I don't know if it is just me or if other people do it too, but I tend to shake hands differently based on the person.
The main difference is gender based. I am not going to crush some girl or woman's hand, because they tend to be more delicate, compared to a guy's hand.
When I was in church for Christmas, you get to the part where you shake everyone's hand (sorry, I forget what it's called, I do not attend church regularly) and I get through my family, wishing Merry Christmas and I Love You, etcetera. Then you look around to people near you and shake hands. I look behind me and there is a couple behind me. I shake the gals hand first, a firm, yet gentle handshake. Then I shake the guy's hand, and it's different from the girls. The handshake is stronger, for lack of adjective. Even when shaking a kid's hand, you aren't going to shake with the same vigor you did with a large (muscular) guy.
It's something done automatic, your mind makes the split second decision, as your hand is going in for the handshake, judging by the person's outward appearance, how you are going to shake their hand.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Is Kissing Sensual Only Because We Make It So?
I was thinking, kissing,is a sensual act one does to indicate their love for someone else, whether it be a family member, lover, or pet. But what made kissing be that sensual? I guess since humans are very much into touching one another in order to display feelings, it is natural kissing would follow. But how did kissing come about?
Was it because when two people are making love (traditional style, mind you) that it is something to do to avoid talking, or just because it is convenient. I mean, it (kissing) only feels good because in society today that's what we are told and that's what we know. Why isn't licking someone's chin the same as kissing, because of society? Maybe. Sure you can argue that it is fun and feels good, but there was definite societal influence.
If you were to take 2 children, and never have them exposed to society, put on an island and were brought up, by seperate 'parents', and manage to have them develop feelings for each other, all the while, never teaching them about intimacies as we know, would they instinctually kiss? Or could you 'train' them that licking a chin is a sensual sign of affection?
I think it's possible, but I also feel like thousands of years of human evolution has somehow ingrained 'kissing' into humans, so that it happens naturally.
Was it because when two people are making love (traditional style, mind you) that it is something to do to avoid talking, or just because it is convenient. I mean, it (kissing) only feels good because in society today that's what we are told and that's what we know. Why isn't licking someone's chin the same as kissing, because of society? Maybe. Sure you can argue that it is fun and feels good, but there was definite societal influence.
If you were to take 2 children, and never have them exposed to society, put on an island and were brought up, by seperate 'parents', and manage to have them develop feelings for each other, all the while, never teaching them about intimacies as we know, would they instinctually kiss? Or could you 'train' them that licking a chin is a sensual sign of affection?
I think it's possible, but I also feel like thousands of years of human evolution has somehow ingrained 'kissing' into humans, so that it happens naturally.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Nooo! Oh the tragedy!
I just finished watching the last 3 episodes of Chrono Crusade (see previous blog for more info). And the ending! AH!!! It's not fair! Why does it have to be that way. They could have lived, God could have intervened and let them survive. It pains my heart everytime I remember it. It's probably one of the saddest moments, in anime, that I've experienced. Oh the heartbreak!
I won't explain in more detail, if you are interested in more, you can talk to me, I just needed to write it out.
I won't explain in more detail, if you are interested in more, you can talk to me, I just needed to write it out.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Anime - Sandglass of Summer Colors
Throw in a love story with futuristic elements and you get a very touching anime.
Sandglass of Summer Colors (Natsuiro no Sunadokei) is just like this.
At the end of the school year, Makimura Kotaru decides to confess his feelings to Serizawa Kaho. Kaho-chan is considered to be a school idol, and Kotaru gets made fun of, by his friends, telling him he has no chance. But his resolve is set, and Kotaru is determined to reveal his true feelings to the girl he likes.
Kotaru
Afer deciding to write his confession in his letter, he walks home with his childhood friend Senou Ai, who has agreed to give Kaho, a friend of Ai, the letter.
Kaho
After dropping Ai off at her house, Kotaru observes a suspicous figure and goes to ask this person if they were stalking Ai. Afer wrestling the suspicious person's coat off, it turns out the person's a girl, and Kotaru had accidentally grabbed her chest, during the attempt to wrestle the coat off. She slaps him and breaks an hour glass, sprinkling dust over Kotaru. The girl then runs away.
Feeling ill, Kotaru goes to bed, and wakes up to find that it was somehow the end of summer break, and school was starting again. Confused, he goes to school and finds everyone at the gymnasium. The director was giving a speech about the death of a classmate, Kaho. Kotaru is confused. He finds out that they had been going out all summer too. Kaho had been in a tragic car accident. And he finds out, she was on his way to see him. He faints, and is carried back in time a few times, experiencing his confession to Kaho, and a date they had. Eventually he gets back to his own time, to find this suspicious person from before, standing over him. Her name is Ligene, and is a Time Patroller. Her job is to correct irregularities in time. And she is here to correct time, so that Kaho does not die. It turns out that the dust that Kotaru had been exposed to, gave him the ability to exist out of the framework of time, which would allow him to affect the future.
Ligene
Ligene tells Kotaru what he must do to prevent the death of his girlfriend. He agrees to do this, because he cannot stand idle. So while going out with Kaho, Kotaru also gives it his all to prevent her death.
Throughout the summer Kaho and Kotaru spend more and more time together. Their bond gets stronger and stronger, and Kotaru is more determined to save Kaho.
Kotaru also discovers that Kaho cares for him very much, and could not bear to be apart from him.
As the fateful day of Kaho's death arrives, everything starts to spiral out of control, and Kotaru finds out he has very little time to save Kaho, if at all. What would he do without his beloved Kaho?
This was a great OVA (non-series) and I recommend anyone, who is a romantic too, to watch this. It's a story that would warm your heart.
Sandglass of Summer Colors (Natsuiro no Sunadokei) is just like this.
At the end of the school year, Makimura Kotaru decides to confess his feelings to Serizawa Kaho. Kaho-chan is considered to be a school idol, and Kotaru gets made fun of, by his friends, telling him he has no chance. But his resolve is set, and Kotaru is determined to reveal his true feelings to the girl he likes.
Afer deciding to write his confession in his letter, he walks home with his childhood friend Senou Ai, who has agreed to give Kaho, a friend of Ai, the letter.
After dropping Ai off at her house, Kotaru observes a suspicous figure and goes to ask this person if they were stalking Ai. Afer wrestling the suspicious person's coat off, it turns out the person's a girl, and Kotaru had accidentally grabbed her chest, during the attempt to wrestle the coat off. She slaps him and breaks an hour glass, sprinkling dust over Kotaru. The girl then runs away.
Feeling ill, Kotaru goes to bed, and wakes up to find that it was somehow the end of summer break, and school was starting again. Confused, he goes to school and finds everyone at the gymnasium. The director was giving a speech about the death of a classmate, Kaho. Kotaru is confused. He finds out that they had been going out all summer too. Kaho had been in a tragic car accident. And he finds out, she was on his way to see him. He faints, and is carried back in time a few times, experiencing his confession to Kaho, and a date they had. Eventually he gets back to his own time, to find this suspicious person from before, standing over him. Her name is Ligene, and is a Time Patroller. Her job is to correct irregularities in time. And she is here to correct time, so that Kaho does not die. It turns out that the dust that Kotaru had been exposed to, gave him the ability to exist out of the framework of time, which would allow him to affect the future.
Ligene tells Kotaru what he must do to prevent the death of his girlfriend. He agrees to do this, because he cannot stand idle. So while going out with Kaho, Kotaru also gives it his all to prevent her death.
Throughout the summer Kaho and Kotaru spend more and more time together. Their bond gets stronger and stronger, and Kotaru is more determined to save Kaho.
Kotaru also discovers that Kaho cares for him very much, and could not bear to be apart from him.
As the fateful day of Kaho's death arrives, everything starts to spiral out of control, and Kotaru finds out he has very little time to save Kaho, if at all. What would he do without his beloved Kaho?
This was a great OVA (non-series) and I recommend anyone, who is a romantic too, to watch this. It's a story that would warm your heart.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Teacher Responsibility
Today in Psychology, the professor had trouble getting the overhead projector to start, so while help was coming, he opened up the floor to questions. Someone asked if he would be giving back the old exams, and he said he couldn't, but you could come in to his office to look at it.
Not being a forward person, I usually don't speak up, but I had a question that I thought required an answer. I asked if he could post the previous exams and the solutions on Blackboard. He told me that it would take too much time. That was a bit odd to me, because he posts Powerpoint presentations for the lecture notes. Thinking that he meant posting individual exams, I pressed the issue, asking why he couldn't post just general solutions. In the back of my head, I knew he knew what I meant initially, but dodged the question. For some reason some of the students thought that the question had been answered and when I continued asking questions they actually laughed.
My professor never answered my question, because he used the arrival of the UCiT help to ignore me.
As an Engineer, I am not used to having previous exams to study off of, our professors do not hold on to the exams, and they usually post solutions to the exams, because Engineering students usually use previous exams to study for a final so that they know what they did wrong and also use it to get a feel for the questions the professor may ask.
Not being a forward person, I usually don't speak up, but I had a question that I thought required an answer. I asked if he could post the previous exams and the solutions on Blackboard. He told me that it would take too much time. That was a bit odd to me, because he posts Powerpoint presentations for the lecture notes. Thinking that he meant posting individual exams, I pressed the issue, asking why he couldn't post just general solutions. In the back of my head, I knew he knew what I meant initially, but dodged the question. For some reason some of the students thought that the question had been answered and when I continued asking questions they actually laughed.
My professor never answered my question, because he used the arrival of the UCiT help to ignore me.
As an Engineer, I am not used to having previous exams to study off of, our professors do not hold on to the exams, and they usually post solutions to the exams, because Engineering students usually use previous exams to study for a final so that they know what they did wrong and also use it to get a feel for the questions the professor may ask.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Awkwardness
I was watching this anime called Suzuka yesterday, and two characters who had been going out, broke up. A short summary of it:
Yamato and Honoka have been going out for a little while now, but initially Yamato had only eyes for this girl Suzuka, but after being turned down and snubbed many times, he learned that this girl, Honoka liked him, one thing lead to another and they end up dating. But Yamato is inexperienced with relationships, so he makes many mistakes. Honoka puts up with it pretty well, partly because she really likes Yamato, and also because she is inexperienced as well. The breaking point was when Yamato goes shopping, for Honoka's birthday present, with Suzuka and Honoka finds out about this, but she plays it off as nothing significant. She was ready to accept Yamato's birthday present, but then he starts going on and on about Suzuka, how she helped him, and how annoying she was sometimes. Honoka doesn't want to hear this and gets really mad at Yamato and refuses to accept the present. They eventually agree that breaking up would be the best idea, but Honoka chooses to keep the birthday present, because she still harbors feelings for Yamato. Their first initial meeting after the break-up is right outside their class, and it is extremely awkward.
Is this really the case for relationships? When two people break-up, but still are contact with each other, is it really awkward, and weird afterwards? Sometimes there is hardly a days difference, between the break-up and seeing the person again. One day you are holding hands, laughing together and being a couple, and the next it's like you are meeting a new person. I can understand more weirdness if you were a lot more intimate, but if you had just been kissing, then what makes it so weird to see the person again? I think that the awkwardness is only there because the couple still harbor feelings for one another (or it could be one sided), but even if it is a mutual break-up there can be some tension (which there usually is) between the two people.
