Why We Love Tori-san

What a wonderful coincidence. I was planning on posting a picture on my blog today and blogger has just added the upload picture option to their blogs, saving me the hassle of putting it on my ftp server and making a link, etc, etc.

Anyway, I just purchased Fruits Basket Book 10 yesterday (in English—I already had it in Japanese) and I've already read it. It's getting into the part of the manga that was written after the series was made, so it's nice to know exactly what's going on, especially in the scenes with Akito. I really enjoyed the bit about Mayu and Hatori (obviously, since the picture above is from that section) because it gives me hope that Hatori will be happy someday! I was kind of surprised to find Shigure isn't as much of a player as he always acts like he is, and he also made me happy by his lack of evilness in the way he tried to hook up Hatori and Mayu. I mean, he's evil, but not irredeemably so. Akito, on the other hand, is a cold, evil bitch. It's still too freaky for me to think of Akito as a girl...shiver.

I have to proclaim how much I love Natsuki Takaya though (the creator of Fruits Basket). She is my hero. Not only has she written one of the best, most emotional and hilarious stories I've ever read/watched, but I can also relate to who she is in real life. I have to share a couple quotes from her Blah Blah Blah sections:
“Anyway, it doesn't really matter what I write here so—There are times when I cry suddenly, like turning on the lights, without caring what's around me, and times when I can't do anything but cry. Afterwards, I like to happily eat rice.”
--I feel like I should try the rice thing sometime since I've already got the crying part down pat.
“When I was little...I thought that if you swallowed the seeds, a watermelon would grow. I also worried that if I swallowed gum, it would grow too. Thinking about it now, I really wonder why...”

Well, I know there was something else I was planning on talking about in this post, but now I've completely forgotten. So, for now, I'll say adieu.

5 Minute Argument

"An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a definite proposition . . . an argument is an intellectual process . . . contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says."

Yes, I know, I'm on a Monty Python kick this week. I've found a way to make everything somehow relate. That aside, this quote makes a point I feel to be very true.

I enjoy debates—well thought out discussions of a subject, with different people taking different points of view and trying to defend them . . . not because they are truly personally attached to any particular point of view, or because they are even angry or annoyed at all. An argument just for the sake of arguing, not one tied to emotions. I enjoy them, but that doesn't mean I'm always in the mood for them. They can be tiring in their own way if they go on too long or if your wits aren't up to the challenge.

Arguments based on pure emotion though are always exhausting and often leave you feeling weary of the world in general. Rarely are they uplifting, unless they were actually caused by some completely unrelated emotions that came out in an unexpected way. These kind of arguments, fueled by emotions which have nothing to do with the subject of the argument, can be a great stress reliever, but you better not pick your argument with someone who doesn't understand that you truly love them despite it all and that you're just blowing off steam. It's also a bad idea to always target the same person in such arguments without showing them positive attention as well. No one wants to be your whipping boy, and no matter how many times you apologize for your outbursts or how much the person understands your need for them, the constant bashing will wear the relationship down to nothing. In any case, it's always better to avoid one of these arguments if possible.

Now we come to my least favorite form of argument—though I admit I've certainly participated in a number of these kinds of arguments myself—contradiction. It can be fun sometimes, when both parties know it's just a game and are just being light-hearted about it, but this is not always the case. Contradiction happens naturally because not everyone agrees on everything, so, unless they are a yes man who always agrees just to get along, people will have opposite views from time to time. The problem comes in when the contradiction descends into a childish game of opposites where one or more parties always choose the other point of view. This can be a matter of pride, an attempt to squash another's pride by making them feel as if they are constantly wrong. It can be just a childish game with no other purpose other than to piss someone off. Or it can be a simple manifestation of a person's bad mood; they're feeling left out so they're going to be a martyr and always be the one on the other side of the fence whether its how they really view things or not.

