The Links

in honor of america, we, the internet's anime community, support her in her time of need.

o_O Oooooookay. You know what's mildly disturbing? Discovering that someone distributed an email of yours all over the place without your permission.

Whacky guy writes me at my place of business. Suggests that I change the non-profit's site colors to LIGHT BLUE-GREEN. (he gave his own site as reference - it was a saaaaad day in the life of the net.)

I answer him - gave him a very good one, a long one, explaining the why's of everything, thanking him for his suggestion, giving him other options, etc. and so forth. And HE proceeds to forward it to about 30 other people without letting me know he was going to do such a thing.

The only reason I found out is because one of the people he forwarded it to was a friend, and forwarded the whole thing to ME as a sort of heads-up.

What's going on? I don't know. It DOES concern me that some of the people he forwarded it to are - how shall I put this delicately - serious, embittered enemies.

Bleh. Hope YOUR day wasn't as weird.

Saddam's love shack. I wish I were making this up.

Mind of a Prince, chapter eight. Tada. ^_^

Also, it's from Dende's point of view. Now, THAT was fun.

So there ya go. Here's the first chapter, if you wanted to read more. Would give more info now, but am currently being worked to the bone (this chapter was finished at 4:30am last night. W00t).

Enjoy!

May 28 - June 4. Vacation, here I come.

Oh, btw:

take the nerd test.
and go to mewing.net. a nerd utopia.

Woooo freaking busy... and yes, K, I remember, but I haven't been anywhere near a phone during decent hours for the east coast since last week. I'm hoping tonight, since it's friday, I can actually get home and call her before like.. midnight.

Would've sent an e-card, but she didn't get the last three I sent, so I figured it wouldn't help. ^^;

And EEK re: your news, K. It does make sense, but... how shall I put this...

He's home safe. He should be acting LESS like a Great Big Freak, not MORE. Sigh.

Oooooh the most WONDERFUL THING HAPPENED IN CHOIR!! Understand that I work hard to help my singers learn to read music; it speeds up the process later, and helps them to sing with their understanding. Well, there's a guy in it, a tenor, who has never sung in anything before he joined this group. Never read music, never had any training, etc. and so forth -

Tonight, he successfully diagnosed that his part (which was slightly off tune, although he wasn't the one singing badly) was flat.

HE picked it out! I am SO proud of his! This is the guy who had trouble because at first, he couldn't even sing his part against anyone else's. I'm utterly, totally, music-geeky thrilled. ^________________^ WAI!!

Well, these are disturbing.

Syria gives passports to suicide bombers click here to read.

Saddam trains an army of CHILDREN to kill (can you tell how upset this one makes me?)

A Maryland minister was barred from giving the opening prayer in the state Senate after he refused to drop a reference to Jesus. Funny - they don't seem to care if you're praying toward Mother Earth or Mohammad.... click here to read more.

Russian Muslim Group Declares Holy War Against United States

Bleh. Okay, I'm done with the world-updtes for now. I am still alive, although exhausted - heading toward the goal of vacation after after Easter. At that point, my choir will be on break, and so will I. :D

As to Other Things Going On, I have a very interesting story that really must needs be related (and I forgot to mention when it happened).

Okay, first of all, understand that I'm single and actually one of those weirdo people who's okay with that. More than okay; I LIKE being single. However, not everyone sees it that way.

This... ah, interesting lady from our Monday night class has apparently been watching me for a while, and just decided that I Should Marry Her Son. So, she calls the office; gets my mom and thinks it's me, and proceeds to go off on how beautiful I am and how I'm JUST the kind of woman that her son needs to marry and he's a doctor and it would just be perfect - etc. and so forth.

Mom: *snicker* Um... I'm not her.
Me, upon hearing about this: ....good grief.

So, long story short, she invites him finally to said Monday-night class and calls me and tries to set up this grand and glorious meeting.

I figure, what the heck. I'll be nice. Worst thing that could happen is we're all uncomfortable and we don't have to repeat this weirdness.

So, I get there early, as per her request. She's there; and I'm afraid that it doesn't take me long to discover that she's even more nuts than I thought.

I'm not even going to try to explain it here; suffice it to say that she's one of those people to whom you smile and nod, then back away. Slowly. Lest the predatory instincts kick in and she follows you.

Her son finally shows up, and the poor guy - okay, he's good looking and all, but he IS a doctor - and was going on two hours' sleep out of the last thirty-two. So he was sort of... there, but NOT, if you get what I mean. And you know the real kicker?