Yamato and Honoka have been going out for a little while now, but initially Yamato had only eyes for this girl Suzuka, but after being turned down and snubbed many times, he learned that this girl, Honoka liked him, one thing lead to another and they end up dating. But Yamato is inexperienced with relationships, so he makes many mistakes. Honoka puts up with it pretty well, partly because she really likes Yamato, and also because she is inexperienced as well. The breaking point was when Yamato goes shopping, for Honoka's birthday present, with Suzuka and Honoka finds out about this, but she plays it off as nothing significant. She was ready to accept Yamato's birthday present, but then he starts going on and on about Suzuka, how she helped him, and how annoying she was sometimes. Honoka doesn't want to hear this and gets really mad at Yamato and refuses to accept the present. They eventually agree that breaking up would be the best idea, but Honoka chooses to keep the birthday present, because she still harbors feelings for Yamato. Their first initial meeting after the break-up is right outside their class, and it is extremely awkward.
Is this really the case for relationships? When two people break-up, but still are contact with each other, is it really awkward, and weird afterwards? Sometimes there is hardly a days difference, between the break-up and seeing the person again. One day you are holding hands, laughing together and being a couple, and the next it's like you are meeting a new person. I can understand more weirdness if you were a lot more intimate, but if you had just been kissing, then what makes it so weird to see the person again? I think that the awkwardness is only there because the couple still harbor feelings for one another (or it could be one sided), but even if it is a mutual break-up there can be some tension (which there usually is) between the two people.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Drivers Who Should Not Be Drivers
I drive a lot, as I live a considerable distance from the city. So I am familiar with people driving. But there are some people who should not be driving, or at least have a big sign on their car that indicates their lack of driving skills.
Yesterday was a good example of why some drivers need remedial driving courses. Driving home, I take a two lane highway most of the way, and once out of the city the legal speed limit is 65 MPH. Though as any highway, the usual speed in the left lane is 75 - 80 MPH. Courteous drivers will let the faster (more impatient) drivers pass, if it doesn't slow the courteous driver down too much. Sometimes a driver going 70 - 75 MPH is just trying to pass a truck or another slow moving car, and a car going 76 MPH will still ride the bumper of the slower driver. Road rage and impatience makes driving very trying.
But often there are those drivers who drive in the left (highspeed) lane because it's less congested, or they will eventually need to be in that lane to take an exit, and those drivers are more annoying than those impatient, 81 MPH, drivers.
That was the case yesterday. I admit, I drive in the left lane, between 75 and 80 MPH, when I can, and since that is the general accepted speed, that's what mostly everyone else drives, in that lane. There is a big hill during my stretch home, and the people tend to slow down a little, and I was behind a car that had slowed down to about 70 MPH, and I just drove behind that car, hoping, at the top of the hill, that they'd speed up or move over. But the car didn't, even when the right lane was clear enough to change lanes, with room to spare. Sure, I could have passed the car on the right, but I try to give slower cars a chance to move to the right, since it is technically illegal to pass on the right.
After about a minute, there was a decent line of cars behind me, waiting for the car in front of me to speed up. Finally I decided to pass on the right. Driving past the slow car I got a chance to see who was driving, as most are interested to see what driver is causing the congestion in the highspeed lane. I usually assume an older person. But what I saw, was worse than a slow moving old person. A blond, female college student, who could barely see over her dashboard, talking on her cellphone. I don't normally stereotype, but this made me think of her as a stupid, ditzy blonde, who believes the world revolves around her. I am sure other people who passed her, probably thought similar things when they saw who was driving.
You shouldn't be on your cell phone while driving, it splits your attention, so you drive by instinct rather than full focus. Germany has a laws for using a cell pohone while driving. It is required to have a hands-free handset if they must absolutely talk on the phone. Even that is highly discouraged. I think some cities in the US also have laws about this too. But the least a driver needs to do, while using a cellphone on the highway, is to move to the right lane, and slow down. Most will slow down subconsciously, but these people also sit in the left (high-speed lane).
If people were more courteous on the highways, everyone would be happier.
Yesterday was a good example of why some drivers need remedial driving courses. Driving home, I take a two lane highway most of the way, and once out of the city the legal speed limit is 65 MPH. Though as any highway, the usual speed in the left lane is 75 - 80 MPH. Courteous drivers will let the faster (more impatient) drivers pass, if it doesn't slow the courteous driver down too much. Sometimes a driver going 70 - 75 MPH is just trying to pass a truck or another slow moving car, and a car going 76 MPH will still ride the bumper of the slower driver. Road rage and impatience makes driving very trying.
But often there are those drivers who drive in the left (highspeed) lane because it's less congested, or they will eventually need to be in that lane to take an exit, and those drivers are more annoying than those impatient, 81 MPH, drivers.
That was the case yesterday. I admit, I drive in the left lane, between 75 and 80 MPH, when I can, and since that is the general accepted speed, that's what mostly everyone else drives, in that lane. There is a big hill during my stretch home, and the people tend to slow down a little, and I was behind a car that had slowed down to about 70 MPH, and I just drove behind that car, hoping, at the top of the hill, that they'd speed up or move over. But the car didn't, even when the right lane was clear enough to change lanes, with room to spare. Sure, I could have passed the car on the right, but I try to give slower cars a chance to move to the right, since it is technically illegal to pass on the right.
After about a minute, there was a decent line of cars behind me, waiting for the car in front of me to speed up. Finally I decided to pass on the right. Driving past the slow car I got a chance to see who was driving, as most are interested to see what driver is causing the congestion in the highspeed lane. I usually assume an older person. But what I saw, was worse than a slow moving old person. A blond, female college student, who could barely see over her dashboard, talking on her cellphone. I don't normally stereotype, but this made me think of her as a stupid, ditzy blonde, who believes the world revolves around her. I am sure other people who passed her, probably thought similar things when they saw who was driving.
You shouldn't be on your cell phone while driving, it splits your attention, so you drive by instinct rather than full focus. Germany has a laws for using a cell pohone while driving. It is required to have a hands-free handset if they must absolutely talk on the phone. Even that is highly discouraged. I think some cities in the US also have laws about this too. But the least a driver needs to do, while using a cellphone on the highway, is to move to the right lane, and slow down. Most will slow down subconsciously, but these people also sit in the left (high-speed lane).
If people were more courteous on the highways, everyone would be happier.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Chrono Crusade
Recently I subscribed two free weeks of Netflix, the online rental place. Depending on your account type, you can rent one to three animes at a time and return them whenever (as long as you pay the subscription fee). I did this to watch some licensed anime, that I prefer to watch legally. I've always wanted to watch an anime series called Chrono Crusade, and with Netflix I was given that option. I watched the first four episodes this weekend and I really enjoyed it.
A note, this series follows religion, dealing with God, Satanism, devils, and other holy and unholy dealings. If you would be offended by such an 'incorrect' view of religion, you might want to abstain from reading.
Chrono Crusade
The setting of this anime series is America, specially New York City, during the 1920's. It's a time of change, and the elite are bored. So they turn to Satanism to get their thrills. The Order of Magdalene stops these people who are bent on destruction.
The Order of Magdalene use weapons imbued with holy power to stop them. The Sacred is a bullet that has small amounts of holy oil in it, which gives the bullets power to stop the devils, where normal bullets would not affect them. There is also the Gospel, which is more powerful bullet because it has holy scriptures written on the bullet itself. With these types of weapons, the devils are exorcised.
However the major plotline revolves around a greater evil power and the seven Apostles. The seven Apostles were born with from God, who gave them the power to perform miracles. However the devils are trying to ge the seven Apostles because they can use the power in the Apostles to become more powerful themselves. And the two main characters are Rosette and Chrono.
Rosette and Chrono
Rosette is a Sister of the Order of Magdalene, who has a reputation for being very destructive during her missions. It's no fault of her own though, they just turn out that way. But she is very good at Exorcising the demons. Her main reason for becoming an Exorcist, or part of the Order, was to get revenge on the devils that took her brother, Joshua, away from her when they were kids.
Her partner is Chrono, who is a devil. Chrono has been stripped of his power and his title, for he was one of the most powerful devils before that. Rosette and Chrono are more connected than most realize. Chrono's true form is kept hidden, and Rosette is the reason for this.
Rosette is Chrono's Contractor, meaning that Chrono hides his true form and draws nourishment through Rosette lifeforce, her soul. The emblem she keeps around her neck, seals his true form. But when the seal is released, he is able to transform in his true form.
But when he transforms, he draws on more of Rosette's lifeforce. And this shortens her life. By becoming Chrono's Contractor she will probably not live past the age of 30. But together with Chrono, she can stop the evil power that is lurking in the shadows and take revenge on the evil that took her brother away from her.
A note, this series follows religion, dealing with God, Satanism, devils, and other holy and unholy dealings. If you would be offended by such an 'incorrect' view of religion, you might want to abstain from reading.
Chrono Crusade
The setting of this anime series is America, specially New York City, during the 1920's. It's a time of change, and the elite are bored. So they turn to Satanism to get their thrills. The Order of Magdalene stops these people who are bent on destruction.
The Order of Magdalene use weapons imbued with holy power to stop them. The Sacred is a bullet that has small amounts of holy oil in it, which gives the bullets power to stop the devils, where normal bullets would not affect them. There is also the Gospel, which is more powerful bullet because it has holy scriptures written on the bullet itself. With these types of weapons, the devils are exorcised.
However the major plotline revolves around a greater evil power and the seven Apostles. The seven Apostles were born with from God, who gave them the power to perform miracles. However the devils are trying to ge the seven Apostles because they can use the power in the Apostles to become more powerful themselves. And the two main characters are Rosette and Chrono.
Rosette is a Sister of the Order of Magdalene, who has a reputation for being very destructive during her missions. It's no fault of her own though, they just turn out that way. But she is very good at Exorcising the demons. Her main reason for becoming an Exorcist, or part of the Order, was to get revenge on the devils that took her brother, Joshua, away from her when they were kids.
Her partner is Chrono, who is a devil. Chrono has been stripped of his power and his title, for he was one of the most powerful devils before that. Rosette and Chrono are more connected than most realize. Chrono's true form is kept hidden, and Rosette is the reason for this.
Rosette is Chrono's Contractor, meaning that Chrono hides his true form and draws nourishment through Rosette lifeforce, her soul. The emblem she keeps around her neck, seals his true form. But when the seal is released, he is able to transform in his true form.
But when he transforms, he draws on more of Rosette's lifeforce. And this shortens her life. By becoming Chrono's Contractor she will probably not live past the age of 30. But together with Chrono, she can stop the evil power that is lurking in the shadows and take revenge on the evil that took her brother away from her.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
This Weekend Anime 11/05
Much of my weekend was made up of studying for exams on Monday and Tuesday, but I did have a chance to watch a few episodes of anime. One new one in particular caught my attention, because of its uniqueness. Jigoku Shoujo; in this anime there is a rumor that a website exists, called Hell's Correspondence, only accessible at midnight, where you can write in the name of a person you want to take revenge against, and that wish will be granted, and the person will be taken straight to hell.
