Into and Through in Book Six: Trying to Hold On 2019

Another day that is expected to be slow. SLOW. Like
s

l

o

w

slow.

So I’ll be reading, writing, and trying to fill the time.

Yesterday, I left work at about 3. Got home at about 3:30. Saw the In Laws, brought them up to speed on Nala and any needs or concerns related to Nala. Then waited for Wife to get ready. We didn’t leave until 5. I get it. She was concerned about her parents and about Nala and wanted to make the house ready and on and on and on. But honestly… that woman is never on time to anything. She and I have very different experiences in that regard. For her? It’s about trying to make things good now with no thought as to what is coming. Like… a woman who tidies her house before evacuating due to a hurricane. Who is that for? Whereas I was raised in the backwards manner. If you’re going somewhere for YOU, get there 10 minutes early to avoid any complications. If you’re going somewhere for SOMEONE ELSE, get there 15 minutes early to avoid offending them.

So, we leave at 5. I’m driving from IF to WDM (expected to take 89 minutes) despite the Venue asking us to be there at 6 or no later than 6:30. Complicating matters… I’m practically falling asleep at the wheel! Grump.

We get to the venue and I park, we get in line… wait for a long time to get seated… and are seated at the back of the comedy club. NOTE: The comedy club has a 2 Item Minimum Purchase requirement… meaning you must be 2 menu items (2 drinks, 2 foods, 1 drink, 1 food)… so a part of The Experience is being REQUIRED to order from the waitstaff. We put in our order for drinks and food (Wife is hungry as she’s eaten little that day and I’m absolutely starving as I hadn’t eaten all day at all). We put our order in at around 6:30. First comedian comes on, does a 15 to 20 minute set. We get our drinks in that time. Second comedian comes on, does a 30 minute set. We still haven’t gotten our food or seen our waiter to take re-fill orders. The Headliner comes on. It is now 75 minutes since we ordered our food. I excuse myself from the table and actually walk back into the kitchen area to ask what is going on. Our waiter apologizes profusely and states that the first order of the night that he gave the kitchen is only JUST NOW coming out to him. I don’t know if that means he fucked up, the kitchen hates him, or what. I’m absolutely bloody starving. About 90 minutes after we’d ordered… our food comes to us. As our food is being given to us, we order another round. Those drinks come to us about mid-way through the Headliner’s set. I order another one wondering how long it’ll take this time. The headliner is about 78% through with his set and my 3rd Drink Comes back to us. But whereas I ordered a Rum & Coke; I was given a Jack & Coke. No skin off my nose, I drink both anyway and I’m not going to try to flag down our bloody waiter to correct this, so I simply drink my drink. About ten minutes later, the waiter comes back… apologizes for getting me the wrong drink, he just caught the mistake, and delivers a rum and coke. Okay… whatevs. The comedians were good and it was a fun night but.... the waitstaff fuck ups definitely did not help. They weren’t done yet either. House lights come on, the Comedians are over, time to slowly try to make our way out of the building. Wife grabs some of the drink glasses… I look at her confused… and she tells me that all of our drink orders except the Jack/Coke Rum/Coke came with a Souvenir Glass that we could take home. Cool! Not why we ordered them, but cool. Our waiter swings back around and offers to take those used glasses and give us replacements that aren’t sticky and dirty for the drive home. Wife loves that idea and hands him the three glasses. He comes back with 2. Frankly, I didn’t really care… we didn’t need the glasses anyway… but part of selling a $4.50 drink at $8.00 a drink is the phrase Souvenir Glass to Take Home Included. So I stopped our waiter and asked for the replacement glass for the 3rd Glass he cleared as well.

I drove back home… still feeling quite tired and now with 4 alcoholic drinks in my system. It was okay. No accidents, no drunk driving concerns… just… so sleepy. We got home and In Laws gave a very awesome Dog Report. No accidents! Dare I say we may have gotten the potty training thing down! NOW… if only we could get her to stop chewing and biting everything. Granted.... a common puppy thing… something she’ll continue to do for a while… and we certainly attempt to distract her and/or get her to chew on her toys rather than people/furniture… but gr. Even as I type, I’m able to count the 4 marks on my hands made last night by her teeth.

In completely random other news:
(1) My back is killing me. Has been since yesterday. To the point where I am seriously thinking of grabbing one of my canes. I got the canes due to the leg pain immobility issues. But seriously… my bloody back is just… sodding killing me!!!!
(2) I’m having growing concerns about my APAP machine. I’ve used it for 3 nights. I can personally guarantee no less than 10 hours of use. But the Sleep Program that is supposed to capture my data says “4.9 hours”. So.... I’m wondering if my machine hasn’t logged the last two nights of sleep. Certainly something to take care of.