HE didn't know why he was there. She didn't tell him he was going to meet his future wife (hackcoughgagexplode), so he just sort of... looked at me funny when I said hello and continued to do so until I went away.

Devil-chibi-me: Oooh... you know what? His mama didn't tell 'im. Betcha this isn't the only time she's done this, either - you know, you... COULD... tell him yourself.

Angel-chibi-me: Yes, but then you'd cause strife in his home because he'd probably get upset at her about it. And you watched them together for the last few minutes; he's clearly managed to cut the apron strings and only came to be nice to his mother. Why cause strife when it isn't necessary?

Devil-chibi-me: Yeah, but it would be fun.

Angel-chibi-me: True. But is the look on their faces worth the trouble you might cause in that home? Especially if this IS a sore issue?

Devil-chibi-me: It certainly is.

Angel-chibi-me: Nobody asked you.

Me: Sigh. Sometimes, I hate being the good guy.

Soooo I let it go and left, to his obvious relief, since he didn't know what the frip was going on. Yon mama was less than happy that I did that, looking utterly horrified (this woman has huuuuuuuuuuuge eyes when she feels like it) and tried to get her poor son to talk to me again after class.

The poor guy looked SO long-suffering. I said hi, asked him if he'd be back, said nice to meet you, and walked off. And I swear to you that his mother made strangle-you motions when I did.

Well. I'm glad THAT's over with. And this is turning into a ridiculously long entry, so I'd better stop now. ^_^

Oh, and before I forget - Satellite of Revolution. It's MST'd Utena fics - UTTERLY wonderful stuff (especially since Shinji's MST thingy keeps moving and I can't FIND the blasted thing anymore). Quite amusing. ^_^

...oh, here. I HAVE to paste the introduction:

Welcome to the Satellite of Revolution, also known as "Duelists in Space" . . . My name is Chris Rain. (That may or may not be the name on my birth certificate. At least it isn't something that sounds like it was stolen out of "The Necronomicon." But I digress.) I am a rabid fan of an anime series called "Shoujo Kakumei Utena," or "Revolutionary Girl Utena". However, as I wandered the great unknown, typically called the Internet, I discovered that other fans were even more rabid than I. And while many of these fans created great websites and did wonderful fanart and wrote excellent fanfiction, not all of these fans were rabid in a good way. Some created websites that made me want to poke my eyes out with sticks. Others drew fanart that made me weep in anguish. And other wrote fanfics. Ah, yes, the fanfics. As I struggled painfully through poor spelling, atrocious grammar, and gratuitous ego-stroking via the ghastly practice of Self-Insertion in these fics, I discovered a powerful urge rising in the depths of my soul. The urge . . . to riff . . . To cut through all the melodrama, the works contained on this website are MSTings. The term was coined from the show that made the practice famous, "Mystery Science Theatre 3000." There's an old song line that goes "Take a sad song, and make it better." In this case, it's "Take a bad fic, and make it better." I'm not going to explain the whole process, since all you need to do is read it for yourself. Down at the bottom of this page, you'll find links for resources on both MSTing and "Revolutionary Girl Utena," if you find that you want to know more. Have fun!

Fun, ne? Go read! ^_^

You know what's fun? "Stentorian." It just means "loud," that's all; but doesn't it SOUND so much more noble? ^_^

Another fun one is "brobdingnagian" (checks spelling - yup, that's the word). Big. That's it. Well, enormous, really, but still - BIG.

Big. Loud. You'd think I was going somewhere with this.

Anyway, here's another online comic that's quite fun - Eversummer's Eve (are you noticing I'm trying to link to the good ones that AREN'T already linked everywhere else? :P) It's very pretty, quite creative, and there is a chara in this thing that I SWEAR is Xello's younger brother. Anyway, will be adding it to the links list tomorrow. ^_^

Here's an interesting thing in the news. You might have heard about the fuss when New Jersey banned the use of yellow ribbons (for those outside the US, a yellow ribbon just means you're in support of our country and its troops - it's an encouraging, small thing we can do to encourage). Well, guess what? The people didn't like that very much.

BOY does that make me happy to see. I mean, really - if you're allowed to vomit and block traffic,(read THAT lovely article here), and burn their own country's flag and trash 911 memorials (yeah. that's how to show your peacefulness. right.), and (in London) march with headbands saying KILL JEWS, then surely you should be allowed to put up a yellow ribbon for what you believe in.

I mean... GEEZ, people.... A little PERSPECTIVE, please? -_-;;

New favorite quote; this one is REALLY powerful (especially to you and you and you).