(Click on the images for a larger picture.)
The first episode is about a girl, Mayumi, who gets chosen to watch after some money her class had raised for charity. But the money gets stolen from her back, where she had kept it for safe keeping. As fate has it, an answer comes in the form of another one of her classmates, Kuroda, who offers her to give her the money, if she pays her pack. However, Kuroda is a bully, and will not let Mayumi go, even after Mayumi returns all the money. Kuroda has some perverse pleasure in making Mayumi do things for Kuroda and her posse.
Mayumi had heard about this site, Hell's Correspondence, and was almost on the verge of putting the name in, until she got a call from Kuroda.
Being forced to do unbearable tasks, Mayumi enters Kuroda's name on the website, at midnight. And she gets a text message, saying her reqest was received. But a day goes by without anything happening. And after Kuroda takes Mayumi to a shady part of town, making her talk to perverts who would take advantage of her. Not being able to do such a task, she runs away, but Kuroda took a picture with her phone and threatened to email it to the headmaster at school if she does not obey her. That's when Mayumi's will breaks.
Not being able to take any more shame, and not being able to tell her parents, Mayumi decides to commit suicide by jumping off a building. Before she hits the ground, she is taken somewhere, by a girl.
This girl, is from Hell's Correspondence, Enma Ai.
Ai tells Mayumi that if Mayumi wishes it, Ai would take revenge on Kuroda and take her to hell. However the deal comes with a price, if Mayumi decides to take revenge, her soul is forfeit, and her soul would not go to heaven, but to hell, when she died. Ai gives her a voodoo doll with a red ribbon around it, and if Mayumi pulls the ribbon off then she would make the covenant with Ai, and Ai would take Kuroda to hell.
The next day Mayumi is called to the headmaster's office, who got an email of the picture of Mayumi with a shady guy, the same guy who Mayumi ran away from when she was with Kuroda. Kuroda had sent the picture. Not being able to explain herself, and with her future slipping away, Mayumi pulls the ribbon off the doll, and she hears a whisper in the wind telling her revenge will be taken.
Kuroda gets a call from "Mayumi" to meet her at school to receive more money. However, when Kuroda goes to school she sees "Mayumi" go inside the school, and when Kuroda enters, she is bombarded with images that freak her out. Her classmates look weird, a volleyball turns into a skull, her posse friends get sucked into a wall and she is confronted with a replay image of her stealing the moeny from Mayumi's bag. Ai appears with a few of her friends, upon which they ask Kuroda to repent her sins, but she denies it still, and that's when Ai takes her to hell.
The next day shows Mayumi at school cheerful and happy again. Though when she is shown walking to a club meeting she stops infront of mirror and unbuttons part of her uniform shirt to reveal a mark on her chest.
The mark is the sign of her covenant with Ai. When she dies her soul will go to Hell. But until then she can live her life, free of the bully who was ruining her life.
...
That was the first episode, and I did watch a second episode that had been subbed. The mood is rather dark, as it has to do with revenge, and cohorting with Hell. Though the struggles of the victim are done very well. It's not your normal anime, but it is interesting to watch.
The first episode is about a girl, Mayumi, who gets chosen to watch after some money her class had raised for charity. But the money gets stolen from her back, where she had kept it for safe keeping. As fate has it, an answer comes in the form of another one of her classmates, Kuroda, who offers her to give her the money, if she pays her pack. However, Kuroda is a bully, and will not let Mayumi go, even after Mayumi returns all the money. Kuroda has some perverse pleasure in making Mayumi do things for Kuroda and her posse.
Mayumi had heard about this site, Hell's Correspondence, and was almost on the verge of putting the name in, until she got a call from Kuroda.
Being forced to do unbearable tasks, Mayumi enters Kuroda's name on the website, at midnight. And she gets a text message, saying her reqest was received. But a day goes by without anything happening. And after Kuroda takes Mayumi to a shady part of town, making her talk to perverts who would take advantage of her. Not being able to do such a task, she runs away, but Kuroda took a picture with her phone and threatened to email it to the headmaster at school if she does not obey her. That's when Mayumi's will breaks.
Not being able to take any more shame, and not being able to tell her parents, Mayumi decides to commit suicide by jumping off a building. Before she hits the ground, she is taken somewhere, by a girl.
This girl, is from Hell's Correspondence, Enma Ai.
Ai tells Mayumi that if Mayumi wishes it, Ai would take revenge on Kuroda and take her to hell. However the deal comes with a price, if Mayumi decides to take revenge, her soul is forfeit, and her soul would not go to heaven, but to hell, when she died. Ai gives her a voodoo doll with a red ribbon around it, and if Mayumi pulls the ribbon off then she would make the covenant with Ai, and Ai would take Kuroda to hell.
The next day Mayumi is called to the headmaster's office, who got an email of the picture of Mayumi with a shady guy, the same guy who Mayumi ran away from when she was with Kuroda. Kuroda had sent the picture. Not being able to explain herself, and with her future slipping away, Mayumi pulls the ribbon off the doll, and she hears a whisper in the wind telling her revenge will be taken.
Kuroda gets a call from "Mayumi" to meet her at school to receive more money. However, when Kuroda goes to school she sees "Mayumi" go inside the school, and when Kuroda enters, she is bombarded with images that freak her out. Her classmates look weird, a volleyball turns into a skull, her posse friends get sucked into a wall and she is confronted with a replay image of her stealing the moeny from Mayumi's bag. Ai appears with a few of her friends, upon which they ask Kuroda to repent her sins, but she denies it still, and that's when Ai takes her to hell.
The next day shows Mayumi at school cheerful and happy again. Though when she is shown walking to a club meeting she stops infront of mirror and unbuttons part of her uniform shirt to reveal a mark on her chest.
The mark is the sign of her covenant with Ai. When she dies her soul will go to Hell. But until then she can live her life, free of the bully who was ruining her life.
...
That was the first episode, and I did watch a second episode that had been subbed. The mood is rather dark, as it has to do with revenge, and cohorting with Hell. Though the struggles of the victim are done very well. It's not your normal anime, but it is interesting to watch.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Romance On Screen And In Real Life
Watching the O.C. you see relationships constantly fading in and out of harmony. The particular couple right now is Ryan and Marissa. It seems like every episode there is something that gets between them. The most recent episode has Ryan's decision about his education get between Marissa and himself. I'll recap so you understand:
Ryan and Marissa were kicked out of their plush and exclusive highschool, by the Dean of Discipline (a.k.a. 'the bad guy'). Marissa chooses to go to another, local, less glamaorous, highschool. And Ryan goes the homeschooling route. With the Dean of Discipline bent on ruining Ryan's future, Ryan decides not even to try for the future, and cancels his homeschooling. Upset by this decision Marissa tells a new guy friend about Ryan's decision, and this friend talks to Ryan and offers to put in a word for him with his uncle's fishing business. Taking this oppurtunity, Ryan gets hired as one of the crew on this fishing boat, meaning, he'd be at sea for three weeks at a time. Marissa is very upset about this and doesn't allow Ryan to talk to her. Skipping drama, in the end Ryan decides to stay with Marissa, saying something along the lines of, that his future is with Marissa, whatever it is. Marissa is happy and everything is once again koscher in Orange County. Next week we see one of Marissa's new guy friends get closer to her, and this makes Ryan jealous.
So as you can see, the relationship gets a lot of stress. And it's the same with other couples in T.V. series, Smallville, One Tree Hill, Bones, etc... all have couples that are in a constant state of flux.
Now, I know that this is T.V. and they have to do this to keep the show interesting. It would get boring if T.V. couples were in relationship bliss continually, so the producers have to do this, trying to cause viewers to relate emotionally to the T.V. show.
But does this relationship flux happen in real life too? Do couples have disagreements where one or both are too stubborn to even talk and try to resolve their issues. Does one guy friend cause insane jealousy in a boyfriend if his girlfriend and this new friend spend a lot of time together?
I find it hard to believe that this is really the case. Could it be that these television relationships are overexaggerated? Being a frequenter on a few forums, I've seen people post their issues in their love life. Break-ups, betrayals, marriages, etc... I've read a lot, and I know some of it is out there. But the intricate details, like the way I described about the couple from the O.C., are never posted on a forum. Does it happen, in real life? I wonder.
Continuing along this vein, I'd like to mention an intracy of relationships that I've pondered.
I am lucky to be in a wonderful relationship, but I know that isn't always the case with others. The city I live in has been called one of the most undatable cities (cities, not small towns) in the nation, that there is virtually no dating scene. When couples hook up, especially couples in their early to late 20's, they tend to stay together. Other cities, hook-ups and break-ups are common place, nobody raises an eyebrow. Just look at Hollywood, couples exchange partners as freqeuntly as couples exchange partners in square dancing. So it is hard for me to conceive why people are constantly getting together with people and then breaking up again.
For me, I've come to, occasionally, associate this break-up/hook-up process with something else. When you get a new toy, a new gadget, or a new lipgloss, you use it frequently. More frequently than you normally do. When a kid gets a new video game, he is able to play it days even weeks on end, not getting tired of it. When you hear a new song you like on a CD you bought, you can listen to the song again and again, not ever getting enough of it. But all of sudden, one day, the kid stops playing the game because he simply doesn't have interest in playing it, or you stop listening to the song that you've listened to constantly for the past month, or the new gadget you have just becomes used by any other gadget you have.
Can this be related to relationships? Is it an accurate analogy for explaining why guys and girls are constantly hooking-up/breaking-up? When a guy meets a beautiful girl at a bar or café, and they hook-up, then three weeks later they cannot stand the sight of each other. Is this because they just got tired of each other, they became overhead songs or an overused gadget to each other? This can be called burnout, but even couples who have spent a month, two months, or more, together, just break-up, for no reason except that there is no interest anymore, no spark. Like a toy that has lost its appeal? Possibly. It seems like an analogy that is accurate to me. People would probably disagree with me, offering up any number of reasons why couples break up.
In any case, it's just one view.
Ciao for now.
Ryan and Marissa were kicked out of their plush and exclusive highschool, by the Dean of Discipline (a.k.a. 'the bad guy'). Marissa chooses to go to another, local, less glamaorous, highschool. And Ryan goes the homeschooling route. With the Dean of Discipline bent on ruining Ryan's future, Ryan decides not even to try for the future, and cancels his homeschooling. Upset by this decision Marissa tells a new guy friend about Ryan's decision, and this friend talks to Ryan and offers to put in a word for him with his uncle's fishing business. Taking this oppurtunity, Ryan gets hired as one of the crew on this fishing boat, meaning, he'd be at sea for three weeks at a time. Marissa is very upset about this and doesn't allow Ryan to talk to her. Skipping drama, in the end Ryan decides to stay with Marissa, saying something along the lines of, that his future is with Marissa, whatever it is. Marissa is happy and everything is once again koscher in Orange County. Next week we see one of Marissa's new guy friends get closer to her, and this makes Ryan jealous.
So as you can see, the relationship gets a lot of stress. And it's the same with other couples in T.V. series, Smallville, One Tree Hill, Bones, etc... all have couples that are in a constant state of flux.
