2011 ~
Anime Detour - April 1-3
Ai-Kon - July 15-17
Anime Evolution - (Unknown Dates [Probably mid August])
Geek*Kon [Staff] - September 9-11
Youmacon - (Unknown Dates [Probably last weekend of October])
2012 ~
Anime Detour - (Unknown Dates)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
I am SICK of it!
Ok, so when it comes to Politics, I tend to have my beliefs and stick to them. However, I am also from a world where you are entitled to your beliefs and shouldn't be bashed for those beliefs, or made to look like an idiot. This is what I was raised to believe by REPUBLICAN parents. That's right...there are SOME Republicans that can actually think, have compassion, and aren't horrible human beings.
Time and time again, liberal friends, acquaintances, people I know, reporters, what have you, have spent hard earned money and time I am sure they don't have to bash Republicans. I will admit, some Republicans are idiots...but so are some Democrats. Especially when you look at politicians. ALL politicians lie and tell you what you want to hear to get your vote.
I have just grown so sick of allowing Liberals to have their beliefs when they shove in my face how much some of my FRIENDS obviously think I am a freaking idiot. It's called compassion, have it. Seriously.
You want to know what I REALLY think of most Liberals? Okay, here it goes...
Most Liberals are incredibly ignorant. However, there are a few reasons behind this. One, Liberals tend to believe in the idealism of Utopia and that Utopia is actually attainable. They get stuck in these beliefs because they also tend to believe anything that is told to them.
An example of this is the idea of national health care. While it looks fantastic on paper, right now, it doesn't work for us. Our country can't afford it. Yet Liberals refuse to look at that fact right now, because, well, it looks good on paper. You need to educate yourself a lot better than that.
I am not saying this ignorance or desire for Utopia as a bad thing. Quite the contrary. It is an essential part of life. It's like that song in Roger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella:
Liberals also tend to be hypocritical. There have been so many times in my life where I've known a Liberal and they will outwardly believe in something. They are passionate and 100% for it. Then something happens and all of a sudden they are 100% against it.
An example of this was a friend of mine in high school. She decided she wanted to be a vegetarian. She was so upset that animals are abused in their lives in order to be turned into food for us. She refused to eat meat because of this. I applauded her passion. Then maybe 6 months later she bashed people who believed in that while she took a bite out of a steak. It's not that I am blaming her politics on that. However, that is only one example, out of many.
To me, there is no reason to be a hypocrite. If you are a hypocrite, I will not believe anything you say. Who wants to be that person?
Anyway, the point of this blog is to say that we need each other. We need that dewey-eyed beliefs in Liberals to make things better, but we also need the street smart conservatives in order to make the Utopia that Liberals believe is possible to be more achievable by choosing the correct time for things that Liberals want, since Liberals don't really look at timing or even care about timing.
That is all I have to say.
Time and time again, liberal friends, acquaintances, people I know, reporters, what have you, have spent hard earned money and time I am sure they don't have to bash Republicans. I will admit, some Republicans are idiots...but so are some Democrats. Especially when you look at politicians. ALL politicians lie and tell you what you want to hear to get your vote.
I have just grown so sick of allowing Liberals to have their beliefs when they shove in my face how much some of my FRIENDS obviously think I am a freaking idiot. It's called compassion, have it. Seriously.
You want to know what I REALLY think of most Liberals? Okay, here it goes...
Most Liberals are incredibly ignorant. However, there are a few reasons behind this. One, Liberals tend to believe in the idealism of Utopia and that Utopia is actually attainable. They get stuck in these beliefs because they also tend to believe anything that is told to them.
An example of this is the idea of national health care. While it looks fantastic on paper, right now, it doesn't work for us. Our country can't afford it. Yet Liberals refuse to look at that fact right now, because, well, it looks good on paper. You need to educate yourself a lot better than that.
I am not saying this ignorance or desire for Utopia as a bad thing. Quite the contrary. It is an essential part of life. It's like that song in Roger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella:
"But the world is full of zanies and fools, who don't believe in sensible rules. And won't believe what sensible people say. And because these daft and dewy-eyed folks keep building up impossible hopes, impossible things are happening everyday."In order for things to change, we need those people who are ignorant and believe Utopia can be achieved so that better things can come.
Liberals also tend to be hypocritical. There have been so many times in my life where I've known a Liberal and they will outwardly believe in something. They are passionate and 100% for it. Then something happens and all of a sudden they are 100% against it.
An example of this was a friend of mine in high school. She decided she wanted to be a vegetarian. She was so upset that animals are abused in their lives in order to be turned into food for us. She refused to eat meat because of this. I applauded her passion. Then maybe 6 months later she bashed people who believed in that while she took a bite out of a steak. It's not that I am blaming her politics on that. However, that is only one example, out of many.
To me, there is no reason to be a hypocrite. If you are a hypocrite, I will not believe anything you say. Who wants to be that person?
Anyway, the point of this blog is to say that we need each other. We need that dewey-eyed beliefs in Liberals to make things better, but we also need the street smart conservatives in order to make the Utopia that Liberals believe is possible to be more achievable by choosing the correct time for things that Liberals want, since Liberals don't really look at timing or even care about timing.
That is all I have to say.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Compassion
When I was a kid, I was larger than most of the other kids. I was in shape for a good portion of my childhood (until I was about 9 and had to give up sports), but I was thicker than all the other kids. This was because I didn't eat healthy. My parents weren't as food smart as we are these days. I ate what I wanted and my parents let me.
It has become a social norm in our society to hurt those who are slightly different than us. To make fun of them, stare at them, treat them differently, etc. When I was a kid I was made fun of day in and day out for my size. Yes, I should have been eating healthier, but that wasn't the fault of an overweight 9 year old. However, there were kids who still felt it necessary to make me feel less important or less worthy than those who were rail thin.
As I got older, the teasing slowed but the stares, whispers, and behind my back laughs increased. I knew they were looking at my ever growing frame and thinking how long it would be before I finally exploded. I heard some of the things they whispered and thought I didn't hear. I hated who I was enough without their insensitive snickering. As the haters increased in volume, so did the hate inside of me; the hate for them, my weight, and myself. By the time I could make different, and healthier, choices food had become my only real friend. The only companion that made me feel good. Everyone else in my life, it seemed at the time, only wanted me to suffer, and I was.
Here's another story.
I have a friend at my parents' church. He's 19 and has some issues. I don't know if it's cerebral palsy or some other handicap. He is an incredibly wonderful, funny, and smart kid. It is a pleasure to have gotten to know him during my time at Vacation Bible School.
The very last day of Vacation Bible School he decided it was time to say something that he had been wanting to say all week. I can hear his words in my head to this day.
Hearing words like that coming out of his mouth broke my heart. To think that he has been treated so badly in his life because he can't walk, talk, or act like everyone else. People feel like it is their duty to remind him that he's different, when he's probably more intelligent than me.
There are stories like this everyday. Suicide among teens and young adults are at an all time high. It isn't fair. Why can't people remember that everyone is different and in those differences, we have an imperfect but perfect world? When I look at someone different, I want to get to know them. I want to know what makes them tick, what gives them drive.
When I look at myself now, I see someone amazing. I am not going to deny that. Call me egotistical if you will, but the truth is, everyone should be able to do that. Everyone should be able to look into a mirror, or into their hearts and see someone worthwhile.
There is a thought out there that people who bully others only do it because they have such low self-esteem. This could be true, but going back to my story I don't think it's always the case. There were some kids in the mix that were probably miserable. One I can think of off hand came from a broken family. His parents had only recently gotten divorced, and I am sure that played some part in his decision to make me feel miserable. But considering the ratio of how much I was made fun of, Pequot Lakes School was a very depressing place (which in all honesty, I also will not deny). In 3rd grade, I had no friends, the other kids made up songs about how fat I was (and made sure I heard them), and even the teachers laughed as they saw me sitting all alone in a lonely corner of the fence by the bus garage. I was truly alone. Taking that into consideration, the idea that people who bully are also miserable is just a weak justification for our society.
People have lost what it is to be compassionate. The very thing that we see in nature all the time is lost in our species. No matter how much I had to discipline my dog when he was a puppy, at the end of the day he comes and cuddles with me because he loves me for who I am. I remember watching a Wild Discovery special on chimps when I was a young teen, and their society is filled with compassion. I was sent an email once about a bird that mourned the death of another bird, and have seen something like that first hand myself. In today's society, humans have become nothing but self driven people. As a society we have forgotten that we need others in order to survive, and in that sense of togetherness we need to love one another.
One last story, which is the inspiration for this blog.
An 18 year old boy in New Jersey jumped to his death a little over a week ago because he was gay. His roommate recorded a sexual encounter he was having with another boy and put it on the internet for the world to see. This young man was embarrassed and ashamed of who he was and felt that there was no other choice but to take his own life.