I'll admit, I'm no stranger to contradiction. I'm probably better at it than I should be. But I also know how it feels to be on the other side. It, frankly, sucks. Especially when the contradictions are not a one day, bad mood thing. Sometimes people just rub each other the wrong way. I understand this. But it can be very wearying when you are the constant target of contradiction from a single person or group of people. No matter what you say, no matter how much it seems to align with what the other person has just said or seems to believe, they will contradict you. They will say you're wrong again and again and again, and then, or someone else, will turn around and say almost exactly the same thing you said and act like it's an original idea.

Like I said, this is no problem when it's an occasional occurence. You should feel honored that this person feels comfortable enough with you as a friend/relative that they take their life's frustrations out on you, knowing that you will forgive them. On the other hand, if this abuse goes on too long, the "victim" (I know that's probably too harsh of a word, but I couldn't think of a better one) simply gets tired and a little bitter. They become sensitized to what the other person says so that comments which normally wouldn't be that big of a deal build up and small things the other person says instantly bother them. This is why families tend to argue a lot when they've been around each other too much. They are sensitized to each other, so they instantly react to comments which they could easily ignore, or even laugh at in other circumstances.

Anyway, time's up. I'm afraid if you want more nonsensical rambling, you'll have to pay for another five minutes. But I doubt anyone's going to do that. I ramble enough as it is . . .

And now... The Larch.

And now...

The Larch.


I feel about as exciting as a block of wood today. I suppose that's okay so long as I'm not too knotty. HA!

See what I'm talking about? Yeah. I must have had some bran flakes this morning or something, because I feel about as interesting as Sinclair. But, I suppose that's likely to happen if you get up super early to renew your car tag and then get to work super early too. And then you sit there thinking, "Wow, I'm really tired. Why am I awake?" And then you make a post about it so you can share you boringness and exhaustion with the whole world—or at least the two or three people who actually read your blog.

But, if all goes well, I should be going to see Howl's Moving Castle tonight again, and this time I should be able to understand what people are saying, though I don't think I could enjoy it any more than I did the first time in Japan. Still, I think the excellence of the first watching had something to do with the setting...and the mochi ice cream bar I smuggled into the theater. I can't wait until the scene with the bath towel and the slime. It sounds disgusting, but it's definitely my favorite scene in the movie. I would say more, but I don't want to spoil it too much for the tender ears of theCallowQueen.

Anyway, here's to this day being better than the last! If it isn't, I just might cry. wah!


And now...

The Larch.


PS. If you're wondering where the hell the larch thing came from, it's from Monty Python's flying circus, so it, of course, makes no sense. Just imagine it in a Brittish accent. You can't go wrong.

Do You Ever Wonder Why You Even Bother?

Sometimes I do. I try so hard sometimes and it just doesn't make any difference. I'm misinterpreted, people think the worst of me and jump to conclusions that I'm trying to be mean. I don't understand it. Evidently I don't know how to communicate with people very well, or maybe I just have a knack for pissing people off without meaning to. Sometimes I'm just stupid and push people's buttons without knowing they're there—though I suppose I should know better.

Either way, it kind of frustrates me that anyone who knows me would think I would mean to hurt them or intentionally say things to upset them. Do they really know me at all? Anyone who does know me would know that's the last thing I mean to do. Good intentions have rarely done me any good though because people always seem to assume my intentions are bad. Sometimes I just get tired of it. It seems like I just keep trying to get past this flaw—figure out what it is about how I say things that upsets people so I can fix it. I try and try and never get anywhere. Every time I think I've made some progress and everything's going great, I do it again.

So, I'm sorry world. I'm sorry to anyone I've hurt without meaning to. I'm sorry for feeling sorry for myself. I'm sorry I'm overly sensitive about things.

This isn't a cry for sympathy—in fact, I don't really want a ton of comments tell me "was it me?" or "I'm sorry if I upset you" because its highly unlikely the person involved will ever read this and respond anyway. The truth is, I just needed to vent. And I'm experiencing my most special time of the month which makes me extremely happy at the moment. It doesn't help that I've been on the verge of depression for no logical reason whatsoever the last couple weeks either.

