon Ball Z knock-offs.