Real Music

So yesterday I was picking something up from my sister’s doormat. I couldn’t find it so I rang the bell. She opened the door in a towel and was just about to say something when the starting notes of Eric Stuart Band’s “Paint the Town Tonight” came blaring from my car radio. Immediately a smile lights up her face and she starts dancing right there in the doorway.
I follow the blog of a teacher who played ESB for her students. “It’s good for them,” she wrote. She’s right, it is good for them, it’s good for all of us.
I once read an article by a critic who compared Eric Stuart Band to Dave Matthews Band and Sting, huh - like my two favorite other artists.
>>>>>The thing that is BEST about ESB is that you haven’t heard of them. That means the music isn’t sold out, over played or commercial. It’s just crazy good, totally real music that you can truly just enjoy listening to.<<<<<

The Path

Remember when you were a kid and on the playground with 30 other little kids. All the moms would shout stuff to their kids and it was all just background noise to you and your playing. Then your mom would call to you and you would hear it. Suddenly amidst all the noise and distraction, that one voice came shining through, no matter where you were or what you were doing. That one voice always got to you. You would drop everything and come running.

When we grow up it’s harder to hear the voices. We ignore them or pretend we don’t hear them, especially when it is inconvenient. Still one voice has always seemed to find me no matter where I go, year after year. Sometimes I hide from it or distract myself but I never seem to get away. Then sometimes, the best times, I run straight to the voice with arms wide open. My guide. I know it is just pushing me to be a better person, to live up to my potential, to realize everything, seize what is worth having and fill everyday with happiness. And yet, sometimes I feel like I’m already doing everything right. Like he would be proud of me. You laid down the path so I just needed to walk it. I heard the call, smeared war paint on my cheeks and rose to be the Walden Girl. HDT I wouldn’t be me without you.

“Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.” -Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

History, Tradition, Culture

These are trophies I keep in my den as paperweights!
-HH

Fear Me Decepticons!

My day: I hopped out of bed and immediately a song started playing in my head, like my own personal theme song. It was the Pokemon Advanced theme song, which is awesome because I had forgotten it totally until I caught an old episode on Sunday.

My day was playing out fine until I read the news about the White Rhinos that were shot. Now I have a true weakness for endangered species and Rhinos are my absolute favorite. A friend thought he could throw in some good natured jokes but an amazing animal being slaughtered over a fallacy that it’s horn is an aphrodisiac makes me sick, it’s not something I can see the humor in.

So I was pretty pissed off. I spent the next hour at work taking “Which Transformer Are You?” tests. I got Grimlock the Dinobot, who is awesome, brave and tough. He’s the fierce leader of the Dinobots but dumb I’m afraid, very, very dumb. Then I tested as Optimus Prime. Now they are both leaders, and that I can see, but I would never see myself as Prime. One thing is for sure, I’m an Autobot, through and through.

Formal Address To All My Readers

If you think this blog is about anime:

Then you really don't have a clue.

Nothing I write is about anime,
it is merely the meduim I paint pictures with.

I do not seek to be understood, only expressed.
And if now and then I am validated, I have good reason to smile.

Why Is The Rum Always Gone? - Jack Sparrow

So Shonen Jump is bringing back Gin Tama! I am so glad because that really was my favorite manga to read and I was so sad to find it was only a limited run. I would be celebrating, but the sucky part is they are replacing my other favorite and long time staple Shaman King. I didn’t know Shonen Jump before Shaman King and it has always been so interesting and easy to follow. The characters have been preparing to battle in this Shaman Fight to name the Shaman King, which will pit them against their greatest enemies and against each other. Just as the fight is finally getting underway…cancelled.
Why is it always like this? Why must you always choose? Why can’t you ever have both?

The greatest thing a friend can leave you with is a few good memories.

It's Okay To Cry

From Pokemon, we learned that Drew made it to the final round in his first contest. When he got beat out...he cried. Drew. He's so together, so composed, confident. He was always a step ahead no matter how had May worked. When May heard that Drew had cried, it hit her hard although she didn't know it at the time. She went forth and battled her heart out and out of 270 contestants in the Grand Festival, she finished in the final 4. But getting so far and losing at the very end, it's a nightmare for anybody. When we work long and hard at anything we don't want to turn around and see ourselves as failing; as failures. May left the stage with the same grace, the same composure she always displayed. On leaving the building she found her brother and friends waiting for her, telling her how great she did. For the very first time, May broke down and cried.
Drew had always been the standard, he wasn't cold but he was controlled, precise. It never occured to us that he was anything other then a machine. Knowing he has weaknesses too makes it ok for us to accept our own weakness. May would have held it together forever. Her "Take the Stage" attitude would have kept a smile on her face, even when she didn't feel it. Knowing Drew cried made it ok for her to cry. I think it made it ok for all of us to cry.

