Japanese sure is a difficult language to learn. Verbally, the vocabulary is quite easy. In terms of writing however, it takes on a whole new meaning of "difficult" to say the least. I have a real-life friend (not naming any names here) that supposedly speaks the language fluently. He can't read or write it though. I am finding more people that can speak it; far less can read or write it. I am making attempts to do both simultaneously. My aunt is considering purchasing Rosetta Stone and learn the language at my side. It would be nice to have a "study buddy" to tackle this opponent with .

You may or may not know this, but the Japanese language consists of four alphabets. Hiragana is the first one, it is made up of 92 different characters. Katakana also has 92 different characters but it is used primarily in foreign words (names, for instance). Roumanji uses the Latin character system (the character system that is used in English) to verbalize words. The final, and by far the most difficult, system to learn is Kanji. The kanji are those oh-so-complex characters that you see in the Chinese alphabet. As a matter of fact, that is where the kanji came from. To be "fluent", one must know over 1,900 kanji .

Needless to say, I will have my plate full with this one for quite some time. After a year or two of hacking at it myself and with my aunt, I plan on taking college courses over the language. If you can offer me any help with the language, please send me an e-mail or post a comment. I have a book and a few CDs to help with speech. I am going to try to learn verbs alongside hiragana and katakana. That should teach me some kanji on top of the whole shabang!

TIME TO PLAY MORE GAMES! I dug out my N64 out a few days back. My mom and I have been playing Super Mario 64 and Animal Crossing on the Gamecube. I have also been going after it on Banjo-Kazooie on the N64. They may be cartoony games, but they are fun . I'll post again later!

So I spent the past ten days up in Kansas City, Missouri. I stayed with my aunt and uncle for a week out of the ten days; I stayed with my cousin for the other three. We did a few things up there. Aside from gaining ten pounds off of my aunt's wonderful cooking, my aunt, uncle, and I went to a museum. The museum we went to was a mental health museum up in St. Joseph, Missouri. We spent a few hours looking at the progress of mental health care. I had a few hallucinations while we were there, but I managed to pull thru. I only had to take one emergency med when I was there.

Unfortunately, not all of the trip was well. My eleven year old cousin really knows how to press buttons on the old piss offo meter. What really got my goat was when he started to look at me, giggle, and masturbate. It was rather nasty. He also made it clear that he likes two girls, one cup. For those who are not familiar with 2 girls one cup, it is two lesbians taking a shit in a cup and then eating it. Another cousin that I have is three, going on four, years old. He is very friendly and energetic; also quite playful. "Up, up!" he yelled at me. This cousin also asked, "Do you want to be a lesbian with me?" Lord only knows where he learned the definition of "lesbian" at.

I plan on going back on October 21st of this year. My aunt has her 65th birthday on September 13, 2010 . I plan on saying this early...happy birthday, Aunt Sissie! My aunt is also helping me with my Japanese. We are considering purchasing Rosetta Stone. I will gladly split the cost . I am feeling rather ill at the moment. Ragweed has come off a case of hay fever for me. I haven't had hay fever for a few years . On a side note, I had my picture taken while I was up there. Here it is!

I have been reading (shocker!). The book I picked out from the library is Something Wicked this way Comes; by Ray Bradbury. This book tops even The Cather in the Rye. This means that I have a new favorite book and a new favorite author . I am 75 percent of the way thru the book. It is just like watching a movie or TV show. I stop every 20 pages to simulate commercials. I find that this keeps me more interested in the novel. I won't tell anyone what the book is about. If you really want to know, then pick up the book and read it yourself, watch the movie, or wait until I finish and I will review it (blocking out spoilers of course). I have read three novels by Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451, Dandelion Wine; and most recently, Something Wicked this way Comes. I love them all with the exception of Dandelion Wine.

Well in personal news, I am probably going up north to Kansas City (Liberty) to visit family. I love it up there in the city! There is a chance that I might not get to go this weekend, though (car problems). Even with car problems, I think that the trek can take place. Worse case scenario, I can take a bus.

I will post again once I finish Something Wicked this way Comes. Until then, keep your nose clean!

I apologize for not posting when I said I would. To tell the truth, I have just been plain lazy. I purchased Final Fantasy X-2 and I have not even cracked it open yet; it hasn't even touched the inside of my PS2 yet. I have just been watching television, talking on the phone, chatting online, programming, and other things that I usually I haven't even watched Viper's Creed yet... man I am such a fucking procrastinator! I have been doing things, just nothing that is noteworthy. I have been sticking to my workout schedule: 2 hours of anaerobic exercise on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; 2 hours of aerobics on Tuesday and Thursday. I for sure make the M/Tu/W/F workouts; I don't always make my Thursday workouts though, because I have other things I do--I can do stuff on Saturdays!

I may not have been playing my new game (this will change tonight), but my case worker took me to the library today. I got a book for my parents. For me I checked out, Something Wicked this way Comes by Ray Bradbury. I knocked out the first fifty pages rather easily. From what I have read so far, it is like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but with a Bradbury twist. My goal is fifty pages per day. At this rate, I should finish the book in about six days. If I get into it, I might finish it sooner .

I will probably post on Sunday... hopefully with something interesting.

I am going to purchase Final Fantasy X-2 for my PS2 tomorrow . I loved the storyline in Final Fantasy X so much that I thought this would be a good buy. The ending of Final Fantasy X is so sad and it leaves so many gaps that I not only want to buy the sequel, but I need to buy it. What with the inconclusive death at the ending and all, after I cried a bit (quite a tearjerker), I said to myself, "I just have to go and buy X-2!" I will talk all about it once I get into the game a bit. It could be awhile... what with my workout schedule and all. That's okay, I will get into it in due time .

I have been playing Animal Crossing on the Gamecube. It gets very boring very quickly. It is fun for about twenty minutes, then it gets rather repetitive. Harvest Moon can also get boring, but it has a few hooks that keep your interest for more than the allotted twenty minutes that Animal Crossing offers. Either way, I will post tomorrow after I get back from the mall and I have my copy of Final Fantasy X-2. Some people say that it is a disappointment; others say that it is worth the buy. I will offer my opinion after I make some progress. I will post again tomorrow or Wednesday.

My apologies that my review is a day late. My internet died on Sunday... It is fixed now. So here it is, a rather messy, yet complete, review of Evangelion 2.22 - You Can (Not) Advance.

At first I was not impressed at all by the movie. It was just a recap of older episodes. There is, at the very beginning, a fight between an angel and a rather cute and funny girl that pilots EVA-05 & speaks English. She pilots Unit-05 (an American model, I believe). We won't see her until again until later on in the movie. However, as the movie pressed onward, I got hooked. It was not quite as addictive as End of Evangelioni, but as whole the movie was very addictive (and sad).

Toward the beginning, Commander Ikari and his right hand (I forget his name) head into space. They are orbiting the moon and who do they see? Why they see Kaoru, of course! He then jumps into an angel and slowly heads toward Earth. This angel is the ultimate; his AT field is unstoppable.

Later on, Rei gets wooed over by Shinji. She then wants to throw a dinner party for all of the Eva pilots and Commander Ikari. For the first time, you see Rei show a hint of emotion . Unfortuantely, the date of her party is the day Asuka has training exercises. It also happens to be the day that Auska has training exercises; an angel-emergency pops up that day as well.

Shinji and his father have another fight. He refuses to fight another Eva (the EVA that Asuka is in has turned into an angel); he then threatens Eva HQ. After all of this, he walks away. Asuka has a mental breakdown in her fight with an angel. This is where the movie gets gorey... Asuka gets into another EVA and attempts to fight this angel. The angel dismantles Asuka's EVA and eats the entry plug... no more Asuka. Shortly thereafter, Shinji returns with the help of the mystery girl and fights what Kaoru jumped into at the beginning of the movie. Rei jumps into Unit-00 with no rifle and she charges right into the angel form of Kaoru. She becomes absorbed Here are a few screencaps.