Now, I know that this is T.V. and they have to do this to keep the show interesting. It would get boring if T.V. couples were in relationship bliss continually, so the producers have to do this, trying to cause viewers to relate emotionally to the T.V. show.
But does this relationship flux happen in real life too? Do couples have disagreements where one or both are too stubborn to even talk and try to resolve their issues. Does one guy friend cause insane jealousy in a boyfriend if his girlfriend and this new friend spend a lot of time together?
I find it hard to believe that this is really the case. Could it be that these television relationships are overexaggerated? Being a frequenter on a few forums, I've seen people post their issues in their love life. Break-ups, betrayals, marriages, etc... I've read a lot, and I know some of it is out there. But the intricate details, like the way I described about the couple from the O.C., are never posted on a forum. Does it happen, in real life? I wonder.
Continuing along this vein, I'd like to mention an intracy of relationships that I've pondered.
I am lucky to be in a wonderful relationship, but I know that isn't always the case with others. The city I live in has been called one of the most undatable cities (cities, not small towns) in the nation, that there is virtually no dating scene. When couples hook up, especially couples in their early to late 20's, they tend to stay together. Other cities, hook-ups and break-ups are common place, nobody raises an eyebrow. Just look at Hollywood, couples exchange partners as freqeuntly as couples exchange partners in square dancing. So it is hard for me to conceive why people are constantly getting together with people and then breaking up again.
For me, I've come to, occasionally, associate this break-up/hook-up process with something else. When you get a new toy, a new gadget, or a new lipgloss, you use it frequently. More frequently than you normally do. When a kid gets a new video game, he is able to play it days even weeks on end, not getting tired of it. When you hear a new song you like on a CD you bought, you can listen to the song again and again, not ever getting enough of it. But all of sudden, one day, the kid stops playing the game because he simply doesn't have interest in playing it, or you stop listening to the song that you've listened to constantly for the past month, or the new gadget you have just becomes used by any other gadget you have.
Can this be related to relationships? Is it an accurate analogy for explaining why guys and girls are constantly hooking-up/breaking-up? When a guy meets a beautiful girl at a bar or café, and they hook-up, then three weeks later they cannot stand the sight of each other. Is this because they just got tired of each other, they became overhead songs or an overused gadget to each other? This can be called burnout, but even couples who have spent a month, two months, or more, together, just break-up, for no reason except that there is no interest anymore, no spark. Like a toy that has lost its appeal? Possibly. It seems like an analogy that is accurate to me. People would probably disagree with me, offering up any number of reasons why couples break up.
In any case, it's just one view.
Ciao for now.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Cows Are Loose
And addendum to yesterday's post about love. The "Love you." can also sound like slang. "Love you, bye!" was originally, "I love you, bye!", but the 'I' is slurred until it goes from "I love you." to "Love you." to "Love ya.". Each digression loses more of the original meaning. "Love ya." holds only a fraction of the meaning of what it used to be. When you whisper "I love you." into your lover's ear, you wouldn't even think about saying "Love ya." because it hardly holds the meaning that you are trying to convey. But "Love ya." originally was "I love you."
Back on topic...
Yesterday, early in the morning a tractor trailer carrying 39 cows was barreling down Interstate 74, the conditions were less than optimal. A dense fog had a choke hold on the area surrounding the Harrison township. The fog is always densest around Mt. Plateau-74, the highest part of the interstate in the area. The tractor trailer was heading near Mt. Plateau-74 cuttin through the fog, like a bullet cuts through jello. There is a reason why trucks drive slower, because their ungainly cargo inhibits maneuverability. Compared to boats, a car is like a speed boat as a tractor trailer is like a cruise liner. If this tractor trailer had been equipped with a radar, he would have seen an ominous dot ahead of him. This dot was the beginning of the tractor trailer's demise, a slow moving car. Without radar, the tractor trailer did not see the car until it was right in front of him. With less than lightning quick reflexes the truck driver swerved to avoid the slow car.
Obeying the laws of physics the trailer behind the truck could not compensate for the sudden movement; the truck went one way the trailer, a different direction. Losing control the tractor trailer tipped over, sliding across the pavement and freeing the cows inside. Half the cows got loose, frightened and dumb, they scattered to the four winds.
A truck driver carrying cattle, is by law, made to carry a rope with him in case some cattle get loose. One rope does not do the poor driver justice, especially since 20 cattle were loose. He needed a tranquilizer gun. But without immediate aid, and due to the dense fog, the cattle roamed the area.
Law enforcement closed both directions of the interstate and got a team of volunteers and police together to attempt to wrangle the cattle. The task was harder than it appeared, with the fog, visibility was reduced to less than 100 feet, and in the woods, finding the cattle was a very trying task. A few pictures below show what happened. The interstate was closed for almost 12 hours.
The tractor trailer overturned.
Dense fog.
The wreckage.
Cattle round-up.
Roam free! Head for the border!
Can't catch me! Moo!
There were some cattle casualties, the most interesting was the cow found dead in the front lawn of Harrison yard. Unfortunately the police found the carcass before the residents of the house could recover their dinner.
Back on topic...
Yesterday, early in the morning a tractor trailer carrying 39 cows was barreling down Interstate 74, the conditions were less than optimal. A dense fog had a choke hold on the area surrounding the Harrison township. The fog is always densest around Mt. Plateau-74, the highest part of the interstate in the area. The tractor trailer was heading near Mt. Plateau-74 cuttin through the fog, like a bullet cuts through jello. There is a reason why trucks drive slower, because their ungainly cargo inhibits maneuverability. Compared to boats, a car is like a speed boat as a tractor trailer is like a cruise liner. If this tractor trailer had been equipped with a radar, he would have seen an ominous dot ahead of him. This dot was the beginning of the tractor trailer's demise, a slow moving car. Without radar, the tractor trailer did not see the car until it was right in front of him. With less than lightning quick reflexes the truck driver swerved to avoid the slow car.
Obeying the laws of physics the trailer behind the truck could not compensate for the sudden movement; the truck went one way the trailer, a different direction. Losing control the tractor trailer tipped over, sliding across the pavement and freeing the cows inside. Half the cows got loose, frightened and dumb, they scattered to the four winds.
A truck driver carrying cattle, is by law, made to carry a rope with him in case some cattle get loose. One rope does not do the poor driver justice, especially since 20 cattle were loose. He needed a tranquilizer gun. But without immediate aid, and due to the dense fog, the cattle roamed the area.
Law enforcement closed both directions of the interstate and got a team of volunteers and police together to attempt to wrangle the cattle. The task was harder than it appeared, with the fog, visibility was reduced to less than 100 feet, and in the woods, finding the cattle was a very trying task. A few pictures below show what happened. The interstate was closed for almost 12 hours.
There were some cattle casualties, the most interesting was the cow found dead in the front lawn of Harrison yard. Unfortunately the police found the carcass before the residents of the house could recover their dinner.
Monday, October 31, 2005
I Love You, Love You, Love
I apologize in advance if some of what I say you may not find particularly true, or if you cannot relate with what I am going to say. This is just some random observations that formed a semi-coherent thought. And that thought is actually continued in this blog post.
I am in a relationship, and I am bold enough to say, as a couple we've told each other our feelings, with this sacred, and sometimes harrowful words, "I love you.". Movies and books have revolved around those three simple words, none of which extend beyond on syllable, but mean SO much... depending.
Three phrases, each phrase containing the word love in it, "I love you.", "Love you.", and "Love". And each of those phrases can have very different meanings.
I'll start with the longest (3 words) phrase, "I love you.". "I love you.", such an easy phrase to say out loud, by yourself. Try it now, say those three words in succession with each other to form a sentence. It's not tough by any means, but guys (and girls) choke up, feel sick, or are rendered speechless when they hear those words or when they are trying to say them. That's how much that one single phrase impacts us. It's a big step forward in a relationship, usually an affirmation of feelings but also sometimes said in hope that a relationship will last longer. A desperate measure, used sometimes by men to try to hold onto a relationship. But the latter part is not what I am focusing on, just indicating the impact it can potentially have. They can be said anywhere; shouted out from the top of a cliff, or whispered softly into the ear of the one you love. Either way, it's a show of emotion.
You knock off the word "I", and you are down to "Love you.". This phrase is used often when you are simply reminding someone that you love them. This happens a lot in relationships that have been going on for some time (a year or two) and couples say it so frequent that it has gone from a term of endearment, to a everyday, couple-y thing to say to your beau or lover.
"-Love you! Bye!" *click*
Such a common phrase, if you didn't recognize it, it was the end of a phone conversation. Said often to friends and family, where an "I love you." is hardly ever appropriate, unless something tragic or emotional has happened, and the "I" is added to the phrase. But normally it is used to indicate your feeling to a friend or family. In the friend or family case, the significant of the phrase doesn't change drastically and is a common and easy thing to say. In a relationship it signifies the comfort level of the couple, among other things.
Then you have "Love". You mostly see this in emails and letters, as a farewell at the end of the message.
"Love, Noelle."
This phrase is often used as an indicant of the level of friendship between two friends. The "love" means "we're tight" or "we've been through a lot together". In a relationship, it shows that you care about that person. If he/she were to sign their name without the love, it doesn't mean much, but if they do sign with "love" I am sure you feel a lot warmer inside by reading it. They love you.
It's interesting to see how such small phrases can have such a different impact on peoples' lives. If I were to sign this blog with "Love, Kevin", the guys might think I was gay, and the girls might think it's a cute gesture. It's not 100% the case, but there is truth in the previous sentence. And it was just one word.
Do you have to say "love you" everytime you leave the arms of the one you love? No. "See you soon.", if said correctly, can have close to the same meaning as "Love you".
These phrases can be overused. Try not saying them for a while, or as often, and then when you finally do decide to say "I love you.", "Love you.", or "Love" you might find that the words have more meaning.
Ciao for now.
I am in a relationship, and I am bold enough to say, as a couple we've told each other our feelings, with this sacred, and sometimes harrowful words, "I love you.". Movies and books have revolved around those three simple words, none of which extend beyond on syllable, but mean SO much... depending.
Three phrases, each phrase containing the word love in it, "I love you.", "Love you.", and "Love". And each of those phrases can have very different meanings.
I'll start with the longest (3 words) phrase, "I love you.". "I love you.", such an easy phrase to say out loud, by yourself. Try it now, say those three words in succession with each other to form a sentence. It's not tough by any means, but guys (and girls) choke up, feel sick, or are rendered speechless when they hear those words or when they are trying to say them. That's how much that one single phrase impacts us. It's a big step forward in a relationship, usually an affirmation of feelings but also sometimes said in hope that a relationship will last longer. A desperate measure, used sometimes by men to try to hold onto a relationship. But the latter part is not what I am focusing on, just indicating the impact it can potentially have. They can be said anywhere; shouted out from the top of a cliff, or whispered softly into the ear of the one you love. Either way, it's a show of emotion.
You knock off the word "I", and you are down to "Love you.". This phrase is used often when you are simply reminding someone that you love them. This happens a lot in relationships that have been going on for some time (a year or two) and couples say it so frequent that it has gone from a term of endearment, to a everyday, couple-y thing to say to your beau or lover.
