Thanks to online streaming sites, I managed to see three more episodes of Bleach this morning and with each new episode that I see, I become more and more impressed with the series. With all of the character development, it is easy to see why the series has lasted for eight seasons. Another strength is the ability to have a whole episode where neither of the two key characters make an appearance.
]]>Work welcomed me back last night with a quiet night and I used my down time to work on some personal projects. My primary goal was to do some serious research and planning on a trip to Russia. At this time I know that I want to see both Moscow and St. Petersburg and will probably due so with some kind of tour package, but any other details have yet to be determined.
From my casual reading, I have learned a few things that should make my journey a success. Foremost is that Russia is not nearly as dangerous as it is portrayed in the media. Yes, they have organized crime, but the Russian mafia will not be something that I have to fear when I am there. Most guides that I have read say that the average tourist will have no contact with said people and overall Russia is just as safe as most European countries.
Another detail that jumped out at me is the fact that I should not drink the water in Russia and once again I am comfortable with that statement. Purchasing and drinking bottled water is something that I do quite often when I am abroad. This is nothing out of the ordinary for me. As an ancillary, I have mentally prepared myself that the hotel accommodations might not be up to Western standards. This is something that I expected.
Finally, I am hoping to bring back some unique souvenirs from Russia. I want something that is distinctly Russian, be it an article of clothing or something written in Russian. For example, I am proud to own as many volumes of manga that I do that were purchased while I was there.
Speaking of things Japanese, I was able to watch the final two episodes of the anime series Full Metal Panic and I have to say that I liked it. I probably won't start watching the sequel, because I want to devote all of my viewing time to Bleach. With eight seasons, there is plenty of story for me to enjoy and I would rather not cloud the waters, but watching something else at the same time. To further my cause, I purchased about ten episode on eBay for my viewing pleasure. Even though all of the episodes can be streamed online, there are time when I prefer to see something in a larger format and at my leisure. I also enjoy the special features that come with the packaged discs.
]]>At four o'clock this morning, I was witness to what had to be the first spectacular thunderstorm of the year. The forecast had predicted strong storms, but so often that seems to be an exaggeration, but that was not the case this time. More than a few times there was an all encompassing flash quickly followed by ground shaking thunder. It was a serious storm that lingered over my house for at least an hour. Since sleep was out of the question and I couldn't seem to concentrate on what I wanted to read, I counted the lag between the flash and the thunder to pass the time. Sometimes simple rituals from childhood are the most comforting.
Lately I have been reading some of Marvel Comics efforts from the late 1970's and early 80's. For me this is when I started reading comics and because of that initial exposure feel more than a slight affection for this era. Yes, many of the characters and stories feel very dated today, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying them. There is no denying that both Luke Cage and Danny Rand were products of 70's fads. Luke came out of the blaxploitation films such as Shaft and Danny was a nod to the martial arts craze at the time. Pairing these two characters together in a detective for hire scenario made for some great reading. I can't say that I was an avid follower of the title Power Man and Iron Fist when it was fresh on the stands, but this gives me a wonderful vein of stories to tap today.
I may have been somewhat hostile to the anime series Bleach when I first saw it, but all of that has changed now. Having seen the first sixteen episodes and a handful from much later in the series, I have grown to love it more than other series I have seen. I might even put it in my top five list behind Ergo Proxy and RahXephon. Both of the main characters, Ichigo and Rukia, have well rounded personalities and their interaction is so fun to watch. Then there is the strong supporting cast that keeps growing and growing with each episode. I can see why the series has lasted for so many years and I like having something so elaborate to keep my interest.
One more night or work and I will be free of the place for ten whole days. Things will be very chaotic this week, but on Sunday I have no desire to do anything but relax.
The cleaning people were doing their thing inside the locker room this morning so that was reason enough for me to skip my time on the elliptical machine. I had done my time on both Saturday and Sunday and today was also on my personal calendar, but lack of sleep yesterday made the decision that much easier for me.
Why I did not have much sleep was due to a screening of the movie The Other Boleyn Girl Sunday night before work. Various reviews that I have read have panned it as nothing more than a bodice ripper, but I enjoyed it and my enjoyment had more to do than just my appreciation of Natalie and Scarlet. I simply love Tudor history in almost any form. Mangled historical facts can be overlooked when it comes to that portion of the royal family. Henry freed England from the Catholic church and never looked back. Plus he sired Elizabeth. Amazing stuff as far as I am concerned.
I managed to watch two more episodes of the anime series Full Metal Panic this morning and I love the humor in the series. The facial expressions of Kaname are so much fun to watch.
No snow fell this morning, but we got plenty of dreary rain.
]]>Saturday at work was calm and productive for me. I am hoping that the same will be true for me tonight. With the wedding this Thursday and the party slash reception this Saturday, I do not need any additional stress in my life.
To help me relax I have been enjoying episodes of Full Metal Panic. I actually laugh out loud when I watch and I like the contrast between it and Ergo Proxy.
Time to eat some French fries before I leave to see The Other Boleyn Girl.
The shortest month of the year has come to an end and I am not sorry to see it go. Without the greeting card holiday of Valentine’s Day, I suspect that most people would hate it or maybe they do because of that day. Besides that point, February is an odd month, because winter is firmly here throughout the state, but people are already starting to think about spring. Everyday I hear someone complain about the snow and or cold. Now that March has begun I know that the complaining will reach new heights of annoyance.
On Thursday I reached the end of the anime series Ergo Proxy and I have to say that the ending did not disappoint me. I might even go so far as to say that it my favorite series yet. First of all, I love the female lead of Re-L Mayer. She is confident and has some great one liners that make her come alive. This strength of will is a refreshing change to the usual angst ridden teenage male lead that is quite popular in mecha series. Plus her interaction with Vincent and Pino was priceless.
Some points in the final three episodes were hazy for me, but overall, I liked what I saw. What pleased me the most was that the three strongest characters at the end of the series were not only alive, but all of them had had some form of epiphany. There was actual character growth without it being forced.
]]>I had two informal goals for this year. One of them was to read more than a book every couple of months and the second was to exercise more than I usually do. Of those two goals, I seem to be about two thirds of the way on both of them. I read a book in January and immediately started another one for February, but sabotaged my momentum on the second book by leaving it at work this week. Sigh. So to compensate for this mistake I started another book from my pile at home. I chose Mark Helprin's book Winter's Tale. The title alone made it an appropriate choice in my mind. Snow can still be measured in feet instead of inches outside and above the freezing mark on the thermometer has not been a reality in a while. Now a mere forty pages into the book, I have to say that I made a good choice. I like the overall cadence of the book and it reminds me how well the English language can be used to describe people and places.
Back to the exercise front, I tend to better at keeping my routine when I am at work than at home. Having easy access to a room full of exercise equipment is better for me than doing something more basic at home. I need to work on that side of the task more than I have so far this year if I want to increase my weekly days of exercise from three to five.
I have yet to be disappointed by Lost this season. Unlike other people who like the program, I do not search the web looking for clues. Nor do I seek out any rumors and or discussions on as to what might happen next. I am content to let the story unfold from week to week. Instant gratification is not a vice of mine.
Having watched about four episodes of the anime series Eureka 7, I have come to the conclusion that season four might not be the best place to start with a program. I like what I have seen, but I have many questions. Plus the frenetic action of Eureka 7 seems almost silly in comparison to the internal monologues of Ergo Proxy, where an entire episode took place inside the mind of one character. I find Re-L to be of the best characters anime characters ever and am very curious as to how her story will come to an end.
Yesterday I wrote out a large check to cover the cost of the bridge loan that I took out last fall to act as down payment on my current residence. I knew that it was coming, but still does not eliminate the fact that paying two mortgages at the same time is not an ideal situation. Besides writing the check, I also stopped by at my former dwelling place to make sure that all looked well after the most recent showing on Saturday. It did. It also looked sad being cold and empty. One might even say neglected, but not too severely. It was just empty not abused in any way. I enjoyed the six years that I lived there and hope that the next person who buys it will appreciate the place as much as I did.
Having completed three of the six discs in the series, I am seriously considering purchasing the set of the anime series Ergo Proxy. I love the characters of Vincent, Re-L and Pino. The three of them together are a very interesting group of personalties and I would enjoy seeing the series multiple times to see what clues I missed on earlier viewings. Now my only concern is that the ending will disappoint me somehow.
Another quiet night at work has come to an end and I could not be happier about it. Now my concern is the return trip back into work tonight. At the moment a steady rain is coming down and flooding the streets. With the ground frozen and snow blocking sewer drains there is little place for it to go. Then later this evening the rain is supposed to shift over to snow. So I suspect that there will be ice covered roads with snow to obscure my vision as I make my way. I would prefer to stay home.
Even though I have two discs of the anime series Ergo Proxy to watch I enjoyed two episodes of Full Metal Panic at work. I enjoyed every minute of Panic and want to see more as soon as I can. Streaming video is a wonderful thing.
I can not remember when I first came into contact with the world of Flash Gordon, but something about it appealed to me. Maybe it was the odd spaceships that flew the skies of Mongo that caught my attention. Maybe it was the look of Ming himself that made me watch these grainy black and white serials that aired on a local channel here years ago. What I do know is that the Sci-Fi Channel has tweaked the story just enough to make it live again in the twenty first century.
The people behind this new incarnation did away with the bottle shaped spaceships that buzzed at they flew and created rifts instead to connect the Earth to a foreign planet. That change was easy enough to accept. Next they gave Flash a different reason for going to Mongo. He was searching for his father. Once again this change was fine with me. Plus I liked the addition of a female warrior named Baylin into the core group of characters.
So with all of these positives going for the program, it was sad to watch the season finale yesterday. It ended better than most television programs end. Many plot threads were ended giving it a satisfying conclusion in case there is no second season and also left more than enough room for a second season.
After being disappointed by the goofy Coyote Ragtime Show, I have to say that I am very impressed with the anime series Ergo Proxy. A mere four episodes into the story, the title has quickly shot to the top of my favorites list. There are so many strengths to the series that I am not sure where to begin. First of all, instead of a whiny adolescent male protagonist, we are given a sarcastic female lead who is quite likable. Then there is the overall look of the animation itself that I love. There are shades of blue and grey everywhere, yet I can still see what is happening. Finally, the influence of the movie Blade Runner can be seen with human looking androids caught up in a mystery.
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