Euphoria

OK I had a very unexpected good day at work today. This morning I was talking to an awesome friend of mine and the conversation turned to Yu-Gi-Oh. Now I think I knew this already but not in these terms : Yu-Gi-Oh activates my endorphins! Oh my God, I never realized it that way before. I remember screaming and yelling and jumping up and down and crawling all over the couch almost every episode. I remember I would time my week by Yu-Gi-Oh (oh it’s Thursday, only 2 more days.) I remember the absolute pride of my lifetime wardrobe was my Yu-Gi-Oh shirt collection which I would wear religiously every casual Friday even though my boss asked me not to. I bought anything and everything with Yu-Gi-Oh stamped on it and I felt damn good, I was alive!
Today just talking about it brought the rush of good feelings to my brain. The best part? They’ve stayed with me all day. I feel so great and it is all because of a show I haven’t even watched more then once in the past year. I know everyone has something that makes you feel that good. Carpe that Diem people, everyone should feel this good all day long, everyday.

Enrique Iglesias Saved My Life

This was about 7 years ago. I worked at a school for the autistic and one of the children had reached under my rib cage and ripped all the muscles up there. Needless to say there is nothing to do but bed rest and painkiller. After a few days I sunk into depression. I was only on bed rest for 5 days but I refused to get out of bed. Day after day of depression. Everyone had tried everything but I just wouldn’t budge. Then, while visiting me, one of my loved ones was playing with my clock radio and set the alarm by mistake.
There I was, just laying in bed feeling sorry for myself, it’s about 2 pm and the radio clicks on. It’s just talk and I tune it out, a few easy listening tracks, no big. Then they start playing this Enrique Iglesias song. As soon as it started I realized “If I don’t get out of bed I’m going to have to listen to this entire song.” It was one of those life changing moments for me. I knew that I could overcome both my fears and my melancholy if I was just motivated enough. That piece of shit song was my motivation. Thank you Enrique, you may have saved my life.

Best of the Best in this Lifetime

So no one asked but I'm telling...my top 5 favorite characters of all time. It's not a surprise if you look at the pictures first (which we all do.) If I had a top 10, more females would be present (Jade Chan and May from Pokemon to be exact) but let's be honest, a lot of what I watch is Shonen Jump and Shonen translates into 15-year-old boy or something, so the boys get the better characters.

5) Randall - Clerks

Randall is actually the only non-anime character. Although he did have a brief cartoon life, his brash, no excuses, rip on everybody attitude was also the subject of 2 Clerks movies. Everyone I know thinks they are Randall (or wishes they were.) He is cooler then cool. Unabashad, sarcastic, uncompromising, he has a unique view that even if you don't agree, you have to admire. He thinks of things you never would have thought of, but secretly wish you did. Passionate, loyal, just plain hilarious.

4) Richie - Pokemon

I already wrote a whole entry on Richie if you missed it, catch up: http://elionwy76.blogspot.com/2005/12/now-im-richie.html

3) Yourichi - Bleach

Sparky, spitfire, sexy girl who took the form of a cat for 100 years. Princess and head of the elite secret ninja clan, guardians of heaven. This kitty has many tricks in her bag. She is smart and skilled both in fighting and strategy. She is cute and funny, strong and powerful, a devine woman character.

2) Kaiba Brothers - Yu-Gi-Oh

They might as well go together. Seto and Mokuba wrote the book on brotherly love. They are willing to self sacrifice for each other on a level I've never seen. Not going to lie, they taught me a lot about love. As individuals: Seto is the cold, calculating genius with a heart of gold. Business mogul, master strategist - he singlehandedly dismantled a multi-billion dollar weapons manufacturer and turned it into a game design firm. Not for the faint hearted. Mokuba, well even his name makes me feel all squishy inside. This rank would be his alone but his character would beg to have Seto by his side, and so I was unable to separate them. Valiant, magical and true, I love Mokuba the most, as if he were a friend I never see anymore. His compassion, open heart, and optimism have no equals.

1) Hiei - Yu Yu Hakasho

There is a reason why I want to name my first child Hiei. A fireball of anger and distain, Hiei has his own honor code and lives by his own rules. Able to focus himself to the Nth degree and always finds the inner fortitude to better himself, past what any being has achieved thus far. He has a respect for life that is fascinating especially since he kills without hesitation and we're talking hundreds of bodies, people. When it comes to his friends, sister and girlfriend he can be shy, almost tender. All that through an arrogant, resentful, mocking countenance. Hiei, there is none better.

Bringing back “Fool”

Help me everyone, I want to bring back the personal slam “Fool” that Mr. T made popular when we were kids. It is short, succinct and effective. Get your message across in one word and try to say it with some attitude. Also “I Pity The Fool” is completely acceptable.

I so much more then just love my DS

I have always said that love is shared history. Basiclly meaning that if i like a person I will spend more time with them and during that time we will have more moments to share and when we have enough great moments that we've shared I will love you. DS never judges, it's always excited to play the games I want to play and never gives me a hard time about neglecting my chores or not having enough money to pay my bills. She just sits there in permenant pause waiting anxiously for my return but never judging me if I don't have time for her. Sometimes in the middle of the night when I'm stressed out and can't sleep, DS is all I have. Sometimes when I'm weirded out and have anxiety, DS helps me to focus. I always have her with me when I go to the bank, grocery store or friends house and the games I play allow you to get 3-5 minutes of solid play while you're waiting online at Fry's. For about a year, I played DS 2-3 hours a day, every day. That's like a part time job.
Moxie (RIP 11/05-4/07) you were the machine that bonded with my heart, kind of like a portable gameconsole autobot.
Kira (4/-present) I am learning love you more and more each day.

DS I more then love you, and I know you more then love me too.