One of the funniest things...

...that has ever happened to me while at work happened tonight. And I must share...


I had left the confines of my register to do a bit of recovery (cleaning/making sure everything is in the right place), and was over by the flowers. I hear behind me a "Excuse me, do you work here?" followed by a "Of course you do" as I turned around and the guy saw that I was wearing that lovely red apron. He went on to explain that he had been in a few weeks before, and one of the guys who works there had helped him quite a bit, and did I know which guy it was, since he couldn't remember his name, and he wanted to thank him. Well, seeing as there aren't many guys who work at Michaels, his description of "about as tall as me, with dark hair, about 18 maybe" led me to say "Oh, that's Nick. He's not working tonight." The guy was like "Oh...do you know when he works next? I really want to thank him in person for helping me..." So, as I head back to check when Nick works next, the guy follows me. He looks maybe 20 (I find out later he's 19), and kinda preppy, and I'm just like "Well, if I'm nice and give him information, he'll go away." Ha.

I tell him Nick closes tomorrow, so he'll be there after 4, so he can come in and thank him then. About this time, Sara, one of the girls I work with, wandered over to my cubicle, most likely to damage something out. The guy starts saying "Hmm...I have to take my car in for work tomorrow at 4..." and talks about his car for a good 5 min, before asking us where good places to buy cars are, since he's thinking about selling the one he's got and getting another. I'm thinking he's gotta be from out of town, most likely going to college at UE or USI or something, but anyways. He's talking about all this, and while he's talking, I take care of the few customers who come up to check out. Then Sara goes back to her recovery, and the guy decides to fill out a little card thing we have sitting on the counter next to me about getting the ad via email, while I continue to check out customers. A little of what's going through my mind is "Why is he filling that out, anyways?"

So, I get a lull in customers, and he comes around in front of my counter (like he'd be when checking out) and says, kinda quietly "Ok, so I really just wanted to talk to that guy again, but...[even quieter] is he gay?" I respond with "We don't really know. He hasn't said and we haven't asked." And it's true. Of the 6 guys who work there, 2 are definitely straight, the boss (who's married) and the other high schooler, we're 99% sure 3 are gay (I mean, hell, one's a drag queen, but not one anyone should want to see...), and then there's Nick.

Anyways, the guy goes on to say that he wasn't sure either...apparently the last time he was in it was with his ex, and he thought Nick gave him a look, but he wasn't quite sure if it was a "Check that out" look or a "Dude's gotta be gay" look. Then he starts to ask me how old Nick was. I say he's probably 17, since he's still in high school, and the guy looks kinda disappointed, and says something to the effect that he's 19, so that won't work. Meanwhile, a customer comes up on my left for an exchange, and the guy says "I'll wait." Mind you, I thought he was talking about the fact that Nick is 17, and I burst out laughing. The guy is all "Oh, well, I didn't mean it like that, but that's true, too." Anyways, I deal with that customer, and the guy goes back to talking to me. He lets out one more double entendre (but I've forgotten what it was, now) before I remind him that Nick will be there tomorrow after 4, if he really wants to try and talk to him. The guy asks me if I'll be there tomorrow, and I say "Nope, that's one of my days off this week, sorry." And then he leaves.

And I laugh the rest of the night.

I feel a bit like a matchmaker, and to a large degree, I hope that Nick is gay, cuz, man that takes balls. To go in to a store to find someone you've kinda but not really met once, and once you realize they're not there, to go ahead and ask someone else who works there when that person will be there next...wow, I'm in awe. Plus, it was just really funny. I dunno, maybe you had to be there.


God, "I'll wait"...still funny!



Oh, and a separate funny of the evening, from the boss, on one of the other girls who works there apparently trying to get pregnant, but apparently not having enough time since she has another job... "It doesn't take that long!" Hehehehe.

Breaking Up

So, our next installment in the theme song thing is the "breaking up" song. This one was definitely chosen based on the lyrics, but it doesn't hurt that the song is awesome, too. So, here's "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars.

"The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars

What if I wanted to break
Laugh it all off in your face
What would you do? (Oh, oh)
What if I fell to the floor
Couldn't take all this anymore
What would you do, do, do?