Naomi Klein (no relation) is a Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalization and of capitalism. On a three-year appointment from September 2018, she is the Gloria Steinem Chair in Media, Culture, and Feminist Studies at Rutgers University.

Recently she was being interviewed about the Dangers she’s seeing in politics lately. How Australia, US, and UK seem… just… drowning in hate-filled, uninformed, climate-change-denying, ultra conservative bullshit that has less room for actual intelligent debate and policy discussion and far far too much room for rage fueled shouting and pontificating. She started her answer by blaming the inherent mentality of Colonization Nations and how the primary push is “acquire, expand, protect.” Personally, maybe she’s got a point there? Maybe? But I think her second answer is far more accurate, and far more tragic. She stopped herself short after discussing Colonial Identity Issues and then re-started her answer. She said, lately anyway, she’s seen something a bit more direct that can explain it. Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America… are all countries where Rupert Murdoch has a significant, if not controlling Media presence.

And that? I agree with strongly even if I wish it weren’t true. Murdoch’s media machine is built upon Murdoch’s Political Beliefs. This is what PRIVATE media creates. (See also Sinclair Broadcasting… or just watch this John Oliver video:

SO… Rupert Murdoch wants to push an Ultra Conservative, anti-Climate Change, anti-Progressive, anti-LGBTQA, anti-Knowledge agenda.... and he controls vast swaths of media in 3 important countries. The rise of Farage.... the rise of Trump… perhaps not all but at least some of that responsibility lies at the feet of Rupert Murdoch.

Now to pivot to something a bit more light and fun. Wife and I will definitely be returning to Anime Iowa this year. And we definitely want to cosplay as.... something. I refuse to TELL HER what to cosplay as; but I will encourage strongly that she select a character she genuinely likes from an Anime she genuinely enjoys. She’s quick to say things like “But I could never and will never look like Revy, Himiko, Mikasa, or Sango.” Whatevs, lady. I just think it is always better to CosPlay as a character you like from a show you enjoy because… if you do a skillful cosplay, people will ask you questions. Like last year when she wore her Dr. Who Outfit and her Louise Belcher outfit. As for me? Well… I married my Wife for a reason and this is one of those places where our similarities shine through (in a way).

You see… I am not capable (at present) of doing Gray Fullbuster… or Harvey Two Face.... or Okabe Rintaro… or Miroku… or The Riddler… and others.... for various reasons including Physique and Technical Proficiency. Personally in those situations, I prefer MASH UP costumes. For example… taking Transformers and mashing it up with Dr. Who… or taking Beauty & the Beast and mashing it up with Star Wars… or taking Deadpool and mashing it up with everything (lol)!

Since they are characters that exist… but are being re-imagined in a new and unique fashion.... I have less of a problem “not matching physique.” For this reason, I kind of want to do a CosPlay Mashup that… isn’t terribly inventive… nor is it terribly original… as a quick Google Search shows how many others have had the same idea. But… Ash Williams (Evil Dead/Army of Darkness) and Ash Ketchum (Pokemon). Ultimate Ash.

In that same vein: There are a LOT of Anime that I really like. There are a lot of Female Characters in Anime that I really like. There are a number of CosPlay Female Characters I really like.... so I’m going to share some now. :) :p

Mizurfus looks beautiful cosplaying as Akeno Himejima from High School DxD.
I don’t know much about the CosPlayer here and her page seems to have been deleted. However, I can discuss Akeno (the character) and how this costume pictured is really only one of a few that the Character wears in the series. Akeno is a complicated character (almost entirely why I like her) in that she can be very elegant and gentle.... and very sexual and seductive… and highly sadistic and BDSM-y. Despite being seductive toward Issei (the protagonist of the show) and acting like a mature young woman, Akeno is still innocent and emotional towards love and acts like a girl her age whenever she is on a date with Issei. However, this still does not stop her being seductive and flirting with Issei. Despite being seen calm and clear, Akeno does get jealous like the other girls and will fight for Issei. She is called the Priestess of Pain and acts as the main “team“‘s Queen. (Another reason probably why she is my favorite is:) She is half-angel and half-devil.

