Rina Tomorrow; 3 days until Anime Boston; Poetry Day 1, 2, and 3

I got a little lazy with keeping up with my blog posts, so I'll try to fit in the missing few days in this post.

I've been watching George Carlin stand-up. Not really preparing myself for Anime Boston all that well. I have to clean up a lot still today so maybe I'll put on some anime music while I do that. I have quite a collection. I have all of the Naruto songs. I have all of Ronin Warriors as well. I do have some Sailor Moon and Gravitation, as well as a lot of Bleach.

Anime Boston released their schedule of events. I downloaded it in Guidebook. It allows me to add events to my own personal schedule. So far I've added the guest panels and autograph panels, the Masquerade, 18+ Dating Game, Anime Dating Game, and Cosplay Chess. Those are all the ones I always go to. I think Rina will enjoy them as well. Their guests this year are Caitlin Glass, Carli Mosier, Chris Smith, Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Karen Strassman, Keith Silverstein, Kirk Thornton, Michael Sinterniklaas, and Tom Wayland. That's just their American Voice Acting guests. They also have several Japanese guests as well.

Poetry Day 1:

 

I wanted to share a site that I was introduced to in my Writers on Writing class. At the beginning of the semester, we were asked to listen to poets reading. Any poet. The teacher provided us with the Audio and Video site at Poets.org. I could have sworn I listened to T.S. Eliot read "The Journey of the Magi." Found it. It was at PoetryArchive.org. It's a beautiful poem and to have heard it read by the poet was amazing. Here's the poem:

"The Journey of the Magi"

by T.S. Eliot

"A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The was deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter."
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires gong out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty, and charging high prices.:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we lead all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I have seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

I just think it's beautiful.

Poetry Day 2:

 

In the same class, we were asked to read from Billy Collins's poems. This was my first time reading Billy Collins. I've never really been into poets of the late-20th, early 21st century. His poems aren't bad, but they didn't ring true to me.

There is a poem I'd like to share that I've always loved. I read it in a Brit Lit class. My teacher was incredibly excited about all of the reading, but this is one that stuck with me: Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The explication of it just made me feel excited for poetry again. Here's the poem:

"Ozymandias"

by Precy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said--"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Loon on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Poetry Day 3: 

There's one more poem I'd like to share today. If you haven't read this poem yet, I suggest you take a moment to do so. It's constantly alluded to. There's even a moment where it's mentioned in the movie Serenity:

The Operative: That girl will rain destruction down on you and your ship. She is an albatross, Captain.
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: Way I remember it, an albatross was a ship's good luck, 'til some idiot killed it. [to Inara] Yes, I've read a poem. Try not to faint.

The imagery has always stuck with me from this poem as well. It's very dark, and I still find it a little scarey.

It's too long to copy the entire thing here, but here's a link to it: "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Edit:

I thought I would share my Anime Boston 2012 playlist with everyone:


D-Tecnolife by Uverworld (Bleach)
for furutsubasuketsuto by Ritsuko Okazaki (Fruits Basket)
Haruka Kanata by Asian Kung-fu Generation (Naruto)
Houki Boushi by Younha (Bleach)
NARUTO Ondo by Uzumaki Naruto
OH!ENKA by Uzumaki Naruto
A Small Prayer by Ritsuko Okazaki (Fruits Basket)
*~Asterisk~ by ORANGE RANGE (Bleach)
HANABI by Ikimono Gakari (Bleach)
happypeople by Skoop on Somebody (Bleach)
Ichirin no Hana by HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR (Bleach)
LIFE by YUI (Bleach)
Life is Like a Boat by Rie Fu (Bleach)
MOVIN !! by Takacha (Bleach)
Thank You!! by HOME MADE KAZOKU (Bleach)
What's up, people?! by Maximum The Hormone (Death Note)
Zetsubou Billy by Maximum The Hormone (Death Note)
the WORLD by Nitemare (Death Note)
Alumina by Nitemare (Death Note)
Tifa's Theme (Piano Version) by Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children)
Aerith's Theme (Piano Version) By Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children)
real Emotion by Jade for Sweetbox (Final Fantasy X-2)
1000 words by Jade for Sweetbox (Final Fantasy X-2)
1000 no Kotoba by Koda Kumi (Final Fantasy X-2)
real Emotion by Koda Kumi (Final Fantasy X-2)
teru--teru--momiji by Jun Abe (Fruits Basket)
Sun Reflection (Gundam Wing)
White Reflection (Gundam Wing)
4 other songs from Gundam Wing
Wind by Akeboshi (Naruto)
Speed by Analog Fish (Naruto)
Soba ni Iru Kara by AMADORI (Naruto)
Harumonia by Rythem (Naruto)
Viva Rock by ORANGE RANGE (Naruto)
Viva Rock (Japanese Side) by ORANGE RANGE (Naruto)
GO!!! by FLOW (Naruto)
Seishun Kyousoukyoku by Sambomaster (Naruto)
GYU-RU-RU by Junko Takeuchi (Naruto)
BEST FRIENDS by Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (Ronin Warriors)
Crystal Eyes by Mouri Shin (Ronin Warriors)
Ichibyou no Shimpashi (One Second of Sympathy) by Nasuti (Ronin Warriors)
Kamen no Shita no Namida (Tears Beneath the Mask) by Shuten, Anubis, Rajura, and Naaza(Ronin Warriors)
Kazeiro no Hotomi (Wind-colored Eyes) by Date Seiji (Ronin Warriors)
Nagasarenaide (Don't Flow By) by Shu Rei Faung (Ronin Warriors)
Rainbow Paradise by Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (Ronin Warriors)
Rainy Lazy Morning by Sanada Ryo (Ronin Warriors)
Sayonara no Daimeishi (Another Word for Goodbye) by Kayura (Ronin Warriors)
SKY DREAMER by Hashiba Touma (Ronin Warriors)
Faraway (Ronin Warriors)
Stardust Eyes (Ronin Warriors)
Hoshi no Lullaby (Lullaby of the Stars) (Ronin Warriors)
Tsukamaeteite (Hold on Tight) (Ronin Warriors)
Be Free (Ronin Warriors)
Samurai Heart (Ronin Warriors)
Dead End Love by Shigemura Yasuhiko (Ronin Warriors)
Dream of Loneliness by Mouri Shin and Date Seiji (Ronin Warriors)
Fill In The Dream by Ishihara Shin'ichi (Ronin Warriors)
Ikoku no Serenade (Foreign Seranade) by Mouri Shin (Ronin Warriors)
Kaze no Ato (Footsteps of the Wind) by Mouri Shin (Ronin Warriors)
Kaze no Junction (Junction of the Wind) by Sanada Ryo (Ronin Warriors)
Mo Ichido Baby Blue (Once Again Baby Blue) by Mouri Shin (Ronin Warriors)
Mukae ni Ikumade (Until We Meet) by Shu Rei Faung (Ronin Warriors)
Namida no Rhapsody (Rhapsody of Tears) by Mouri Shin (Ronin Warriors)
Pressure by Date Seiji (Ronin Warriors)
Seshun Dattane (It was My Youth) by Shu Rei Faung (Ronin Warriors)
Wonder-Toki ni Nagaeru Gimonfu (Wonder-A Question Flowing in Time) by Sanada Ryo and Shu Rei Faung (Ronin Warriors)
Yume ni Dakarete (Embracing the Dream) by Date Seiji (Ronin Warriors)
Chizu no Nai Tabi e (Journey Without a Map) by Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, Nasuti, Kaosu, and Arago (Ronin Warriors)
Cool Moon by Hashiba Touma and Date Seiji (Ronin Warriors)
Honoo no Solider (Solider of Fire) by Sanada Ryo (Ronin Warriors)
Lonely Blood by Shu Rei Faung (Ronin Warriors)
Midnight Party by Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, Nasuti, and Jun (Ronin Warriors)
Shinjuku Sunset by Mouri Shin (Ronin Warriors)
Tenshi no Love Song (Angel's Love Song) by Nasuti
WILD CAT (Ronin Warriors)
My Only Love (Sailor Moon)
Power of Love (Sailor Moon)
Theme Song (Sailor Moon)
Light by Utada Hikaru (Kingdom Hearts)
Velvet Underworld by Weiss Kreuz (Knight Hunters)
Gluhen by Weiss Kreuz (Knight Hunters Eternity)
Simple and Clean by Utada Hikaru (Kingdom Hearts)
Passion by Utada Hikaru (Kingdom Hearts II)

8 Days until Rina, 10 days until Anime Boston

Finally, the episode of Gurren Lagann was fixed. (SPOILER ALERT!) I was able to see the episode were Kamina dies finally. The following episodes were incredibly sad, but I was glad that I was able to actually move forward in the anime. Before long, I will have finished it. I'm not far from the end now. The show has gotten really good, too.

Next on my list of anime's to finish watching is Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei and Blood+. I've started both, but have not finished them. Sayonara, Zetsuba-Sensei is fun, though it takes longer to get through an episode because I have to pause it to read what's on the chalkboard.

I don't have much to share today. I will see if I can find something else to talk about tomorrow.

9 Days until Rina, 11 Days until Anime Boston

Yesterday, I picked up two movies I've been dying to see: Happy Feet Two and The Muppets. I only had a chance to see Happy Feet Two. I made a few comments to a friend about it, but I feel that sharing them here is not a bad idea.