In other words, I know I'm overreacting and whining. I'm sorry for that too. But, I'll get over it. Thanks for letting me vent about it though! (yes, she's thanking a frickin' blog) I feel better now... ;)

On a happier note though, I had a great time taking pictures with the CallowQueen, MathBuddha and MathBuddha's mom last night. Lot's of fun. Now I get to see if any of them came out... Cross your fingers!!! If they did come out, I'll have to christen my flickr account with some piccies then I'll have to make a new post with some linkies.

(If you couldn't tell, things are slow at work this morning...)

It's the Arts

This post isn't really about anything in particular. I just wanted to have an excuse to share how much I enjoyed an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus I recently watched with my dad. I enjoyed the skit about a certain little known composer in particular. His name was...

Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-
fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-
thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-
grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-
bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nurnburger-bratwustle-gernspurten-
mitz-weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shonedanker-kalbsfleisch-
mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm.

It is now my goal, nay, my duty to memorize this name. Let's all do our best!

P.S. I watched two more episodes of Scrapped Princess and I'm thinking Shannon kicks some major ass. Also, upon rewatching some fifth season Babylon 5 episodes, I've realized that Delenn really is a heartless bitch to Lennier. She totally teases him. Bad Delenn! No...no, please...don't make the ugly face!!! But now I can't decide...should I call her Delenn or Russeau? Ah, that's easy. She'll always be Delenn, even when she's playing Russeau. "You have three choices. Run. Hide. Or Die," sounds an awful lot like, "Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."

Legal Drug

I wonder how many search engines will pull up my blog with that post title…

Anyway, I'm not talking about CLAMP's manga by the same title. No, I'm talking about caffeine. No matter how you look at it, it's a drug, and the number of people addicted to it is mind boggling.

I think I'm joining their ranks. For a long time, I was picky about how I consumed my caffeine. I liked soda pop (Dr. Pepper/Mr. Pibb/Root Beer), the really syrupy kinds. I liked Mountain Dew too. I guess I shouldn't use past tense since I still like all of those drinks, but anyway. I started gaining weight and decided to switch to diet so I drink DDrP (Diet Dr. Pepper) and DSL (Diet Sunkist Lemonade) and now I've gotten into all the variety of diet root beers. As for hot drinks, I stuck with the really creamy, fattening crap, ie Frappucino, Cappucino, Espresso. I didn't like tea except for chai (though now I like green tea).

But now, I'm venturing into the world of real coffee. Damn those pod coffee machines that make single cups of coffee so easily. Damn Juan Valdez and his 100% pure colombian coffee, the Richest Coffee in the World™. Damn that fancy Japanese restaurant I went to that served coffee with real cream. Damn the coffee breath I will soon be sharing with the world. Damn damning things, just because I wanted to say “damn” again!

Yeah, so that's it. I'm hooked. I will never sleep again. But think of how much more I could get done…

Summer in the City

So, I'm the first one here at work and there is no air conditioning. And, according to weather.com we'll have a high of 88 degrees with 65% humidity.

Today is going to be a fun day. If I don't cut my head off by the end of the day because of the monster headache I can already feel coming on, it will be a miracle.

I don't want to hear any taunts of "Oh, it's so chilly in my office I had to put on a sweater" now. You will be putting your life in danger. ;)

A Little Advertisement...

Please don't hurt me, Adobe. I don't own you and I mean no harm. It's just a little parody...

Live What You Preach

This sunday, the pastor of our church announced that he would be leaving our parish. His mother is very ill and his duties to the parish were interfering with his duty to her as her son to take care of her. He is leaving for a good reason, but that doesn't make the change any easier.