"-Love you! Bye!" *click*
Such a common phrase, if you didn't recognize it, it was the end of a phone conversation. Said often to friends and family, where an "I love you." is hardly ever appropriate, unless something tragic or emotional has happened, and the "I" is added to the phrase. But normally it is used to indicate your feeling to a friend or family. In the friend or family case, the significant of the phrase doesn't change drastically and is a common and easy thing to say. In a relationship it signifies the comfort level of the couple, among other things.
Then you have "Love". You mostly see this in emails and letters, as a farewell at the end of the message.
"Love, Noelle."
This phrase is often used as an indicant of the level of friendship between two friends. The "love" means "we're tight" or "we've been through a lot together". In a relationship, it shows that you care about that person. If he/she were to sign their name without the love, it doesn't mean much, but if they do sign with "love" I am sure you feel a lot warmer inside by reading it. They love you.
It's interesting to see how such small phrases can have such a different impact on peoples' lives. If I were to sign this blog with "Love, Kevin", the guys might think I was gay, and the girls might think it's a cute gesture. It's not 100% the case, but there is truth in the previous sentence. And it was just one word.
Do you have to say "love you" everytime you leave the arms of the one you love? No. "See you soon.", if said correctly, can have close to the same meaning as "Love you".
These phrases can be overused. Try not saying them for a while, or as often, and then when you finally do decide to say "I love you.", "Love you.", or "Love" you might find that the words have more meaning.
Ciao for now.
Happy Halloween
Yes! An excuse to eat candy to excess and scare little kids. What better holiday can there be? I've already dipped into the candy that is meant for the trick-or-treaters. Why shouldn't I? There are wonderful bags of chocolate, and there is no reason for me to eat some of it. I don't get to go trick-or-treating anymore, no longer can I go days without regular food, by eating all the candy I got, so I must gorge, I mean, satisfy my sugar needs by pilfering the hordes of candy that would normally get wasted on the kiddies. Plus, where I live, there won't be too many kids, except for kiddie train that comes by with 20 kids or so.
I won't be handing out candy this year, I did it last year, and all the kids at once is just too overwhelming... I can see it now... death by cuteness. An awful way to go.
I saw a movie or two this weekend...
Hitch - Funny romantic comedy, it got a little boring towards the end, as the plot had to be resolved. Watch it, you should like it.
On to some anime, I have to talk about it a little.
Wolf's Rain - I finally finished the series. I am a little disappointed, the ending isn't what I expected. It was no happy ending, but that is how a lot of anime is. This one was particularly depressing though. No spoilers, even though most of you will not watch it.
Suzuka - A good episode. Jpop star, Nana, who is a friend of Honoka, meets Yamato, and turns his relationship into swiss cheese, poking holes into a solid relationship he thought he had. Doubts are starting to arise in Yamato. We all know that he is meant for Suzuka, but how will he pull it off so that he doesn't look like a jerk, by breaking up with Honoka? And how will Suzuka deal with her feelings for Yamato and not look like some girl who is trying to steal a guy away? Mmm, Drama.
I won't be handing out candy this year, I did it last year, and all the kids at once is just too overwhelming... I can see it now... death by cuteness. An awful way to go.
I saw a movie or two this weekend...
Hitch - Funny romantic comedy, it got a little boring towards the end, as the plot had to be resolved. Watch it, you should like it.
On to some anime, I have to talk about it a little.
Wolf's Rain - I finally finished the series. I am a little disappointed, the ending isn't what I expected. It was no happy ending, but that is how a lot of anime is. This one was particularly depressing though. No spoilers, even though most of you will not watch it.
Suzuka - A good episode. Jpop star, Nana, who is a friend of Honoka, meets Yamato, and turns his relationship into swiss cheese, poking holes into a solid relationship he thought he had. Doubts are starting to arise in Yamato. We all know that he is meant for Suzuka, but how will he pull it off so that he doesn't look like a jerk, by breaking up with Honoka? And how will Suzuka deal with her feelings for Yamato and not look like some girl who is trying to steal a guy away? Mmm, Drama.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Look Both Ways
Most kids you know, were probably brought up to "look both ways before crossing the street". I know I was. You first look left, then right, then left again in case a car pulled out of a driveway or was going really fast. Then you crossed the street. This was done so that you did not get hit by oncoming traffic.
It was brought to my attention a day ago, that one of our fellow engineers was involved in a car accident. He got hit by a car. No names will be given, as there is no particular functionality to know the name. But for the sake of the story we'll call him Zak. Zak was a friendly guy, amiable, and always glad to be chatting with his engineering buddies. Everyone knew him. One day Zak had to go meet his Little somewhere. He ran out of the house and as he was in a rush, Zak did not bother to go to a crosswalk on a four lane road (with enough room for parking on both sides). In fact, Zak b-lined across the road, and being in a rush, he forgot his childhood lessons of 'looking both ways before crossing the street'.
Now, normally, if you forget to look, it's not a big deal, either cars will break to a screeching halt and the driver will start making obscene gestures and say other things to imply his obvious displeasure for you being a wreckless pedestrian, or you would get lucky and you'd play a successful game of Frogger and avoid getting hit, while maintaining forward motion, maybe getting some honks from cars. In either case, there is no lasting (physical) damage on both sides. Emotional damage is another story or if you have a heart condition you might not fare so well either...
However, in Zak's story, he was not so lucky. Either he did not remember how to play Frogger or he just simply had a bad roll of dice, but in either case, a car and Zak tried to be at the same spot at the same time. Zak is no Superman, so the car did not bend and crumple around his body. The roles were reversed, his body bent and crumpled to the shape of the car, effectively shattering a leg and providing a head injury from the impact on the windshield.
Considering the circumstances, he could have fared much worse... both legs broken, broken ribs, internal bleeding, coma, even death.
Physical recovery will take a lengthy amount of time, however emotional recovery will take longer, it might even become an emotional scar. Why? Because after getting hit by a car, you don't expect to get a fine. But Zak did get a visit from the men in blue, who gave him a $104 ticket, for jay-walking.
Moral of the story? Even if you are in a hurry, cars don't care, especially if you run in front of one.
It was brought to my attention a day ago, that one of our fellow engineers was involved in a car accident. He got hit by a car. No names will be given, as there is no particular functionality to know the name. But for the sake of the story we'll call him Zak. Zak was a friendly guy, amiable, and always glad to be chatting with his engineering buddies. Everyone knew him. One day Zak had to go meet his Little somewhere. He ran out of the house and as he was in a rush, Zak did not bother to go to a crosswalk on a four lane road (with enough room for parking on both sides). In fact, Zak b-lined across the road, and being in a rush, he forgot his childhood lessons of 'looking both ways before crossing the street'.
Now, normally, if you forget to look, it's not a big deal, either cars will break to a screeching halt and the driver will start making obscene gestures and say other things to imply his obvious displeasure for you being a wreckless pedestrian, or you would get lucky and you'd play a successful game of Frogger and avoid getting hit, while maintaining forward motion, maybe getting some honks from cars. In either case, there is no lasting (physical) damage on both sides. Emotional damage is another story or if you have a heart condition you might not fare so well either...
However, in Zak's story, he was not so lucky. Either he did not remember how to play Frogger or he just simply had a bad roll of dice, but in either case, a car and Zak tried to be at the same spot at the same time. Zak is no Superman, so the car did not bend and crumple around his body. The roles were reversed, his body bent and crumpled to the shape of the car, effectively shattering a leg and providing a head injury from the impact on the windshield.
Considering the circumstances, he could have fared much worse... both legs broken, broken ribs, internal bleeding, coma, even death.
Physical recovery will take a lengthy amount of time, however emotional recovery will take longer, it might even become an emotional scar. Why? Because after getting hit by a car, you don't expect to get a fine. But Zak did get a visit from the men in blue, who gave him a $104 ticket, for jay-walking.
Moral of the story? Even if you are in a hurry, cars don't care, especially if you run in front of one.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Watching People
Have you ever taken the time to just watch people, observe their actions, just to see what they do?
Every once and a while I like to observe people. Please note, that it's different from being nosy, because I really have no interest in what they are doing, I just want to see what's happening.
Psychology lecture is a great time to do that. It's a good sized, auditorium style, lecture hall. Not as big as Zimmer Auditorium, maybe a third to a fourth of the size. But, sitting in the back you can watch people, unobtrusively. It's a little early, about quarter till eight, when class starts, and most people come in around five till. But even now there is action.
College doesn't have a seating chart, people are not assigned seats, but people tend to sit in the same seat after a few classes, so if you pay attention you can recognize faces, just by their location. For instance, five rows down from me, there is always a group of people, one guy and four or five girls who sit together. They are by far, the loudest of the students of the class. You can listen to an entire conversation, especially if the guy is talking. They must be freshmen, because they have that aura about them, plus they talk about Chemistry and English 101 very often. But I believe the girls have a slight crush on this guy, or he just one of those guys who get along/flirt well with groups of girls, a player perhaps.
Moving down a row or two, you get to the next group. They don't sit together, a few sit in the same row, but apart by a seat, and some sit down a row or even across the aisle. They talk together before class. I'll call them dorm buddies because of their proximity, because if I were to have class with my friend Richard, Dustin, or Mike, I'd sit next to them. But these girls do not sit together, so they probably know each other from living near each other and happen to recognize each other in class.
The next group is the classmate group. Looking around before class you can see people, groups of two or three of people who are talking together. They don't sit next to each other, they sort of have that same dispersal as the previous group I talked about. Across an aisle, a row down, but not together. They probably have a few classes together, maybe an art class or something where they recognize each other in a smaller class size. They are suprised, initially when they recognize someone they have another class with, sitting close by. They don't realize it, but they are pulled together, almost by a magnetic attraction through their familiarity.
Then you have the loners, like me, who are just single individuals who are taking this class as a needed BoK (supplementary class) or just wanted to take it early to get it out of the way. Even these people tend to sit in the same spots. In the three days that I have sat in this seat, the same girl has sat in front of me, and in front of her a guy with a laptop has been sitting. He is always checking out clothes online, but he has a word document open that he uses as a front; an excuse to have his laptop open. These people don't have a particular time when they come in, but more often than not, they are there earlier than the other students.
Of course, there are the students that come in late, they are even more random than than all the other groups, but even they have patterns. These people never take an empty aisle seat because it leaves them too exposed. And they rarely go down past the first ten rows since they don't want to be too obvious about being late. Though, you do have some people who do go down to the half closer to the professor, either because they don't care or because they see someone they know, and prefer the comfort of these people rather than sitting by themselves.
So, the next time you have an auditorium type class, sit in the back to watch people and how they group together, it's pretty interesting. This is done best in the morning when you have some time to watch people rather than coming in with a few minutes to spare.
Every once and a while I like to observe people. Please note, that it's different from being nosy, because I really have no interest in what they are doing, I just want to see what's happening.
Psychology lecture is a great time to do that. It's a good sized, auditorium style, lecture hall. Not as big as Zimmer Auditorium, maybe a third to a fourth of the size. But, sitting in the back you can watch people, unobtrusively. It's a little early, about quarter till eight, when class starts, and most people come in around five till. But even now there is action.
