Guilty Pleasures: Manga

Or, rather, to be honest, I should say pleasures that should be guilty but aren't. So I'm being a good mom & enjoying myself at the same time. Nat wants me to check out anime & manga for her. So I am having to preview stuff for her. It's getting easier all the time. Blasted child refuses to stay a child. But that's okay, just weepifying for the mum whose little girl is getting big. So things I have read lately so my baby girl can read them too.
So far this one is pretty comfortable for me. I'm enjoying it too.
A little silly. But now I know Urd. So yeah.


This one is a little rougher for me. It talks about some truly offensive things in the most outrageous way. But I keep telling myself, you can't keep them a baby forever & we've been dialoguing--because she had already heard about stuff from other kids. So instead she gets to read the iffy eww! stuff & we get to talk about it. Because, the truth is she would get her hands on it no matter what & this way I have more control over how much exposure she gets to stuff. Slower than otherwise. & I get to make her talk to me about things.

But for myself, I howl, absolutely howl. It is outrageous to the point of hysteria. I should really be ashamed of this one. I learned a new word--twincest. eww! but funny. Just when you thought it was safe to read graphic art. Graphic as in drawn not as in porn

It's been interesting lately. I keep having conversations with idiots. I had some idiot who was lecturing me on all anime being porn (my response was "so is Pokemon porn? if so why do they get to run it as a kid's cartoon") & when I tried to tell the guy that I don't let my kids see hentai; (yes I know that isn't the right japanese term but that's the one I think you should use in English) he thought I was horrible. Because he didn't know the difference. I'm sorry but if you don't know the difference between anime & hentai or even something like shojou, shounen, seinen, seijin or yaoi & yuri you don't get to yell at me (hey, I don't know enough japanese to my shame to be able to tell you if those words are declined right, but you have to know more than I do to yell at me & to be honest if your opinion differs I probably won't listen if you're rude anyway). Also, once I tell you I preview stuff for my kids including regular movies & books & authors--you don't get to fuss at me unless you spend a little time to figure out exactly what I mean by that. an arbitrary rating by people I don't know isn't something I trust.

Jack Black

the incomparable Took my boys (Rowan, Sean & Evan) to see "Kung Fu Panda"



Call me Super Mom for taking the boys out.. But to tell the truth, I thought it was cute. I would buy that one. Ooh, previews are evil. Now I want to see "Wall-E"



Next, I need to take Nat & Tori to a movie. We haven't decided what. Solo time for each kid. Including time for me to spend with each kid & their best friends. Not much mom time because I keep getting sick. Fever means no visiting any preggers or mums with young babies. Wah! I want out!

Rowan just got over Fifth's Disease. So glad I didn't go see Sonja like I wanted--he was contagious! Ugh. I'm so paranoid about Fifth's Disease & preggers that I didn't let our Kelly drop fundage off to Nat for house sitting.

Sea-widowed again.

So himself is gone. For a patrol (which equals months for the non-Navy types)

& so far I have bought a

via the internet. Not to worry, not to worry. We had been planning to use our economic stimulus check for this. Am I happy about it? no, not really. He & the kids wanted it. But he also wanted to sell the PS2 which is nigh to crapped out (can't sell it) & the games are starting to look bad. I'd rather keep it as long as possible & let the kids play it until it dies. Personally, I think I would have preferred a

which plays Blu-ray. (I am such a technophile!) But I think I'm the one who picked the PS2 & if this relationship is going to be fair, I can't be the one who always pick things.

And I have an appointment for Thursday at a tattoo artist at noon. Very exciting. I can't wait for my trampstamp.

I've been thinking. I'm glad I can't see the sea from the house. I think I would be stuck staring at it during patrols. Part of me wanted to head up to

a.k.a. Pirate Park a.k.a. Salsbury Park & stare at the ocean during the glorious weather. I'm glad I resisted the urge both today & when the boat left. I don't think it's such a good idea. Maybe when he comes home I'll go. To be honest, I wasn't feeling so hot & running my errands wiped me out. But I wanted to just go & zone out staring at the water. I miss him. Things have been so different lately. Better, maybe, I don't know. But the house is so quiet, now. No snores.

