"Alien rice balls attack!!!" written by Terry on estrip.org

12/10/04 01:47 - ID#35674

Alien rice balls attack!!!

We just got the last disc of one of our favorite Animes yesterday. It's called Fruits Basket (yes, exactly that way, not fruit basket or fruit's basket, but fruits basket, ahhhh...)

It is the heart-warming story of Toru Honda who has just lost her mom and starts living with the Soma family, who happen to have a curse placed on them. The curse is that whenever one of them is hugged by a member of the opposite sex they transform into a member of the Chinese Zodiac. It's all very cheesy and just so strange sometimes. I would reccommend it to anyone that likes anime or Japanese culture (maybe that's stretching it). (e:Matthew) loves it too! [inlink]matthew,168[/inlink] [inlink]matthew,169[/inlink]

So this is from an episode we watched a couple nights ago. There's an interlude scene and then this totally unrelated thing happens (though the rice ball itself is a recurring theme).

::DOWNLOAD SOUND::

The song is played as the rice ball moves from right to left across the screen (which reads furutu basuketo, or fruits basket). The lyrics: Sailor suit, sailor suit, a rice ball alien in a sailor suit. WTF, mates!?!

This is Toru's reaction:

::DOWNLOAD SOUND::

God I love the whirly eyes and the teardrop of consternation.

And we finally met the character who has my zodiac animal. Hiro Soma is very smart but confused and irritable. He is very cute, especially when Toru hugs him as punishment for playing a trick on her, and he turns into his zodiac animal.

Permalink: Alien_rice_balls_attack_.html
Words: 269
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/09/04 05:44 - ID#35673

Spoons anyone?

Picture from Thanksgiving evening with my inlaws. But really, if anyone ever has the urge to tear a tabletop apart feel free to give me a call. But know this! I am wily, nimble, and fleet-fingered!

Permalink: Spoons_anyone_.html
Words: 38
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/08/04 04:10 - ID#35672

Buff Stuff

I think I might take a stroll down to this here meeting (I stole the ad from artvoice):

I found this link to some of the things they've done and "plan" to do in the future.

It has a very neat looking picture at the bottom which can be clicked on for more details of the various projects. I shudder a bit to think of a beach at the end of Buffalo River, is this a beach that people might possibly swim in? I guess there are kids swimming in the Scajaquada... I would guess that none of these things are actually ever going to happen, but it's nice to get the visions of what could be possible in a viable city.

And, the budget iissue is still looming over us. Our lawmakers found a little used loophole to delay another day.

So maybe tonight...unless of course the next magic loophole is pulled from the hat.

Permalink: Buff_Stuff.html
Words: 179
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/08/04 01:13 - ID#35671

Getting cold and crochety

I have made two hats in three days. I am a machine. My nimble fingers weave fine handiworks with alacrity. The first was a mean sketch, the first of the season.

My powers had regained their former aptitude, and I was ready for a challenge. (e:Matthew) was in need. I heard from my telephone booth that he had a cold-head emergency! I whipped into gear. My crochet-Ting needle was in my fist faster than a lickedy-split. I decided upon a simple single stitch weave which allows for a flexible yet quite windproof material. Since I was using a heavier thread than suggested by my pattern, I opted to deviate, using a penta-point structure rather than the hepta-point illustrated. I am quite pleased with the result. Please, gander at your leisure.

Take a look at the owner's journal for some better shots. [inlink]matthew,468[/inlink]

I shall perhaps begin a business. Is $20.00-$25.00 too much for a handy-made hat? I can not afford to do it cheaper. The materials are almost $10.00 themselves, and the wear-and-tear on my carpal-tunnel prone hands alone makes it pricey. In any event, if you wanna learn (or better yet, if you know how and wanna share) give me a buzz. I should be pretty free for the next month or two.

sidenote (but very exciting nonetheless): My sister, Alex, might be coming to town very soon. Like in the next couple weeks type soon. Which is nice, cuz she can help us move. And of course, I love her and would love to see her and stuff... So cross your fingers and maybe you can meet another desert star in wintry B-flo.

Permalink: Getting_cold_and_crochety.html
Words: 279
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/07/04 05:32 - ID#35670

Minimum wage hike gets un-vetoed

The NY Senate and Assembly have managed to override Pataki's veto on an increase of the minimum wage.

Some good news to tide us over until we get our bad new here in a couple hours. More sales tax or no libraries. What a choice. How is it that these have become (seemingly if not truthfully) our only options? A lack of creativity and, dare I agree with (e:Jason)!?! a same-ole-same-ole stick to the status quo attitude. Let's fire the lot of 'em (both those voted-in and appointed) and hire one for every two currently in power. But back on planet Earth we sit and await our binary fate.

