:: Womit ::

:: Friday, December 13, 2002 ::

So Bush is taking Lott to task over the Thurmond remarks. So why the fuck didn`t anyone ever take the grand ole state of SOUTH CAROLINA to task for electing that senile old fart into office for the past two hundred years in the first place?

It`s says alot about our country that one state would continually re-elect a man like that. It says that our country is full of idiots.

Don`t worry; it will all get better when I build my obsidian floating fortress of doom and co-overlord it with April. Josh, dahling, remember - no German lesbian dominatrix outfits for this evil villain duo - thanks!

[PS This post has been edited for the sake of my continued credibility. Hey. I`m in Japan, cut me some frickin` slack.]
:: 12:16 AM [+] ::
...

Saw two funny links. The first one is here.

The second is Harry Potter spam. Not for the faint of heart (or those who haven`t read up to the last book.)


:: 12:07 AM [+] ::
...

Stacey makes dinner

I found this awesome recipe I wanted to try called Madame Lou's Fish and Rice. It's a rice cooker recipe so I was all set to make it. I had the fish and the rice. But as I viewed the ingredients for the marinade, I realized I didn't have some. But I am an intrepid explorer and a chem grad to boot, so I got to work.

Stacey: Ah...let's see. Fish and rice check. Minced garlic...Garlic powder works. White pepper, black pepper same difference. Um, next. Green onions. I'll just skip that. Oyster sauce. Soy sauce is almost the same - well it's the same color at any rate. Rice vinegar. Nope, don't have that either. I do have sushi vinegar; it shouldn't taste too different. Sugar. Check. Let's see...I don't have brandy or sherry. I'll substitute...hmm...tequila or vodka? I'll go with tequila. And lastly, sesame oil. Excellent. Okay, time to whip this up!

I did. I marinated. I put all the ingredients together in the rice cooker. I hit the button. I walked away. Thirty minutes later - ding! And it was time to eat.

I took a bite.

AND IT WAS THE BEST STUFF I HAD EVER MADE! Man, it was awesome! I rock!

Madame Lou's Fish and Rice is now re-named as Mistress of Darkness Stacey Su's Kick Ass Fish and Rice Dinner Extravaganza. Hell yeah.

Oh, I am in a reasonably good mood so go to the link and enjoy.
:: 4:21 AM [+] ::
...

As I scramble to get all things ready - speeches, lesson plans, finishing this and that and the other, gathering information for the USA NG newsletter, getting my scooter sold, getting my re-application to Georgetown ready, sending out christmas cards and gifts, gathering things for the flea market for my friend Dannette who needs money to go to Iraq (yes, you read that right), write my article for the newspaper, transfer money into the right account for the USA NG, re-read my training manual for the Peer Support Group, call the bus station for return tickets, make a hostel reservation for when I get back to Japan after Christmas, plan for the adult conversation class I`ll be starting, and a bundle of other things I can`t remember but have written down somewhere - I came across an email from Chanda, the PSG leader-goddess of Japan. She need someone to take over the newsletter.

I gleefully thought to myself - oh I can do that! And then promptly smacked myself in the forehead because everyone knows that jarring your brain against your skull will make you smarter.

Yet a part of me is saying - you can do it. You know you can. You know you want to. They NEED you Stacey. Give up your free time and help someone!

I am a masochistic. But I will not succumb. My plate is full. Do you hear me, brain? FULL.



:: 8:57 PM [+] ::
...

Stacey's Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

I have been a good girl.

It really wasn't my fault what happened at Anne's Christmas party. It was April who spiked the punch with too much Tequila Sunrise. I can't help it if I drank 116 glasses. It was so good---smelled and tasted just like burning.

I thought it was funny when I put Jen's leg warmers on my head and danced the flamenco on the bar stool while singing `"Killing Me Softly"'. I didn't mean to break Anne's vibrator and don't know why Anne would sue me for libel.

I don't remember calling Pat's wife a happy weasel---even though she looked like one with red eye shadow and green lipstick!

And when I threw up on Kim's husband's elbow, it was only because I ate too much of that taco.

After all that fun, I admit I was a little tired. So I fell asleep on my way home and drove my Vespa scooter through my neighbor's decorative porch pillars. I don't think that was any reason for my neighbor to call me a drunk emu and have me arrested for extortion!

So, Santa...here I sit in my jail cell on Christmas Eve, all sad and dorky. And I'm really not to blame for any of this pointed stuff. Please bring me what I want the most---bail money!

Sincerely and leeringly yours,
Stacey (Really a nice girl!)

P.S. It's only 5 bucks!

================
Sorry, Anne. I'll buy you a new one. (joke, joke!)
:: 4:39 AM [+] ::
...

To one and all, I have posted some more pictures on Rising Sun Adventures. Check me out (adopts hick accent) - I'm being wrassled into a kimoner!
:: 7:59 AM [+] ::
...

(rapping on the table) Excuse me. Can you hear me? Can you hear me in the back?

Good.

If I ever hear the women should not serve in the military ever again, I get angry. Angrier that is. And no one likes it when I`m angry because I tend to spread the pain around.