Vera Chimera looks fantastic cosplaying as Ada Wong from Resident Evil 4.
I’ve had Ada Wong grace these pages before. There are a lot of reasons to like this character beyond the obvious, but as it is me… let’s acknowledge the obvious. She is a red-clad, Asian-American of Chinese descent often depicted in a modified qipao and often circular sun glasses. She has multiple other costume options, of course. There is a vampire slayer look involving black leather pants and a red button up shirt with black leather gloves.... the qipao costume… and a short-skirted leather business suit-type outfit. Ada is an enigmatic character which, of course, is another reason to like her. She makes direct in-game appearances in Resident Evil 2 (1998), Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999), Resident Evil 4 (2005), Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (2007), Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009), Biohazard Outbreak Survive (2011), Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (2012), Resident Evil 6 (2012).

Zana Cosplay looks stunning as Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy! She has a Tifa bartender shoot you should check out as well! Here’s what she said about this one…
“Wearing Tifa pushes my levels of confidence, and I find this costume empowering: an iconic melee fighter in the form of a selfless, self-made and lovely woman. She is without doubt my favorite Final Fantasy 7 character, and I really tried to capture her spirit in these photos.
The location was an electrical power outlet structure I’ve been eyeing for years, thinking it would be a great location for a mako reactor. Unfortunately, the place was full of wasps and so we had to make the best of our situation and ended up with these shots. The photographer and I are happy with them!”
Tifa Lockhart herself is one of my all-time favorite Final Fantasy Characters and was first introduced in one of the all-time fan-favorite Final Fantasy Games (FF7). Tifa is a hard worker and spends her time caring for everyone but herself, keeping the feelings of uneasiness towards Cloud locked up. She offers sanctuary and protects those in need, and is often an emotional crutch for the other AVALANCHE members to lean on. Tifa finds them to be kindred spirits seeking to end the tyranny the Shinra Electric Power Company has brought unto the Planet, although initially she joined the rebel group to seek revenge for the destruction of her hometown and the deaths of her family and friends therein. Tifa helps Cloud along the way in his soul-searching to find himself, while reminding the other party members to “be strong.”

The lovely cosplayer LadyAlpha13 sent in her beautiful Saeko Busujima from Highschool of the Dead cosplay! Here’s what she had to say…
“Saeko is a very powerful character. Even though the anime leans very much on the ecchi side, she is one of the stronger characters in both the manga and the anime as she wields swords to defeat her zombie foes. Saeko also has a very interesting past that hit me right in the “feels”. This all lead up to my cosplay. One of Saeko’s quotes is “Protecting a man’s honor is a woman’s duty”. This philosophy is one that I live by. Though I regularly attend conventions, I have not worn this cosplay to anything besides this photoshoot. It has gone over extremely well on my fanpage (shameless promotion!) so I plan to wear it out more.”
Saeko Busujima is an amazing character and the example for me of how I do Harem Anime different from MBFITWW. He always playfully chastises me, telling me that picking a favorite in a Harem Anime is missing the point of Harem Anime. But honestly? It’s me. Even if I were ever truly in a REAL LIFE situation (or even Anime-like situation) where I could easily and effortlessly have multiple girls without any problems? I’d only choose one or two. Three max. Because… what is the point of having 20 girls? Honestly. I want a few strong, healthy relationships with people I genuinely like.... I’m not interested in a whole Harem Concept. This comes up several times on this list.... as DxD is a Harem Anime, High School of the Dead is a Harem Anime, Rosario+Vampire (next cosplay), and Sekire (last cosplay) is a Harem Anime. And yes, there are multiple choices in each. For example, in this anime High School of the Dead… there are dozens of female characters and they all are attractive and enticing in their own ways. But if I were present? I’d only select two. Saeko Busujima and Rika Minami.

SF.Photographia shot this lovely Mizore Shirayuki from Rosario+Vampire cosplayer and here’s what they had to say…

“I really love shooting with Alice from BeyondFantasyCosplay over and over again! She is so patient and really enduring! It was freezing cold in January but never a rose without the prick!”
Mizore is a Yuki-Onna (Snow Woman) who is first introduced in the show as a lonely, depressed, and misunderstood girl. She is typically shy and reserved; but has a passion to her that (while typically restrained) is aflame around the object of her desires. As explained previously, Rosario+Vampire is a Harem Anime and there are many female characters to choose from… in fact, between a large chested vampire and even larger chested Succubus… it would not be remarkable if most people didn’t really even care about the quiet, depressed Yuki-Onna. But she’s the student I choose in this anime every time. Proof that my tastes are not exactly one-sided… the teacher I tend to like in this series is… VERY different from Mizore. Ririko Kagome… a bespectacled Math Teacher whose appearance (both in Human Form and in Demon Form) is… let’s just say.... eye catching.