I have slowly been losing hope in our society because of stories like this. Can't we all live our lives as who we are? Our differences are what make us special, make us worth learning about. And love shouldn't be conditional, you love because that is what you do. I don't hate anymore for that reason. I have learned through my time that love is the most powerful emotion we have. If you love and have compassion you are a wealthy person.
It has become a social norm in our society to hurt those who are slightly different than us. To make fun of them, stare at them, treat them differently, etc. When I was a kid I was made fun of day in and day out for my size. Yes, I should have been eating healthier, but that wasn't the fault of an overweight 9 year old. However, there were kids who still felt it necessary to make me feel less important or less worthy than those who were rail thin.
As I got older, the teasing slowed but the stares, whispers, and behind my back laughs increased. I knew they were looking at my ever growing frame and thinking how long it would be before I finally exploded. I heard some of the things they whispered and thought I didn't hear. I hated who I was enough without their insensitive snickering. As the haters increased in volume, so did the hate inside of me; the hate for them, my weight, and myself. By the time I could make different, and healthier, choices food had become my only real friend. The only companion that made me feel good. Everyone else in my life, it seemed at the time, only wanted me to suffer, and I was.
Here's another story.
I have a friend at my parents' church. He's 19 and has some issues. I don't know if it's cerebral palsy or some other handicap. He is an incredibly wonderful, funny, and smart kid. It is a pleasure to have gotten to know him during my time at Vacation Bible School.
The very last day of Vacation Bible School he decided it was time to say something that he had been wanting to say all week. I can hear his words in my head to this day.
"You guys are so different. When I am anywhere else, like the mall or at school, I get stares and laughs. Little kids look at me like I am a monster. But you guys treat me like everyone else."
Hearing words like that coming out of his mouth broke my heart. To think that he has been treated so badly in his life because he can't walk, talk, or act like everyone else. People feel like it is their duty to remind him that he's different, when he's probably more intelligent than me.
There are stories like this everyday. Suicide among teens and young adults are at an all time high. It isn't fair. Why can't people remember that everyone is different and in those differences, we have an imperfect but perfect world? When I look at someone different, I want to get to know them. I want to know what makes them tick, what gives them drive.
When I look at myself now, I see someone amazing. I am not going to deny that. Call me egotistical if you will, but the truth is, everyone should be able to do that. Everyone should be able to look into a mirror, or into their hearts and see someone worthwhile.
There is a thought out there that people who bully others only do it because they have such low self-esteem. This could be true, but going back to my story I don't think it's always the case. There were some kids in the mix that were probably miserable. One I can think of off hand came from a broken family. His parents had only recently gotten divorced, and I am sure that played some part in his decision to make me feel miserable. But considering the ratio of how much I was made fun of, Pequot Lakes School was a very depressing place (which in all honesty, I also will not deny). In 3rd grade, I had no friends, the other kids made up songs about how fat I was (and made sure I heard them), and even the teachers laughed as they saw me sitting all alone in a lonely corner of the fence by the bus garage. I was truly alone. Taking that into consideration, the idea that people who bully are also miserable is just a weak justification for our society.
People have lost what it is to be compassionate. The very thing that we see in nature all the time is lost in our species. No matter how much I had to discipline my dog when he was a puppy, at the end of the day he comes and cuddles with me because he loves me for who I am. I remember watching a Wild Discovery special on chimps when I was a young teen, and their society is filled with compassion. I was sent an email once about a bird that mourned the death of another bird, and have seen something like that first hand myself. In today's society, humans have become nothing but self driven people. As a society we have forgotten that we need others in order to survive, and in that sense of togetherness we need to love one another.
One last story, which is the inspiration for this blog.
An 18 year old boy in New Jersey jumped to his death a little over a week ago because he was gay. His roommate recorded a sexual encounter he was having with another boy and put it on the internet for the world to see. This young man was embarrassed and ashamed of who he was and felt that there was no other choice but to take his own life.
I have slowly been losing hope in our society because of stories like this. Can't we all live our lives as who we are? Our differences are what make us special, make us worth learning about. And love shouldn't be conditional, you love because that is what you do. I don't hate anymore for that reason. I have learned through my time that love is the most powerful emotion we have. If you love and have compassion you are a wealthy person.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Things I've Learned
Alright, so every time I leave Minnesota, it seems I learn something new. This all started when I went up to Winnipeg Canada for an anime convention back in 2007.
When I went to Ai-kon, I learned that I had to move away from Minnesota. Not only did I learn that, but I learned that Canada felt like home. Sure, Winnipeg looks just like the midwest, and that's essentially what I plan on escaping from. Canada also isn't a whole lot different than the states. It is, but it isn't at the same time. It's hard to explain unless you've spent time there.
When I went to Anime Evolution only about a month later, I learned that Vancouver is truly where I belong. I remember pulling into the city at about 10pm that night and seeing the lights of the city. Dad put the address for Ocean Studios (the dubbing studio that has dubbed some of my favorite anime) into the GPS and we drove by it. Lights were still on and I could just imagine what was being dubbed at that very moment (very possibly Death Note considering the timing). I remember the feeling I got when I stood on the roof of the college campus that was holding the convention and looking out to the west. I saw the city and the bay, so beautiful. Then I journeyed to the other side and saw the mountains to the east. A lot of tears fell as my parents and I packed up and left that Sunday. I didn't want to leave, I wanted to stay forever.
I have never made it a mystery, since Ai-kon, that I hate living in Minnesota, I hate the midwest all together. I feel trapped and stifled. I need to get out into the world and begin my life. I am often miserable, though I try to hide it as best I can. Living in Minnesota is literally hell. It has everything to do with the fact that it isn't where I belong.
I have always been the kind of person who believes in fate and destiny. Never in my life have I ever felt like I truly belonged here. I was born and raised in Minnesota and have never felt like I belonged. I have never had a strong core of friends, I was always left out of everything, there was a time period in my life where I had no friends at all, not to mention I have always been the black sheep of the family. I don't even belong with the people who share my blood.
The only place I ever felt safe and at home have been the Theatre. So, through that I chose the career path of being an actress. This would be an easy career path to choose and stay in Minnesota, however once I chose it (when I was 13) I knew then that I had to chase something, somewhere. Automatically assumed Los Angeles, which I didn't want to do. Then when I started looking into the idea of Broadway more, I realized that that's where I wanted to go. This thought did not last long. I eventually migrated back to wanting to do television knowing that meant I had to move to LA.
I got back into Anime when I was 19 years old. I had a small falling out when I was 18 and took a short break. I mostly blame Adult Swim and their inability to actually air anime without pissing off the otaku community. I learned of this "new" place called "Vancouver." Oddly enough, I had never heard of it before, I didn't even know what side of Canada it was on, I just knew it was in Canada. So I looked it up in the atlas and saw that it was above Washington. I started doing research about this place and began thinking, "could this be the future that I've been looking for?" I had never really wanted to move to Los Angeles, which is why by this point I was leaning more towards New York again.
After doing research I realized that this place known as "Vancouver" was really where I belonged and began planning a trip to see this city. Enter my trip to Anime Evolution here, about six months later.
After fighting for a visa and fighting to understand what the heck I was supposed to do, I realized that moving to Vancouver was pretty much impossible and settled on living in New York (well New Jersey and work in New York was the finalized plan). That was until my friend Kim and I talked and she talked me back into the idea of Vancouver, or at least the west coast. She told me that she never saw me as an East Coaster. I found a small town right there on the border (literally...the northern city limits...customs). It is called Blaine Washington. She said that getting a work visa is a lot easier than getting a permanent resident visa. So I could live in Blaine and work in Vancouver. I started doing research and discovered that would only make matters that much more complicated. So that idea was put on hold and I was back to square one...where was I going to move?
A friend wanted to move to LA, and had invited me to move with her. This was in the future, not a "let's move now" kind of thing. So I thought that would be the best idea. I would live with someone I knew, and this someone likes dogs (which by this point I had Cosmo) and I was fine with moving to LA since by this point I realized that I didn't want to live in New York either. I fought with myself though, I wanted to move to Vancouver, but it was just too hard. Vancouver was worth the fight, I just wasn't strong enough to fight for it. So now, here I was a future LA dweller. A friend who lives in LA was even going to bring a rent magazine for me (since this plan was going to happen within a year) to a con that we were both attending last October. He forgot (as he does frequently) and I am glad he did.
Remember when I said that every time I leave Minnesota I learn something new? Well, originally I would say "leave the midwest" not just Minnesota. However, when I went to Michigan over Halloween weekend last year I learned some new things, and Michigan is part of the midwest. Not only was my friend there, but so was another voice actor that I had met while in Vancouver. His name, Brad Swaile, credits to his name would include - Light Yagami in Death Note, Quatre in Gundam Wing, Setsuna in Gundam 00 as well as a ton more - we had really clicked the weekend we met.