Currently the US military is in a state of flux. If the situation continues as is, we will be entering war in the Middle East. Even now we have our forces spread throughout Eastern Europe, the South Pacific, Asia, and the Middle East. The Pentagon and Joint Chiefs of Staff are even considering putting an American military presence in Africa in light of the recent events in Keny and Nigeria.

Yet for some reason we are restricting perfectly good soldiers from front line combat. All women are refused infantry and front line positions due to their sex. Case closed.

Some women have managed to circumvent those rules by enrolling in the Military Police branch which have duties that include being in front line areas. Technically they are not to actively engage in combat, yet the women there sometimes get combat experience whether they like it or not, as evidenced in the peace-keeping efforts in Bosnia.

Why are we restricting women from combat roles when they can obviously perform combat duties as evidence by the Israeli Army which has loads of experience in military conflict? When there are women police officers who are in 'combat' every single day?

Someone`s point: Look at all the hanky panky going on in the military. You don`t want that in the front lines.

(guffaw) Oh, excuse me? Did I just laugh in your face? Do you think anyone has time for a quickie when people are shooting at them? Frankly any kind of behavior like that should throw BOTH participants in jail. A professional soldier should be worrying about their job. Those that don`t place their lives and more importantly, the lives of the soldiers in their unit, in danger. If two soldiers are found engaging in sexual behavior while on duty, I hope their squad or platoon beats them into a pulp and sends them back to base where they will be beaten into a pulp again and then dishonorably discharge. End of subject.

Someone`s point: Women are bad for morale. Men don`t like to take orders from women.

Someone once told me this story. A young private, a bright and promising career soldier, was killed in a tragic accident off duty. The sergeants went to get his gear from his locker and found anti-Semitic and racist literature. Apparently this soldier was racist. But no one EVER knew! Because that man took the Army code to heart - he kept his personal business personal and his private business private. He served with every race and creed without problem. No matter what he thought in his head it did not affect the way he performed his duty.

If a soldier can`t handle being ordered by a superior - no matter their race, creed, or gender - then that soldier can exercise their personal bias as a civilian, plain and simple.

Someone`s point: Women cannot physically do all the things a man can do.

So that means what? It means that they shouldn`t be a Beret - because guess what? Not all MEN can do what a Beret or Ranger or S.E.A.L. can do. The failing rate is very high, almost 90% for some of the special branches. Why should this exclude ALL women from ALL forms of combat? There are guys in the military that are shorter and weigh less then me! But THEY get to go to the front lines. Why is that?

The point is a long time ago the military muttonheads decided that women needed lower standards to get into the military. Well thank you so very condescending much, sirs! Because now it`s thrown back in our faces that we can`t do as well as men. Do us all a favor and raise the standards again. Less women will pass, but then at least we won`t have to deal with that accusation anymore.

I`m not suggesting every woman step up to the plate and take a bunker. Heck no! Some soldiers aren`t qualified for it - but soldier is a gender inclusive term and that means some men aren`t up for it either. That`s why there are other branches so that the military can take advantage of everyone`s assets. It`s all about being practical. When people`s lives are at stake we all want the best person doing the job - I don`t care which marked bathroom door they walk through either. The best is the best - plain and simple.

----------------------
Why is this so important you ask? Because you don`t go up the military ladder and attain the higher ranks without combat experience. Plain and simple. If the military restricts women from combat experience that`s a whole load of people who aren`t going to be up in line when it`s time to pass out the stars. And you know what? That ticks me off.

Maybe this will be perceived as a feminist rant. It isn`t. I just don`t like people telling me what I can and can`t be, and I sure don`t like anyone telling me where my place is. My place is where I put myself! (grins) Are you going to try and move me? Anyone who knows me well also knows I have a stubborn streak a mile wide and the best way to get me to do something is to tell me I CAN`T do it. So please, ladies and gentlemen, tell me what else I should and shouldn`t be doing. I`d love to hear it.

My life isn`t about taking the easy road - it`s about being devoted to a principle that I hold dear to my heart. That principle foreshadows all other things. It keeps me on the straight and narrow; it gives me focus and purpose. And no one will ever stand in the way of my realization of my principle and the dreams that accompany it.

I want the middle mark
and the freedom to be who I am
without judgement,
scorn,
or pity.

I`m not asking you to give that to me.
I`m telling you that I`m taking it.

:: 3:01 AM [+] ::
...

I despise running. I despise the winter. So why am I running in the winter? Because I refuse to have my arse kicked by a bunch of MS I and IIs when I get to Georgetown. Time to crack the whip and time to get into shape!

I hate running. And I hate Billy Bo too. Hate that man with a passion. Do you know he spends half his video standing up and lecturing while his poor assistants do all the reps? And then he jumps in at the last second and does three max. I know he has muscles as big as watermelons but that can be done with creatine and steroids - but I have a sinking suspicion that he worked for them. In any case, Billy Bo is an evil slave driver and I have increased my lung capacity by cursing him while doing the umpteenth leg extension rep.