We're trying to pick the movies for Nat's movie birthday. I am trying to convince her to let me buy the first 3
Indiana Jones movies then take all of her friends to see the new one


I think that would be fun. But the final decision is hers. It's her 13th birthday & her countdown is driving me crazy. I wouldn't mind so much if she wasn't telling me 500 times a day. But I'm glad she is looking forward to it. It makes me feel so old. My oldest a teenager & my youngest a decade old. Ugh. good thing I like those demonspawn of mine. big party much friends, loud brats. should be awesome. just wish himself could be here. I know he was upset to be missing her 13th birthday. Such is Navy life. He did order her a gift just from him from Amazon. she has decided they'll go for chocolate ice cream from Baskin Robbins, just the two of them, when he gets back.

I took Nat out to lunch, just the 2 of us the other day. I took her to the

I think it's good to hang out with the kids one on one. So they each get mom time & dad time without having to compete for our attention. Not that it's a competition but I get the impression they think it is sometimes.

Gentle thoughts to all I've not seen for a bit. Hugs all'round.

Okay so I am almost ashamed of this one.

But not really.

update me.

bullied a child in a futile attempt to steal her birthday present the other day. didn't work. she laughed at me but loaned me the book anyway.

Here's the child.The one in the middle--Tori.


Here's the book.


I wanted to read the book today but couldn't find it. Why you ask? It was stolen from me by yet another child (the one on the left who wouldn't open her eyes). This one who is nearly as tall as I am--with in 1 or 2 inches. Good thing I like her. I would have had to hurt her otherwise. Stealing a book from me? She tried to hide it when I snuck up stairs during her lunch to see if she had it. But I'm good. & I stole it back. & now I am going to hide it from her when I'm not reading it.

My latest Random Ed project (Random Ed is my name for the things that my kids probably wouldn't be learning at school but are just too fun or interesting not to spend some time on) is Political Protest Songs. Having a conversation with my girls (Nat & Tori) on the way home from Girl Scouts & we were listening to my latest mixCD. & we were talking about Handlebars by the Flobots.



so my baby girls & I decided that we want me to make them a mixCD of my favorite political protest songs. The first ones I've come up with (not done yet though) are:

Handlebars Flobots
Fortunate Son CCR
This Land is Your Land Woodie Guthrie
99 Luftballoons Nena
Born in the USA Bruce Springsteen
Sunday Bloody Sunday US
War Edwin Starr
Blowing in the Wind Bob Dylan
Alice's Restaurant Masacree Arlo Guthrie
Ohio Crosby Stills Nash & Young
Imagine John Lennon
War Pigs Black Sabbath
All She Wants to Do is Dance Don Henley
Turn, Turn, Turn The Byrds

Killing in the Name of Rage Against the Machine

The last one is a bit explicit for 13 year old girls so I think I'm omitting it for now. Still trying to decide what else I want to add in.

The next mixCD will be random songs:

Fish Heads Barnes & Barnes


Shiny Happy People R.E.M.


Birdhouse in Your Soul They Might be Giants


Any suggests? For either list? I'm almost having as much fun looking for songs for them as I did talking about them with my girls.

I am going away with them this weekend. It was supposed to be a mother/daughter weekend but Traci needs to stay home to meet a forgotten commitment. So I am taking the girls to the Olympic National Forest's Quinault Lodge http://www.visitlakequinault.com/ to do a Volunteer Vacation http://www.visitlakequinault.com/specials/index.cfm . We're going to listen to some lectures (global warming, endangered species, that sort of thing) & then we're going to clear trails of flood damage from the December storms. How fun is that? Actual--I'm really excited about it other than the fact that Traci can't go.

Comcastic.

Ever notice that somethings that are the biggest pain in the keister are the most rewarding in the long run? We orignally had (I might be off by 1) 5 visits from Comcast when we first moved to WA--we went with Dish Network) this time it took 3.

Exhibit Q, Z,


V, W, & X (because they're the neglected letters--A, B, C, D, & E get too much air time).