College doesn't have a seating chart, people are not assigned seats, but people tend to sit in the same seat after a few classes, so if you pay attention you can recognize faces, just by their location. For instance, five rows down from me, there is always a group of people, one guy and four or five girls who sit together. They are by far, the loudest of the students of the class. You can listen to an entire conversation, especially if the guy is talking. They must be freshmen, because they have that aura about them, plus they talk about Chemistry and English 101 very often. But I believe the girls have a slight crush on this guy, or he just one of those guys who get along/flirt well with groups of girls, a player perhaps.
Moving down a row or two, you get to the next group. They don't sit together, a few sit in the same row, but apart by a seat, and some sit down a row or even across the aisle. They talk together before class. I'll call them dorm buddies because of their proximity, because if I were to have class with my friend Richard, Dustin, or Mike, I'd sit next to them. But these girls do not sit together, so they probably know each other from living near each other and happen to recognize each other in class.
The next group is the classmate group. Looking around before class you can see people, groups of two or three of people who are talking together. They don't sit next to each other, they sort of have that same dispersal as the previous group I talked about. Across an aisle, a row down, but not together. They probably have a few classes together, maybe an art class or something where they recognize each other in a smaller class size. They are suprised, initially when they recognize someone they have another class with, sitting close by. They don't realize it, but they are pulled together, almost by a magnetic attraction through their familiarity.
Then you have the loners, like me, who are just single individuals who are taking this class as a needed BoK (supplementary class) or just wanted to take it early to get it out of the way. Even these people tend to sit in the same spots. In the three days that I have sat in this seat, the same girl has sat in front of me, and in front of her a guy with a laptop has been sitting. He is always checking out clothes online, but he has a word document open that he uses as a front; an excuse to have his laptop open. These people don't have a particular time when they come in, but more often than not, they are there earlier than the other students.
Of course, there are the students that come in late, they are even more random than than all the other groups, but even they have patterns. These people never take an empty aisle seat because it leaves them too exposed. And they rarely go down past the first ten rows since they don't want to be too obvious about being late. Though, you do have some people who do go down to the half closer to the professor, either because they don't care or because they see someone they know, and prefer the comfort of these people rather than sitting by themselves.
So, the next time you have an auditorium type class, sit in the back to watch people and how they group together, it's pretty interesting. This is done best in the morning when you have some time to watch people rather than coming in with a few minutes to spare.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
New Music Channels
Over the last week or so, I noticed some of the streaming channels I listen to did not connect anymore. Namley the New Age and Trance channels. Normally I listen to Vocal Trance or Hardcore, but sometimes I do get weary of them and listen to some other channels I have as backup. So I went to check out my source, at Digitally Imported, to discover that there were SEVEN new channels to listen to! I'll list some of the ones I listen to:
Current
Vocal Trance - A fusion of trance, dance, and chilling vocals.
European Hard Trance - Like Vocal, more bass and less vocal.
New Age - Soothing Sounds of New Age and World Music.
Deep House - Silky, sexy, deep house music.
New
Ambient - A blend of ambient, downtempo, and chillout.
Lounge - Sit back and enjoy the lounge grooves.
Roots Reggae - The best of classic and modern Roots Reggae.
While I was typing part of this blog I was listening to the New Age channel, and these two songs played:
Yanni - You Only Live Once
Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard - Now We Are Free
Yanni is a very well known/famous piano player and the other song is the song played in the movie Gladiator with Russel Crowe, when his character is dying at the end of movie, where flower petals are falling all around him, and in his last breaths he sees himself walking down a path, among waves of grain to meet his wife and son who had died. Well "Now We Are Free" is that song, it's a very touching piece of music. I am sure many girl's (and guy's) hearts wrench up when they hear the song, after seeing Gladiator.
Current
Vocal Trance - A fusion of trance, dance, and chilling vocals.
European Hard Trance - Like Vocal, more bass and less vocal.
New Age - Soothing Sounds of New Age and World Music.
Deep House - Silky, sexy, deep house music.
New
Ambient - A blend of ambient, downtempo, and chillout.
Lounge - Sit back and enjoy the lounge grooves.
Roots Reggae - The best of classic and modern Roots Reggae.
While I was typing part of this blog I was listening to the New Age channel, and these two songs played:
Yanni - You Only Live Once
Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard - Now We Are Free
Yanni is a very well known/famous piano player and the other song is the song played in the movie Gladiator with Russel Crowe, when his character is dying at the end of movie, where flower petals are falling all around him, and in his last breaths he sees himself walking down a path, among waves of grain to meet his wife and son who had died. Well "Now We Are Free" is that song, it's a very touching piece of music. I am sure many girl's (and guy's) hearts wrench up when they hear the song, after seeing Gladiator.
Weekend Anime
Along with watching Stealth and Unleashed this weekend, I also saw some pretty good anime.
Suzuka is easily becoming one of those series that I eagerly look forward to the next episode. It's a pretty common story line; guy meets girl, falls in love with girl, but girl does not share his feelings. The guy does everything to try to win her over, joins the track team with her, cares for her, and just flat out asking her out. The girl easily falls into the cold and detached category, unable to express her feelings. The last few episodes (13-16) has been about the guy starting to go out with another girl, and the dynamics between those three characters (guy, girl, and other girl) is really fascinating. I could use their names Yamato (guy), Suzuka (girl), Hotona (other girl). There is no one particular defining thing about this anime that makes it good, it's a little bit of everything.
Bleach, well it's always been a very fun anime to watch, it's probaby the most popular series that's being watched currently. This series falls more along the lines of fighting and drama, compared to Suzuka, which was more romance and drama. There are a lot of personal struggles with the characters and of course their is the awesome animation especially during some of the fight scenes, which can be very creative. The next couple of episodes should be great. The last episode, 54, I've watched at least three or four times because it was so good. The one thing everyone (who hasn't read the manga) is looking forward to is how Ichigo's Bankai state will look like. For those who aren't familiar with Bleach, I'll run down a few basics. The world of death is governed by Death God's, who either send someone to Soul Society or Hell once they die. Ichigo, a human with great spiritual powers becomes a Death God, through his friend Rukia. Rukia breaks the law by doing this, and gets taken back to Soul Society to be executed. Ichigo goes after her to save her, but he has to get stronger to do so. As a Death God, there are levels of power that can be unleashed through training. The two that I am familiar with are Shikai and Bankai, Shikai being below Bankai's level. Shikai is attained when a Death God has great resolve and Bankai is the manifistation of this resolve. Since only the strongest of the Death Gods can attain Bankai, each form is unique, and that's why everyone is looking forward to Ichigo's Bankai. I am sure if you are at this point, you found this very entertaining /sarcasm.
Mai Otome is another cool anime, but I won't get into it this time around.
Ciao for now.
Suzuka is easily becoming one of those series that I eagerly look forward to the next episode. It's a pretty common story line; guy meets girl, falls in love with girl, but girl does not share his feelings. The guy does everything to try to win her over, joins the track team with her, cares for her, and just flat out asking her out. The girl easily falls into the cold and detached category, unable to express her feelings. The last few episodes (13-16) has been about the guy starting to go out with another girl, and the dynamics between those three characters (guy, girl, and other girl) is really fascinating. I could use their names Yamato (guy), Suzuka (girl), Hotona (other girl). There is no one particular defining thing about this anime that makes it good, it's a little bit of everything.
Bleach, well it's always been a very fun anime to watch, it's probaby the most popular series that's being watched currently. This series falls more along the lines of fighting and drama, compared to Suzuka, which was more romance and drama. There are a lot of personal struggles with the characters and of course their is the awesome animation especially during some of the fight scenes, which can be very creative. The next couple of episodes should be great. The last episode, 54, I've watched at least three or four times because it was so good. The one thing everyone (who hasn't read the manga) is looking forward to is how Ichigo's Bankai state will look like. For those who aren't familiar with Bleach, I'll run down a few basics. The world of death is governed by Death God's, who either send someone to Soul Society or Hell once they die. Ichigo, a human with great spiritual powers becomes a Death God, through his friend Rukia. Rukia breaks the law by doing this, and gets taken back to Soul Society to be executed. Ichigo goes after her to save her, but he has to get stronger to do so. As a Death God, there are levels of power that can be unleashed through training. The two that I am familiar with are Shikai and Bankai, Shikai being below Bankai's level. Shikai is attained when a Death God has great resolve and Bankai is the manifistation of this resolve. Since only the strongest of the Death Gods can attain Bankai, each form is unique, and that's why everyone is looking forward to Ichigo's Bankai. I am sure if you are at this point, you found this very entertaining /sarcasm.
Mai Otome is another cool anime, but I won't get into it this time around.
Ciao for now.
Monday, October 24, 2005
The Little Things
Walking back from Psychology this morning, I was making my way across McMicken Commons near TUC and saw a couple together talking. The girl was zipping the guy's coat up. It was kind of cute, because in the ten seconds it took for me to go by them, she was still attempting to zip up the zipper, even though the guy could have done it in less time. I thought it was kind of cute, such a sign for affection (I guess).
Call me sentimental, but I smiled when I saw it.
Call me sentimental, but I smiled when I saw it.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Friends Who Will Remain Friends
The other day, a friend asked me to take a survey for his leadership class he is taking. The questions were all about him, personal questions, asking things such as "Do you find the person trustful?" and "Does the person easily lose focus?" etc... personal sort of questions. I took the survey, answering the questions the best I could, 1 being the Diasgree and 5 being Agree. I marked down an answer for each question, 1 - 5. Now these answers, I didn't think would be taken seriously, so maybe I didn't answer them completely seriously.
A day or two later a person close to my friend asked about some of the answers I gave, one of them about the trust issue, which I put down as 3, I think. The person told me that my friend (who gave the survey) had been bothered by the answer I gave, wondering why I put down three and not five... was I not his friend? That sort of surprised me, and then when I thought about it, it sort of made sense... *start tangent*
This person I would call a very good friend. When you are in college or highschool, you meet a lot of people, and you get to know their names and maybe even learn a little about them as you progress through classes with them. But there are some people who you won't remain in contact with after you leave the institution you are at, whether high-school or college. Yes, you may have worked together, and laughed about the same jokes, and hung out, while at school, but beyond that, nothing. Then there are those friends who will still remain your friends after you leave. You may not see them all the time, but you'll stay in contact via phone, email, or what-have-you. Those are your friends, the difference between calling someone your classmate and your friend.
When I left highschool, I had maybe a handful of friends who I have stayed in contact with, one of which I had had a crush on for a couple years during highschool and who turned out to become my girlfriend who I care very deeply for... anyways... enough of the melodrama... of the 30-40 odd acquaintances I had at high-school, my classmates, there are less then five I probably stay in regular contact with and call my friend. The same will happen in college, of the 30 college friends/classmates I have, only a few of them I will have a close enough friendship with to stay in contact with. What, you don't believe me? How many people on Facebook do you call your 'friend', and of those, how many do you stay in regular email or phone contact? How many people signed your yearbook from high-school and you still stay in touch with? Probably not as many as you thought. *end tangent*
...getting back on track about my friend and the survey, that friend will surely be a friend who I will stay in contact with after college. I'll quote one of my favorite authors who said, in a book, "Mind what people do, not only what they say...". What I mean is that, such surveys should not be taken to heart. Could have I given the highest marks possible, on that survey? Yeah, sure, my friend sure qualified for them all, but then what kind of friend would I be if made him look good? Hehe. It would not be any fun that way.