I hate working out. It makes so much more sense if I feel there is an immediate purpose. That's why I love martial arts. Not only are you getting in shape, you're kicking the snot out of someone, and developing skills to kick the snot out of someone in real life.

:: 4:52 AM [+] ::
...

I have my new 'Stacey in Japan' website up. Check out the links for it - it's Stacey in Japan.
:: 5:55 AM [+] ::
...

Oh April-swan! Guess what I got? Sheet music to a wonderful little ditty called `The Sunlit Garden!` And also Adessa e Fortune from Record of the Lodoss War AND a little thesis by that oh so cruel angel! The last one is full of flats - so it`s gonna be a long time gone before I figure out that one, but the others aren`t so bad. Got any requests? I can`t be at the wedding - but I could play at your five year anniversary...(the Sunlit Garden plays faintly in the background...)

I started kendo this week. When I told my dad, he laughed out loud. "You mean the one with the catcher`s mask and the bamboo swords?" He also mentioned a movie that Michael Douglas is in - anyone know of it? In any case, that`s what I`m doing - kendo; the sport o` the samurai.

And we are training the samurai way - barefeet on a wooden floor in an unheated gym. The current class consists of me, Ben (Kimita`s AET), and ten rugrats from the age of 7 to 12. And the munchkins are kicking are bums - beating us around the legs with their shinais (bamboo swords). If you don`t think that a bamboo sword would hurt, just know that you can break bones and if you give em a good crack on the head, you can kill them. So don`t knock my bamboo sword!

Moving on. The dress of the kendo warrior princess involves a heavy jacket that is similar to a tae kwon do or karate jacket, though its weight is more comparable to a judo one. The jacket is dark blue. We also wear a pant skirt. It`s very hard to describe - um, maybe really long culottes? Those too are dark blue. We wear protective chest guards (armor!) and the `catcher`s mask`. The mask has long pieces on the sides that curl up a bit to cover and protect the side of the neck and the collarbone (remember - wooden swords = broken bones!). Finally we have hand gloves that are thick to protect our wrists.

In a match, you get points by striking the head, the wrist or the opponents side under the ribs. Points only count if you make contact with the end of your sword (about six inches from the top.) I don`t think points count if you use the very, very tip top of the sword, since I was getting admonished for continuously doing that. I also don`t keep my sword down in the right position, but since I`ve only had one lesson, I know I will have plenty to improve upon.

Near the end of class we were allowed to properly spar with an instructor - if spar is the word I want to use... It was similar to sparring with Master Chung during tae kwon do and that was merely a continual reminder of how much I sucked, while my instructor beat the ever lovin` stuffing out of me without breaking a sweat. This was only slightly less embarassing.

Yet I got a little tingly feeling when I was bearing down on my opponent with my shinai raised high. And there is something melodious in the sound of bamboo on bamboo. THWACK! :P

I`ll keep updating everyone on how kendo goes.
:: 9:08 PM [+] ::
...

I love Terry Pratchett`s Jingo. Now I know where he got the main plot.
:: 11:16 PM [+] ::
...

I was in a really, really good mood and then I called a friend and it was over like - WHOOSH. Bye bye good mood. Hello pissed off city.

But I am not going to write about how pissed off I have become in the short space of thirty minutes. I am going to write about all the cool stuff that happened before that.

Yesterday - The Second Annual Funo Village Thanksgiving! YEAH! And this year, thanks to the intrepid-ness of Jen, we secured a real life, dead turkey for the festivities. Oh the Battle of the Turkey is a long and harrowing tale. I have never attempted to wrestle a dead bird carcass into submission - that was always mummy's job. I made the stuffing.

But when you become an adult (stop laughing), you must do away with childish things and start making a turkey on your own. Luckily it came with directions, unluckily would could not figure out where the bag of giblets was located in the turkey. We made a command decision and decided that we would just be surprised when we cut the turkey open later.

But get this - we had potatoes and cranberry sauce and stuffing and green bean casserole and cornbread and sweet potatoes and apple crisp and rolls and vegetarian gravy and regular gravy and cabbage rolls and cake and donuts and beer (because some people take you at your word when you say "Bring whatever.")

I don't know about other people but when everyone leaves a party and says they are happy and full and that they had a great time - well, I'll just glow for hours and hours and hours.

There's more - after this Thanksgiving fiesta a few of us decided to go to the city to continue the celebration and help other JETs celebrate their birthday. I saw so many people I haven't seen in ages! Cindy, Irish Chris, Trevor, the sumo people (right so it was only a week for them, but still!), and a billion other random people. Lowlight of the evening - random guy hitting on me and trying to impress me with his knowledge of American baseball. Baby, honey, sweetheart - do NOT open up a conversation with me by saying that you like the Yankees. And do NOT try and 'redeem' yourself by saying you respect Omar, but A Rod must be better because he won the Golden Glove. That is such a deal-breaker.

My scheme to get all men in the area to look at my chest succeeded beyond my wildest dreams - girls, get yourself a goonies T-shirt with Chunk on it. That's all it takes. Then the entire evening will be devoted to how cool Goonies is, where is Corey Feldman now, and what is the philosophical meaning behind "I smell ice cream."