Shade Cramer looks absolutely stunning cosplaying as Faye Valentine from the classic anime Cowboy Bebop.
Faye is an opportunistic, grumpy, arrogant, selfish, and lazy character; often seen lying around while the others work on a bounty and spending a lot of her time taking care of her appearance. She presents a long series of bad habits such as pathological gambling, alcoholism, excessive consumption of cigarettes and cigars, unwarranted violence, and forcing work on others. She usually is forgiven for each one. Because of her abrasive personality, she often clashes with her companions.
She behaves very provocatively and often tries to seduce men for her own benefit, but she claims to hate feeling desired and is rarely seen romantically interested in someone.
Faye avoids trusting anyone and is used to never staying too long in the same place because of her creditors. Although she tries to remain strong, in reality she hides a deep emotional vulnerability and often is seen to nourish a great deal of sympathy and empathy for her traveling companions in spite of herself.
Although for the entire duration of the series the distinctive characteristics of Faye are her sarcasm and presumption, her character noticeably develops. In fact, she begins to trust her companions, understand the value of friendship and even learns to love Jet and Ed in her own way. On different occasions, she runs away from the Bebop frightened by her affection for her companions (having become used to the idea of “leaving before being abandoned”), but she always duly returns, the Bebop being the only place she can consider her “home.” This attitude, as noted by Jet, seems to stem from a need for attention and is an attempt to prove her companions’ affection for her.
Her relationship with Spike is the most complex of the series. Most of the time they do nothing but bicker, but, in moments of danger, Faye has always shown concern for Spike, and Spike has shown some empathy for Faye’s situation. Faye has also always taken care of Spike when he was injured, but she still kept a bitter attitude. The affection between them is quite obvious, and many have speculated the possibility that Faye could be in love with Spike. Watanabe has said on the subject, “Sometimes I’m asked the question, ‘What does Spike think of Faye?’ I think that he likes her quite a bit. But he’s not a straightforward person and makes sure not to show it.”

Sadly, I cannot reveal any information about this CosPlayer or Photographer as the image simply comes from WorldCosPlay.net. However, I can show you a comparison picture from the anime and discuss the character a bit more.

Kazehana from Sekirei. She typically displays a very relaxed personality and is incredibly confident about her natural sex appeal. She is not afraid to speak her mind and is often found drinking Sake excessively. Kazehana was uncertain about the protagonist of the series as he wasn’t “manly” but she fell for him anyway after seeing how caring and kind he could be. She enjoys flaunting her natural beauty but is able to provide both light-hearted words of playfullness and serious intelligent advice. She relies on a cheerful attitude towards life most of the time but is very serious when it comes to those she cares about.
Sekirei is a Harem Anime with (they counted) more than 105 different female Characters. All of them are attractive, skilled, interesting, and appealing in their own way. Now, the fact that Kazehana has Stephanie Young’s voice does help get my attention but there are a LOT of brilliant sexy voices in this show. Kazehana’s breasts are large but there are larger in the show and largeness does not actually appeal to me all that much. No… I genuinely thing I gravitated towards this character because she has the “Publicly, you think I’m a drunk light-hearted person. Honestly, I’m a complicated creature that only shows her true self to those I care about.”

Well… my boss is working super hard and talking about stuff I have no idea about. I’ve received no e-mails and nothing is on my calendar. I’m… almost a little concerned… but for the fact that I intentionally did all of this. March was insane, April is dead, May will be “consistent to busy”. So… I hope/suppose if they need me for something, they’ll let me know?

In a few hours, Nala has her first Vet Appointment. We’ll get some of our health questions answered (like is she ever going to grow or consistently eat her food or stop biting everything) and she’ll get her remaining vaccinations (so we can take her around other dogs and start trying to get her bloody well socialized). AND we can ask if they are still doing their Doggy Socialization Training at the vet’s office. All good things… but for Nala getting two shots. She’ll be fine (eventually) but I can imagine both she and Wife will be nervous and anxious as hell. Wife hates needles. Nala… who knows. I’m totally fine with them usually because of my often and repeated hospital visits as a child. But… I can only imagine how stressed both of my girls will be this afternoon.

I should clean my desk. Not going to. Probably. I mean hell… I might. But that’ll have to wait for the afternoon because I don’t want to do that right now. This weekend could be interesting. It is one of the very RARE weekends where Wife and I have nothing on the calendar. No guests, no trips, no obligations. So we will certainly see what happens. Though… my money would be on the following:
(1) Wife watching a lot of television
(2) Me playing video games
(3) playing with the dog, taking her outside, and taking her for walks.