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Jim Elliot said that. For those of you who don't know who he was, he and four of his companions were missionaries to the Auca Indians in Ecuador. The Auca were cannibals - and proceeded to kill Jim AND his four friends and eat them. (that sounds like a punchline, but unfortunately, it's not)

But the story doesn't end there. After this horrible tragedy reached the world, you'd think there would have been some sort of lashback. After all, all of those men had left family behind. Instead, you know what happened?

The five wives of those men got together and went to the Aucas themselves to continue their late husband's work.

The Aucas were blown away; they had KILLED these women's husbands, but they still came to try to help the killers and give what they obviously believed to be important truth - and to forgive.

It was such a powerful thing for them to do that most of the Aucas in this tribe (thankfully) gave up their cannibalistic ways and listened to what these incredible women had to say.

Just the courage alone involved in this story stuns me; it never ceases to amaze me how much LOVE those five women had, to be able to do something like that in the wake of such horror.

There's a role model for your kids, folks. ^^;

*stares* I think this is going to give me nightmares. @_@

(warning: don't look at it if you have problems with clowns.)

this one is just as bad or worse (don't say I didn't warn you.)

Er... and in OTHER, less nauseating news, I forgot to mention that I also redid my writings page. It's not fancy, but I got to use a new photoshop brush, so I'm happy - that, and I made a brain-breaking banner. Really - Seishirou/Subaru, Wufei, Vejiita and Gokou. Okay, now just THINK about that conbination for a few moments. Think about it... thiiiink...

Mayhaps I should go to bed now. ^_^ Little things are beginning to amuse me WAY too much.

Woo hoo! Much new layouty goodness. The first one is a Fuuma layout - and the second is one of the most HEART-RENDING Subaru ones I have EVER seen. Pretty pretty. In that angsty sort of CLAMP way.

Also, adding a new webcomic - it has PUNS.

Speaking of puns, mmmmm GOOD new chapters, Manzai. *shudders* I'm not sure if I should go with the blow-torch or the machete - which do you think would be more effective?

Merp - good luck, K - if Emmons pulls the "naked in heaven" deal again, let me know. You will HEAR me laughing from 3,000 miles away.

Nice, Dave - you're the first of my friends to move to that Blogger/Google weblog community. I read about the merger, but... well, didn't DO anything about it. ~_^ I hope you like it over there - lemme know. (also, someday you MUST explain the whole King Loui 914 deal).

*pokes Julie* *poke* *pooooooke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke* THERE. That oughta do it. ~_^ Happy B'day, btw.

*dies* You helped Hermione sue Hogwarts? That had to be SOMEWHAT interesting... (did you use English law? ~_^)

And thus, We saw Ce-chan. Remind me - I have GOT to blog about that evening. I swear it was like something out of Seinfeld....

*scratches head* I should say something more interesting here. Ummmmm... here's info about a weirdo psychic who "reads" your future by fondling your buttocks.

*coughs* Yes. I AM the news. <_<

Okay, this is REALLY interesting. One of the human shields took a video camera into the homes of the Iraqi people, assuming he'd find the anti-American sentiment the news SAID he would.

Guess what happened instead?

I think you should read the article yourself - I'm not just pulling this stuff out of my butt.

Human Shield Admits: I was wrong.

And just so you know that he didn't ALWAYS feel that way, here's an older article by the same man, when he assumed that the liberal stuff you hear on the media was true - before he actually spoke to the people he was talking about himself. Suddenly he discovered that instead of being worried about their "cultural pride" being smashed, they WANT America to free them from Saddam.

Don't just snort at me. Read the article. ^^

They say that only a fool never changes his mind; I guess we know that this guy isn't a fool.

[LATER EDIT]

EEK! Oh, Vega, honey... I am SO sorry about your dog! That's so terrifically sad... I hope your family's all right. And YOU. I hope you're all right, too.

[/LATER EDIT]

*chuckles* There, see? Orange all gone. ~_^ Although I think this little lesson goes to prove the old maxim, or a derivation thereof: you can't displease everybody.

Going to bed now. Oh, and sorry this image was so dark - I'm limited right now because there just aren't a whole lot of sites out there on this yet, and this was the best pic of Fakia (for lo, I imprinted on the fan-sub translation name) I could find.

Yatta. To bed with all. Or something. ^_^

A couple of creative April Fool's front pages - better hurry, tomorrow they'll be gone! ~_^

Dirty Socks

NOT CNN - really

Not finding more or I'd post 'em. Ah well. ^_^

Ooooh, is this oogly. Be glad - it's only up for a day. ~_^ Happy April Fool's folks. :D