Guy - JET, twenty-something, British, tall, dark, hottie. Hmm, played THIS tune before. Perhaps I should change the record? NAH!

But because I honor the committments of others, I graciously went to Jamaicas and hung out with Leon "I do not dance" Malroney. It was fun. I made it home at 3:30 in the morning.

MISTAKE! Because at 8:00 I had to be up and ready for a full day of taiko. We drove to Okayama-ken and played a festival. It was a full day. Well, I kinda forgot about this full day and ended up forgoing things like washing my hair and eating breakfast because I thought this was a normal taiko day where I go out and am back by 12:00. Oh no. But we opened to a full house and the applause almost never died while we were on stage. It was awesome. I'm used to playing to the demi-interested, sake-full festival crowds - this was in a proper auditorium in front of an attentive audience. It was great. I can see how the stage might become addicting.

And now after remembering all that, I am a little less pissed. I must not let the stupidity of others ruin my fun. Ganbatte me!
:: 7:45 AM [+] ::
...

Oh well now I`m not only battle-weary and jaded but I am also depressed. I am going to miss the Hell City Tattoo Fest in Columbus. It`s next year in June - when I`m still in Japan. How come all the cool fiestas and cons and whatnot are in the summer when I am not in America? Why? WHY?

Settle down, says a voice. You`re in Japan getting paid obscene amounts of money to play with children.

Yeah! Children that frighten Chucky! I should be getting hazard pay too!

Well, I`ll just have to make myself feel all better by writing about tattoos in One Piece and putting it up on the website. Nemeth - you insinuated your gypsy-lovin` Chinese taking-out, pierced post modern philosophy into my subconscious and I will never get it out. Kuso arigatou yo.
:: 11:16 PM [+] ::
...

You want to know a sure-fire to tell that it`s Friday? I`ve collapsed at my desk too tired to even move the keyboard so the spacebar key becomes imprinted in my forehead.

I tell a lie. That`s only a sure-fire way to know that it`s Friday and I`m teaching at the elementary school - natch, the second graders to be exact.

As April found it, it`s ominous when the cutest little button of a kid, all decked out in her uniform with pigtails and just the portrait of `kawaii` comes into the teacher`s lounge humming Darth Vader`s theme.

Yup, I taught another class with the ni-nen-see. Another hatch mark on my grading pencil to say that `I survived.`

It`s sad when the teachers all look at you when you walk out the door and say - The battle begins. In English. Because that`s what you always mutter to yourself before you walk out of the door. And it`s just as sad that instead of saying `Otsukaresama` when you return, they say - the battle is over. And they don`t laugh or smile. It`s said in all serious-ness, because they too have had to teach the second graders - and that is a rite of passage.

Physical collapse is what occurs when you are a battle weary elementary veteran. Just another eight months of the second graders... pray for me.
:: 11:00 PM [+] ::
...

Yes, Craig, the idea of a sumo `groupie` is very disturbing.

This however is even more disturbing - sumo `gropie.`
:: 9:27 PM [+] ::
...

Well, now that the fangrrl screaming is finished, I think I can post properly.

This weekend I went to see the big ole sumo tournament in Fukuoka. It is one of the six tournaments held throughout Japan each year. Hiroshima JETs always go to this bash - for the novelty, for the fact that it`s not in Hiroshima, in order to go to decent clubs, etc. Oh and to "watch sumo."

The Brits likened watching sumo to watching cricket - in other words, spectators sit around, talk, drink beer, eat bad food, and every once in a while glance up and go `What? What`d I miss?`

The sumo tournament was held at a large indoor stadium, but it looks bigger on TV. Even though we were in BFE/gaijin seating, I could see the sumo wrestlers very well. In fact, we only had to return to our seats when the big names were getting into the ring. At the beginning of the tournament, when the amateurs and newbies were competing, we were sitting on the mats right at the foot of the ring. It was very cool and we were always in imminent danger of being squashed by a flying sumo wrestler.

Another interesting thing at the sumo tournament is that you can wander around underneath the bleachers and casually hold conversations with fellow JETs while walking by stretching sumo wrestlers. This is the equivalent of going out on the field during warm-up while Omar Vizquel is doing sprints or Travis Fryman is just standing around being the hottie that he is. But unlike a baseball warm up, where I would have to exercise great will power to keep myself from jumping on the players, sumo wrestling warm up involves giant sweating grunting men in mawashi (loin clothes) lifting their legs above their head. This is an impressive sight, but in no way is it an attractive one.

Well, during one of these wandering around sessions, we managed to con a security guard into bringing out none other than AKEBONO! And he stood with us and we got our picture taken with him. Is that not the coolest?!

We watched sumo when we weren`t stalking celebrities. Sumo is very enjoyable when everyone is passing around a bottle of Jose Cuervo. I received a lesson from Rob (English - haven`t I played this tune before? :) ) about sumo in general and us ken JETs sat around cheering for every wrestler from Hiroshima. We also started placing bets and talking about what color our loincloth would be if we were sumo wrestlers.