In the first movie, Gloria is played by Britney Murphy. She had a beautiful voice and made the character to be a soft spoken, soul girl. However, with the passing of Britney Murphy in 2009, Gloria is played by Pink, in Happy Feet Two. I love Pink as an artist. She's created many songs that I absolutely love (like "So What"). However, she created a different Gloria than the audiences originally saw. She still tried to give her the soft spoken aspect, but she lost the soul singer part. The voice was still beautiful, but the chemistry Britney Murphy's Gloria created with Elijah Wood's Mumble was missing. There was a different, weirder chemistry between Pink's Gloria and Mumble.

I also felt that the message from Happy Feet was missing in its sequel. The main message of Happy Feet was to show the world how illegal fishing hurts the ecosystem of Antarctica. Happy Feet Two just showed an over used message that if we all work together, we can overcome any obstacle--singing and dancing help a lot. There's only a touch of a world wide message about the harms of global warming. (SPOILER ALERT!) The ice berg that traps the Empire Penguins is caused by over all warming waters. And the puffin from Iceland, only hints that his land turned green because of warming (though Iceland has been green a long time). In Happy Feet, you see people working together to stop the fishing in the Antarctic. In Happy Feet Two, puffin-eating fishers stop to start to help the penguins, but bugger off as soon as a nasty storm hits. There's no man-made help. The message is still an important one, but I just don't feel it meets the expectations provided by the first movie.

Maybe, I'll have something fun to say when I've finished The Muppets.

10 Days Until Rina, 12 Days Until Anime Boston

The number days until my best friend's arrival quickly shorten. I'm working desperately to complete all the homework I possibly can in order to be doing as little as possible. I'm spending long hours at the library around class and work. It's getting more and more difficult to keep this pace up. At least with being so far ahead, I can take some time to just watch TV and chat with her online.

As Anime Boston draws near as well, I find I want to watch more anime. My personal collection doesn't seem enough. I've gained quite a collection, too. I find myself constantly looking at it and wanting so much to be able to watch something I've seen a million times. I've seen Ronin Warriors so much I can quote almost all of it. The same with Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. I've seen Death Note to death as well. I don't feel like watching Chobits or Magic Knight Rayearth, two anime I have read, but not watched. I decided to watch Gravitation in Japanese. The one anime I've seen, but not in the Japanese. I also love the music in it.

Over the years, I've found it difficult to get into some of the new anime. I do find myself enjoying Ouran High School Host Club, Sayonara, Zetsuba-Sensei, Death Note, Fruits Basket, Vampire Knight, Blood+, and Gurren Lagann. I did get into Naruto for a while. The show got too winded, though, and I stopped watching. This was before Shippuden set in. I haven't picked up the show again, but I have been keeping up with the manga. I also started watching and reading Bleach. However, both the show and the manga both got to be too much for me.

Death Note and Fruits Basket in particular have been very fun to watch. I got a chance to show both to my mom (who's blog is A Journey in Writing). She fell in love with Death Note. We're still working our way through Fruits Basket and hope to finish it when my semester ends. I have yet to finish Sayonara, Zetsuba-Sensei, Blood+, and Gurren Lagann. I was very excited to watch Gurren Lagann. It focuses mainly on robots fighting each other, an anime genre known as Mecha. I watched the first seven episodes on Netflix. I started episode 8 and became confused. There seemed to be an episode missing. I stopped the video and checked the info on the episode. I started episode 9. It was the same episode! I was furious! I have checked from time-to-time to see if the mistake was corrected. I haven't done it recently, but I hope to find a way to watch it before too much longer. I would like to finish it before Anime Boston.

In spite of all this new anime hitting the shelves rapidly, I find myself still drawn to the classics. I have yet to find an anime that I can obsess over like I did with Ronin Warriors, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, and Weiss Kreuz (a.k.a. Knight Hunters). I know everything there is to know about Ronin Warriors and Sailor Moon. Quiz me. I dare you.

I have also been planning for Rina's arrival throughout everything. I have our trip into Boston almost completely planned. I hope to show her Firefly while she's here. She's seen Serenity, but not the show it's based on. It's such a great show and I'm excited to share this with her.

Reminder: Starting April 1st, I will start a Poetry blog quest. Every day for 30 days, I will be posting poems in honor of National Poetry Month. Who knows, I may even dig out some old poems of mine. Starting April 4th, I will also be blogging about Rina's arrival and Anime Boston. In the meantime, I hope I can entertain with what I can find.

Happy Spring!!

Update!

Starting April 1st., I will be doing a daily blog about poetry. 30 days of either my own poems or poems from another poet. I hope to make comments on poems from another source. It's going to be interesting trying to keep up with this.

Also, my friend is coming up from Ohio to go to Anime Boston with me. I'm going to try to blog about that weekend as well.

Wish me well!