We met Friday of Anime Evolution. I went to meet him at the signing. I was very excited, it was QUATRE from Gundam Wing! Though not one of my FAVORITE characters (until the Zero episodes) Gundam Wing is what I call my "gateway anime." It was the anime that got me hooked and for that, Brad Swaile was one of my "dealers." So, meeting him was overly exciting. He came and we waited on another voice actor, who never showed, but while we waited Brad struck up a conversation. There were two girls who were so excited to find out that Scott would be at the con on Sunday and Brad laughed knowing that Scott was practically a god in the voice over world. There was another girl who showed Brad a real tattoo she got only a few months before. It was of Nightcrawler in X-Men Evolution. He was wonderfully touched.
I hung out with a Misa Cosplayer in line. At the time, I didn't know who she was. I just knew it had something to do with Death Note since she had one of those Death Note books with her (yeah...it is currently my favorite anime...if only I knew at the time).
The staff thought me and this girl were together in line, so when the time came they had us go up together. I was more than happy to let her go by herself, but in true Misa fashion, she grabbed my arm and said, "let's go!" in a very high pitched squeaky voice. I wish I could remember her name, she was incredibly sweet. She had Brad sign her Death Note, which he didn't want to do. A lot of the voice actors (especially the ones involved) don't like signing them, I can understand why. So he did it in a very creative way. He wrote something else all together and then crossed out some of the letters and put the other letters to his name to eventually spell out "Brad Swaile." Then she was on her way out the door, and I only saw her again once that weekend. Now it was my turn. I handed him my Volume three of Gundam Wing (since that's the one with Quatre on the cover - which never made sense to me...should be Trowa) and he asked if I was from Vancouver. I laughed and said, "No, I am from Minnesota." This made him nearly fall off his chair in one of those anime style falls when people are surprised, "WHAT?! What are you doing here?!" And I said that I had plans to move here eventually and I wanted to check out the city. He immediately got excited and started to ask if I liked it so far and He told me that it was supposed to rain this weekend and he hoped it didn't (as did I since MOST of this con was actually held outside). I told him that it didn't really matter if it rained, it wouldn't hinder my decision. I like rain, so the fact that it rains is almost more of a turn on for me (and for the record, it did rain for about 20 minutes on Saturday). He then started saying that he did hope it rained. There was more to our conversation which lead to an inside joke he wrote on my volume three case, but we need to move on. So, I left Brad behind thinking that our paths may eventually cross again, when I lived in Vancouver.
I had been talked into going to Youmacon in 2009. I really don't remember how that came about. I have a feeling it had something to do with the fact that my new friend, that I met through my friend Kyle, was going to be there and I really wanted to meet her in person. And Kyle was going to be there and I only get to see him once a year at Anime Detour. I had actually made plans the year before to go to Youmacon (since Wayne Grayson was going to be there and I wanted to meet him). However, that plan fell through since Cosmo was in my life now and it was hard to plan traveling cons. Dad had no interest in taking care of a puppy who wasn't potty trained yet, and I wasn't going to go alone so mom was going to come with. It was just a little complicated. So I said no to that con and moved on with my life. This year (2009), I was going, and Wayne Grayson was going to be there again. I was really excited. I checked the guest list one more time and saw a familiar name and face.
Brad Swaile was going to be at Youmacon this year. I was excited. He was overly sweet, not to mention this time, I knew what Death Note was, and I loved it. I had to tell him that I adored him as Light and thought he did a fantastic job. So not only was I going to hang out with Kyle and my friend Colleen, I was going to see Brad again and meet Wayne Grayson and Mike Sinterniklaas. This was shaping up to be an AWESOME weekend.
After opening ceremonies I made my way to Brad hoping to say hi to him. I figured he didn't remember me, it had been a little over two years since we met and he had been to so many cons, boy was I wrong. "Of course I remember you! My Minnesota Canadian!" He blurted out as he hugged me. I introduced him to the friend that came with me that weekend and we obsessed over Death Note. He was whisked away by staff and I turned to see Mike Sinterniklaas still standing there, so he and I talked, mostly about how frightening and disturbing KakuRenBo is (he directed, produced, and starred in the dub).
Sunday came around and I had been able to sneak in a couple of "hi" conversations with Brad and again, we felt totally comfortable around each other. I even got a shot of him in cosplay (he cosplayed that weekend since it was Halloween weekend) on Saturday. However, on Sunday we actually hung out for about a half hour talking. He finally asked the question, "How's the move to Vancouver coming?" I told him that it was not happening because it was just too complicated. He was not happy with this decision and he started to convince me. Part of me wanted him to convince me and the other part of me didn't. I wanted so badly to be given the strength to fight for Vancouver again, but the other part of me wanted to just leave well enough alone, Vancouver wasn't happening. Though, he managed to talk me back into it and I thank God he did. So the weekend of Youmacon, I learned that I do have the strength to fight. I will live in Vancouver, no doubt. I am moving there and nothing will stop me. This was also the conversation that solidified our friendship.
Now, as for this weekend. What did I learn? Well let's recap really fast. I have learned that I hate Minnesota, I want to move to Vancouver, and that I am miserable. Saturday made one thing very clear to me. It's Minnesota that makes me miserable. I have never been so happy in my life than driving around Colorado and seeing all the mountains and exploring this beautiful area. That was it. Minnesota is what makes me miserable. Though that should have been obvious since I don't feel at home here, and I never have. I am not sad that I am back in Minnesota. Actually, I feel quite vindicated that this really is what I need to do. Look out west coast, I am coming. And I am not going to stop until I get what I want!
When I went to Ai-kon, I learned that I had to move away from Minnesota. Not only did I learn that, but I learned that Canada felt like home. Sure, Winnipeg looks just like the midwest, and that's essentially what I plan on escaping from. Canada also isn't a whole lot different than the states. It is, but it isn't at the same time. It's hard to explain unless you've spent time there.
When I went to Anime Evolution only about a month later, I learned that Vancouver is truly where I belong. I remember pulling into the city at about 10pm that night and seeing the lights of the city. Dad put the address for Ocean Studios (the dubbing studio that has dubbed some of my favorite anime) into the GPS and we drove by it. Lights were still on and I could just imagine what was being dubbed at that very moment (very possibly Death Note considering the timing). I remember the feeling I got when I stood on the roof of the college campus that was holding the convention and looking out to the west. I saw the city and the bay, so beautiful. Then I journeyed to the other side and saw the mountains to the east. A lot of tears fell as my parents and I packed up and left that Sunday. I didn't want to leave, I wanted to stay forever.
I have never made it a mystery, since Ai-kon, that I hate living in Minnesota, I hate the midwest all together. I feel trapped and stifled. I need to get out into the world and begin my life. I am often miserable, though I try to hide it as best I can. Living in Minnesota is literally hell. It has everything to do with the fact that it isn't where I belong.
I have always been the kind of person who believes in fate and destiny. Never in my life have I ever felt like I truly belonged here. I was born and raised in Minnesota and have never felt like I belonged. I have never had a strong core of friends, I was always left out of everything, there was a time period in my life where I had no friends at all, not to mention I have always been the black sheep of the family. I don't even belong with the people who share my blood.
The only place I ever felt safe and at home have been the Theatre. So, through that I chose the career path of being an actress. This would be an easy career path to choose and stay in Minnesota, however once I chose it (when I was 13) I knew then that I had to chase something, somewhere. Automatically assumed Los Angeles, which I didn't want to do. Then when I started looking into the idea of Broadway more, I realized that that's where I wanted to go. This thought did not last long. I eventually migrated back to wanting to do television knowing that meant I had to move to LA.
I got back into Anime when I was 19 years old. I had a small falling out when I was 18 and took a short break. I mostly blame Adult Swim and their inability to actually air anime without pissing off the otaku community. I learned of this "new" place called "Vancouver." Oddly enough, I had never heard of it before, I didn't even know what side of Canada it was on, I just knew it was in Canada. So I looked it up in the atlas and saw that it was above Washington. I started doing research about this place and began thinking, "could this be the future that I've been looking for?" I had never really wanted to move to Los Angeles, which is why by this point I was leaning more towards New York again.
After doing research I realized that this place known as "Vancouver" was really where I belonged and began planning a trip to see this city. Enter my trip to Anime Evolution here, about six months later.
After fighting for a visa and fighting to understand what the heck I was supposed to do, I realized that moving to Vancouver was pretty much impossible and settled on living in New York (well New Jersey and work in New York was the finalized plan). That was until my friend Kim and I talked and she talked me back into the idea of Vancouver, or at least the west coast. She told me that she never saw me as an East Coaster. I found a small town right there on the border (literally...the northern city limits...customs). It is called Blaine Washington. She said that getting a work visa is a lot easier than getting a permanent resident visa. So I could live in Blaine and work in Vancouver. I started doing research and discovered that would only make matters that much more complicated. So that idea was put on hold and I was back to square one...where was I going to move?