Sumo ended and we got down to the dirty business of partying - some of us did anyway. I had to bow out due to the heinous cold I had acquired. Plus I wanted to have a sober head when I hit Mandarake the next day (awesome used anime store...it owns my first born child now, but hell! I have an original Nami statue!) The bars that everyone else went to were called the `Happy Cock` and something else...the `Hairy Cock?` Just kidding about that last one - but yes, the bars have `cock` in their name. Very classy joints these places.

Okay = I am fighting the Japanese cold of death right now, so I am signing out.
:: 10:32 PM [+] ::
...

I SAW MUSAHIMARU!

NO MY FRIENDS THERE IS MORE!

I GOT MY PICTURE TAKEN WITH _MUSASHIMARU_!

:.runs around screaming and rubbing it in all the other poor JETs faces.:

MUWAHAHAHAHAHA!

:: 1:03 AM [+] ::
...

Kenichi Nakamura - did you know that`s a swear word in Funo?

Kenichi Nakamura is a local celebrity. He lived during the late 1800s and wrote tanka poetry, which is a variation of the haiku. It`s longer and harder to write from what I understand.

So why has he earned the ire of the entire village office? Well it`s some important anniversary this year and the village gets to pull out all the stops and celebrate his unending contribution to Japanese literature. His house (our village`s museum, oh yeah, we got a museum here (open by appointment only)) is getting a serious cleaning by the o-baasans. The village office gets the joyful task of going through every single historical document, artifact, picture, etc. and cataloguing it all and then choosing the outstanding pieces and making a collection of it. The students get to study his poetry - a surefire way to make a kid hate literature.

And everywhere I go I hear Kenichi Nakamura`s name spoken with venomous hatred. Especially by Abe-san who has the delightful task of translating all his poetry into modern language. She hates it because she didn`t do so well on kanji in college and his stuff uses really old-style kanji that hasn`t been written in fifty years.

So that`s what is going on in Village Funo.

:: 9:48 PM [+] ::
...

Yesterday was Australia Day. I taught important Australian things and played a tape of my friend Roz and her OUTRAGEOUS Australian accent. Okay, it`s not so outrageous, I just like saying that. It was fun.

Then I brought out the Veggiemite. Oh, the evil! How could I? The faces were delightful - I would have got some on film but as soon as I raised up the camera, all the kids would smile and do peace signs. As soon as I put it down, their faces would screw up like a wizened monkey sucking on a lemon.

Tomorrow I get to see sumo. Oh, the excitement as two mountains of flesh throw themselves at each other in a battle of supremacy! Who will win? Who will be thrown out of the ring, crushing spectators and judges alike? Who will be crowned `Champion Flesh Mountain of Nippon?` There can be only one!
:: 7:45 PM [+] ::
...

I HAVE A PLUSH KIKI!

:poing:

AND YOU DO NOT.

:poing:

FERRET SHOCK!
:: 2:00 AM [+] ::
...

YEAH! This week is sumo!

Thursday is Australia Day - the day where I give veggiemite to the kiddies. OH I AM EVIL!

:: 8:59 PM [+] ::
...

Inquiring minds want to know...

WHAT CRACK ARE YOU SMOKING!

And I reply - the best kind.

Blade II: Did anyone notice when Scud offered Blade a toke, Blade said 'Later"? That is because Blade is da man. What other super-hero would be say that? No wonder Blade had less angst this time around - dude was flyin'!

Speaking of toking, as my brother so graciously pointed out, Hobbiton is so frickin' happy because everyone there was smokin' weed! Yes they were! Gandalf and Bilbo shared a toke on-screen my friends! I didn't believe it either until my brother quoted this line from Saruman - "Gandalf, the hobbit's weed has gone to your brain." Yuppers - it makes sense why all the hobbits are short and stunted; the continuing generational effects of continued marijuana use! Why Sauron didn't commence with the takeover of Hobbiton is anyone's guess. It would have been the first on my list of 'Places to Conquer in Middle-Earth.My rallying cry: ' First the weed and then the world! Muwahahahaha!'

This illegal substance filled topic has been brought to you by

Why Will You Go To Hell?
brought to you by Quizilla

A quiz which is flawed because I have never played an RPG, especially not an online one.
:: 2:47 AM [+] ::
...

Currently stuck in my head -
`Can`t get you out of my blue monday` Kylie Minogue vs. New Order remix

I could do work, but who wants to do that? Not me.


Just stuffed full of surprises. No one ever knows what you're going to do next. The greatest mystery to you is, naturally, "how do they get the caramel in the Caramilk bars?"



Click here to take the quiz!




Which Donnie Darko character are you? by Shay

And yet I am NOT Bun Bun - his cousin perhaps? We will never know.

run run run...


:: 11:39 PM [+] ::
...

I have decided to start a new political party called - The Random Militant Slashers.

Much much worse than being a liberal commie hippie, Dad. Much, much, worse...muwahahahahahahaha!
:: 8:48 PM [+] ::
...

Oh, I forgot to mention that I got up so late this morning that I couldn`t wash my hair and now I feel gross, but that I will be alright because I am wearing my brand new cloud covered bra. Yesterday I wore my pirate one. I felt very cool and evil. Today I feel floaty and cloud-like.