After all of this, we are visited by the dreaded THIRD IMPACT... Shinji reaches into the ulitmate angel's AT-Field and gets torn to pieces. He managed to merge with Rei and the Third Impact ensues. Boy howdy the world is a mess. Bottom line is... shitty movie opening; beautiful ending.

I would rate this movie: 7.2/10

I went swimming at a friend's pool today. It really helped work out my shoulder pain. There were tons of wasps making homes around the pool's parameter; I am lucky that I didn't get poked by one . This time I did not wear cologne; they are less attracted to you if you don't wear anything like perfume or cologne. It was nice swimming around and getting on a floatie and just relaxing. I hope that I don't get a sunburn . Oh well...if I do, it just means that I will get a tan to top off my pasty complexion. I will take anything to top off my Irish tan. I am not fully Irish, but I tan like one, that's for sure; call me paste man, man what looks like paste! Oh well, I need to wash all the pool goo off of me (after I finish writing this blog). Before that, some kids in a nearby town decided to do nasty things in a public pool. They broke in after hours and took a monster shit in the pool. Then shortly after that, another kid did the same thing. The kids are still at large; I am never going to a public pool again (except at the YMCA).

I am for sure going to go to the gym this coming Monday. The pool has helped my injury out, so I should be back in action! I have learned not to trust random newbies to spot me. Not just on a bench press, but on any machine or free weight. I have a workout partner, and he was not there yesterday, but even if he was, I would not trust him with my life to spot me (then why did I trust a total stranger??). Also....for not being there to lift with me yesterday, I am going to PUNISH my workout partner when we lift on Monday (if he even shows up). He does his "usual workout" on a Bow Flex. I've used a Bow Flex a few times, and they don't do jack for me like free weights or any other weight machines do.

Tonight, I am going to watch Evangelion 2.22 - You Can (Not) Advance. This is the only Evangelion movie I haven't seen. I look forward to watching it. If it is like any of the other movies and / or the series, then I will totally crap my pants in ecstasy. I just can't wait to watch it. I'll watch it after my shower. I will post what I think of it tomorrow after I get back from Sunday School and church. I promise to watch Viper's Creed soon! Until next time, GAO!@~

Well my mom had a wonderful birthday this past Wednesday! Unfortunately she wound up cooking for the house. I guess she does not trust my cooking . I was going to make nachos. Even though they are hard at first, the cheese makes the chips nice and soggy after around five minutes. She really does enjoy her wind chimes . Yesterday I tried to get her some of her favorite candy, but the candy store didn't carry it. The other store in town did carry it, but I did not have enough money to get even half of a pound. I learned yesterday that cheaper is not always better. Sorry, mom .

I hurt myself lifting weights today. I was doing a flat bench press and the guy spotting me was a total newbie and dropped the weight right where my left deltoid and right pectoral connect. I had to stop my workout right there; too much pain and I couldn't move my left arm hardly at all. This is the last time I do any free bench exercises without a spotter I trust; not a random pud that can only lift 200 pounds. I am feeling better, but it still hurts like holy hell. I should be back on track at my normal workout time this comming Monday .

Someone special has a birthday today! That person is my Mom. 49 years old and still kicking! Hopefully she has at least another 30 left in her. She got some new wind chimes for birthday (just what she said she wanted). Dad and I are going to cook for her tonight (change of pace for the house)! Now to let her kick back and watch TCM all day long; she really loves that channel. Maybe catch a silent movie--that would make her happy! Again I say, Happy Birthday to my dear, sweet, Mother.

Please have a happy birthday, Mom . Now for some happy birthday music by Frank Sinatra! Enjoy your wind chimes~

Joplin is an odd little city tucked away in the southwest corner of the state of Missouri. It has many perks; the big buildings and traffic of a large city, and the quaint charm of a small town. I am going to run down a list of the things that make Joplin what it is. It varies in climate, population and weather. Each has their pros and cons; I personally like it here for the most part, but there are a few things that I would like to have changed around bit. Let's start out with Joplin's variable, and rather unpredictable climate.

There is a saying that they say around here: if you don't like the weather around here, wait ten minutes. The city has a "dome" around it. Where the city is positioned makes it difficult for storms to hit. When storms do hit though, boy howdy is it a big impact! The summers are dry and brutal; the humidity is most always between 85% and 100%, so heat indices are up there too. July and August temperatures hover around 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter is also dry for the most part. We get snow, but we also get wind and that makes it incredibly cold. Winter temperatures are around 10 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter isn't too god awful bad, but summer is horrible!

We get a below-average precipitation rating, but flowers and vegetables manage to blossom just fine. As a matter of fact, my mother usually plants tomatoes, peppers, radishes, and herbs every year and they manage to blossom into beautiful, and tasty, plants. She didn't get around to planting them this , but her herbs came up from last year and they turned out just fine! She even grew carrots last year. They didn't turn out so hot, but she gave it her best shot. She harvests and saves parsley and basil and some other herbs which I don't know of every year. From the soil to the freezer they go. Boy they sure do make her food taste a hell of a lot better. In fact, I just can't imagine her food without her herbs.

Transportation in this town is a hoot. You have three options for public transportation. You have the bus, the trolley and the cab. The bus is horrible. You have to call about 24 hours in advance and they charge you 4 dollars each way you go. The trolley, which is what I use, is the best out of the three choices. You have to meet them at a designated stop. The drivers are idiots and keep the A/C off and doors open half the time. They even miss your stops, which can be bad if you are on your way to work! It one dollar each way, two if you have them come to you, 50 cents if you have a disability card, and free with a prepaid pass. The pass is $30/month ($15 for disability). The cab is just that, a cab. It costs $15 to go across town, gg.

There are good parts to the transportation dilemma. It is a pain the ass to walk across town in the summer heat. Say you don't have a standing bus order, call a trolley deviation! Not near a trolley station or don't feel like walking, choke out some cash and call a cab! Say you are at a trolley stop, wait for the trolley to stop by and shell out a dollar for a cool, refreshing ride across town. Even if you don't want to take a cab or don't feel like walking, call in a deviation for the trolley and pay two dollars. Still less money and you won't die in the heat. I know people in Texas and Arizona deal with greater heat, you have to take into consideration we are only lacking in a few degrees from you.

The last part about Joplin I want to tell everyone about is the population. Joplin has a huge population, that's what gives it the big city charm. There is a bad side, though. With such a diverse population, you are bound to have assholes lurking around. They range into people cutting you off on the road, yelling at you while you're walking, giving you glares, and just plain flipping you off. Yes it is very easy to get frustrated and just downright pissed off in this city. You will run into the person who likes to bump into your shoulder in attempt to move you. Usually they stay away from me because I am muscular, but there is always the exception. Why do they insist on being asshats? I have not the faintest idea...

There are good citizens in town, too. There are those that make way for you. There are ones that wave and say, "Hello!" I am one of those. If I make eye contact with someone, I almost always say, "Hi," or "Hello." Just today I made three female friends by introducing myself; it seems that my shyness is gone! I made two friends at the mall and one on the trolley ride home. While I was at the mall, someone helped me shop for shirts. While I did not buy anything today, I know what I should buy when I go back to Hot Topic. Speaking of shirts, my Dad bought me a nice olive-green polo shirt today. It fits and breathes easy. It didn't cost much, so I don't feel all that guilty for him buying it.

On another subject...anime! I found a more recent anime to watch and review. It is called Viper's Creed. I think that it was released in 2008. It is supposed to be in the same genre as Ghost in the Shell. It is short, only l2 episodes, so I should get it done farily quickly. I will start on it tomorrow . One last matter...there is a special event that is going to take place on July 21st. I will post details on the 20th and set it off on the 21st. I will post again when something comes up. Until then, stay happy~