A friend wanted to move to LA, and had invited me to move with her. This was in the future, not a "let's move now" kind of thing. So I thought that would be the best idea. I would live with someone I knew, and this someone likes dogs (which by this point I had Cosmo) and I was fine with moving to LA since by this point I realized that I didn't want to live in New York either. I fought with myself though, I wanted to move to Vancouver, but it was just too hard. Vancouver was worth the fight, I just wasn't strong enough to fight for it. So now, here I was a future LA dweller. A friend who lives in LA was even going to bring a rent magazine for me (since this plan was going to happen within a year) to a con that we were both attending last October. He forgot (as he does frequently) and I am glad he did.
Remember when I said that every time I leave Minnesota I learn something new? Well, originally I would say "leave the midwest" not just Minnesota. However, when I went to Michigan over Halloween weekend last year I learned some new things, and Michigan is part of the midwest. Not only was my friend there, but so was another voice actor that I had met while in Vancouver. His name, Brad Swaile, credits to his name would include - Light Yagami in Death Note, Quatre in Gundam Wing, Setsuna in Gundam 00 as well as a ton more - we had really clicked the weekend we met.
We met Friday of Anime Evolution. I went to meet him at the signing. I was very excited, it was QUATRE from Gundam Wing! Though not one of my FAVORITE characters (until the Zero episodes) Gundam Wing is what I call my "gateway anime." It was the anime that got me hooked and for that, Brad Swaile was one of my "dealers." So, meeting him was overly exciting. He came and we waited on another voice actor, who never showed, but while we waited Brad struck up a conversation. There were two girls who were so excited to find out that Scott would be at the con on Sunday and Brad laughed knowing that Scott was practically a god in the voice over world. There was another girl who showed Brad a real tattoo she got only a few months before. It was of Nightcrawler in X-Men Evolution. He was wonderfully touched.
I hung out with a Misa Cosplayer in line. At the time, I didn't know who she was. I just knew it had something to do with Death Note since she had one of those Death Note books with her (yeah...it is currently my favorite anime...if only I knew at the time).
The staff thought me and this girl were together in line, so when the time came they had us go up together. I was more than happy to let her go by herself, but in true Misa fashion, she grabbed my arm and said, "let's go!" in a very high pitched squeaky voice. I wish I could remember her name, she was incredibly sweet. She had Brad sign her Death Note, which he didn't want to do. A lot of the voice actors (especially the ones involved) don't like signing them, I can understand why. So he did it in a very creative way. He wrote something else all together and then crossed out some of the letters and put the other letters to his name to eventually spell out "Brad Swaile." Then she was on her way out the door, and I only saw her again once that weekend. Now it was my turn. I handed him my Volume three of Gundam Wing (since that's the one with Quatre on the cover - which never made sense to me...should be Trowa) and he asked if I was from Vancouver. I laughed and said, "No, I am from Minnesota." This made him nearly fall off his chair in one of those anime style falls when people are surprised, "WHAT?! What are you doing here?!" And I said that I had plans to move here eventually and I wanted to check out the city. He immediately got excited and started to ask if I liked it so far and He told me that it was supposed to rain this weekend and he hoped it didn't (as did I since MOST of this con was actually held outside). I told him that it didn't really matter if it rained, it wouldn't hinder my decision. I like rain, so the fact that it rains is almost more of a turn on for me (and for the record, it did rain for about 20 minutes on Saturday). He then started saying that he did hope it rained. There was more to our conversation which lead to an inside joke he wrote on my volume three case, but we need to move on. So, I left Brad behind thinking that our paths may eventually cross again, when I lived in Vancouver.
I had been talked into going to Youmacon in 2009. I really don't remember how that came about. I have a feeling it had something to do with the fact that my new friend, that I met through my friend Kyle, was going to be there and I really wanted to meet her in person. And Kyle was going to be there and I only get to see him once a year at Anime Detour. I had actually made plans the year before to go to Youmacon (since Wayne Grayson was going to be there and I wanted to meet him). However, that plan fell through since Cosmo was in my life now and it was hard to plan traveling cons. Dad had no interest in taking care of a puppy who wasn't potty trained yet, and I wasn't going to go alone so mom was going to come with. It was just a little complicated. So I said no to that con and moved on with my life. This year (2009), I was going, and Wayne Grayson was going to be there again. I was really excited. I checked the guest list one more time and saw a familiar name and face.
Brad Swaile was going to be at Youmacon this year. I was excited. He was overly sweet, not to mention this time, I knew what Death Note was, and I loved it. I had to tell him that I adored him as Light and thought he did a fantastic job. So not only was I going to hang out with Kyle and my friend Colleen, I was going to see Brad again and meet Wayne Grayson and Mike Sinterniklaas. This was shaping up to be an AWESOME weekend.
After opening ceremonies I made my way to Brad hoping to say hi to him. I figured he didn't remember me, it had been a little over two years since we met and he had been to so many cons, boy was I wrong. "Of course I remember you! My Minnesota Canadian!" He blurted out as he hugged me. I introduced him to the friend that came with me that weekend and we obsessed over Death Note. He was whisked away by staff and I turned to see Mike Sinterniklaas still standing there, so he and I talked, mostly about how frightening and disturbing KakuRenBo is (he directed, produced, and starred in the dub).
Sunday came around and I had been able to sneak in a couple of "hi" conversations with Brad and again, we felt totally comfortable around each other. I even got a shot of him in cosplay (he cosplayed that weekend since it was Halloween weekend) on Saturday. However, on Sunday we actually hung out for about a half hour talking. He finally asked the question, "How's the move to Vancouver coming?" I told him that it was not happening because it was just too complicated. He was not happy with this decision and he started to convince me. Part of me wanted him to convince me and the other part of me didn't. I wanted so badly to be given the strength to fight for Vancouver again, but the other part of me wanted to just leave well enough alone, Vancouver wasn't happening. Though, he managed to talk me back into it and I thank God he did. So the weekend of Youmacon, I learned that I do have the strength to fight. I will live in Vancouver, no doubt. I am moving there and nothing will stop me. This was also the conversation that solidified our friendship.
Now, as for this weekend. What did I learn? Well let's recap really fast. I have learned that I hate Minnesota, I want to move to Vancouver, and that I am miserable. Saturday made one thing very clear to me. It's Minnesota that makes me miserable. I have never been so happy in my life than driving around Colorado and seeing all the mountains and exploring this beautiful area. That was it. Minnesota is what makes me miserable. Though that should have been obvious since I don't feel at home here, and I never have. I am not sad that I am back in Minnesota. Actually, I feel quite vindicated that this really is what I need to do. Look out west coast, I am coming. And I am not going to stop until I get what I want!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
AG's Soapbox Episode 4 -- Parenting
I am a really big fan of Death Note. It has been my favorite anime series since I first saw it back in October of 2007. Originally finding the overall plot boring and stupid (as I normally do with things I end up loving). I have begun to collect the manga and will read that once I have all 12 volumes. From what I have read, it will not disappoint and remain my favorite even in manga form.
The basic premise of the series follows a young man named Light (Raito in Japanese) Yagami who finds a notebook after school entitled "Death Note." Upon reading the rules of the Death Note he finds it a clever and funny prank. Though, through sheer curiosity falls for the temptation and decides to use it. He sees a news broadcast of a man holding a bunch of kids hostage in a school. Since it was live coverage he was able to know for sure if the claims in the Death Note are real or not. So he writes the name in the book and (per the rules) waits 40 seconds for something to happen.
The rules of the Death Note state that if you write a name down in the notebook and think of their face then they will die in 40 seconds of a heart attack (or at least they will get a heart attack and die soon there after). Unless the terms of the death were listed otherwise, as long as it is physically possible, you can conceivably control the person up until the point of death, as long as it is written in the notebook.
Once Light realizes what he has was real, he takes it upon himself to rid the world of criminals. Though because he's an egotistical teenager, he also takes it upon himself to become "god" of this new world. This is where the story then takes off. Though for the sake of the blog, I will end it there. Since this blog is not about the story of Death Note and more about how parents need to really start teaching their kids versus letting a manga or television series do it for them.
When I was a kid, Power Rangers ruled the roost of child programming. My parents were never ones to really censor too much. I wasn't allowed to watch The Simpsons or Ren and Stimpy, but other than that I had free reign as long as it was age appropriate. So I was no different than really anyone my age and loved Power Rangers. It was my favorite show, and it still shapes my life everyday even though I no longer watch it. I am a martial artist because of it, a lot of life skills I learned from it, and I also have a love for Anime which I think could be rooted in my love for Power Rangers. Though what my parents did do, was watch these questionable shows with me and give me a good base so I understood, even at that age, that this was make believe and not okay in real life. So I already knew from the beginning that Power Rangers was pretend and needed to stay that way. I played Power Rangers when I was a kid, but I never actually hit anyone in play. If memory serves me correctly, my friends and I fought the air. No one wanted to be the monster, they always wanted to be the Power Rangers.