I noticed I have lots of death-head things in my house. This is not because of OP though. It is because deathheads and poison symbols are very trendy right now. Anyway, my list of stuff with giant skulls and crossbones on it are -
a cup
my alarm clock
a lighter
my book bag
my bra

I have this urge to get a tattoo of it as well, but I won`t. I already have my next tattoo picked out {NEXT???? screeches my father} It is kanji (kiss my ass, I am doing it because I LIVE in Japan so bite me.) and the kanji means much to me. And unlike some idiots, I actually know what it means and all of its nuances instead of going - huhuhuh, kewl, pretty lines...huhuhuh.
:: 8:41 PM [+] ::
...

If I were in the Butlerian Jihad I would be...

A GIANT SANDWORM!

Because let`s face it. They are the only cool things right now. And they don`t emote. Can`t have emoting in Dune. Just isn`t right.
:: 8:36 PM [+] ::
...

WOOH! Well all I can say is getting sick in Japan blows goats. That`s my excuse for not posting. That and I had no internet at my house because I couldn`t read the damn bill. Stupid japanese kanji.

Figured I would post so that everyone knows I`m in the land of the undead again. I should be writing my article for the village newspaper but who wants to do that?


:: 11:21 PM [+] ::
...

Well there hasn`t been much going on in my life, but suddenly out of the blue, I got fan art from opiate_cloud for my crazy ass Smut Garden epic of pyros, yaoi, drugs, and body-switching. I am SO happy about it. It`s an excellent little doodle (doodle my butt, it`s ART) of Sanji offering brownies...special brownies. And he`s wearing a hemp shirt, April. Okay, I`m assuming it`s hemp. I would post it, but I can`t.

Tomorrow I am going to see a Japanese martial arts exhibition of kendo, karate, judo, aikido and some other things. We get to try out some of the sports. I wanted to do this a) I like seeing people hurt and b) the ALT north of me offered to take me to his kendo lessons and I really would like to start that. Mostly because overlords should have dueling skills, nee? April-sama?

And what else - went DOUJINSHI crazy for my birthday and bought some awesome anthologies, plus a reprint of Goku-sen which is a manga about a female high school teacher who happens to be from a prominent yakuza family. This makes her class very interesting. Both Goku-sen and GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka, a manga about an ex-biker gang leader turned teacher) are my teaching primers for Japan. This probably say a lot about what it takes to maintain discipline in the classrooms here.

:: 12:17 AM [+] ::
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Take the test, by Emily.

My answers to this jolly quiz were
1) throw down my stuff, grab that mofo and kick his ass
2) let out a string of curse words like you NEVER heard and then kick his ass (true story, a few friends of mine learned that 'fuck' can be a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, command, request, and subjunctive clause. And that I can be very pissy when someone wakes me up.)
3) jump over the counter, chase you down and then beat the shit out of you, you thieving bastard (did that one too. Damn scallies.)
4) Absolutely (well I do. I have no pigment.)
5) vow to run over him in your big wheel after school
6) gee, it's 5, right?
7) a paper bag, all the other kids had REAL lunchboxes
8) yeah, well, I'll swing whatever YOU bring, motherfucker

Stacey! The profanity!

Live in a country where every word out of your mouth is repeated by children. See how quickly you repress the urge to swear. See how tense it makes you. See how quickly your English correspondence is filled with profanity. Revel in it.

And get the fuck off my case!
:: 12:13 AM [+] ::
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DESPERATE REQUEST FOR A-TEAM VIDEOS. THAT IS ALL I WANT. A-TEAM. I WANT A-TEAM. PLEASE.

In other news, the answers to my quizzes can be found at KoDT, Sluggy Freelance, One Piece ( I would give the website for that but your computer probably doesn`t support Japanese text), ROTC, my experiences teaching the second grade elementary class, Josh, and something else I don`t remember.

Yeah. C U L8TER (shit, whoever invented that kind of typing should be poisoned.)
:: 10:57 PM [+] ::
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Well, my nicknames at school have progressed. First the boys thought `Spicy` was a good nickname. Yes, that sounds like Stacey, when a katakanized Japanese person says it, that is.

Then we moved onto Spacy - definitely closer to the pronunciation of my real name, definitely an insult. One that I heard in first grade though, so my psyche is kind of immune to the effects by now.

Today I was called Spectre. Yes. I am now a supervillain organization that fights 007. Actually so far this is the coolest nickname I have been given. The boys think it is some kind of huge insult though; probably because my first reaction when I heard it was a loud, "WHAT?" I couldn`t believe that a) they knew that word and b) they thought it remotely resembled the pronunciation of my name.

So now I am Spectre - scourge of junior high boys everywhere.

Man, I cannot let on how cool it is or they will stop calling me that. I`ll have to practice my `I`m not amused` scowl now.

Spectre - that rocks.
:: 4:06 AM [+] ::
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Go here

This is the best JET themed online comic strip ever produced. If you are not a JET you may not get all the jokes, but it will help you understand some of the more interesting news I may have sent back during one of my long ponderous email updates (PS Josh, yours are neither long nor ponderous - I envy your email update creating ability).