Come break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you

What if I wanted to fight
Beg for the rest of my life
What would you do?
You say you wanted more
What are you waiting for?
I'm not running from you (from you)

Come break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you

I tried to be someone else
But nothing seemed to change
I know now, this is who I really am inside.
Finally found myself
Fighting for a chance.
I know now, this is who I really am.

Ah, ah
Oh, oh
Ah, ah

Come break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you, you, you.
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you

Come break me down (bury me, bury me)
Break me down (bury me, bury me)
Break me down (bury me, bury me)

(You say you wanted more)
What if I wanted to break...?
(What are you waiting for?)
Bury me, bury me
(I'm not running from you)
What if I
What if I
What if I
What if I
Bury me, bury me

"The Rage" indeed...

So, a friend of mine recently posted a well composed and dignified rant (look for the one entitled "Recycled Child") on her blog about some apparent nutcase’s loathing of adoption, among other things. And, if I may quote from said friend, “The Rage” is an apropos term for the feelings one gets from even one word from the nutcase. So, while I don’t really have much knowledge of adoption, seeing as she’s the only person I can think of that I know even partly well that has ever been adopted, I’m going to introduce to this blog of mine more of my personal feelings than I ever have before.


Adoption: I see very little wrong with this as a viable option if presented with either an unexpected/unwanted pregnancy or as an alternative to physically birthing a child. While I am pro-choice, I don’t feel it necessary to abort every child conceived under less-than-perfect circumstances. I’m a realist, and I know that if we made abortions illegal, then we would have desperate women in alleyways with rusty coat-hangers, wherein both the fetus and the mother will end up dead. So, we make abortions legal, safe, clean, and expensive (but not too-expensive, because then they’re back in the alley with the hanger), so as to encourage people to think, do I really need to have this abortion. I mean, c’mon! Did the prohibition work? Is the “war on drugs” going smoothly? Then why would making abortions illegal solve anything??

Sorry, this was supposed to be about adoption. So, in any given case, whether it be rape-victim (because very few people, no matter how much love they will give to their child, will be completely alright with a physical reminder of such an event), pre-teen (or barely teen), or poor family with too many children to feed without the next on the way; in any of these cases, what can be so bad about having the courage to give that child what will hopefully be a better future? Especially because we all know that if we stopped with adoptions, these children would more than likely end up wards of the state; walking, talking bundles of depression and rage. And who can blame them? Being told over and over again that they aren’t loved, shipped from one foster family to the next; by the time they are legal to do anything, they are convinced that no one gives a flying fuck about them or anything they do…it just perpetuates the cycle.

(Don’t get me wrong, I know that not all foster situations end that way, but quite a few do. Never take anything I say as 100%; I am a scientist. We base our ideas on logic and what we know now, but the goal of the science is to go further, to be proven wrong, because only then can we move on to the next level of knowledge.)

And what about the people who are doing the adoption? The parents who long for a child?? The majority are usually people who for one reason or another cannot have children, either because they are infertile or because we have yet to get to the point where we can splice the genetic material from one egg into another, or can convert the DNA of a sperm into an egg, and therefore give homosexual couples a choice to have children that are theirs, wholly biologically theirs. And why not, when there are children born all the time who need loving parents, just opt for adoption?

On the flipside, I know far too many people (myself included) who would gladly at age 25 go through surgery to have some of those bits removed. Your uterus doesn’t work? Well, I don’t want mine, so how about we try for the first ever uterus-transplant? So many of my friends don’t want children, and at least one has said “If at some point I do decide I want children, I’m adopting.” And I totally agree with that. If, and this is a HUGE if, if I ever find someone I want to spend my life with, and this person is all “I want at least one kid!”, there is NO WAY I want to give birth myself. I don’t want the problems of pregnancy, the gestational diabetes; I don’t want to pass on the myriad of health problems anything from my genetic stock would be stuck with; and I sure as hell don’t want to go through the actual “birth process”. Hail no!