I remember news reports of kids hurting other kids and it being tied directly to Power Rangers. Parents were up in arms about this violent television show and how it shouldn't exist because it is teaching our kids how to be violent. I watched Power Rangers for a long time, probably longer than I should have, and am not a violent person. And this is because I had actual parents who taught me right from wrong growing up.
There are so many parents out there who are too lazy to know what their kid is watching or reading and how their child is processing what it is they are seeing. Sure, Power Rangers could have helped some kids out there become violent, however, in order for the claim to be true that it was because of Power Rangers, then all kids who watched it should have become violent. It all boils down to the base that the parents set up for their children. So these kids who became violent because it is what they saw on Power Rangers, wasn't because of Power Rangers but the sheer laziness of the parents.
Recently, anime has become the new charge for parents to become very upset at the actions (and in some cases, death) of children. Naruto was the first, that I can think of, to be attacked.
Here is a news clipping of the issue at hand
Now even though this is a terrible tragedy. There is no right to blame a television show as innocent as Naruto for the child's death. At ten years old, he should have known better than to allow himself to be buried head first into sand. I am not downplaying his death at all, I was heart broken when I first heard about it, but later enraged at the fact that the media was trying to blame anime for this child's death.
Most recently, Death Note has been the main focus of parents blaming media for their faults as parents.
I have a link to "Anime News Network" which explains in detail some of the issues at hand. You can find the link at the end of the post, for now I will quote a few passages from it and explain my irritation.
In the very first part of the article it states that a school district in Albuquerque, New Mexico almost banned the manga from their library because of it's content.
With no disrespect to Ms. Salazar, I would have to disagree. If the main objective is to get rid of stories that involve killing then you should also be banning stories like Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and Huckleberry Finn. Some real classics that have been a staple in literature for longer than some of these parents have been alive. Trying to dispose of Death Note because of it's death content, which is a lot less violent than that of the other three stories, would be a moot point.
This comment I do agree with 100%. I was once a teen much like that, and to some extent, an adult that suffers with that very idea. This is what makes Death Note so intriguing. Light claims himself that there is no human alive who would not be at least tempted to try the Death Note at least once. I am comfortable with myself enough to know that if it were real, and I stumbled across it, I would be tempted to use it much like Light did. However, I am just as comfortable with myself to know that I would never actually use it. If only because of my viewpoint about death and killing in general.
Death Note helps people explore these questions and concerns about life in a new and exciting way. It follows a teen that everyone can relate to (whether they want to admit it or not) who is given great power and suffers because of this great power. This is where the plot comes back into play for the blog. Now I am not going to say what happens at the end, in case a few people out there have yet to see it I want to stay spoiler free. However, I can safely say that Light isn't exactly portrayed as a hero. Even though I side with him throughout the series, he is often shown to be going crazy and a villain. It really helps you face your own inner demons.
On the other side of the argument, I have never thought of Death Note as a story for any kind of younger audience. It is not age appropriate for younger teens or kids. You need to be at a certain maturity level to handle a storyline as intense as Death Note.
This one I broke up as to explain my last paragraph. Again, this is a wonderful example of lazy parents who aren't paying attention. Death Note, yes, is a "comic book" and yes is a "cartoon" but that does not immediately signify it as "children's programming." Only our society places the connotation of "children" to the term "animation."
In Japan, animation is like any other show on television. Sometimes it is for children and other times it is for adults. Something like Hamtaro is a perfect example of an anime geared toward children and a safe choice for any parent to let their child watch. Where as one of my personal favorites When They Cry is very much the opposite. At 23, I am almost too young for something like that. It is an amazing story, but it is very violent. When it comes to foreign animation, parents need to really pay attention and understand that just because it is animation doesn't mean a single thing. However, even America has some cartoons that I would never let a child watch. Such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, American Dad, and anything else that comes on Adult Swim (Which is where Death Note aired).
In the case of the fact that Elementary school aged children even know what Death Note is worries me. Not because of Death Note, but because the parents are really that lazy with children of that age. I am not saying that those children will be bad members of society, but I personally would never let my Elementary school aged child (if I had one) watch Death Note. At that point I would be letting them watch things like Pokemon, Digimon, Monster Rancher, and other monster type anime. Again, this goes right back to age appropriate. Those three shows are actually pretty violent, and possibly more violent than Death Note, it's just a different kind of violence. The same kind of violence that Power Rangers was. Monsters fight other monsters and no one ever "dies." In Pokemon's worst case scenario, the pokemon will faint and awake later just fine. In Digimon and Monster Rancher the monsters disappear after they are defeated. In Digimon they go back to being eggs and in Monster Rancher they turn into discs that can, and will, be revived later.
In all reality, this is an open letter to parents. You really need to pay more attention to what your children are watching and reading. If you are not comfortable with their choice then either forbid them for now, until the story is a little more age appropriate, or sit them down and talk to them. I was once one of those children. My parents raised me with enough respect for them, I listened, and understood. So please, stop blaming television and manga for your short comings.
If you would like to read the whole article you can find it here.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-05-10/death-note-ban-in-albuquerque-high-schools-fails-vote
As well as the synopsis of Death Note from the same source
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6592
The basic premise of the series follows a young man named Light (Raito in Japanese) Yagami who finds a notebook after school entitled "Death Note." Upon reading the rules of the Death Note he finds it a clever and funny prank. Though, through sheer curiosity falls for the temptation and decides to use it. He sees a news broadcast of a man holding a bunch of kids hostage in a school. Since it was live coverage he was able to know for sure if the claims in the Death Note are real or not. So he writes the name in the book and (per the rules) waits 40 seconds for something to happen.
The rules of the Death Note state that if you write a name down in the notebook and think of their face then they will die in 40 seconds of a heart attack (or at least they will get a heart attack and die soon there after). Unless the terms of the death were listed otherwise, as long as it is physically possible, you can conceivably control the person up until the point of death, as long as it is written in the notebook.
Once Light realizes what he has was real, he takes it upon himself to rid the world of criminals. Though because he's an egotistical teenager, he also takes it upon himself to become "god" of this new world. This is where the story then takes off. Though for the sake of the blog, I will end it there. Since this blog is not about the story of Death Note and more about how parents need to really start teaching their kids versus letting a manga or television series do it for them.
When I was a kid, Power Rangers ruled the roost of child programming. My parents were never ones to really censor too much. I wasn't allowed to watch The Simpsons or Ren and Stimpy, but other than that I had free reign as long as it was age appropriate. So I was no different than really anyone my age and loved Power Rangers. It was my favorite show, and it still shapes my life everyday even though I no longer watch it. I am a martial artist because of it, a lot of life skills I learned from it, and I also have a love for Anime which I think could be rooted in my love for Power Rangers. Though what my parents did do, was watch these questionable shows with me and give me a good base so I understood, even at that age, that this was make believe and not okay in real life. So I already knew from the beginning that Power Rangers was pretend and needed to stay that way. I played Power Rangers when I was a kid, but I never actually hit anyone in play. If memory serves me correctly, my friends and I fought the air. No one wanted to be the monster, they always wanted to be the Power Rangers.
I remember news reports of kids hurting other kids and it being tied directly to Power Rangers. Parents were up in arms about this violent television show and how it shouldn't exist because it is teaching our kids how to be violent. I watched Power Rangers for a long time, probably longer than I should have, and am not a violent person. And this is because I had actual parents who taught me right from wrong growing up.
There are so many parents out there who are too lazy to know what their kid is watching or reading and how their child is processing what it is they are seeing. Sure, Power Rangers could have helped some kids out there become violent, however, in order for the claim to be true that it was because of Power Rangers, then all kids who watched it should have become violent. It all boils down to the base that the parents set up for their children. So these kids who became violent because it is what they saw on Power Rangers, wasn't because of Power Rangers but the sheer laziness of the parents.
Recently, anime has become the new charge for parents to become very upset at the actions (and in some cases, death) of children. Naruto was the first, that I can think of, to be attacked.
Here is a news clipping of the issue at hand
Now even though this is a terrible tragedy. There is no right to blame a television show as innocent as Naruto for the child's death. At ten years old, he should have known better than to allow himself to be buried head first into sand. I am not downplaying his death at all, I was heart broken when I first heard about it, but later enraged at the fact that the media was trying to blame anime for this child's death.
Most recently, Death Note has been the main focus of parents blaming media for their faults as parents.
I have a link to "Anime News Network" which explains in detail some of the issues at hand. You can find the link at the end of the post, for now I will quote a few passages from it and explain my irritation.
In the very first part of the article it states that a school district in Albuquerque, New Mexico almost banned the manga from their library because of it's content.