So what other news? I was forced into my tightass white shorts again, this time for a TV commercial for a matsuri the taiko group will be playing out. Bastards. I hate those shorts. I was used as resident translator for the weekend for the delegation of chorus members from Colorado; could have been sucky, but was actually quite enjoyable. the two girls I was with most of the time (tennagers) were mature and happy and had yet to succumb to the effects of jet lag. I was wined and dined for free in exchange for my mind`s ability (huh, how often does that happen to a woman?)

I also did something, that looking back, was a bloody stupid thing. I got a ride from a complete stranger to my house.

Okay, not a complete stranger. The man knew me, knew where I lived, said I taught his kid whos in fourth grade. These are things I found out after I got into the car and drove off with him. And only after I was in my house did I realize what an idiot I was. In the States, I would have never ever considered doing such a thing, I mean, a girls gotta have a gun because of them rattlesnakes. But in Japan...Japan`s safe right? So safe that I was willing to drive off with a strange man so that I wouldn`t have to wait for the bus. STUPID. I would chalk it up to my over confidence in my ability to defend myself, but I can`t because the thought never occurred to me that I would have to defend myself at any point. Fact is Japan has made me careless. I leave doors unlocked, windows open, and now take rides with strangers.

I`m not worried that I will continue this behavior upon my return. If nothing else, I was MORE paranoid when I came home for the summer. I had three students in hand, but still. I was constantly worried about safety and locking and walking in shadowy places and being approached by strangers.

Anyway I won`t do it again because it is silly to put myself into a situation like that. I`ll be good, I promise. And if I`m not, I can always rely on my trusty palm to nose move and groin crushing front kick. :P
:: 11:12 PM [+] ::
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Here are some interesting Jimmy Fallon quotes to ponder -

I got a really big heart. Seriously, it's like too big. I can't drink coke anymore.

NO! DON'T DO IT! IT'S TOO SEXY! - this would be from the leader of Antonio Banderas' mariachi band in the event that Antonio threatens to remove his shirt

I don't come to where you work and knock the corndog out of your hand - I like the metaphorical possibilities of this one. Oh, and I like corn dogs too.
:: 7:42 AM [+] ::
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It is time for national elections again and though I have been horribly scarred by the injustice of the last presidential election (see Bush; Gore; Supreme Court vs. state`s rights; or screwed up in the dictionary for examples), I still have faith in our democracy.

Oh and the certain knowledge that once I finish my Sith Lord training I will make the world a better place whether anyone likes it or not.

A funny aside; I was talking with my father about politics and I was telling him about what I would do if I were in charge - which is basically tell people what is good for them and squash any kind of opposition and he said "So you would be a dictator?" And I said, `Yes, and I would call myself one instead of insulting everyone`s intelligence by calling myself `president.`" He laughed.

Anywho, I like to vote, even in primaries. I decided to take a quiz that matched me up with certain things like, who should I vote for in state senatorial races, what party I am and who is my celebrity politician.

First off - I should vote for the liberatarian candidate for Ohio and then Dewine. Interesting.

Second off - I am a libertarian leaning liberal. Say that three times fast.

Yet I am not a libertarian because I read their platform and those dudes are screwed up. Their international policy is stupid - no interference in other gov`ts period ever, not even if they ask for our help. While I am not a big fan of the current `let`s attack Iraq` push, I don`t think we should just put a big wall around America and say have fun to the rest of the world. And their position on school vouchers is EVIL. School vouchers are EVIL. How about just making states get off their asses and fixing stuff and stop doing things like supporting school with local taxes which was ruled unconstitutional? Huh. How about that? But on social issues I am a libertarian/liberal. On the big foreign issues, like defense spending, I am republican because I want money in my future job. Plus a well funded army will be necessary for me to take over the world. I`d rather the US government pay for it and me just co-opt the power when I reach a high enough level in the hierarchy.

Third off - my celebrity matches are, in the following order are
1. Hillary Clinton
2. Ralph Nader
3. Jesse Ventura
4. John McCain
5. Al Gore

This list doesn`t take into account character because if it did Clinton wouldn`t be anywhere on there. I do not support candidates who pull sneaky tricks to get themselves elected such as buying an apartment in NYC and declaring residency and then selling said apartment after getting elected. Second, it doesn`t take into account `cool factor` or previous military experience. Ventura has both. So does McCain. More points for them. Gore has military experience (more than Bush did) but not the cool factor. Nader has neither. Poor him. But he does have values and character which I admire. So the revised list will be:

1. Tie - Ventura and McCain (I would have had McCain president WAY before Bush.)
2. Gore
3. Ralph Nader
Terminal boot - Clinton

Yes, I know that I shouldn`t worry about things like image and whatnot and I should stick to the issues and just because someone is going to hell doesn`t mean they would be a bad representative, but I find that those with military experience (usually Repugs but not always) are LESS quick with the trigger finger because they know what they are talking about as opposed to certain unilateralist cowboys who shall remain nameless. So if I have to have a Repug, let it be one with mil. experience.