Permalink: Minimum_wage_hike_gets_un_vetoed.html
Words: 118
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/04/04 08:42 - ID#35669

Future home found?

We've seen about 10-15 places so far. A bunch of duds, a couple gems, and the one we want.

The applications are filled out and will be handed in tomorrow. Now we just have to hope that our current landlord doesn't screw it up for us by saying mean things about us. We had, shall we say, not the nicest parting discussions. But we lived here for over two years and the apt. still looks very nice (about 10x nicer than when we moved in) and our only crime was using the heat that was included in our rent. But, hopefully we'll know in a couple of days and ya'll can come to our fancy new place for our homewarming. Cross your fingers for us.

Permalink: Future_home_found_.html
Words: 125
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/03/04 10:28 - ID#35668

Bad Joke

The Yes Men

played another one of their usually very funny jokes yesterday on the BBC. It was the anniversary of the Bhopal disaster [inlink]terry,267[/inlink] which killed (and is killing) thousands in India, with so far no restitution offered to the victims. The Yes Men have operated a site mimicking Dow's (something like this one

) for a while (and even talk about it in their movie), but apparently one BBC reporter hadn't heard of it and went looking for Dow's comments. Well they got the Yes Men's Andy Bichlbaum online who offered an interview claiming that Dow had decided enough was enough and were going to liquidate assets in order to provide compensation to the victims of Bhopal. Now enough people believed this that Dow's stock price actually plummeted

which is funny. What's not so funny is the poor people in and around Bhopal who also heard the news and had their initial elation turned to tears of disappointment and rage.

A jokes a joke, and I'm all for giving it to the corps. but this one seems to have caused more harm to first the victims themselves and second to the reputation of a news organization that does seem to give at least a slightly impartial slant to its news. So go on, and have your fun Yes Men but try to keep your real targets in sight.

Permalink: Bad_Joke.html
Words: 254
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/02/04 10:04 - ID#35667

phone phun with strangers

I spent hours today talking to strangers on the phone (and anyone who knows me can tell you just how much I love talking on the phone), looking for a home.

Aber Erfolg!

Well not in finding a place but in setting up a battery of apartment showings, and yes (e:Ajay), thanks to the kind ad placed in Artvoice by Bing (who wouldn't want a landlord named Bing?), we will be upstairs from you at 2:30 on Saturday.

We will also be viewing 6 other places on Saturday, and 5 more on Friday! Fun Fun Fun! And if after 14 apts. if we can't find one we like then I guess there's always that cozy little niche under the bridge in Delaware park (just me and my echoes...).

Permalink: phone_phun_with_strangers.html
Words: 125
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/01/04 03:09 - ID#35666

Soon to hear voices

According to a new study

smoking marijuana during early adulthood increases the user's chances of developing "psychotic symptoms." Watch out you pot-head mofos. Makes sense to me. Makes your mind free and such, you think of different things along different pathways. But who's defining psychosis anyways? What if you hear a voice and it tells you where a pot of gold is. Are you psycho only if the gold really isn't there?

sidenote: we're moving, anyone have any suggestions of where to?

Permalink: Soon_to_hear_voices.html
Words: 91
Location: Buffalo, NY

11/24/04 08:22 - ID#35665

laid off and laid back

As of yesterday 4:00 I became officially laid off. I am seasonal so it's not a horrible thing and wasn't unexpected. Now I sit back and collect my unemployment for a couple months. This is the first time I've been laid off for the whole winter though, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with myself. Today I slowly let the hours waste away. Played some video games. Made some food. Left the house to take Paul to work. Left the house to get Paul from work 5 minutes later cuz he didn't really have to be there. Responded to some long overdue emails. Exhausted my Bookmarks. Ate some more food. Well I guess you get the picture. In summer I would have at least wandered around for awhile or gone on a bikeride. But it's cold and raining now, and oh god this is inevitably turning into a fuck-it's-winter-in-Buffalo entry, sorry.

Gotta pick up my crocheting. And when it snows I'll start skiing. Cooking has already started coming back to the foreground (yay for hungry-tummies).

What am I doing tonight? The BIGGEST PARTY NIGHT OF THE YEAR!!! Will probably be out and about somewhere. Maybe I'll see some of yall. Have fun, and remember you have to be out of bed by noon to go and get stuffed.

Permalink: laid_off_and_laid_back.html
Words: 217
Location: Buffalo, NY