Proud Aunt

Before the menu proper on the Spirited Away DVD, there are trailers for the release of City In The Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service. My nephew, P--, who is visiting alone, was very excited to see there are other releases "like Spirited Away." I asked him what he meant, and he said, "By that man. I can't remember his name."

"Miyazaki?"

Big smile. "Yeah, that's it. I like his stuff! It's so different."

The kid is nine. The reason why we were watching Spirited Away in the first place is that he asked, first thing upon arriving at my parents' house, if we had a copy. Actually, he asked if we had My Neighbor Totoro, then asked if we could watch Spirited Away. He was also excited by the idea of eventually watching Grave of the Fireflies, though he trusted me when I said he might want to wait a little while as it's a very, very sad story.

"How sad?"

"It made me cry, P--. It's about two children living in Japan during World War II."

"What happens?"

"I can't tell you, or I'll give away the movie."

"Okay. We'll watch it later."

This is one great kid. Maybe I've no reason whatsoever to be proud, but I am. So there. He's a completely suburban kid, he almost never goes into Philadelphia, let alone New York City. Yet, he's a Miyazaki/Ghibli fan and is happy when he sees another film by Ghibli/Miyazaki is available.

Now if only he could read the faster subtitles (remember, American suburban!) so we could watch them in Japanese. All right. I'll wait another couple of years.

Alert to the Driving Public

I drove to Troy today. Then I drove through and about Troy. Then I drove back from Troy to my house. Yeah, sure, there was a young woman manning the back up brake in shotgun, but I did the driving.

I will be doing this again on Thursday and again the week after the Fourth of July. Not necessarily to Troy, but around the area of Albany, definitely.

Please note I neither killed or maimed anyone nor caused any property damage. This time.

For Your Edification

You all probably already know this, but I thought I'd paste this here, anyway, as I found it interesting. ("Neat," actually.)

deasil \DEE-zil\ adverb : clockwise

It's an old custom that you can bring someone good fortune by walking around them clockwise three times while carrying a torch or candle. In Scottish Gaelic, the word "deiseil" is used for the direction one walks in such a luck-bringing ritual. English speakers modified the spelling to "deasil," and have used the word as both the name of the clockwise charm and the direction one walks when working it.

What, No Post?

Yeah, I know. I'm supposed to be a big Yankees fan and I didn't post anything about Rocket's 4,000th strike out (Renteria) or 300th win. I really don't know what I could say that would be better-written than what they had in the Daily News, so I didn't post anything. For once. I watched it on television and loved, loved, loved it. I loved Andy's win on Saturday almost as much, as it was the break in his losing streak and a nice comeback from his horrendous outing last time. I loved Moose's win 'cause, for all of Rocket's achievements, Moose is the pitcher I admire most on the starting staff and it's good to see him work the way he's supposed to (and he was never a Red Sock). (Boomer rocks the house with his bad, fat self. Weaver needs to be traded away, away, away.) The sweep, the first since Minnesota on April 21, was a wonderful thing.

However, I do want to point out one thing. The reason why Friday (and the rest of the weekend) was practically sold out in the first place was Tino Martinez. Perhaps a little Joe Girardi, the well-respected and loved catcher who trained Jorge on the job, but mostly it's #24. No, wait. 21 now. In the wrong uniform.

Tino was loved by a lot of fans, and as soon as the schedule came out with the visiting Cardinals, tickets went. When I tried to get tickets (using my mom's credit card), there weren't three (Mom, Dad, me) together. There weren't two (Mom, me) together. The single seats left were waaaaay the hell up in the U section in the far wings. The nosebleed seats. That was all that was left months before Roger missed his chance on Memorial Day, in Detroit, in Chicago. It was serendipity, or at least, that's what my mom says. So it was a Stadium filled with loving Tino fans who stayed in the cold rain and cheered on the Rocket. And Tino. And Girardi. You do us right and Yankees fans will remember. And give you a standing ovation, even when your home runs are runs against us.

Oh My God

I got a comment today from a (non-rude) complete stranger who claimed he had come across my blog through a Google search on my name.

Ack! thought I, Complete strangers are finding my blog so easily? How? I must check this out.

I went to visit our best 'net friend, Google, and was then very scared by the results of googling "sugar kat".

I am third on the list! Ack! Ack! Ack!

No! No attention! I don't want any attention! Ack! Ack! Ack!

ACK! I'm on the first page TWICE! AAAAAACK!

I am now considering changing the name of this blog. And my tag. (ack!)

No offense to anyone, but complete strangers make me nervous. (ack!)

sigh

Never again shall I post a post cheering on a team during the finals: Spurs Cut Down Nets to Win NBA Title. Two in a row. They lost two in a row after I posted that post. I cursed them. I jinxed them. I ruined their chances at winning the finals with my post. I am a horrible human being.

sigh

Next year. Next year, darn it. They'll pull it off next year.

Hm.... I sound like a Cubs fan. (Whoops! Mixing up my sports talk. Naughty Sugar Kat.)

The Fuck?

