Hooray ~ My computer's still alive...

My computer has been screwing with me all day. Earlier, it locked up completely and I was forced to do an emergency reboot. When it finally came back on, it tried to start in Safe Mode. I hate it when it does that. As it was slowly starting back up, I started thinking about all the stuff that I haven't made copies of yet. I promised myself that if my computer would start (without going to the "blue screen of death") I would immediately start making backup files. That's what I've been doing for the last hour. It's taking forever, because my hard drive is buried under piles of home movies and digital photos. My poor computer is in dire need of a major overhaul. I've been putting it off for so long, because the task seems so daunting. I still have a lot of things to do (move, copy, and/or delete various files) , but I'll probably stop for the night... my wrist is starting to hurt.

Happy Earth day

A few conservation tips:
1: Dispose of motor oil, paint and pesticides properly by taking them to a certified disposal or recycling site.

2: Switch to an ultra low-flow shower head. This could save you as much as 2.5 gallons every minute you shower.

3: Set your central air conditioning for 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Turning your temperature up to 78 from 72 degrees can save you hundreds of dollars a year. The savings are greater the hotter the climate.

4: In cold climes, turn the temperature down to 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the day when you're home, and 55 degrees at night and during days when no one is home. For every degree you turn your home's thermostat down you take about 2 percent off your energy bill.

5: If you want to keep it cool inside on a 90-degree day, close the shades and drapes to block the sun's rays.

6: Turn off unnecessary lights. Halogen bulbs and even incandescent bulbs actually give off a great deal of heat. Your standard incandescent bulb emits 90% of its energy as heat. The light it sheds is really just a by-product.

7: Replace your regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. They use just a fourth of the energy. Most take up a little more space than regular bulbs, but they will still fit in lots of light fixtures.

8: Look around your apartment for those black "wall pack" boxes (DC transformers) that are powering your portable TV, cordless phone, hand-held vacuum, answering machine, rechargeable tool, and electric toothbrush. As long as those boxes are plugged into the wall they are drawing 2-6 watts of power, even after the appliance is fully charged. (Don't believe me? Put your hand on one. It's warm. Yup, it's wasting electricity.) So unplug the wall packs for appliances that are not often used.

9: Repair leaky faucets.

10: Take a short shower instead of a bath. While a five minute shower uses 12 to 25 gallons, a full tub requires about 70 gallons.

Color your world...

I love making new wallpapers for my computer. It's kind of a hobby, and I'm pretty darn good at it, too. I have hundreds of them, and I thought I'd post a few here for everyone to enjoy. It was hard to narrow it down, but here are a few of my favorites...

A valuable lesson in bread making...

Tonight I'm making yeast bread. I read a tip on the internet, and it said that you should microwave a glass of water, and set your dough in the microwave with the glass of hot water. The heat helps the dough rise faster. So I tried it, and it works. One little problem: I microwaved the water three times, and I didn't notice that most of the water had boiled out. So the third time, I microwaved it for 1:35 and there was only about an inch of water left in the glass. When I opened the microwave door, the water exploded! It almost got me, and it would have really scalded my hands. It was too close for comfort. I've heard of "Exploding water" before, but I never thought it would happen to me. Next time I'll be more careful.

Exploding Water - Microwave
A 13 year-old girl decided to make herself a cup of hot chocolate. She used the microwave to heat her mug of water, which is something I'm sure all of us have done. When the timer went off, she removed the cup from the oven. Just as she noticed the water was not boiling, the water in the cup 'blew up' into her face. Nothing happened to the cup, until she dropped it and it broke. It seems the water had exploded in her face because of some kind of energy build-up. Her whole face blistered and she suffered 1st and 2nd degree burns to her face that will probably leave scarring. There is also a chance she may have lost partial site in her left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who treated her explained that this happens a lot and water (alone) should never be heated in the microwave. If you absolutely have to heat water in a microwave, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc. From the sounds of it, using a tea kettle or even a pot would be a safer choice.

http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave.asp

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Here's the recipe I used:

Easy Yeast Bread
1 (1/4 ounce) package - Active Dry Yeast
3/4 cup - Water
1/4 cup - Sugar
2 tbsp. - Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp. - Salt
1 - Egg, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups - Flour, plus more for kneading
Margarine
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Heat the Water to between 105 and 115 degrees. Dissolve the Yeast in the water in a large bowl.
Stir in the Sugar, Oil, Salt and Egg.
Stir in 1 cup of Flour until smooth.
Cover with a dishcloth and set in a warm place (over a bowl of warm water, in a slightly warm oven, in the microwave beside a cup of warm water, etc.).
Let rise for 15 minutes.
Stir down the dough, and add 1 1/2 cups Flour. Blend until well mixed.
Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 3 minutes - adding Flour if the dough is sticky.
Grease a 9" pan.
Put the dough in the pan, and smear the top with softened Margarine.
Cover the pan with the dishcloth and set back in the warm place.
Let rise for 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°.
Bake at 425° for 12 to 15 minutes, or until light brown.
Remove from pan to a rack or plate to cool.
Brush the top with melted Butter.

5 reasons why trampolines are dangerous...

1: Once when I was jumping, one of my legs went between the springs.

2: The little girl across the street fell off our trampoline and got a bloody nose.

3: My friend fell off and hit his head on a rock.

4: Another friend did a flip, and hit his face on the metal bar... knocking his tooth through his lower lip.

5: I did a move where you raise up on your hands and kick your feet straight up... and I broke my elbow.

Even after I got the cast removed, I couldn't straighten my elbow all the way out for months. We still have the evil trampoline, but no one has used it in a long time... I wonder if those "net" things they put around them now make them any safer?

Trampoline Injury Facts
According to the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), 246,875 medically treated trampoline injuries occur annually in the U.S. Of this total, 186,405 of these injuries occurred among children aged 14 or younger.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) hospital emergency room-treated trampoline injuries almost tripled in the last decade - from an estimated 37,500 in 1991 to almost 100,000 in 1999.

The commission has received reports of 11 deaths relating to trampoline use from 1990 to 1999. Those victims ranged in age from 3 to 43. Six were between the ages of 12 and 19.

Falls off the trampoline often resulted in crippling injury and/or death including paralysis from spinal cord injury. Somersaults and coming into contact with other persons on the trampoline's surface likewise resulted in many serious and crippling injuries as well as death.

Nearly two-thirds of trampoline injury victims were children 6 to 14 years of age.

About 15% of trampoline injuries involved young children under 6 years old.

In 1999, injuries to the leg/foot were reported most frequently, accounting for 40% of the total. Injuries to the arm/hand accounted for 29% of the total, head/face/neck accounted for 20%, and shoulder/trunk were associated 10% of the total.

Approximately 4% of all trampoline emergency-room treated injuries result in hospitalization.

Most trips to the emergency room are the result of jumpers colliding with one another, falling on the trampoline springs or frame, falling or jumping off the trampoline, or attempting somersaults and stunts.

http://www.fscip.org/tramp.html#facts

The 'Burbs

I just realized that I haven't done a movie review in a while, so here's a new one...

~ Movie Review ~

The 'Burbs
This movie has been vastly underrated. I love Tom Hanks; he's one of my favorite actors, and this particular film is way at the top of my list of favorites. I remember the first time I watched it: I was around twelve, and my brother, myself, and all our friends were crowded around the den TV. I remember thinking that it was a strange movie, but I loved it! To this day, it remains one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. It's packed full of great actors.

{Side Note: My parents were extras in a Bruce Dern movie.}

There are certain scenes that crack me up every time I see them. For example, the scene with: the sardines, "Pinocchio", and when Tom Hanks walks down the Klopek's front stairs for the last time. You would have to watch the movie to understand what I mean... which I seriously recommend that you do. If you like Tom Hanks, Corey Feldman, or "dark comedy", you'll love this film.

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The 'Burbs is a 1989 black comedy directed by Joe Dante, starring, amongst others, Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Corey Feldman, and Bruce Dern, and written by Dana Olsen The film pokes fun at suburban environments (particularly in the US), and their eccentric dwellers.
In his typical "good guy" mode, Hanks plays Ray Peterson, a loving family-man with an ordinary life. This changes when a mysterious family, the Klopeks, move in next door. Ray's two neighbors (work-shy slacker Art and paramilitary nut Rumsfield) believe the Klopeks are actually a family of murderers who killed Walter, the old man in the next house over. Ray and the other two turn detective to solve the mystery.
The film was one of the few starring Tom Hanks that failed at the box office. However, it did establish a large cult following that still exists.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars. *****

Interesting Trivia:
Mayfield Place, as it is called in the movie, is actually Colonial Street, a set on the backlot of Universal Studios. The houses (many of which are just façades) have been used in countless television shows, movies, and music videos through the years. Perhaps the most notable is The Munsters' house, which is home to the Butler family in The 'Burbs. Two new houses, which were built specifically for the movie, were Walter Seznick's (which is still there to this day, see Desperate Housewives) and the Klopeks'.
The Klopeks' house was not completely destroyed, and remained almost intact as it appeared in The 'Burbs for a number of years, albeit without the tower. The whole building can be clearly seen in a Season Two episode of Quantum Leap. The Klopeks' house no longer exists in an easily recognisable form (the Van de Kamp house in Desperate Housewives) but the right-façade does still have some features of the original style. The original Klopek garage sits alongside the house, in much the same style as in The 'Burbs.


~*Quote of the day*~

Ray Peterson:
I've never seen that. I've never seen anybody drive their garbage down to the street and bang the hell out of it with a stick. I-I've never seen that.

~*Words of the day*~

Tenki wa dou desu ka? (Japanese)

Meaning: How's the weather?

Currently Listening to... "Maroon 5" - Wasted Years

Anime Eccentric

I know I said that someday I might write a review for an anime series, but I just haven't gotten around to it. Besides, there are literally hundreds of websites devoted to anime reviews... I'm not saying that I never will, but it's unlikely to happen anytime soon. However, that doesn't mean that I can't discuss anime in general. Prepare for more random ramblings...

I'm going to assume that no one reading this has any idea what I'm talking about, so I'll start with the basics:

Anime
an·i·me [an-uh-mey]
A Japanese style of motion-picture animation, characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sexuality.

Manga
man·ga [mahng-guh]
Manga is Japanese for "comic book, graphic novel". Anime largely are based on manga and until the 1970s, anime were known as manga eiga or "TV manga."

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From what I understand, people in Japan use the word "Anime" like people in America use the word "Cartoon". It can refer to anything from Rurouni Kenshin, to South Park, or Disney movies. Most of the rest of the world, however, think of anime as strictly Japanese animation. So for clarification: if it wasn't made in Japan, it's not anime.

One of the many things I love about anime, is how diverse it is. It can be targeted towards any audience. It doesn't matter if you're in pre-school, or if you're a 40 year old business man. Teenagers, children, housewives; there's something for everyone. There's a vast number of genres to choose from. If you're looking for action, adventure, comedy, coming of age, demons, drama, ecchi, fantasy, games, horror, historical, kid's shows, magic, martial arts, mecha, music, mystery, parody, romance, samurai, science-fiction, shoujo, shounen, sports, or vampires... you will find something to suit you. You could sit around all day, every day, and still not have time to watch every anime series ever released.

Of course, it's somewhat harder to find what you're looking for if you don't live in Japan. There is a wide variety of anime to choose from at any Blockbuster, but it's only the tip of the iceberg. New anime series and movies are released in Japan all the time; it just takes a while for them to make it to the shelves here in the US. That's why I thank goodness for Fansubs. To all those wonderful people who spend their time delivering subtitled anime to the masses - Thank You. You are the unsung heroes of the internet.