Peggy Salazar, a mother of a student at Albuquerque's Volcano Vista High School, advocated for the ban and added, "Killing is just not something we should put out there for our kids to read in this way." At least two of the district's 13 other high schools — Valley High School and Atrisco Heritage Academy — also carry the manga in their libraries.
With no disrespect to Ms. Salazar, I would have to disagree. If the main objective is to get rid of stories that involve killing then you should also be banning stories like Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and Huckleberry Finn. Some real classics that have been a staple in literature for longer than some of these parents have been alive. Trying to dispose of Death Note because of it's death content, which is a lot less violent than that of the other three stories, would be a moot point.
Tom Genne, one of the seven committee members at Thursday's hearing, said, "High school age kids do grapple with questions about justice and morality, and whether civilization, or the societies of which they are a part of, are making good decisions."
This comment I do agree with 100%. I was once a teen much like that, and to some extent, an adult that suffers with that very idea. This is what makes Death Note so intriguing. Light claims himself that there is no human alive who would not be at least tempted to try the Death Note at least once. I am comfortable with myself enough to know that if it were real, and I stumbled across it, I would be tempted to use it much like Light did. However, I am just as comfortable with myself to know that I would never actually use it. If only because of my viewpoint about death and killing in general.
Death Note helps people explore these questions and concerns about life in a new and exciting way. It follows a teen that everyone can relate to (whether they want to admit it or not) who is given great power and suffers because of this great power. This is where the plot comes back into play for the blog. Now I am not going to say what happens at the end, in case a few people out there have yet to see it I want to stay spoiler free. However, I can safely say that Light isn't exactly portrayed as a hero. Even though I side with him throughout the series, he is often shown to be going crazy and a villain. It really helps you face your own inner demons.
On the other side of the argument, I have never thought of Death Note as a story for any kind of younger audience. It is not age appropriate for younger teens or kids. You need to be at a certain maturity level to handle a storyline as intense as Death Note.
There have been at least six previous incidents in the United States where school officials linked "Death Notes" to students being disciplined....Two elementary school students from Oklahoma City were to be disciplined last December for allegedly listing two other students and the manners of their fictional deaths in a "Death Note" notebook.
This one I broke up as to explain my last paragraph. Again, this is a wonderful example of lazy parents who aren't paying attention. Death Note, yes, is a "comic book" and yes is a "cartoon" but that does not immediately signify it as "children's programming." Only our society places the connotation of "children" to the term "animation."
In Japan, animation is like any other show on television. Sometimes it is for children and other times it is for adults. Something like Hamtaro is a perfect example of an anime geared toward children and a safe choice for any parent to let their child watch. Where as one of my personal favorites When They Cry is very much the opposite. At 23, I am almost too young for something like that. It is an amazing story, but it is very violent. When it comes to foreign animation, parents need to really pay attention and understand that just because it is animation doesn't mean a single thing. However, even America has some cartoons that I would never let a child watch. Such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, American Dad, and anything else that comes on Adult Swim (Which is where Death Note aired).
In the case of the fact that Elementary school aged children even know what Death Note is worries me. Not because of Death Note, but because the parents are really that lazy with children of that age. I am not saying that those children will be bad members of society, but I personally would never let my Elementary school aged child (if I had one) watch Death Note. At that point I would be letting them watch things like Pokemon, Digimon, Monster Rancher, and other monster type anime. Again, this goes right back to age appropriate. Those three shows are actually pretty violent, and possibly more violent than Death Note, it's just a different kind of violence. The same kind of violence that Power Rangers was. Monsters fight other monsters and no one ever "dies." In Pokemon's worst case scenario, the pokemon will faint and awake later just fine. In Digimon and Monster Rancher the monsters disappear after they are defeated. In Digimon they go back to being eggs and in Monster Rancher they turn into discs that can, and will, be revived later.
In all reality, this is an open letter to parents. You really need to pay more attention to what your children are watching and reading. If you are not comfortable with their choice then either forbid them for now, until the story is a little more age appropriate, or sit them down and talk to them. I was once one of those children. My parents raised me with enough respect for them, I listened, and understood. So please, stop blaming television and manga for your short comings.
If you would like to read the whole article you can find it here.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-05-10/death-note-ban-in-albuquerque-high-schools-fails-vote
As well as the synopsis of Death Note from the same source
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6592
Friday, March 26, 2010
Family Feud FMA Style
You are either here because I directed you to it through my video on March 26, 2010 or you searched on blogger...either way let me explain to you what's going on.
In about a month I will be attending Anime Detour 2010 and there I host a panel which is a "battle" between rivals. The Risembool Rangers and The Miniskirt Army. It is a game panel. Normally the two factions play dodgeball, but seeing as how the con won't let us do that inside and there is no way to know whether or not the weather will cooperate in April, we play trivia games.
This year we are playing "Family Feud" and we need YOUR help to get it all together. That's right YOU will be our survey. Below you will find the survey. Please participate to make this game fun and exciting. I will put all I can on my youtube channel when it is done so you all can watch the game :-) Thanks in advance for the help!
Please answer any and all questions you can to give us the best answers possible. DON'T comment the answers here. You can send them privately to me on Youtube at agactinggirl or to my email which is agactinggirl@hotmail.com
Thanks for your help!
Question: If someone had to store your soul (like Alphonse), what container would you want your soul put in?
Q: What character would you name your pet after?
Q: Which Voice Actor would you most like to meet?
Q: Beside Roy Mustang, Name a role played by Travis Willingham
Q: Beside Edward Elric, Name a role played by Vic Mignogna
Q: What Homunculi would you want to be?
Q: Which city/town in the FMA Universe would you want to live in? (Answers don't include cities that crossover from the other side of the Gate/Real World)
Examples -- Central City | East City | Risembool | Dublith | Youswell | Ishbal | Lior/New Lior | Rush Valley | Lintar | Xenotime | Aquroyaq | New Optain | West City | North City | South City | Xerxes
Area Names: Amestris, Drachma, Creta, Aerugo, The Great Desert, and Xing
Q: Favorite Alchemy Type
Examples -- Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Explosive, Human, Biological, Soul/Spiritual, Healing
Q: Favorite Couple
Combination of any two characters
Ones I can think of/fairly popular:
Canon: HughesGracia, HohoTrisha, HohoDante, IzumiSig
Het : RoyRiza, EdWinry, AlWinry, RoyLust, BlochRoss (aka DennyMaria), GluttonyLust
Yaoi: RoyEd, RoyAl, RoyHavoc, RoyHughes, EdAl, EdEnvy, EdRussell, GreedKimblee, ScarAl
Yuri: WinrySheska, WinryRiza
Q: Favorite on screen animal or pet
Examples -- Black Hayate, Al's Kitty, May's Panda, Author Cow, Cornello's Bird, Cornello's Chimera, Alexander (Nina's Dog), Shou's Talking Chimera, Chico (the Cat)
Q: Favorite Episode/Arc of original series
Arc 1: Flashbacks/First Steps
Lior I (Eps 1-4) | Majihal (Ep 5) | State Alchemy Exam (Ep 6-8) | Yoki/Lyra (Ep 9) | Psiren (Ep 10)
Arc 2: Moving Forward
Tringham Brothers (Ep 11-12) | Recertification (Ep 13) | Enemies (Ep 14-15) | Going Home (Ep 16-17)
Arc 3: Trouble Starts
Lab 5 (Ep 18-23) | Seperation (Ep 24-25)
Arc 4: Lessons Learned
Teacher (Eps 26-28) | Wrath (Ep 29-31) | Dante (Ep 32) | Greed (Ep 33-34)
Arc 5: Steps Taken
Regroup (Ep 35-36) | Filler (Ep 37) | Spliting Up (Ep 38-40)
Arc 6: Not Yet The End
Lior II (Ep 41-43) | Common Ground (Ep 44-45) | Fixing Past Mistakes (Ep 46-48) | The Gate (Ep 49-51)
Arc 7: New World
Conquror of Shamballa (Movie)
Who's your favorite...
Villian?
This include the seven homunculi (or ten if you start counting different forms), Dante, Father (manga), Scar, Barry the Chopper, Psiren, Yoki, Lyra, Tucker, Archer, the Devil's Nest crew (Bido, Dorochet, Marta, Law, Doc, Blondie, Kimblee)
Military Personel?
Roy, Havoc, Hawkeye, Fuery, Falman, Breda, Hughes, Yoki, Kimblee, Alex Louis Armstrong, Olivier Mira Armstrong (manga), Bradley, Edward, Tucker, Archer, Hakuro, Basque Grand, Marcoh, Denny Brosh, Maria Ross, Sheska, Miles (manga),
Alchemist?
Edward, Alphonse, Roy, Armstrong, Izumi, Kimblee, Basque Grand, Scar, Hoho-papa, Marcoh, Tucker, Russell and Fletcher Tringham, Lujon, Majhal, May (sort of, manga)
Civilian?