Hope is when army officers are democrats. :P

my father is not allowed on this page due to his heart condition which he would have if he were to read this
:: 12:43 AM [+] ::
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I've been a bad, bad girl.
I've been careless with a delicate man.
Fiona knew what she was talking about.

Right. I wrote a lemon. And I will never, ever do it again, unless I get dared to do it again.

I should be ashamed too, shouldn't I? But I am not. I am oddly proud that I twisted my mind around the citrus fruit rating. Go me. I am a writer - of bad porn.

Well that will show him to DARE ME! Muwahahahaha.
:: 7:14 AM [+] ::
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So yesterday was the `pouty god` festival a.k.a. `an excuse to drink sake at eight in the morning` festival. I learned many lessons from last year:s festival, not the least of which was `pace yourself cuz you`ll be pounding back the shots all day.` The other lesson I learned was that Japanese men love to see gaijin women in tight-ass white Daisy Dukes. I hate those shorts. I really do. Traditional costume my shiny white butt - indeed! I understand poor Vivi.

Anyway.

This year I learned that even though I have lived in Japan for one year and two months, I will never get away from these questions and comments - `You use chopsticks very well.` [No duh. I have to eat, don`t I?] `Why are you white? Are all Caucasians as pale as you? Don`t you tan?` [It`s called pigment. I don`t have it.] But this last one was a new one! I had to pee - we are talking racehorse here. So I ask for the bathroom. And there is a convergence, an actual neighborhood meeting, about it. Finally I figure out that they are trying to find me a Western bathroom! WTF! Did they think I`ve been holding it for almost a year? Geez, people, when it comes to calls of nature you frickin` make do. I was at Fort Knoz for crimeny sake! I`ve peed in bushes, in ditches and with an M-16 in my hands! Lordy. It`s funny now, but at the time, I had to go so bad I was about ready to take the sake bottle and use it.

No one would have noticed a difference anyway. :)
:: 12:35 AM [+] ::
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i am a mix taper!




How indie are you? test by ridethefader

You're really enthusiastic about the music that you like. You attempt to discover your new favourite
band every week. You continually try to get your friends into the music you like, which annoys the fuck
out of them, but you don't know it. At least you're not arrogant about it.


:: 6:42 AM [+] ::
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This is too cute for words so I had to put it up.

My duties have increased slightly and now I get to grade weekly diaries. The students don't know this though so I read some pretty interesting things. Plus it is absolutely hilarious to read grammatically correct, yet somehow totally wrong English - it's almost like poetry. For example, one girl wrote in Japanese - Ureshii: this loosely translates into happy, ecstatic, etc. She translated it as 'I'm merry!' I died when I read it - it's just cute, okay? Yeah.

Then another boy wrote about how he had talked to me during class and that my Japanese is improving and stuff. He said he enjoyed our conversation. Exactly what he said was - We had a good little time. Isn't that funny? Gosh, it's CUTE!
:: 9:16 AM [+] ::
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Well kiddies let me give you all a piece of advice. When considering your graduate school career do NOT do these two things:
1) Take a year or two off from your learning track to have fun, experience life, and grow as a person and
2) do not do something silly like change your learning course (ie go from chemistry to security studies
BECAUSE
your life will become a living hell on earth when it comes to finding ways to pay for your little adventure.

What's this? you cry. I thought ROTC was footing the bill for your studies.
Yeah, well, better safe than sorry I say - so out into the real world I go, asking for handouts. I'm smart dammit! Pay me!

What's this? you cry. Don't you have a job that pays quite well?
Hello! Have you seen the exchange rate from yen to dollars? Not pretty. (Hides extensive OP DVD collection in closet.)

What's this? you cry. Isn't it almost a year and two months before you even begin graduate school?
Better safe than sorry AGAIN and you can never have too much time to prepare for the utter bureaucracy that is higher learning. Let others wait until the last minute. I'm aiming for early action.

So basically you are anal retentive, money grubbing, and giving yourself a heart attack for no reason...
WHAT? NO REASON? This is my future! My future and the future of the free world depend on me getting the proper training so that I might save everyone from themselves!

I may have to rely on the old-fashioned loans, grants, and full time job route that has made this nation what it is today in order to fund my education. I find that highly insulting since everyone knows I have what it takes to take over the - to help the world that is. And save it. From itself. Like a benevolent dictator. Or a president. Something like that.

Yeah.

end rant
:: 7:38 AM [+] ::
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How Emotional Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

You've been warned, my friends. And my enemies. Muwahahahahahaha!
:: 6:18 AM [+] ::
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I love my my brother. Meshi, meshi, meshi!

Which Alan Rickman Character Are You?

You are Jack! *snap*
I'm Jack McFarland! I'm the prettiest belle at the ball, and everyone knows it. It's tough being as perfect as I am, but I'm the right person (and the only person) to do it!Click here to see which male bitch you are.

www.BloodyRag.com

Er, I guess that's a good thing... being compared to a flaming gay man... I guess.
:: 4:30 AM [+] ::
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