Saturday, January 12, 2008

Um... Just a post, no special title
So a church pastor is using Haibane Renmei in his lessons and Gia is leaving. What a day...

Oh, and to Mimmi: I'm doing very well, thanks ^^ It's warmed up here a lot since last week. There is another cold front on the way though, I just hope it isn't as bad as the last one, because there's been no effort made here to get the heater inspected and fixed at all ><

Since I was far gone already, I ended up ordering more CDs this month XD But I SWEAR, next month I'll get back on my budgeting resolution. And you all have my permission to nag and pester me about it to keep me in line =P

I've been waiting for Laser's Edge to have all three Pagan's Mind CDs in stock, and since they finally do I figured I'd get them now and get that out of the way *strikes another band off the list for now*

Pagan's Mind is a Norwegian band that bases all of it's music off of ideas from Stargate.

Here's a video from their album Celestial Entrance.

THROUGH OSIRIS EYES

Comments (3) | Permalink

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

ZZZZZzzzz.... *snort* Uhhhhh?
I have a problem getting to bed at a decent, or at least reasonable, hour. I've been up til 4-6 AM way too much lately o_O *waits for Raina to put the smackdown on me*

While lying in bed, I was watching Nova on PBS. It was an episode about the scientific discoveries that led to air conditioning and refrigeration. They had quite a few interesting tidbits of information on there:

- When Celsius came up with his temperature scale, he originally had it backwards with boiling at 0 and freezing at 100. It was after his death that Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus reversed the scale.

- Around the end of the 18th century, Antoine Lavoisier proposed a theory that heat was actually a substance, a liquid he referred to as 'caloric'. Heat was generated when this substance flowed into an object and between its molecules.
It wasn't until the mid 19th century that the correct theory, heat being generated from the motion of an object's atoms, was officially recognized, and the caloric theory persisted almost until the 20th century.

Hope you enjoyed the science lesson ^^
Comments (8) | Permalink

Monday, January 7, 2008

I need to be in a support group for obsessive CD buyers...
So much for the first month of trying to stay within a reasonable budget. That resolution is off to a great start o_O

Ah well, I get killer music out of it =P Still though, I really need to do better managing my money this year. At least by mid year all of the anime I'm currently buying will have wrapped up, not counting the three series from Geneon that are on hold: Black Lagoon, Hellsing Ultimate, and Higurashi.

I purchased my very first MP3 downloaded album last night, Odd Logic's first release "Parallax Panorama". I figured since they only sell it in CD-R format anyway, might as well just download it. Although, since hard copies are signed by the band's frontman, I might buy a hard copy when it's available again.

I spent most of the day tuning in to Progulus Radio (where I find all my music) and chatting with friends there. My big batch of CDs arrived in the mail today as well, so I should get around to ripping them to iTunes.

Any day that I listen to this much music is a good day, especially when it's rainy outside ^^
Comments (5) | Permalink

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Lazy Day
Today was literally a lazy day for me. I never even got out of my PJs =P

It was also a very good day: the Doctor Who DVD set that my sister borrowed arrived in the mail! Heh, and of course I immediately played some of it ^^

Didn't drag myself out of bed til after 2 this afternoon. I was up very late talking *pokes SomeGuy, heh*, and then I was listening to my Odd Logic CD and kind of dozing through it on and off. It's been forever since I heard the end of this particular CD, so when I woke up at one point and was hearing tracks I didn't recognize, I kind of kept myself awake in order to hear it. Even though it made me dead-dog-tired, I'm glad I did. Now I want to go back and listen to the end over and over, those are some of the best tracks on the album.

Tomorrow is pot luck after church, but since I don't go anymore, I will take my parents' extended absence as an opportunity to catch up on some anime or maybe watch a concert DVD.
_________________________________________________

For tomieharley and anyone else interested...

"The God Delusion" is a book by Richard Dawkins, scientist and atheist. Here's what the back cover says...

In his sensational international bestseller, the preeminent scientist and outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins delivers a hard-hitting, impassioned, but humorous rebuttal of religious belief. With rigor and wit, Dawkins eviscerates the arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of the existence of a supreme being. He makes a compelling case that faith is not just irrational but potentially deadly. In a preface written for the paperback edition, Dawkins responds to some of the controversies the book has incited. This brilliantly argued, provocative book challenges all of us to examine our beliefs, no matter what beliefs we hold.