The following is the results posted from an AOL online poll as of 4:45P today. The respondants are AOL users. You know, people who have computers but aren't necessarily sure how to use them. Still, they make enough money to own a computer and pay for AOL's services. They own computers. They wander about the internet through the AOL safety net-access. They have relatively advanced technology in their homes, but respond thusly. I think my brain's going to explode out my ears.

Do you believe humans evolved from apes?

48%  No, God created humans separately from animals                                                             95,541
44%  Yes, the fossil evidence suggests that humans and apes share a common ancestor                            86,026
  6%  Not sure                                                    12,462
  2%  I have no opinion                                        3,004
                                                   Total votes:  197,033

What's your Cowboy Bebop theme song?

what's your cowboy bebop theme song?

Deletion of Comments

There were some comments posted in response to my post a week back by an anonymous individual (whose tag I will not name) in which the anonymous individual proceeded to make a general point that there is no good reason for me to have the post in my blog as petitions are ignored by those in government and do absolutely no good, especially when late. All right, I'll take his/her rudely stated word for it and keep my political responses to letters/e-mail to my congressmen/women.

This complete stranger also felt very strongly that undergrads are useless, spaced-out, shallow individuals. This I'm willing to concede, especially since I'm not your average undergrad and many of the undergrads I've met at my school are drunken, drugged-out, apolitical twits. However, the statements made to this effect by the complete stranger did imply certain assumptions about myself that mark this complete stranger as someone who does not know me or my circumstances and therefore as someone who cannot judge me. Cheers, mate. Being rude about the complete stranger with whom you are sharing your precious, precious superior intelligence and education is not exactly a good way to keep their attention. Or keep your comments posted. Yes, I'm being rude in response, but it's my blog, not a public forum. I'd probably be just as rude if you spouted off in my front yard.

S/he also appeared to claim I have no right to delete comments I don't want on my blog. Lo-o-ong time ago, I posted that I would delete comments for any reason I chose. My initial reaction to the complete stranger's rudeness (her/his initial comment and even ruder reply will not be posted here) was to delete the comment. I abstained, but did make my feelings about her/his post clear. If this complete stranger had not posted an even more obnoxious reply, I would have left everything, as there were valid opposing points made by the stranger regarding the FCC action and the supposed futility of my attempt to get people to react to the FCC action at this late a date. As it stands, this stranger can go post his/her arguments as to why I'm an idiot elsewhere. This is a free country and this complete stranger is permitted to slam my political leanings/intelligence all s/he wants (within the reach of the law, which is very lenient), just not on my personal blog. (Again, "blog," not "public forum.") Many people disagree with me and I'm not the brightest bulb in the American light show, but strangers can make rude comments about both elsewhere.

This deletion of the comments by this complete stranger from my blog does not make me somehow "correct" in my political or personal leanings, as this complete stranger seemed to believe my initial response implied. That would be an absolutely ridiculous idea. This action simply shows that I think this person would be better served by posting her/his comments elsewhere and, perhaps, s/he can attempt not to be a pompous ass when dealing with complete strangers in the future.

Just a thought.

However, please let it be noted that it has been stated in the comments to my blog by someone who, apparently, believes s/he is "in the know," that no one should bother signing any petition posted by Common Cause, that no one should bother writing to his/her congressman/woman, and that there is little to no point in making any form of protest to the FCC action at this point. We all had a chance already to make our feelings clear when Rupert Murdoch was making his point with the FCC weeks ago.

I disagree, but I will post this for the edification of the non-rude strangers who read and my friends, who can be as rude as they want because they know who the fuck I am.

Cheers!

G O  N E T S !

So Fuckin' True, Man

I thought this exchange between a guy I met and a bud of his was dead on. Well, what Ryan (the guy I met once) said, at least. Read RyanBlog: fake no hitter. (This wisdom is courtesy of me haunting the blogs of others.)

...

Thank the good lord above they managed to pull a win out of their collective Yankees ass today.

However, if Joe Torre gets fired, I am going to hate, HATE, H-A-T-E Steinbrenner for the rest of my natural born life. He's pissed me off in the past and has hit lows I had no idea anyone outside of CEOs and politicians could reach, but that would be the kicker. I'd still love my Yankees, but man alive, flames and blood. Flames and blood.

Another Stupid Joke, courtesy of my elder sister

American History Lesson

The teacher asked her 5th grade class, "Who said, 'Give me liberty or give me death!' ?"
No one raised his hand except little Suzuki, who answered, "Patrick Henry, 1775."

"Very good!" she said. "Who said, 'Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth'?"
Again, no response, except from Suzuki who answered, "Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address, 1863."

The teacher said, "Class, you should be ashamed. Suzuki, who is new to our country, knows more about its history than you do."
She heard a loud whisper, "Screw the Japs."
"Who said that?" she demanded.
Suzuki put his hand up, "Lee Iacocca, 1982."

One student in the back blurted out, "I'm gonna puke."
Again, Suzuki answers, "George Bush to the Japanese Prime Minister, 1991."

Now furious, another student yells, "Oh yeah? Suck this!"
Suzuki jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the teacher, "Bill Clinton to Monica Lewinsky, 1997!"

Now, with almost a mob hysteria, someone said, "You little shit. If you say anything else, I'll kill you!"
Suzuki frantically yells at the top of his voice, "Gary Condit to Chandra Levy, 2001."

The teacher fainted. As the class gathered around the teacher on the floor, someone said, "Oh, shit; we're in BIG trouble!"
Suzuki solemnly said, "Arthur Andersen to Enron, 2002."

Profanity, politics, and racism. Lovely.

Tick-Angel

This makes me so happy.

From Ain't It Cool News article on who will be writing and running the next season of Angel:

(The Great) Ben Edlund (“Sacrifice”). Edlund is a certified comedy genius, having created “The Tick” comic book, the Saturday morning cartoon based thereon, and the primetime Fox sitcom version of “The Tick” starring Patrick Warburton. He was hired last season to work on Whedon’s spaceship show “Firefly.” When that was cancelled at midseason, he joined “Angel.”

Whedon Talks Spike

Thought I'd post this, as I'm, like, you know, obsessed.

From the TV Guide Online Insider interview of Whedon (read it!):

TVGO: ... But couldn't the WB hold off on announcing [Spike would be on Angel next season]?
Whedon: There was no f---ing way. They were very excited about James. They have a shiny blond thing to show people, and they're gonna do it.

Thought You Might Enjoy This

This is an excerpt from the, ah, "reviews" section at bobanddavid.com:

THE MATRIX RELOADED – The action in this sequel will, quite simply, knock your dick in the dirt. Not only will it knock your dick in the dirt, it will pick it up, wipe it off, give it a nice meal, spoon it a while at bedtime, and then, just as it’s drifting off to dreamland, wake it up and knock it back in the dirt! (But don’t feel left out, you dick-less ladies out there, because this movie will make you grow a dick, and then proceed with all the dick-related activities mentioned above.)

He goes on to say that the non-action sucks ass

Note to the Wachowski brothers: Less yappy, more slappy…no nappy. Note to everyone else: The chatty parts are a good time to hit the crapper and empty your dick to get it ready for more dirt.

but overall, this is an increadibly positive review from the normally pissed-off Benson.

Godzilla Attacks!

Some day, I will be able to speak and read Japanese. I will be able to read the little pieces which are left untranslated in the Kare Kano and Marmelade Boy manga. I will be able to follow the action/text in the His & Her Circumstances DVDs without rewinding and playing again. I will be able to buy a DVD of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind before drag-ass Disney releases it. I will be able to translate what Hideki Matsui says during th post-game interview after he goes 4-5, with a home run and three! doubles. And I will be able to cheer him on and thank him appropriately in Japanese.

They showed his swing in slow-motion. It's such a great swing. I hope he can keep this little confidence streak going. Matsui is such a great player. He'll get the hang of our pitching, and when he does, he will blow everyone away. Maybe he won't hit fifty home runs, but packing on the doubles like that sure as hell does the job. Yay Matsui!

There's Still Time

[The following is a copy-paste from the Common Cause website.]

Dear [Reader],

Big media companies want to be able to control everything you see, hear, and read. I'm writing to ask you to join me in signing a petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC is considering fundamental changes to the media ownership regulations that will affect all of us.

Despite the immense impact of the proposed changes, the FCC has held only ONE formal public hearing on the issue. While the public has largely been unaware and uninvolved in the issue, the nation's largest broadcast companies - which could reap huge benefits from the elimination of these ownership rules - have spent tens of millions of dollars on lobbying and political contributions in Washington.

Join me in having your voice heard by signing this petition. You can sign up at: http://www.commoncause.org/action/petition.cfm.

[Thanks for reading this. Thanks especially if you've signed the petition. The FCC made its corporate-sponsored decision, but I'm sure Common Cause will not stop fighting on behalf of those who don't own large, media conglomerates. We can still get our Congress to stop this action by the FCC.]

Lisle

Whenever I see Holly Lisle's name, I think of a former coworker whose name is one letter different from hers. I'm still in touch with this former coworker, sorta. I'm very bad at sending keep-in-touch e-mail. I'm actually better at sending letters, as I like the time it gives me. I always feel so rushed to finish and send an e-mail. Anyway, the other Holly is way cool and somehow the idea and memory of Cool Holly kept me from reading anything by Author Holly (Lisle). However, I snuck a peak at her blog, and found this: she dreamed an entire section of a book and typed it up the next morning. That is cool. I dream lots of interesting things, but I never write them down when I get up. I try to remember them later, and I can never remember them, except that they were interesting and possibly even very cool. This is frustrating, as if I hadn't been so damned lazy, I might have had something written. But, no, I must go do other things, like fall asleep again, if need be. Paid-to-write Holly (Lisle) is not lazy but a good writer who writes when the muse hits her, even if it's early in the day. I'd be jealous, but I know it's my own damned fault for being a procrastinator and super-lazy to boot.