I feel kind of tapped out at the moment…I was planning on touching on some of the other things the nutcase was against, like La Laeche League (of which I am a product), or even a crazy rant on religion (won’t that be fun!), but I guess I can save that for the next serious rant I go on. It just…that nutcase’s illogic (what am I, a Vulcan?!?) pains me and makes me irate. Definitely not a scientist, that one…

Fight Song

Today's installment of my theme music is the Fight Song. Of the songs that came up during the shuffle process, this was the best, most fight-song-ish, but that doesn't really mean it's the best I could possibly come up with if I had to actually pick from the songs saved on my laptop (which I'm not even using right now...since Oni-kun is on vacation in Florida...). Having said that, here are the lyrics to "Believe in Heaven", the ending song to Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok (which plays like a supernatural Conan...ask if you really want to know)

"Believe in Heaven" by Shinichirou Miki

Fukai kiri wo saite Tsukiakari ga terashita michi
Dare mo mina mayoi nagara Samayotteru ashita e to
    on the road bathed in the moonlight that split the deep mist
    everyone is lost, wandering towards tomorrow

Kodoku no machi de Kataritsugu shinwa sae
Habamaresou na Yami wo nuketeyuku
    in the city of loneliness, even the handed down legends
    begin to pass through the oppressive darkness

Hatenai sora wo koete tabi wo shiteiru Kizutsuite mo
Bokutachi wa kitto tadoritsukeru kara inori-tsuzuketai
Believe in Heaven
    we are on a journey, crossing the endless sky, even if we are hurt
    we will surely make it, so I want to keep praying
    Believe in Heaven

Kanashimi ga uzumaku hibi Tenshi sae mo namida suru
    in the days when sadness swirls about, even angels would shed tears

Kioku no umi de Nemutteita kanjou
Yobisamasereba Kami no koe ga suru
    if you awaken the feelings that were sleeping in the sea of memory
    you will hear the voice of god

Haruka na umi no kanata Oyogi-tsuzukeru Kotae motome
Ano hi kara itsumo mune ni hikatteru Chikai wasurenai
Believe in Heaven
    beyond the distant sea, we continue to swim, seeking the answer
    I won't forget the promise that has been shining in my heart since that day
    Believe in Heaven

Yoru no fuchi made ochiteyuku hoshikuzu mo
Kotae mitsukete kagayaku darou
    even the stardust that keeps falling into night's abyss
    finds the answer and shines, right?

Hatenai sora wo koete tabi wo shiteiru Kizutsuite mo
Bokutachi wa kitto tadoritsukeru kara negai-tsuzuketai
    we are on a journey, crossing the endless sky, even if we are hurt
    we will surely make it, so I want to keep praying

Haruka na umi no kanata Oyogi-tsuzukeru Kotae motome
Ano hi kara itsumo mune ni hikatteru Chikai wasurenai
Believe in Heaven
    beyond the distant sea, we continue to swim, seeking the answer
    I won't forget the promise that has been shining in my heart since that day
  Believe in Heaven

Oh, and pretty much all the lyrics I'm getting for various anime, I'm getting from this site. Just so, if need be, the actual effort of translation can be credited.

Falling in Love

Here's the next theme, Falling in Love. The song, "Shining Days", the opening song from Mai Hime, was chosen because of it's upbeat sound. I tried to find English lyrics to it, but no luck. I suppose I just need to learn Japanese so I can translate it for you. Oh well. Here's the Japanese, at least...

"Shining Days" by Minami Kuribayashi, opening to Mai Hime

aozora ippai ni
watashi-tachi no omoi ga chiribamerarete yuku
unmei no hito ga anata nara ii no ni
genjitsu wa umaku yukanai

hikaru kaze no naka yume no hane mai oriru yo
yuuki dashite mirai e sou utsukushiku

ugokidasu atsui kodou ga
ano hi to onaji hayasa wo kizamu yo
massugu na manazashi ga suki
zutto miteitai

kirameku nagare boshi
taisetsu na negaigoto chiisaku tsubuyaita
mabuta wo tojiru to anata dake ukabu no
ima sugu ni ai ni yukitai

nidoto modoranai shunkan wo nogasanai de
inochi wo kagayakasete sou uruwashiku

mitsuketai hontou no watashi
umarekawaru yo anata mamoru tame
koete yuku kiseki tsukande
tsugi no sekai made

ugokidasu atsui kodou ga
ano hi to onaji hayasa wo kizamu yo
mitsuketai hontou no watashi
umarekawaru yo anata mamoru tame
koete yuku kiseki tsukande
tsugi no sekai made
tsuyoku hateshinaku

My war with technology

So, way back when, when I graduated from college (or really, the week before I graduated), my parents got me a laptop. My parents, thinking (oh, silly parents) that I would be attending graduate school, thought a laptop would be more useful to me, but knowing that laptops are prone to problems, when they purchased it, they also purchased the 3-year extra warranty from SAMS.

Seeing as the desktop I had throughout undergrad I had named (Floyd, btw), I figured that my laptop also needed a name. Since by this time I had already become enamored of Japanese...anything...I came across the name Oni-kun, which roughly translates to "cute little boy demon/ogre". Silly me, to some degree I think that name encouraged my computer to be a little bit more, well, demonic. I have already had to send it in to be repaired for power problems, which stemmed from the fact that I set it down on its power cord one too many times and effectively broke the little pin in the DC jack on the back of the computer. Fine, good, they fixed it. That was over a year ago. But it's doing it again. And this time, I definitely didn't set it down oddly. I think it just enjoys making me angry. And, this time it's also having problems spinning and recognizing CDs and DVDs. So, it's being sent in again.

As a precaution, this time I have bought an external hard drive to copy some files (not that anything was lost last time), and basically to expand my ever shrinking hard drive. This drive was $160 of credit card issues (which are hopefully resolved by now!) that I had some trouble getting to work with my computer earlier today. But, I finally got it working, and copied my music, pictures, videos, and Works documents (since it's still free on my computer).

Now I'm thinking that my external hard drive also needs a name. But what kind of name goes well with Oni-kun? Should it be another name from Japanese mythology? Like Kitsune? Or would that just encourage the hard drive to play tricks on me. Or should it be a random name, like Bob, or Steve?

Any thoughts, the 3 people who occasionally read this blog?

Waking Up

Time for the next theme song. This time it's "Passion" by Hikaru Utada. This is the Japanese song for Kingdom Hearts II. I have the English one on my computer, too. Not everything I listen to is in Japanese, y'know. Just a nice sized portion. ;) Anyways, today's lyrics aren't exactly right. I'm pretty sure they are the lyrics to the shortened version of the song, but they'll do. This is one of the songs chosen mainly by sound, and not by meaning. But I promise, there are some that were chosen because of their meanings!


"Passion" by Hikaru Utada

(wonk uoy naht niotceffa erom deen I) [1]
   (wonk uoy naht niotceffa erom deen I) [1]

Omoidaseba haruka haruka
Mirai wa doko mademo kagayaiteta [2]
Kirei na aozora no shita de
Bokura wa sukoshi dake obieteita
   If I recall, far far away
   The future was shining on everywhere [2]
   Beneath the beautiful blue sky
   We were just a little afraid

Natsukashii iro ni
Mado ga somaru
   The window will be tinted
   A nostalgic color

Mae wo muitereba mata aemasu ka
Mirai wa doko edemo tsudzuiterunda
Ookina kanban no shita de
Jidai no utsuroi wo miteitai na
   If we advance forth, can we ever meet again?
   The future goes on to everywhere
   Beneath the large signboard
   I want to keep watching the eras changing

Hitoshirezu
My heart’s a battleground
(snoitome owt deen I)
(wonk uoy naht niotceffa erom deen I)
(snoitome owt deen I)
   Hidden away
   My heart’s a battleground
   (snoitome owt deen I)
   (wonk uoy naht niotceffa erom deen I)
   (snoitome owt deen I)

Nido to aenu hito ni basho ni
Mado wo akeru
   I will open a window
   To the people and places I can’t see again

Omoidaseba haruka haruka
Mirai wa doko mademo kagayaiteta
Kirei na aozora no shita de
Bokura wa itsu mademo nemutteita
   If I recall, far far away
   The future was shining on everywhere
   Beneath the beautiful blue sky
   We were slumbering forever

(All my fears and all our lies)
   (All my fears and all our lies)

Aozora no shita...
    Beneath the blue sky...


Can’t understand some of the lines?  Try reading them backwards.
[1] This line is interlaced with the rest of the song.
[2] “doko made mo” also has the meanings of “persistently, through thick and thin”.


Enjoy!

Opening Credits...

Since I said I'd put up the songs from that meme, I thought it might be a good idea to also give you the lyrics, and sometimes translations, since quite a few of them are in Japanese. (Sometimes the song will have been chosen based on the lyrics, although some were more chosen based on their sound.) And, in the case of this first one (which may be the only one I have to go with second choice on), I thought I'd post the lyrics to both the first and second choices. So...

Misere Cantare-The Beginning (by AFI)

Love your hate, your faith lost
You are now one of us
Love your hate, your faith lost
You are now one of us

Nothing from nowhere, I'm no one at all
Radiate, recognize one silent call
As we all form one dark flame... Incinerate

Nothing from nowhere, I'm no one at all
Radiate, recognize one silent call
As we all form one dark flame
As we all form one dark flame
As we all...

Love your hate, your faith lost
You are now one of us
Love your hate, your faith lost
You are now one, one of us


The Starry Sky (HAL)

uh......konya mo mata hakanai hoshi zora
uh......hikaru hoshi ni negai o kakeru kara...
  Uh.....Again tonight there's the fleeting starry sky
  Uh.....The shining stars are hanging with wishes...

Nayami wa itsumo taeru koto mo nai
Keredo tobira wa mo hiraiteiru yo
Fumarete mo taorete mo okiagaru tsuyosa kureta kimi ga
Hokoreru hoshi ni naru tame boku wa utau kara
Ima ijou ni ganbaru kara motto tsuyoku nareru you ni...
  Although worries will always endure,
  The door is opening
  Walking, falling, you're the one that picks me up and gives me strength
  So you'll become a proud star I'll sing
  Now I wont do less than my best, I'll become stronger like...

Yurugi nai ai konna daiji na ai
Dare yori mo zutto daiji ni omotteru
Fuan na yoru mo tashika ni aru keredo
Makenaide ikiteiku bokura wa...
  Unswaying love, this important love
  No one else is so precious
  This night is surely uneasy but
  We’re the one that won't lose, but go on living...

Unmei nante zankoku na mono de
Yosou nante ne tsukeyou mo nai deshou
Chitteiku  kudateiku kedo kono te ni aru
Itami himitsu mochinagara kimi no tame ni boku wa utau kara
Omoeteite shinjiteite wasurenaideite hoshii
  Destiny is such a brutal thing
  Can't we follow our expectations?
  It's scattering, falling but this hand is here
  I'm carrying painful secrets for you while I sing
  Think of, believe, don't forget this wish

Dare datte kitto yowasa o himeteite
Kimi datte kitto honto wa kowai yo ne
Boku datte kitto wakarikitteru kedo
Makenaide ikiteiku bokura wa...
  Because who will surely hide weakness
  Aren't you definitely scared?
  I'm sure I'll come to understand
  We're the one that won't lose, but go on living...

Hakanakute mou naite shimaisou de...
Kanashikute mou tatte irarenai yo
  It was fleeting and no more...
  There is no need for sadness

Hakanakute mou naite shimau keredo
kanashikute mou tatte irarenai kedo
Dakedo ne kitto ironna shougai ni
Makenaide ikiteikou bokura wa...
  It was fleeting and no more, but
  There is no need for sadness,
  Though there are surely many obstacles
  We're the one that won't lose, but go on living...

Enjoy!!

Theme Music

So, if you haven't noticed, I've added a little feature to the top of my sidebar, in which I've placed a song. At first, I was just gonna put one up every week that I really liked. Then, I thought, "Maybe I should put up a song that's from my 'Current Obsession'." But, with the most recent obsession not having its opening song (the song I like) on the thing I get the music from, I decided to do something else.
Earlier I posted a meme about the theme music if my life were a movie, or some such nonsense. I have decided to every few days (or once a week, I haven't quite decided yet) I will put up the most qualified song (the ones with asterisks) in order of the meme. So that means that I will be putting AFI's "Miseria Cantare"---never mind, I can't find it, either. When I can't find the most qualified, I'll find the second most qualified one, and put it up. So, this time you get "Starry Sky" by HAL, the 1st ending song to Angelic Layer.
This will end up very interesting....we'll see how many times I'll have to fall back on my second choice...and how many times it's the track from an anime that I will actually be able to find....

Oh my gawd......

While it's official that I am a huge nerd, I think this is awesome. Someone made a video out of a one-shot webcomic page, and set it to the correct music! If you don't like webcomics or absolutely hate the fact that I'm an otaku, then...don't watch. That's all I'll say. Cuz, otherwise, you won't think it's cool at all. And it is. To me.

(It's BLEACH by the way...)
(and VGCats, which is linked on the sidebar...)