I know some of you probably don't like the sound of that, but don't think any less of me for it ^^

I don't like to lable myself, but if I had to I would say I'm Agnostic, meaning I am a sceptic when it comes to things of a spiritual nature. But I wouldn't mind reading a book that puts forth a spiritual argument, as long as it wasn't preeching rhetoric.
Comments (4) | Permalink

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Post-Holiday Shopping
It was still pretty cold and also rainy when I went out this evening (thank goodness I still have the coat I hardly ever wear), but I managed to get my post-holiday shopping done in the need to burn up all my Christmas money and gift cards =P

WHAT I BOUGHT...

- Le Chevalier D'eon Vol. 6
- Kurau: Phantom Memory Vol. 5
- Air TV Vol. 4
- Fullmetal Alchemist Season 1, Part 2
- New pair of earphones
- "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins (Book)
- Tony O'Hora - Escape Into The Sun (CD; ordered online with gift card)

I also ordered a new bunch of CDs, though this wasn't part of my Christmas spending...

Elegy - State Of Mind
Elegy - Manifestation Of Fear
Elegy - Forbidden Fruit
Frost* - Milliontown
Erik Norlander - Seas Of Orion
Royal Hunt - Paper Blood
_________________________________________________

I watched the first episode of Witchblade on IFC.

Damn, it felt good to see a totally uncut, unedited, uncensored, unadulterated anime actually playing on TV. Even Anime Network On Demand censored the episode of Innocent Venus I saw, and that's a pay-per-view channel.

I can't wait until they air Speed Grapher in a few months. If any anime on TV can push the bounds of content, that one is among the best.
Comments (3) | Permalink

Friday, January 4, 2008

Finally Warming Up / Watch Witchblade Tonight!!!
It wasn't nearly as cold last night, and I cleared my desk so I could plug in the space heater on low and have it at a level where it wouldn't just be heating the floor.

The big problem with the last couple of days was once my room temperature had dropped into the 60s, it wasn't warm enough outside or inside to bring it back up to normal, so the room would stay cold all day and then get colder again at night.

Oh, and to Alphonse122: It was just 60 degrees in my room; it was around 30 degrees outside, closer to 20 with windchill. -9 is definitely worse, but for Florida weather it felt more like I was living in an igloo o_O
_________________________________________________

AND NOW FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

If any of you get IFC (International Film Channel) and have been interested in watching the Witchblade anime, it begins airing tonight!

For those of us on the east coast, the times are 11:30 PM with a 1:30 AM repeat. For the rest of you, check your local listings, as they say =P
Comments (5) | Permalink

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Call me the Human Popsicle
As I suspected, something isn't right with the heater. It got down to 60 degrees in my room last night, and it's still very cold in here.

I tried to stay warm as best I could, throwing another blanket on the bed and even keeping my bathrobe on. I also draped another blanket around my head to keep my ears from freezing off. I just hope it was enough and I don't get sick, because that's the last thing I need right now o_O

It's only in the 50s outside today, and I plan to stay as warm as possible, so it looks like I won't go out on my Christmas-money/gift card spending excursion until tomorrow when it's back up to normal.

It shouldn't get as cold tonight, so I'm hoping this time the heater actually works.
Comments (5) | Permalink

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

This is Florida, not the Arctic!
I'm pretty cranky right now. Last night it dipped down in the 40s/30s, and once again our heater never seemed to kick in and get it any warmer in this place.

I already have two blankets and a quilt on my bed, and I also slept in sweatpants and socks. It's a good thing I did, because when I woke up my clock thermometer read 66 degrees in my room, with the house temp reading 69 degrees.

Tonight it's even worse: we are going to break a previous record of 28 degrees, and with the breeze picked up it's likely to feel even colder. The weatherman was even mentioning the dangers of frostbite if people stay out too long in the wind.