Winry and Pinako Rockbell; Trisha; Sig; Nina; Rick and Leo; Kyle; Rose; Belsio; Majhal; Manny (Chico's owner); Cornello; Cray; Lyra; Katherine Armstrong; Gracia and Elicia Hughes; Nash, Russell, and Fletcher Tringham; Ling (Lin, manga); Ran Fan (manga); May (manga)
In about a month I will be attending Anime Detour 2010 and there I host a panel which is a "battle" between rivals. The Risembool Rangers and The Miniskirt Army. It is a game panel. Normally the two factions play dodgeball, but seeing as how the con won't let us do that inside and there is no way to know whether or not the weather will cooperate in April, we play trivia games.
This year we are playing "Family Feud" and we need YOUR help to get it all together. That's right YOU will be our survey. Below you will find the survey. Please participate to make this game fun and exciting. I will put all I can on my youtube channel when it is done so you all can watch the game :-) Thanks in advance for the help!
Please answer any and all questions you can to give us the best answers possible. DON'T comment the answers here. You can send them privately to me on Youtube at agactinggirl or to my email which is agactinggirl@hotmail.com
Thanks for your help!
Question: If someone had to store your soul (like Alphonse), what container would you want your soul put in?
Q: What character would you name your pet after?
Q: Which Voice Actor would you most like to meet?
Q: Beside Roy Mustang, Name a role played by Travis Willingham
Q: Beside Edward Elric, Name a role played by Vic Mignogna
Q: What Homunculi would you want to be?
Q: Which city/town in the FMA Universe would you want to live in? (Answers don't include cities that crossover from the other side of the Gate/Real World)
Examples -- Central City | East City | Risembool | Dublith | Youswell | Ishbal | Lior/New Lior | Rush Valley | Lintar | Xenotime | Aquroyaq | New Optain | West City | North City | South City | Xerxes
Area Names: Amestris, Drachma, Creta, Aerugo, The Great Desert, and Xing
Q: Favorite Alchemy Type
Examples -- Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Explosive, Human, Biological, Soul/Spiritual, Healing
Q: Favorite Couple
Combination of any two characters
Ones I can think of/fairly popular:
Canon: HughesGracia, HohoTrisha, HohoDante, IzumiSig
Het : RoyRiza, EdWinry, AlWinry, RoyLust, BlochRoss (aka DennyMaria), GluttonyLust
Yaoi: RoyEd, RoyAl, RoyHavoc, RoyHughes, EdAl, EdEnvy, EdRussell, GreedKimblee, ScarAl
Yuri: WinrySheska, WinryRiza
Q: Favorite on screen animal or pet
Examples -- Black Hayate, Al's Kitty, May's Panda, Author Cow, Cornello's Bird, Cornello's Chimera, Alexander (Nina's Dog), Shou's Talking Chimera, Chico (the Cat)
Q: Favorite Episode/Arc of original series
Arc 1: Flashbacks/First Steps
Lior I (Eps 1-4) | Majihal (Ep 5) | State Alchemy Exam (Ep 6-8) | Yoki/Lyra (Ep 9) | Psiren (Ep 10)
Arc 2: Moving Forward
Tringham Brothers (Ep 11-12) | Recertification (Ep 13) | Enemies (Ep 14-15) | Going Home (Ep 16-17)
Arc 3: Trouble Starts
Lab 5 (Ep 18-23) | Seperation (Ep 24-25)
Arc 4: Lessons Learned
Teacher (Eps 26-28) | Wrath (Ep 29-31) | Dante (Ep 32) | Greed (Ep 33-34)
Arc 5: Steps Taken
Regroup (Ep 35-36) | Filler (Ep 37) | Spliting Up (Ep 38-40)
Arc 6: Not Yet The End
Lior II (Ep 41-43) | Common Ground (Ep 44-45) | Fixing Past Mistakes (Ep 46-48) | The Gate (Ep 49-51)
Arc 7: New World
Conquror of Shamballa (Movie)
Who's your favorite...
Villian?
This include the seven homunculi (or ten if you start counting different forms), Dante, Father (manga), Scar, Barry the Chopper, Psiren, Yoki, Lyra, Tucker, Archer, the Devil's Nest crew (Bido, Dorochet, Marta, Law, Doc, Blondie, Kimblee)
Military Personel?
Roy, Havoc, Hawkeye, Fuery, Falman, Breda, Hughes, Yoki, Kimblee, Alex Louis Armstrong, Olivier Mira Armstrong (manga), Bradley, Edward, Tucker, Archer, Hakuro, Basque Grand, Marcoh, Denny Brosh, Maria Ross, Sheska, Miles (manga),
Alchemist?
Edward, Alphonse, Roy, Armstrong, Izumi, Kimblee, Basque Grand, Scar, Hoho-papa, Marcoh, Tucker, Russell and Fletcher Tringham, Lujon, Majhal, May (sort of, manga)
Civilian?
Winry and Pinako Rockbell; Trisha; Sig; Nina; Rick and Leo; Kyle; Rose; Belsio; Majhal; Manny (Chico's owner); Cornello; Cray; Lyra; Katherine Armstrong; Gracia and Elicia Hughes; Nash, Russell, and Fletcher Tringham; Ling (Lin, manga); Ran Fan (manga); May (manga)
Friday, February 19, 2010
Dog Mom
So many people talk about the difficulties of raising human children. Now I don't have any human children, but I do have a canine child. Let me tell you, canine children are very difficult to raise.
Now, before I have an angry mob of mothers (lead by my sister) attacking me for claiming my dog is like a child to me and is "more" difficult to raise than a human child, let me say this, he is not MORE difficult. Cosmo is just difficult in a different way. Like infants, he can only communicate with me in a very limited way. He has certain barks, whines, and grunts that tell me what he needs from me from hunger to needing to go potty.
Being a dog mom is a very eye opening experience to understanding life with an infant, the only difference is, dogs never outgrow this infancy. Sure they learn how to become independent like a toddler or a child, but they remain limited in communication.
When I am taking care of my twin nieces, they are at an age now when they can tell me exactly what it is they want. Cosmo has to work harder. Cosmo has been in my life now for about a year and a half (August 15, 2008 is when I brought him home), so I am well versed in what it is he wants. I can't explain it, but I just need to hear one sound and I will immediately know what he wants or needs. A lot of times he is just an attention whore and wants me to acknowledge his existence. However, there are times, like last night, where he is able to confuse me.
Another thing about dogs is that they can't have their diets changed rapidly. They are carnivores which means they eat meat. However this also means that their stomachs can't handle a varied diet. I worked in a pet store for a year having this explained to me and me explaining it to customers. Omnivores, like humans, require a varied diet, whereas dogs and cats, who are almost strictly carnivores, can't handle that. Cosmo is most definitely not a strict carnivore, he likes honey crisp apples as I learned the hard way one night (so now I know how to treat him when momma is having a midnight snack of honey crisp apples -- I just give him the core)
So let's back up to the beginning of the week. We ran out of dog food and mom had the check card...since my recent banking issues with TCF, I don't have a checking account right now. Well that's a lie, I do, but I can't use it right now for various reasons...but that's a different blog. So Cosmo was out of food Monday morning. I sent dad a text asking him to pick up some canned food for that night and the next morning. He complied and returned with Alpo. He bought more than I expected him to, but I am glad he did.
I give Cosmo canned food as a treat night every so often, so it's not like he doesn't eat canned food. He gets very excited when he hears me opening the can and smelling the delicious meat waiting to be devoured, and Monday night was no exception. Mom was supposed to return home from my sister's house (she was staying with her since my Brother in-law was out of town for a couple of nights) Monday evening. However, she is a sucker for her grandchildren (not saying I'm not...they have auntie wrapped around their little fingers too) and stayed a second night. So from Monday night to Wednesday morning Cosmo was living off of Alpo canned food. Mom brought a bag of food home with her Wednesday night, but Cosmo had already eaten.
He was already starting to show symptoms of a bad tummy on Wednesday night. Mom had brought him down a pet bone and he had been chewing on it for hours. As she was going upstairs to go to bed, she looked at him and asked why he was breathing so heavy. I shrugged it off and said, "he's been chewing on that bone for hours, he probably wore himself out." She laughed and went to bed. When I woke up yesterday morning I noticed his breathing hadn't changed. Now I was starting to worry. I started feeling around his chest to see if there was something wrong. Another thing I learned while working at the pet store was how to check for colds and other issues dogs have. Cosmo hasn't had a cold since I worked at the pet store and brought a bug home with me from the other dogs. But, I wasn't going to chance it. He's still pretty communal (which is why pet store dogs get colds so much) since all of our neighbors have dogs and they all meet up at their respective fences and do whatever it is dogs do to communicate with each other (I have always believed it's like Homeward Bound where they communicate telepathically).