Ciao for now.
A day or two later a person close to my friend asked about some of the answers I gave, one of them about the trust issue, which I put down as 3, I think. The person told me that my friend (who gave the survey) had been bothered by the answer I gave, wondering why I put down three and not five... was I not his friend? That sort of surprised me, and then when I thought about it, it sort of made sense... *start tangent*
This person I would call a very good friend. When you are in college or highschool, you meet a lot of people, and you get to know their names and maybe even learn a little about them as you progress through classes with them. But there are some people who you won't remain in contact with after you leave the institution you are at, whether high-school or college. Yes, you may have worked together, and laughed about the same jokes, and hung out, while at school, but beyond that, nothing. Then there are those friends who will still remain your friends after you leave. You may not see them all the time, but you'll stay in contact via phone, email, or what-have-you. Those are your friends, the difference between calling someone your classmate and your friend.
When I left highschool, I had maybe a handful of friends who I have stayed in contact with, one of which I had had a crush on for a couple years during highschool and who turned out to become my girlfriend who I care very deeply for... anyways... enough of the melodrama... of the 30-40 odd acquaintances I had at high-school, my classmates, there are less then five I probably stay in regular contact with and call my friend. The same will happen in college, of the 30 college friends/classmates I have, only a few of them I will have a close enough friendship with to stay in contact with. What, you don't believe me? How many people on Facebook do you call your 'friend', and of those, how many do you stay in regular email or phone contact? How many people signed your yearbook from high-school and you still stay in touch with? Probably not as many as you thought. *end tangent*
...getting back on track about my friend and the survey, that friend will surely be a friend who I will stay in contact with after college. I'll quote one of my favorite authors who said, in a book, "Mind what people do, not only what they say...". What I mean is that, such surveys should not be taken to heart. Could have I given the highest marks possible, on that survey? Yeah, sure, my friend sure qualified for them all, but then what kind of friend would I be if made him look good? Hehe. It would not be any fun that way.
Ciao for now.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Stealth
Spoiler Warning - If you have any intention on seeing this movie and don't want any spoilers, don't read this post.
Tonight I watched Stealh, an action movie, about three pilots, who lead up an elite fighter pilot taskforce, along with a very unique fighter plane, Eddie, who is an unmanned fighter jet, guided by an AI.
I am not going to right some fancy review, because that's not what it is about. Just a few points on my likes and dislikes and general connections concerning the movie and the trailers.
I'll start with the trailers; when I saw the trailers for the movie it gave a completely different feel for the movie. The trailers made it seem like that it was about how this AI plane, Eddie, goes crazy after it is struck by lightning, who then goes and targets a major American city with a nuclear bomb.
The movie was not about that, it did not even come close. The AI plane does go out of whack, developing more of a conscious and personality as the movie progresses. There are nuclear warheads destroyed, but the closest the movie came to America was landing at an airfield in Alaska. Hardly a major American city. The movie was more about the AI plane and how rules and protocols were being ignored in order to push this new technology.
The three main pilots were played by Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx, and Jessica Biel. Now, most of you are probably familiar with the names Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel. Jamie Foxx is known for his comedy (Jamie Foxx show and stand up comedy), and for his roles in Ray and Collateral. Jessican Biel is mostly known as one of the Camdens in 7th Heaven, but also in movies such as Saw and Blade Trinity. Josh Lucas is the not so common name who you've seen in Sweet Home Alabama (as Jake) and possibly Secondhand Lions. What's the point of this? Well the previews also made some indication that Jamie Foxx was the squadron leader. But in the movie he isn't, he actually is probably the least signficant of three, considering he died half-way through the movie. Josh Lucas was the witty squandron leader, and the best flier.
Trailers often have a tendancy to be very misleading. The fourth Harry Potter movie to debut this November has a trailer or two that shows clips spanning the ENTIRE movie, including the end battle. If you read the book and seen the trailer, you know what I mean. To those who have not read the book, then the clips have no particular meaning or significance. But getting back on track, Stealth's trailers gave an entire different view of the movie, which I thought was kind of silly. Whoever edited the trailers either didn't know what the movie was about or was using old clips that were no longer part of the movie.
If I had seen the trailers they way they should have been shown, I probably would have seen the movie before today.
All in all, I liked the movie, it was a good popcorn-action movie, that had a pretty thin plot holding the whole movie together, which also included some cliche parts too. But you don't win awards from these type of movies, and those sort of standards should not be applied to them either. For fans of Jessica Biel, you'll see hardly any skin in this movie, since she is in a flight suit most of the time. There is the token "bathing suit" scene, where she shows off her body. Girls, that same scene also includes Josh Lucas taking his shirt off and flexing his muscles. That scene could have been left out, but it was supposed to help show the chemistry between the two, since the developing romance factored into the last quarter of the movie. And if you expect a big kissing scene at the end, where the lead characters fall into each others' arms and lock lips as if they were fighting the urge to snog the whole movie, then you'll be disappointed again. All you get is a scene where Biel and Lucas are on deck and she says someting along the lines of, "Just tell me you love me, pansy.".
In conclusion, if you want to watch a decent action movie, with some pretty realistic/cool special effects, then be sure to check this movie out.
Tonight I watched Stealh, an action movie, about three pilots, who lead up an elite fighter pilot taskforce, along with a very unique fighter plane, Eddie, who is an unmanned fighter jet, guided by an AI.
I am not going to right some fancy review, because that's not what it is about. Just a few points on my likes and dislikes and general connections concerning the movie and the trailers.
I'll start with the trailers; when I saw the trailers for the movie it gave a completely different feel for the movie. The trailers made it seem like that it was about how this AI plane, Eddie, goes crazy after it is struck by lightning, who then goes and targets a major American city with a nuclear bomb.
The movie was not about that, it did not even come close. The AI plane does go out of whack, developing more of a conscious and personality as the movie progresses. There are nuclear warheads destroyed, but the closest the movie came to America was landing at an airfield in Alaska. Hardly a major American city. The movie was more about the AI plane and how rules and protocols were being ignored in order to push this new technology.
The three main pilots were played by Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx, and Jessica Biel. Now, most of you are probably familiar with the names Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel. Jamie Foxx is known for his comedy (Jamie Foxx show and stand up comedy), and for his roles in Ray and Collateral. Jessican Biel is mostly known as one of the Camdens in 7th Heaven, but also in movies such as Saw and Blade Trinity. Josh Lucas is the not so common name who you've seen in Sweet Home Alabama (as Jake) and possibly Secondhand Lions. What's the point of this? Well the previews also made some indication that Jamie Foxx was the squadron leader. But in the movie he isn't, he actually is probably the least signficant of three, considering he died half-way through the movie. Josh Lucas was the witty squandron leader, and the best flier.
Trailers often have a tendancy to be very misleading. The fourth Harry Potter movie to debut this November has a trailer or two that shows clips spanning the ENTIRE movie, including the end battle. If you read the book and seen the trailer, you know what I mean. To those who have not read the book, then the clips have no particular meaning or significance. But getting back on track, Stealth's trailers gave an entire different view of the movie, which I thought was kind of silly. Whoever edited the trailers either didn't know what the movie was about or was using old clips that were no longer part of the movie.
If I had seen the trailers they way they should have been shown, I probably would have seen the movie before today.
All in all, I liked the movie, it was a good popcorn-action movie, that had a pretty thin plot holding the whole movie together, which also included some cliche parts too. But you don't win awards from these type of movies, and those sort of standards should not be applied to them either. For fans of Jessica Biel, you'll see hardly any skin in this movie, since she is in a flight suit most of the time. There is the token "bathing suit" scene, where she shows off her body. Girls, that same scene also includes Josh Lucas taking his shirt off and flexing his muscles. That scene could have been left out, but it was supposed to help show the chemistry between the two, since the developing romance factored into the last quarter of the movie. And if you expect a big kissing scene at the end, where the lead characters fall into each others' arms and lock lips as if they were fighting the urge to snog the whole movie, then you'll be disappointed again. All you get is a scene where Biel and Lucas are on deck and she says someting along the lines of, "Just tell me you love me, pansy.".
In conclusion, if you want to watch a decent action movie, with some pretty realistic/cool special effects, then be sure to check this movie out.
Friday, October 21, 2005
What You Do Not Know
You know? I was going to post something about my Christmas Card Exchange cards, but since I know some forum peeps read this blog, I best not write anything conerning it. If you are from Fantasy Essentials, and you are on the X-mas Card Exchange list, then you'll find out in the next couple of months... if you are not on the list, I might discuss it after the holidays. I've only got two other cohorts who are aware of the *ahem* details.
It's only October, so I have some time.
It's only October, so I have some time.
"See" the passion
Today in psychology I was sitting in the back, with my laptop open, doing some editing, because the professor does not require 100% of my attention, only about half of it. Anyways, we are doing a chapter on perception/sensory type stuff and we were talking about the eye and our professor gave us an interesting fact. If you are on a date, you can tell how much the person likes you by the dialation of their eyes. The more dialated, the more they like you, and the less dialated, well, you better wrap things up pretty quick. So, if you are on a date, you can look deeply in your date's eyes and see if you are making the right moves.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Perfect Pirate Costume
As I was browsing through the top 100 pictures at a digital art website, I came upon this picture,
and thought, "Wow, that pirate costume the middle person is wearing is pretty cool." There is no peg leg, no parrot, but the oil-skin jacket, with the white, open collar, blouse, the headband, and the pants, just gave off the aura of "pirate" without even needing a pirates hat or parrot. The patch is not necessary as I did not see it at my initial reaction, but it could add more to the pirate aura or just clarify for those who may be confused. If I could get together these items I think I'd have a pretty awesome costume, not necessarily for this year, but eventually. I could definately see myself saying "Avast!", "Arrr!", and "Walk the plank!".
-K
and thought, "Wow, that pirate costume the middle person is wearing is pretty cool." There is no peg leg, no parrot, but the oil-skin jacket, with the white, open collar, blouse, the headband, and the pants, just gave off the aura of "pirate" without even needing a pirates hat or parrot. The patch is not necessary as I did not see it at my initial reaction, but it could add more to the pirate aura or just clarify for those who may be confused. If I could get together these items I think I'd have a pretty awesome costume, not necessarily for this year, but eventually. I could definately see myself saying "Avast!", "Arrr!", and "Walk the plank!".
-K
Oh Why?
Wednesday... oh Wednesday... I will be at school all day. That's bad. Why, do you ask?
Because three new anime subs were releaesed. And the school likes to block torrent downloads, whether legal or not.
Yesterday, I saw a thread online, asking for medical advice, based off a description provided. I find it hard to believe that someone would base their decision on going to a doctor off of some advice provided by random people whose age may range from 12 - 40, and who have no knowledge in the medical field (i.e. nurse, PhD, etc...). I would never let my general health be gambled on, by advice from some random forum people.