Seriously, this is torture for me. I HATE the cold O_O

Besides that, my parents got back from their trip tonight, bearing a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card for me from another aunt and uncle. Once the weather warms up this weekend, I plan to do some serious shopping. I still have most of the $100 dad gave me before they left, and I plan to use that to catch up on the anime I'm behind on. And with a total of $35 in bookstore gift cards, I think I'll splurge on a nice hardcover, something from the science or history section because I want to really expand beyond all the fiction I usually read.

I just hope I don't end up a block of ice tonight ><'
Comments (7) | Permalink

Monday, December 31, 2007

Turn Over Another Year
Time for a look back...

Looking back on this year, I'd have to say it's been one of my worst, at least in a physical sense. I haven't had this bad of a year since 1996 when I had my last major open heart surgery, plus losing my granpa whom I was very close too.

This year was all about "What the hell is going on inside my body???" Feeling sick, coughing up blood. It's good that we finally had the problem diagnosed and I'm on treatment now; I just wish someone had taken this seriously a lot sooner before it got to the near-life-threatening level it finally reached. This sickness, plus the ensuing stress and anxiety/panic attack issues have really conspired to grind my life to a screeching halt. I'm already over a year out of college, with nothing much to show for it. Let's hope 2008 sees vast improvements.

There was also the matter of our only local anime shop going out of business. Nothing that I can really do about that, though.

The year wasn't a total bust, however, because I've made so many great friends both here and over at Anime Pulse. At a time when I don't have much outside contact with anyone face-to-face, you guys help keep me going, so cheers to all of you! ^^'
_________________________________________________

To all who left comments last time:
I really wish I could have been more firm in my resolve and said no to my sister taking my DVDs. I gave in partly because I didn't want there to be a dust-up between us when she left. We hardly ever got along when we were kids living in this house together, and over years and distance we've mellowed out and get along a lot better now.

I'm still due a new computer, and I'll get one with a DVD burner so that next time if she wants to copy something of mine, I can do it for her so she doesn't have to take my originals off to another state.
_________________________________________________

I have a new resolution for this next year: learn more about politics. There's still the matter of the Democrats (my party) snubbing Florida in their campaigning because our goverment (which is Republican) refused to move the date of the caucuses, but I need to look at all the candidates and decide which one I want to give the nominating vote to out of all the rest.

This will be the third presidential election I've ever voted in, and I'd like the outcome to be better than the last two.

I'd also like to learn more about politicis and policy in general, in order to hold my own in any political discussions with other people, particularly my family. Right now I don't have enough knowledge of the subject to back up my arguments, and I'm tired of never being able to win an argument, or at least make a decent point.

I've got this on my mind because my aunt and uncle are watching one of the news channels over at grandma's house, and we were getting into it over the various candidates.

Anyway, I hope all of you have a nice New Year's Eve. Looks like another one in front of the TV for me =P
Comments (10) | Permalink

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Things are winding down
We had a full house for awhile, but uncle and his girlfriend didn't bring any of their dogs this time, so it was a relatively peaceful holiday.

My parents left early this morning to spend some time visting mom's family in North Carolina. My sister and brother-in-law return to Alabama tomorrow. And I'm pissed because my sister refuses to either download or buy her own copy of Doctor Who Season 3 on DVD, so she's borrowing my set that I just got for Christmas and will mail it back to me in a week after she's copied the discs. Now, I am psycho possesive of all my things, so I don't like her doing this at all but neither of us would budge, so in the end to avoid an argument I had to give in.

My aunt and uncle from Texas will be staying until January 1st, and my folks will arrive back on the 2nd, so at least Grandma and I won't be abandoned for too long.

Another CD arrived in the mail yesterday: John West - "Long Time... No Sing". More straight up rock than I usually listen to, but John West has a wonderful voice. I would recommend this album for those of you who are rock music fans.

I decided to take down all the stuff that was in my intro. I'm still hoping to find a good playlist program to feature some music on here, and I'll put links to any fanfiction I end up writing in the intro to keep them from getting shuffled back into the archives.

Better get to bed soon. Not sure how long the public library will be open tomorrow, and my aunt wants to get there before noon to be safe and I'm the only one around now with a local library card. Think I might take the opportunity to run by Best Buy and grab at least the finale volume of Le Chevalier D'eon. Plus I got a $10 gift card for Barnes & Noble, so I'll probably go spend that on a manga or book.
Comments (9) | Permalink