Why, oh why, did this switch to google? I hate it - HATE it! Half the time I can't log in at all, and even when I can, I can never post comments to Rae's Azeri Blog. Lame.

Return of the King and Top Lists

Red Rusty Waves
Originally uploaded by NONfinis

So as I had said earlier, I had not known that James updated Blogger such that I could post to it again until recently... and I had been meaning to post since that recently announcement, but I've been kept busy by work and by a dog. But now I have some time while my computer busies itself with archiving stuff to blank DVDs (by the way, you all need to watch Arrested Development if you haven't, because it owns you).

Anyway though, enough of that stuff. I was reading the paper the other day and came across an article about people and making lists and how it's become this huge thing lately, which I thought was odd because I know we here have been doing it forever... well, forever ago... since nobody fuckin' posts to the board anymore (present recent posters excluded).

But anyway, as I was saying, it used to be that we would make Top 5 Posts all the time. SO, in the spirit of that old tradition...

A NEW TOP FIVE POST FROM ME!?!?!?!!!!

My Top 5 Favorite Cartoons/Animated Series' of All Time

Starting from least favorite to most favorite, we have:

5. Invader Zim

I know that this one might come off as a bit goth-trendy or whatever, but since I'm not goth or emo, I really don't have to worry about that. First seeing this on James' computer, and dismissing it slightly at the time, I later again caught it while working at Hollywood Video, and for whatever reason this time it stuck. Probably because when you work at a video store, you are introduced to ALL of the crap out there and begin to appreciate good random stuff.

4. Batman: The Animated Series

I would have to call this cartoon as one of the first of the modern or contemporary cartoons of our time. It certain was one of the best adaptations of a comic book character for TV, and one of the first. And it was fuckin' Batman! And Batman was actually bad-ass, not campy like previous cartoon versions. And then, he went on to be the bad-ass member of the Justice League cartoons, with the same voice actor. The lesson: Batman is supposed to be bad-ass!

3. X-Men: The Animated Series

The other great comic book to cartoon adaptation, and perhaps better (at least in my opinion) was this cartoon. If Batman had Batman, then X-Men had Wolverine. I think my only problem with this cartoon was that Iceman was only in it a few times. But they made up for that with good stories, including the Phoenix saga and all the Apocalypse stuff. Hell, they even had Cable and Bishop show up from time to time.

2. The Simpsons

I was actually not going to include this cartoon on the list, because I see it more as a series or sitcom then I do as a cartoon. Still, it is animated, and so it's here. It's the Simpsons. What can you say? I think it cemented it's place as an all time favorite every time it had some parody of something that wasn't mass pop-culture but that I still got. For some reason, the scene of Lisa running that parallels "Run Lola Run" sticks in my mind the best. Yeah, it can be argued that the show has lost it's way from time to time and may be suffering from having been on the air for too long, but it's still better than a good majority of anything out there.

1. The Transformers

With all the new hype coming out for the Transformers live movie, I began to wonder if my beloved memories of the original were just hype and nostalgia, so I went to Scarecrow and rented the series. I can honestly say that it isn't hype, though maybe some nostalgia to be sure. The Transformers were awesome. Yes, there were some cliché things about the show, but hell, there will be some cliché things about any show of any time period, and I'm willing to dismiss those. The classic battles between Optimus Prime and Megatron will always be that: classic. And awesome. Yeah, it was absurd some times and sometimes hearing Megatron yell "RETREAT!" every episode starts to feel redundant, but that also made it comfortable and welcome. And you couldn't beat Starscream's constant efforts at trying to claim power. Why Megatron kept him around all that time, who knows? Of course, this all makes me that much sadder that the new movie will probably suck, and not due to the natural modernization of classics... but because Michael Bay is a bastard who seems to have a knack for ruining what he touches with too much over-the-topness. But hey, maybe that will help with this movie. At least it isn't being directed by Paul Anderson.

And they say there isn't a God.

Still cooler then Stephanie

I am so sad that RaechelleLaRee is leaving me.

Just thought I'd put that out there.