But so not talking about the fandamily. Talking about cable, phone, & internet with Comcast. So we switched from Dish to Comcast. We already found 2 new channels for himself. History & Military. We've got On Demand movies. We are sitting here watching "Johnny Mnemonic" & the kids watched the "Garfield Movie". Tomorrow "The Rocketeer & Tuesday "Uncle Buck"

Talking about phone. I now have Caller ID & Call Waiting.

I have a guaranteed price not a commitment for years of service to get a better price. & for a cheaper price. I guess somebody forgot to tell Dish that customer service is something the company does not something the customer does.

Even if it took as many visits as it did for Comcast to get started, I think we'll be happier in the long run. So yeah, for cheaper & more stuffage.

Things you can think? Reality tv.

Ever watch Extreme Home Makeover? Himself loves it. I try not to watch it because it makes me cry, every time--but if it's on, it's a train wreck. I can't look away. I am such a sap. I love seeing the solutions to problems that are basically sucking away quality of life from some people.

But it always made me think. What do I think, you say? Taxes. Income, real estate. How do the people who can't afford to fix their houses pay for it? But luckily I am addicted to Google. yeah, me! I can type in a word or a combination of words & read.

I leave it as an exercise for the reader.

Thinks you can think--earthships? Earthships!

So this is the latest thought that is chasing around in my brain. Earthships.

http://earthship.net/

Love'em. Love'em. LOVE'EM. But I want a dryer. Want 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, want extra rooms (library. crafthall. workshop.). Is the limit of size the limit of necessity or the limit of "omigawd, my arms freaking hurt, this thing is done!"


(Have to love the goat sounds in that one & the goat audience at the end.)

That's the think I keep thinking. Or maybe it's cost? Hmm. must research more.

Eventually we'll have to get the books:

http://www.amazon.com/Earthship-How-Build-Your-Own/dp/0962676705/ref=pd_sim_b_title_4
http://www.amazon.com/Earthship-Systems-Components-vol-2/dp/0962676713/ref=pd_sim_b_title_2
http://www.amazon.com/Earthship-Evolution-Beyond-Economics-Vol/dp/0962676721/ref=pd_sim_b_title_3

maybe I'll see if I can't get them from the library. (Volume 1 is now on hold as I type.)

the guy in here



made a great point. Sustainable technology is a much easier sell when it is comfortable & attractive. I do not want a cob home. Ewww.

My brother Mick (who I really get along with) wants to do the earthship thing too, along with his nifty wife Stephanie (whom I also really get along with. We were talking about building Earthships next door to each other on 5 acre plots & pooling a common garden & sharing some chickens & goats, me learning to spin the bloody hair into yarn for my knittery, Steph with her pottery. Steph is also a pre-vet student, so, yeah for medical care for all the beasties. Wish we could find enough other nut jobs to build by us too with the whole sustainable technology thing. Yeah, hippie township.

But I am not giving up my Roomba or other geek toys. but I totally want the solar, wind, hydro thing going on so I'm not paying for my sins too much. local ordinances prohibiting non-sustainable living quarters. would be awesome. You could try & fail but you couldn't not try.

Positivity. Music in the back of my head. Ecce! (word of the week)

I'm going to be postive if it kills me. Really. I'm not kidding. Call me Polly-f*cking-anna. Speaking of which, I need to watch that again.

It's probably a good thing I'm not telepathic. The music I love would probably be considered torture because the songs echo repetitively, obsessively, randomly in my head. & sometimes the music doesn't jive with the action on screen.









Ecce! Nat started Latin yesterday. & the girl is totally sitting under the tree. et puella sub arbore sedet. plene. & reading. et legit. Yeah. I had a copy of Ecce Romani I laying around so we're using that for now. Rowan will start with Minimus either this summer or next year or next week. It depends on when I figure out what the little rugrats did with it.

game on.

foul, I say, I cry you, MOST FOUL. Actually there is 6 books stacked up on the end table beside me. & so, I chose the one I am currently in the midst of. not the first in the series still unshelved beside me (it's hardback & I am using it as a writing surface as I correct the chilluns' work.) or the next four waiting to be read. Oh, well. enough procrastination, the desire to hid the fact that I am currently in need of comfort reading--mind numbing sensationalism with a horrifically magical twist.