Something to keep in mind: english voice overs, or "Dubs", are terrible. 80% of the time, they just plain suck. If you want to fully enjoy the experience of watching anime, you have to watch the subbed version (Japanese language & English subtitles). I don't want to put down American voice actors, but they really can't compare to the original Japanese talents. The important thing when doing voice acting, is to put some passion into it; make it real. A large portion of english VAs have trouble putting emotion into their character's voice. Without emotion, it just sounds like someone's reading from a script (which is exactly what they're doing).

When I think back to the first anime I ever watched, it probably had to be either ThunderCats, or Speed Racer. Both of which I watched as a young child - before I had ever even heard the word "anime". The first show I watched that I knew was anime was Dragonball Z, or Sailor Moon. They used to come on Cartoon Network in the afternoons when I was in elementary school. I'd like to think my taste in anime has matured a bit since then. Although, if Dragonball Z were on right now, I might secretly turn it on and watch for a while. I've never paid much attention to what people refer to as "age appropriate" material. Even when I was a child, I was already reading books that were "too old" for me, and I don't mind watching a few shows that might be considered "too immature" by some. Hey, if I wanted to watch Big Bird dance around on Sesame Street... who cares? It's nobody's business but my own. I'd like to say that that's my outlook on life, but truthfully, I do still care what people think.

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A few anime series/movies that I like:

Naruto - particularly Naruto Shippuuden
An action/adventure/drama/comedy series about Naruto: a boy who is feared and detested by the villagers of the hidden leaf village of Konoha. The distrust of the boy has little to do with the boy himself, but it’s what’s inside him that causes anxiety. Long before Naruto came to be, a Kyuubi (demon fox) with great fury and power waged war with the villagers, taking many lives. The battle ensued for a long time until a man known as the Fourth Hokage, Yondaime, the strongest ninja in Konoha, fiercely fought the Kyuubi. The fight was soon won by Yondaime as he sealed the evil demon in a human body. Thus the boy, Naruto, was born. As Naruto grows he decides to become the strongest ninja in Konoha in an effort to show everyone that he is not as they perceive him to be, but is a human being worthy of love and admiration. But the road to becoming Hokage, the title for the strongest ninja in Konoha, is a long and arduous one. It is a path filled with betrayal, pain, and loss; but with hard work, Naruto may achieve his dream of becoming the next Hokage.

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xxxHolic
An action/mystery/comedy series about a boy named Watanuki Kimihiro who can see spirits and ghosts. All his life he has unwillingly attracted evil spirits. One day he meets a mysterious woman named Yuuko. She claims to have the means to end his torment, but she never works for free, and she won't grant his wish until he works enough to pay for her services. He works in her shop as a cook and an errand boy, and discovers that in that place, nothing is what it seems... and everything is connected by fate. "There are no coincidences".

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Slam Dunk!
An action/sports/comedy series about Sakuragi Hanamichi: a punk used to getting into fights and being rejected by girls. Upon entering high school he meets the girl of his dreams, Haruko Akagi. He will do anything in order to win her heart, including joining the school basketball team. The problem is that Sakuragi has never played basketball before, and a freshman sensation is stealing the spotlight and Haruko's affection from him. So begins a fierce rivalry, on the journey to "conquer the nation", and become the best basketball team in Japan.

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Inuyasha
An adventure/comedy/drama/fantasy/historical/romance series about a half-demon named Inuyasha, and Higurashi Kagome. Kagome, after being pulled down a well by a demon, finds herself in Feudal Japan, where she learns that a powerful jewel has been reborn inside her body. After the jewel shatters in an attempt to retrieve it from one of the many demons who was after its power, Kagome must join forces with Inuyasha (also after the jewel's power) to track down the shards of the jewel before its power falls into the wrong hands.

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Rurouni Kenshin
An adventure/comedy/drama/fantasy/historical/romance series about Himura Kenshin: a vagabond with a dark past and sunny disposition. Not a ronin but a rurouni, he was never a samurai, but an assassin of utmost skill in the Meiji restoration, who in the turning point of the war simply walked away. His travels lead him to Tokyo in the 11th year of the Meiji era, where he befriends a female Kendo master, a former thief, a brawler and a doctor, all with their own secrets. Together they fight off the enemies surfacing from the dark past that Kenshin cannot escape.

Howl's Moving Castle
An adventure/comedy/drama/fantasy/romance movie about a plain young hatter named Sophie, who's life changes when an evil witch transforms her into an old woman. Unable to face her family in such a condition, Sophie runs away in search of a way to become young again. Along the way, Sophie helps a turnip headed scarecrow, who repays her by leading her to the moving castle owned by the dreaded wizard Howl. There she befriends Howl's apprentice Markl, Howl's fire demon Calcifer, and eventually, Howl himself. Sophie then becomes the castle's cleaning lady in an effort to not only find the solution to her problem but to save Howl from his own terrible secrets as well.

Hunter X Hunter
An adventure/comedy/drama/fantasy series about Gon Freecs: a young boy that lives on a small island. He learns that his father, (who he doesn't remember), is an extremely famous man and has become somewhat of an amazing hunter. Gon takes the hunter exam to seek out his father, while teaming up with 3 other candidates, Kurapica, Leorio, and Killua. He learns that there is more to becoming a hunter than he imagined, and the challenges that he must face will be beyond his wildest dreams.

Shounen Onmyouji
An adventure/fantasy/historical/supernatural series about Abe no Masahiro: the grandson of the great omnyouji Abe no Semei, who passed his teachings on to his grandson. Masahiro has a sixth sense and the ability to see spirits, and with Mokkun as his guide, he works to become his grandfather's successor.

Full Metal Alchemist
An adventure/comedy/drama/fantasy/ series about Alphonse and Edward Elric. After losing their mother, Ed and Al attempt to bring her back using the forbidden science of human alchemy. However, alchemy operates on the theory of equivalent trade, and breaking the human alchemy taboo carries a heavy price. Ed loses his leg, and Al loses his body. Ed is able to seal Al's soul inside of a huge suit of armor, at the cost of his arm. Years later, Ed (now with two mechanical limbs) and Al (still trapped in the armor) leave their childhood home, each brother concerned with the other's happiness. Ed, who has a natural talent and skill for alchemy, becomes nationally certified and is soon known everywhere as the "Fullmetal Alchemist." Their true objective is to search for any information on the fabled Philosopher's Stone, hoping it will allow them to regain their old bodies. All of their hopes rest with this mythical stone, which may not even exist at all. However, the brothers soon learn that they are not the only ones after the powerful stone.

Samurai Champloo
An adventure/comedy/drama/historical series about Mugen, Jin, and Fuu. Mugen is a fierce animal-like warrior with a unique Bboying (break-dance) inspired fighting style. Jin has a more traditional style but don't think of this as a weakness, because his skills are amazing. The two contrasting samurai warriors are far from friends, yet their separate paths seem to cross anyways. Mugen is wandering aimlessly through the city when he stumbles upon a teahouse where he meets Jin and Fuu (A ditzy waitress, but don't think she doesn't have anything hidden up her sleeves). Fuu convinces them both to come with her in search of a mysterious samurai that smells like sunflowers, and their journey begins. This modernized hip-hop tale breaks the barriers of the common, historical, samurai anime.

Ouran High School Host Club
A comedy/drama/fantasy/romance series about Haruhi: a poor tomboyish student at a school for the ultra-wealthy, able to attend because of a scholarship, and unable to even afford a uniform. One day, she stumbles across the decidedly peculiar but very popular Ouran Host Club. She tries to leave, but accidentally breaks a vase, and unable to pay for it, she's told that she'll have to stay and do odd jobs. That is, until they decide she would be more valuable as a club member. Not realizing she's female due to her appearance, they fix her up and give her a male uniform. She's an instant hit, so they decide to have her keep up the charade even after they find out the truth. Haruhi, being average almost to a fault, doesn't know what to make of the unconventional activities of the Host Club (or of the even more unconventional members), but having little choice, she plays along. Before long, real bonds are formed, friends made, and Haruhi finds herself accepted in a way she could never have been otherwise in this affluent school.

Spirited Away
An adventure/comedy/drama/fantasy/romance/supernatural movie about a girl named Chihiro. On their way to their new home, Chihiro and her parents stumble into what appears to be an abandoned theme park. But all is not as it seems, as the theme park is a resort for the gods, and not a place where humans are welcome. Chihiro must fend for herself and rescue her parents, as they have been turned to pigs as punishment for eating the food meant for the gods.

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Well, that was my longest post yet. I hope I was able to shed some light on the subject of anime for you.

For more information on any of the shows listed above, simply Google each one.
Many of these shows can be found on Youtube.com

Bad Luck/Good Luck?

Here's what happened this afternoon...

The Bad:

I was out shopping with my Mom and Brother. On the way home, the car started sputtering, and then it died.

The Good:

We were only two blocks away from our house when it died, and fortunately we live on a hill. So... we coasted home. My Brother is a good driver, which is good, because it's really hard to drive when the power steering stops working.

I don't know much about cars, but it seems that someone forgot to check the water level. Either that, or a hose broke.

Eggs: The Aftermath

Easter is over... what has become of the eggs in this lovely basket? They have been transformed into deviled eggs. Mmm... *drools*. I make excellent deviled eggs.

This was the first time in years that we dyed Easter eggs, and it brought back fond memories of holidays during my childhood. As you get older, holidays seem to be less important each year. At least until you have kids of your own, I guess. The only holidays we bother celebrating anymore are Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sometimes Halloween... but "Trunk-or-treat" kind of ruined that holiday for me. It sucked all of the fun out of it. Does everyone have "Trunk-or-treat", or is it just a Southern thing? I understand the good points of it: it's easier, faster, and probably safer too. But it just seems lame and pointless to me.

Happy Easter

Finally there's a new episode of Desperate Housewives on tonight. Why do they have to take such long breaks? Oh well.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Otters holding hands

Click on the video clip of the Otters holding hands. It's so adorable! I've never seen anything like it. Make sure you watch it all the way to the end; the cutest part is at the end...

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The Obsession Meme

I was tagged by silverneurotic:

Five things I can admit to being obsessed with:

1. Music

2. Books

3. "Heroes"

4. Chocolate

5. Anime

I now tag the following people to follow suit:

Sebastien

Reel Fanatic

What Faints

Hmm... What happens if one person is tagged by more than one blogger?

What to do with a Meme: Copy the questions into a new post and answer them. Tag some different bloggers. Go back and let the person who tagged you know that you did it.

Something different...

I've been writing this blog since December 31st of last year, and so far it has been mostly reviews for books and movies. Today I want to do something different. I want to talk about me. Prepare for random ramblings...

For those of you who are return visitors, you have probably noticed by now that my "Word of the Day" is always Japanese. Maybe you've wondered if I'm Japanese? I'm not. I'm just a southern girl from the heart of Dixie. A lot of people might think that learning to speak the language of a country that you will probably never visit is a waste of time. However, it does come in handy when you are watching Japanese anime with no subtitles. : )

A little known fact about me: I've kept a list of every book I've read since January of 2001. The list includes the title, author, number of pages, date finished, and personal star rating for each book. The list is 16 pages long --- front and back. 338 books so far, not counting the two I'm reading right now. The average is around 50 books a year. That's almost a book a week.

Did anyone catch the Suns vs. Mavericks game? The Suns are on fire! You have to love Steve Nash; he's such an amazing point guard. Nobody can move the ball like Nash. I always feel a little bad for the team that loses, (I'm too soft hearted), but you know it had to be hard for Dirk Nowitzki to lose to a former teammate (Nash). There was no way I was going to miss the match up of the two MVP candidates. It was a great game, and I'm looking forward to the Suns/Lakers game. Kobe Bryant is impressive, but I will always cheer for The Suns.