Going away party

Ok, so my going away party (little last min notice on my part, sorry guys) is going to be in Spanaway at my friend Stephanie's house, today (the 9th) at 3:30pm. I know a few of you will be going, and directions can be found on my myspace blog at www.myspace.com/sovietsaint

Also, just an FYI, since I probably won't have much time on a computer for the next two years, I created a new blog to keep everyone updated. http://raechellewatkins.blogspot.com I will update/post as often as I can (probably about once a month or so). Since the region I'm going to won't have computers anywhere but internet cafe's, I will have limited access. If you want me to add you to my email list, send me an email to: Raechelle.Watkins@gmail.com

If you don't write, that's fine too. See you all in two years.

Post Frenzy

First off... I fucking hate Arial. It's a shit font and should be done away with.

Secondly, I didn't realize James' had fixed the board so that it worked with new blogger... so now i can post again... and you all missed that. You know you did.

Third... well I don't have a third yet, but now that I know I have a creative place to vent... oh yay... it will be venting time!

Fourth... I hate Michael Bay. He is going to ruin Transformers, and I'm gonna eat his liver for it.

Na-na-na-na, hey-hey-hey, good-bye!

Well it's official. I leave June 24th for Philadelphia PA, where I will spend two days getting a briefing on safety and vaccinated for yellow fever and typhoid. After that I will be on a plane to spend the next two years in Azerbaijan. (For my geographically challenged friends, it is located north of Iran, south of Russia, with Armenia and Georgia--the country-- on the western border, while the Caspian Sea is on the Eastern border). I will be back in the USA on September 12, 2009.
I got the job I wanted though. I will be piloting a new program in Azerbaijan, as a Youth Development Facilitator. Basically, I will be teaching English, leadership, teamwork, and any marketable skills that these kids aren't getting in school. I will be living with a host family for the first three months in a small village doing my language and culture training. After that time, I will be officially sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and will then spend the next six months after that with a new host family at my work site. Each volunteer is placed in their own small community, and we are assigned to schools, libraries, or other organizations that work with youth. I will have housing, food, and other essentials covered by a living stipend.
I have a going away party on June 10th at 4pm. Not sure where yet, they haven't quite figured that out... I will let you know when I know.

New Phobia

So after a lovely 15 hours in the dentist office last week, I now have a healthy phobia of the dentist. I never used to mind going in, at least not as a child. But seeing as how I haven't been to the dentist in...oh, 10 years or so? I guess you could say I had it coming. The results are in: I had a total of 12 cavities, and a need for 4 extractions. On Monday, I spent an hour getting the exam and x-rays done. Tuesday, we completed two fillings before the dentist realized that "oh, this one is going to need a root canal." So we began the root canal that day. 3.5 hours later, I was ready to leave the office.
Wednesday was the "fun" day. I went in and had an appointment in the morning, spending 3.5 hours in the chair getting 4 cavities filled. I came back after their lunch break, and sat another 3.5 hours in the office, where we did 3 more fillings, and started the 2nd root canal that was also a suprize.
Thursday I cam back to spend 3.5 hours in the chair finishing up my two root canals... good news though kiddies! The nerve on my second root canal wasn't entirely dead! We began the proceedure with a live root. Yes, you really can feel it even when you are numb. I didn't know whether to vomit on him, or punch him in the face, so I settled for jumping a foot and a half out of the chair and shreiking like a banshee. We had to finish the deadening before they could close up on the root canal.
I have one last appointment scheduled for the 23rd of March now. That appointment will finish my last filling and pull all four of my wisdom teeth. I seriously hope I get more codine for this...

So, am I the only one who occassionally looks at the list of contributors and says, "Who the fuck are these people?" I can pick out some of them, but others are difficult to place. I'm just saying.

Wii-Madness

Okay... so for whatever reason, I cannot quite use this board like I used to. Mostly it has to do with not being able to upgrade this board to the new blogger just yet. Apparently that's because the board is soooo gigantic that it won't yet be ready to switch over to the new blogger.

Because you all care about that...

For the moment that sucks because it makes my normally easy posting method just a little bit more difficult.

Oh well... in the meantime, I'll just have to go a roundabout way, and hope that it works.

To that end, I present this:



Yes, that is Jimmy and James and they are playing my Wii. Look at them, all Wii'ed out. Jimmy really looks into it, doesn't he? And he's all sweaty, just like James likes him to be.

He loves his Asian's sweaty.