Because three new anime subs were releaesed. And the school likes to block torrent downloads, whether legal or not.
Yesterday, I saw a thread online, asking for medical advice, based off a description provided. I find it hard to believe that someone would base their decision on going to a doctor off of some advice provided by random people whose age may range from 12 - 40, and who have no knowledge in the medical field (i.e. nurse, PhD, etc...). I would never let my general health be gambled on, by advice from some random forum people.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Paradise Kiss
Warning: The title concerns anime. Just so you know.
A new anime series that came out this fall, for which a sub* was released today. After initial doubts, I downloaded it (it's free, so why not?) and viewed it. It was totally different, compared to other series I have watched so far. The animation is different, and it has a more mellow feel to it. I'll quote from AniDB.net, a bit of the show description:
"Yukari is a typical high-school student who listens to her parents and attends school everyday. As she starts to question her way of life, she encounters a group of fashion design students who has a clothing label known as "Paradise Kiss". The group needs to find a model to showcase their designs in an up-coming fashion show and decides to pick Yukari instead..."
I browsed an anime forum to check out the general comments on the series and there was a submission that had particular interst:
"The show is running a contest for fans' fashion designs, with the prizes being to have your design appear in later episodes of the show, in a magazine and on the Web, to take part in a ParaKiss fashion show, and to have your design in a ParaKiss shop. The website says: "ParaKiss will help you take the first step toward your dreams (of becoming a fashion designer)."
It's open only to amateurs. The judges will be Japanese fashion designers. The deadline is very soon: received by October 20."
Kind of cool, neh?
Also, the ending song is not a typical J-pop song, it's from a British pop band Franz Ferdinand. It's rather catchy.
*sub (n.) - An anime episode, that was translated by a group of individuals who added a translation on the bottom of the episode, so that the rest of us need not learn Japanese to understand the show.
A new anime series that came out this fall, for which a sub* was released today. After initial doubts, I downloaded it (it's free, so why not?) and viewed it. It was totally different, compared to other series I have watched so far. The animation is different, and it has a more mellow feel to it. I'll quote from AniDB.net, a bit of the show description:
"Yukari is a typical high-school student who listens to her parents and attends school everyday. As she starts to question her way of life, she encounters a group of fashion design students who has a clothing label known as "Paradise Kiss". The group needs to find a model to showcase their designs in an up-coming fashion show and decides to pick Yukari instead..."
I browsed an anime forum to check out the general comments on the series and there was a submission that had particular interst:
"The show is running a contest for fans' fashion designs, with the prizes being to have your design appear in later episodes of the show, in a magazine and on the Web, to take part in a ParaKiss fashion show, and to have your design in a ParaKiss shop. The website says: "ParaKiss will help you take the first step toward your dreams (of becoming a fashion designer)."
It's open only to amateurs. The judges will be Japanese fashion designers. The deadline is very soon: received by October 20."
Kind of cool, neh?
Also, the ending song is not a typical J-pop song, it's from a British pop band Franz Ferdinand. It's rather catchy.
*sub (n.) - An anime episode, that was translated by a group of individuals who added a translation on the bottom of the episode, so that the rest of us need not learn Japanese to understand the show.
The Aftermath
Today was the big day, the EM Fields exam. Tensions were running high, brains were hurting, and general nervous was going around. I woke up this morning, and the very first thought, even before my eyes were even open was, "EM Fields", yeah, that's how much it has haunted me over the last few days. Talking to some people before the exam also mentioned having dreams about EM Fields this past night. Scary huh? That a class like this could pervade all our thoughts, is pretty disturbing.
But, it is over, it was a lot easier than what has previously been discussed, but that doesn't mean it was hard. It was just not the impossible and insane task that we had thought was going to be put in front of us.
Next up - Psychology. This shouldn't be as bad as EM Fields, I hope.
Supernatural is on tonight, but it's just a clone episode, looks pretty boring. So that means more study time, or does it. I wish I could veg out, but not until this weekend, maybe. It depends on what happens over the next few days.
I borrowed my friend's computer to write this, and he is eyeing it anxiously, ready to be reunited with his laptop again. I better not delay the reunion.
Ciao for now.
But, it is over, it was a lot easier than what has previously been discussed, but that doesn't mean it was hard. It was just not the impossible and insane task that we had thought was going to be put in front of us.
Next up - Psychology. This shouldn't be as bad as EM Fields, I hope.
Supernatural is on tonight, but it's just a clone episode, looks pretty boring. So that means more study time, or does it. I wish I could veg out, but not until this weekend, maybe. It depends on what happens over the next few days.
I borrowed my friend's computer to write this, and he is eyeing it anxiously, ready to be reunited with his laptop again. I better not delay the reunion.
Ciao for now.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Happy Birthday
Today is my older sister's birthday. She'll be 23 I believe. Currently she is overseas doing a study abroad to fulfill her student teaching requirement. So she is away from most of her family and friends on this special day. If she reads this blog, may all her birthday wishes come true.
I think I blog too much, or maybe it's because it's a new fangled discovery. At any rate, this will be my last one for today. I've just come off of a studying stint, my brain overflowing with formulas, just hoping a few will stick. I was checking away messages, and saw a fellow student that had a very fitting away message, in regard to EM Fields:
"I don't know which is going to be worse, taking the test tomorrow or studying for it all day today knowing the whole time my efforts are futile."
I will be glad when this exam is over, which starts the downhill path for the rest of the week that includes homework assignments, and labs, and another exam, that will surely pale in comparison to the carnage our professor will wreak on us tomorrow.
Hopefully I will blog something more cheerful tomorrow.
I think I blog too much, or maybe it's because it's a new fangled discovery. At any rate, this will be my last one for today. I've just come off of a studying stint, my brain overflowing with formulas, just hoping a few will stick. I was checking away messages, and saw a fellow student that had a very fitting away message, in regard to EM Fields:
"I don't know which is going to be worse, taking the test tomorrow or studying for it all day today knowing the whole time my efforts are futile."
I will be glad when this exam is over, which starts the downhill path for the rest of the week that includes homework assignments, and labs, and another exam, that will surely pale in comparison to the carnage our professor will wreak on us tomorrow.
Hopefully I will blog something more cheerful tomorrow.
Delaying the Inevitable
Here I am again, sitting at my desk, typing away on this current blog, delaying the inevitable; studying for the EM Fields exam. After talking and listening to many people today, the general consensus is that we have no chance in passing this exam with a decent grade, as the amount of material, to learn, is overwhelming. Could we ever be prepared for this exam? Probably not, since there are just too many formulas to remember.
Some of you, who read this may sympathize, and nod in agreement, others may scoff at my remarks and tell me that if I studied enough, that I could have no problem acing the exam. To the latter half, I will say this; wallow in your ignorance because you cannot comprehend the difficulty of such a task. If I were to show you this material we have to learn, you may simply wave me off, stating that you were not familiar with the material, and if you were familiar, there'd be no problem in learning it. But there is a reason why the number of sections (containing 30 students each) has been halved, because it's hard. The proof is in the numbers.
This is me, signing off, to memorize some equations.
Some of you, who read this may sympathize, and nod in agreement, others may scoff at my remarks and tell me that if I studied enough, that I could have no problem acing the exam. To the latter half, I will say this; wallow in your ignorance because you cannot comprehend the difficulty of such a task. If I were to show you this material we have to learn, you may simply wave me off, stating that you were not familiar with the material, and if you were familiar, there'd be no problem in learning it. But there is a reason why the number of sections (containing 30 students each) has been halved, because it's hard. The proof is in the numbers.
This is me, signing off, to memorize some equations.
Beautiful Monday
Monday's can always be a drag, but what makes them more of a drag, is when the weather is nice. Monday mornings should be cloudy, to reflect the dreariness that is reflected in the faces of so many students and workers.
But alas, on this Monday, the sun is shining, there is a slight chill in the air, that foretells a nice fall day. I however will be looking out through a window on this day, because of a wonderful exam that I have tomorrow morning. I will be sorting through my notes to try to memorize seemingly countless equations riddled with psi's, theta's, ro's, and other various greek letters and normal letters with bars, karats, and subscripts peppered across key symbols. Oh how I am not looking forward to this exam, I have even dreamed about it (*gasp*), that's how much it plagues my mind.
I am sure tomorrow, at noon there will be sense of relief, mixed somewhere among the feeling of dread that seems so probable. But I will only have a brief reprieve, as a Psychology exam occurs the next day. So as I close the notes of one class, I will be opening the notes to another to try to remember the difference between a dendrite, occipital lobe, and who encouraged marijuana for every illness.
As I look outside at the sparkling dew in the grass, I silently think, "Oh the irony.".
Have a wonderful day everyone!
But alas, on this Monday, the sun is shining, there is a slight chill in the air, that foretells a nice fall day. I however will be looking out through a window on this day, because of a wonderful exam that I have tomorrow morning. I will be sorting through my notes to try to memorize seemingly countless equations riddled with psi's, theta's, ro's, and other various greek letters and normal letters with bars, karats, and subscripts peppered across key symbols. Oh how I am not looking forward to this exam, I have even dreamed about it (*gasp*), that's how much it plagues my mind.
I am sure tomorrow, at noon there will be sense of relief, mixed somewhere among the feeling of dread that seems so probable. But I will only have a brief reprieve, as a Psychology exam occurs the next day. So as I close the notes of one class, I will be opening the notes to another to try to remember the difference between a dendrite, occipital lobe, and who encouraged marijuana for every illness.
As I look outside at the sparkling dew in the grass, I silently think, "Oh the irony.".
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Looking Outside
So I was sitting at my desk, where I am sitting most of the time, when I am in my room. The sun was beginning to set and I had I realized how much I touch the world from the very room I am sitting in.
Some of you that know me, know that I post in a few forums, for the last few years, and I've come to know quite a few people who would be deemed as an "internet friend". These friends are from around the world; Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa, not to mention those from North America. I realize that when I am giving advice, helping with a technical question, or just general posting, that I touch the lives of people across the globe. And all this is done from my computer.
You've probably heard the phrase (or some variation of), "My monitor is a window to the world.". Some don't realize how true that really is.
Some of you that know me, know that I post in a few forums, for the last few years, and I've come to know quite a few people who would be deemed as an "internet friend". These friends are from around the world; Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa, not to mention those from North America. I realize that when I am giving advice, helping with a technical question, or just general posting, that I touch the lives of people across the globe. And all this is done from my computer.
You've probably heard the phrase (or some variation of), "My monitor is a window to the world.". Some don't realize how true that really is.
My Blog
I've tried journal type places before, such as Live Journal, but I don't think I liked doing that, or maybe I wasn't into it.
I saw someone's blog earlier today, and thought to myself, "Hmm, it would be interesting to have my own blog, even if it's just to type out some thoughts."
So here we are, I've created a blog. I am not very familiar with the set-up, so I will be doing a bit of tinkering.
Happy reading!
I saw someone's blog earlier today, and thought to myself, "Hmm, it would be interesting to have my own blog, even if it's just to type out some thoughts."
So here we are, I've created a blog. I am not very familiar with the set-up, so I will be doing a bit of tinkering.
Happy reading!
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