The real symptoms showed up last night when he came in and ate his dinner at around 7:30. At first I didn't realize it because it is normal for him to eat and have to go back outside anywhere from a half hour to an hour later. Mom was alarmed at this, however. I explained it was normal and she didn't worry so much. I let him back inside about fifteen minutes later and thought everything would be fine. However, about another hour later he was begging to go back outside. I finally started realizing what was going on, Cosmo had the runs.
This is the third time in his life he has had the runs. The first time was when he was still very young. He was about five months old. It was back when I had given up on trying to crate him and locked him in the bathroom when I was out of the apartment. It was actually about this time last year when I stood outside with him every couple of hours and watched him be really upset at the diarrhea (I am not going to get too graphic...but it was funny and sad all at the same time). I knew my puppy was sick then, he showed it. I finally called the vet after about a week. They told me a home remedy and it cleared up within a couple of days. However, the worst part about that time was when I returned home from work at 9:30. I had worked a six hour shift that day and I knew I was going to come home to an absolute mess in the bathroom, but I really had no idea. It was worse than I imagined. He was COVERED along with the bathroom floor. If I could smell, I am sure I would have thrown up at just the stench alone. Thank God for my loss of smell.
The second time was when he ate my aunt and uncle's dogs' food at my Grandma's over Thanksgiving. He didn't get it nearly that bad. Just loose stool and couldn't really control it. He was also stressed since it had been the longest car ride so far in his life. So I am sure his stomach was turning from that as well.
So I knew I wasn't going to have a good night, unless he was able to sleep through the night. Cosmo normally does, it's very rare for him to be awake at all when I am sleeping. There have been a few times he wouldn't sleep soundly, like the night before my Youmacon trip since Momo was here and he wanted to play with her. I'll tell ya, driving twelve hours on four hours of sleep (and not consecutive), not fun. I said my goodbyes to my friends and went to bed at about midnight. Cosmo woke me up about every hour to go outside so he didn't get yelled at for going in the house. I must say, I was pretty impressed with his ability to hold it until he got to the area he poops in (by the fence, I am assuming because he claims it as his own) which I found today as I took a walk around the yard with him to see if his runs were in fact still around.
Staying up all night with a sick dog isn't exactly "fun" but it is all part of the job. And this is truly why I liken having a dog is much like having a child. If they are sick, you worry about them and if you need to, you will stay up all night to make sure they are okay. It may not be a glorious moment in your life as a parent, but one that proves your love and one of those defining moments that make you a good parent.
~~Home Remedy for the Runs as per Dr. DeBlieck~~
~Half a pound of Ground Beef cooked in Sloppy Joe form
~Boil a cup of white rice
~Mix the two
~Let cool
The meat is to make sure the dog is getting protein but apparently for the dog's digestive system the rice hardens stool.
Please share some of your stories as a dog mom :-)
Now, before I have an angry mob of mothers (lead by my sister) attacking me for claiming my dog is like a child to me and is "more" difficult to raise than a human child, let me say this, he is not MORE difficult. Cosmo is just difficult in a different way. Like infants, he can only communicate with me in a very limited way. He has certain barks, whines, and grunts that tell me what he needs from me from hunger to needing to go potty.
Being a dog mom is a very eye opening experience to understanding life with an infant, the only difference is, dogs never outgrow this infancy. Sure they learn how to become independent like a toddler or a child, but they remain limited in communication.
When I am taking care of my twin nieces, they are at an age now when they can tell me exactly what it is they want. Cosmo has to work harder. Cosmo has been in my life now for about a year and a half (August 15, 2008 is when I brought him home), so I am well versed in what it is he wants. I can't explain it, but I just need to hear one sound and I will immediately know what he wants or needs. A lot of times he is just an attention whore and wants me to acknowledge his existence. However, there are times, like last night, where he is able to confuse me.
Another thing about dogs is that they can't have their diets changed rapidly. They are carnivores which means they eat meat. However this also means that their stomachs can't handle a varied diet. I worked in a pet store for a year having this explained to me and me explaining it to customers. Omnivores, like humans, require a varied diet, whereas dogs and cats, who are almost strictly carnivores, can't handle that. Cosmo is most definitely not a strict carnivore, he likes honey crisp apples as I learned the hard way one night (so now I know how to treat him when momma is having a midnight snack of honey crisp apples -- I just give him the core)
So let's back up to the beginning of the week. We ran out of dog food and mom had the check card...since my recent banking issues with TCF, I don't have a checking account right now. Well that's a lie, I do, but I can't use it right now for various reasons...but that's a different blog. So Cosmo was out of food Monday morning. I sent dad a text asking him to pick up some canned food for that night and the next morning. He complied and returned with Alpo. He bought more than I expected him to, but I am glad he did.
I give Cosmo canned food as a treat night every so often, so it's not like he doesn't eat canned food. He gets very excited when he hears me opening the can and smelling the delicious meat waiting to be devoured, and Monday night was no exception. Mom was supposed to return home from my sister's house (she was staying with her since my Brother in-law was out of town for a couple of nights) Monday evening. However, she is a sucker for her grandchildren (not saying I'm not...they have auntie wrapped around their little fingers too) and stayed a second night. So from Monday night to Wednesday morning Cosmo was living off of Alpo canned food. Mom brought a bag of food home with her Wednesday night, but Cosmo had already eaten.
He was already starting to show symptoms of a bad tummy on Wednesday night. Mom had brought him down a pet bone and he had been chewing on it for hours. As she was going upstairs to go to bed, she looked at him and asked why he was breathing so heavy. I shrugged it off and said, "he's been chewing on that bone for hours, he probably wore himself out." She laughed and went to bed. When I woke up yesterday morning I noticed his breathing hadn't changed. Now I was starting to worry. I started feeling around his chest to see if there was something wrong. Another thing I learned while working at the pet store was how to check for colds and other issues dogs have. Cosmo hasn't had a cold since I worked at the pet store and brought a bug home with me from the other dogs. But, I wasn't going to chance it. He's still pretty communal (which is why pet store dogs get colds so much) since all of our neighbors have dogs and they all meet up at their respective fences and do whatever it is dogs do to communicate with each other (I have always believed it's like Homeward Bound where they communicate telepathically).
The real symptoms showed up last night when he came in and ate his dinner at around 7:30. At first I didn't realize it because it is normal for him to eat and have to go back outside anywhere from a half hour to an hour later. Mom was alarmed at this, however. I explained it was normal and she didn't worry so much. I let him back inside about fifteen minutes later and thought everything would be fine. However, about another hour later he was begging to go back outside. I finally started realizing what was going on, Cosmo had the runs.
This is the third time in his life he has had the runs. The first time was when he was still very young. He was about five months old. It was back when I had given up on trying to crate him and locked him in the bathroom when I was out of the apartment. It was actually about this time last year when I stood outside with him every couple of hours and watched him be really upset at the diarrhea (I am not going to get too graphic...but it was funny and sad all at the same time). I knew my puppy was sick then, he showed it. I finally called the vet after about a week. They told me a home remedy and it cleared up within a couple of days. However, the worst part about that time was when I returned home from work at 9:30. I had worked a six hour shift that day and I knew I was going to come home to an absolute mess in the bathroom, but I really had no idea. It was worse than I imagined. He was COVERED along with the bathroom floor. If I could smell, I am sure I would have thrown up at just the stench alone. Thank God for my loss of smell.
The second time was when he ate my aunt and uncle's dogs' food at my Grandma's over Thanksgiving. He didn't get it nearly that bad. Just loose stool and couldn't really control it. He was also stressed since it had been the longest car ride so far in his life. So I am sure his stomach was turning from that as well.
So I knew I wasn't going to have a good night, unless he was able to sleep through the night. Cosmo normally does, it's very rare for him to be awake at all when I am sleeping. There have been a few times he wouldn't sleep soundly, like the night before my Youmacon trip since Momo was here and he wanted to play with her. I'll tell ya, driving twelve hours on four hours of sleep (and not consecutive), not fun. I said my goodbyes to my friends and went to bed at about midnight. Cosmo woke me up about every hour to go outside so he didn't get yelled at for going in the house. I must say, I was pretty impressed with his ability to hold it until he got to the area he poops in (by the fence, I am assuming because he claims it as his own) which I found today as I took a walk around the yard with him to see if his runs were in fact still around.
Staying up all night with a sick dog isn't exactly "fun" but it is all part of the job. And this is truly why I liken having a dog is much like having a child. If they are sick, you worry about them and if you need to, you will stay up all night to make sure they are okay. It may not be a glorious moment in your life as a parent, but one that proves your love and one of those defining moments that make you a good parent.
~~Home Remedy for the Runs as per Dr. DeBlieck~~
~Half a pound of Ground Beef cooked in Sloppy Joe form
~Boil a cup of white rice
~Mix the two
~Let cool
The meat is to make sure the dog is getting protein but apparently for the dog's digestive system the rice hardens stool.
Please share some of your stories as a dog mom :-)
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