We have been a part of St Agnes parish since we moved here ten years or so ago. It is not the closest church to us, so technically we should be going to a different one, but we fell in love with the environment, the people...and the pastor. Since Fr. Cullen is not the only priest at our parish, I don't necessarily see him every week, but the lessons he teaches in his homilies are so simple and yet so true and appropriate to my own life that I often feel as if he is talking directly to me. He has a way of reaching people, of making them feel important and loved individually while always reminding us that we are a community and that we are all here to help each other. I have never met a priest who was so down-to-earth and humble who could still communicate to me so effectively on a spiritual level. Unlike the pastor of the Catholic Campus Center I attended in college, Fr. Cullen stays true to the teachings of the church without losing sight of the most important thing: the people.
At many of the other churches where I have attended mass, I've felt as if the rituals were too elaborate and the sermons too metaphorical and out of reach. Fr. Cullen always manages to bring the message behind the scriptures into focus, making it salient for us in our lives now rather than setting it on a pedastal so high no one can see it clearly enough to know how it applies at all. You can tell that he genuinely cares for every person in the parish. He is always thinking of others, acknowledging their efforts and appreciating them for the work they do around the church.

Some priests wear their faith like a badge of honor to be shoved in other's faces. They put it on their chest as a sign of their holiness, but don't ever prove it with their actions. Fr. Cullen lives his faith. He doesn't brag, and he doesn't force it down your throat. He demonstrates what he belives by how he lives, and he shares it with you in common speech, as if you are a long-time friend having a conversation around the dinner table. And, in essence that is what the church is supposed to be about; a group of friends meeting around a dinner table, sharing spiritual food to sustain them through another week.

A church shouldn't be about a priest, so Fr. Cullen's leaving shouldn't change our parish. Still, I can't imagine his replacement equaling Fr. Cullen's impact on my life. He will still be around town, and maybe I'll run into him occasionally. But until then he will be missed.

Adobe Pueblo: The Design Suite of the Future

This is the direction progams are going.

With every new generation (6, 8, X, CS, MX, CS2, etc) the lines between what one program or another can do become blurred. Since Adobe has bought out Macromedia and is now the hog of design program companies everywhere (Quark, you can burn in hell), lets use it as an example.

Illustrator is a vector-based graphics program. You can use it for illustrations and logos and such things that need to be resized without becoming pixelated or losing quality. Photoshop is for digital imaging, like doctoring photos to take off that pimple on your nose, or making multilayered artwork with special effects, drop shadows, etc. InDesign is for page layout and allows you to import various photoshop and illustrator files and lay them out with text for a magazine, newsletter, flyer, poster, etc. These are very simplified descriptions, but they work for our purposes.

So, Photoshop is mostly for photos and images, BUT you can make text in it (useful if you want some cheesy effects like drop shadows) and Illustrator also allows you to use type (which makes sense considering type is vector-based) but it also allows you to import rasterized images (photoshop files) or actually rasterize artwork within it. In other words, if you wanted, you could make Illustrator work as a layout program instead of using InDesign. Conversely, InDesign and Photoshop also both allow you to make some vector-based illustration, so you could use them to a limited extent as a replacement for Illustrator. This is great for people who really only need to adjust their photos, but occasionally might like to add a caption or make a poster out of them. They only have to buy one program. For designers though, who need all of these capabilities, the overlap is useful for working on files from one program to another, but much of the overlap is redundant.

What this all boils down to are two different points. First, Adobe's programs have a lot of overlap, and this overlap has been growing with each successive version. Secondly, at what point will the overlap stop growing? When will we have—instead of a suite of programs—one huge, mega, multipurpose program? The trend suggests that someday this will happen. Still, it seems like poor marketing since, in order to make any money, the program would have to be extremely expensive, and people who only need one aspect of the program's abilities would be unable to justify the cost. So, part of me doubts that this “one program for everything” theory will ever come true. But even so...wouldn't it be freakin’ awesome?

Can you imagine a progam that allows you to do everything from designing logos to laying out a book to editing photographs to making webpages to building animated games? No more “make the logo in illustrator, the background in photoshop, layout the elements and type in QuarkXPress” or “make a layout, cut it apart and export it for web in photoshop, code it all in dreamweaver, add animated intro in flash.” No more computer crashing because you need five programs running in order to do all the steps without opening and closing programs fifty times.

And this is why my friend, neowolf, and I, dream that someday there will be an Adobe Pueblo, a house for all programs. (I'm sorry Quark, you're not invited.) Neither of us will be able to afford it, but wouldn't it be beautiful?