. . . Vampires, for obvious reasons, didn't pray a lot. I mean, who was going to answer? Oh, yeah, there was the Church of Eternal Life, but they were more a humanist religion, sort of New Wavey. I'm not sure they talked much about God. . .

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open it to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence/ phrase.
4. Blog the next four sentences/ phrases together with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig your shelves for that very special or intellectual book.
6. Pass it forward to six friends.

I'm just glad we don't have to admit what book it is & anybody who recognizes my "trash" (as schnauzer boy calls it) has to admit to reading the book & remembering it. (of course, I just admitted to having the entire series because anyone who knows me & my reading habits knows I'm a complete-ist & knows if I have one, I have all or I am in the process of securing all)

this has been flung at me by the beloved Kira & I am flinging at some of you lot. Can I find six? probably not but I shall attempt.

er. & fail.

http://parity13.blogspot.com
http://3wildflowers.blogspot.com/
http://www.neferstie.com/

If somebody is reading this that I don't know of--comment & I shall add you to the flinging of the ink.

(ooh, for those who might recognize the series I am quoting from, did y'all notice that the next one is due out in June--June 3rd to be exact?!!!!!!!!!!! I like my "trash" what can I say & in my defense, I got hooked on the series before it went smuttirific, partially because of the local interest & partially because it was a good horror read. Now, I've got an emotional attachment to the characters & I can't stay away. I have to know what comes next. Now, if the author just doesn't go all Lackey, I'll stay true to her but if she goes to commercial I fully intend to abandon her to her just deserts.)

dang it, they're multiplying.

& growing additional appendages. what's next? clothes. hmm. . . I admit
nothing.



Here's my mixed fiber dress bodice. I need to hook up with my model (she's like 3) & figure out
whether or not the straps are long enough or if it's a good size around the waist for the age. Once I do that I'll repeat it in the same size & down a size. Then I have this cute lavender colored fabric to sew on the bottom for the skirt.

raverlry.com & little alien dudes.

having found ravelry.com a knitting community (with links to patterns & WIPs of many & & &) & having fell in love with it--a must see kind of place. these are the first two finished projects that I began & finished. I omitted smiles & made 2, so they don't get lonely. I might just have to make more. because they work up quickly. Charlie cut out the eyes & glued them on while I sewed on the feet.

Zack's (my nephew) sweater

This one I am really proud of. Not that it's especially well done. It's just the first knitting project I've finished in months. It's been sitting waiting for the sewing up. It's done, it's mailed. It is no longer hanging over my head screaming imprecations. Instead it is warm fuzzy bunny feeling. Yeah me.

global orgasm for peace

http://www.globalorgasm.org/

I'm just saying.

Science, iffy. As in, I saw none quoted after perusing the site.

But, who cares? Points for overall joy-joy feel goodedness. I'm thinking that maybe if more people had satisfying sex the world would be a happier place. So go out there--er, stay in there for peace. or at least have a laugh because somebody somewhere thought this was a good idea. Random event generator people, today, you're my heroes.

funny

Natalie & Charlie both recognized the sounds of Chewy without seeing the title.

Either I'm a Gemini or I'm bipolar.

Regardless, I am such a dichotomy in action. In just about everything I do & say. Take 2 of my favorite Xmas songs.

exhibit A the anti-carol "Father Christmas" by the Kinks covered by OK Go--I love YouTube! I hadn't heard this in forever. I need to play this for Nat but she's in bed right now.


exhibit B the overly commercialized carol "Santa Baby" by Earth Kitt my innerfeminazi cringes at how much I love this song.

It's midnight & I'm hungry.

But that's not why I'm blogging. I'm blogging because I just finished listening to lovelines (going to have to stop doing that) & a song came on & it has been getting stuck in my head. It's the first time I really thought a song was noise. Pure crap. Repetitive puerile & annoying. I think I've gotten old. I sort of want to cry or at least crank up my Violent Femmes & other loud rowdy stuff. I got a headache from it that went away within a minute or two of it going off the radio. The best part was they went to the Femmes & I was so relieved to hear Blister in the Sun because it was real music. Tell me the truth I'm getting old. Don't lie to me. I have to know. Here's the song that I hate: