Anime Goes Off the Deep End

This is going to piss off a lot of the anime/manga people.

I was using google image search just a minute ago to look up images from various games and anime shows. It turned up the usual unrelated crap (anybody see a connection between "Return of the Jedi" and "Family Guy?" 'Cause I don't), and the usual porn that comes up on even "moderate safe search." But then, as usual, it turned up the most disgusting, degrading, how-the-f**k-can-they-do-that-to-themselves trash I have ever seen. Just like every time I search for anything imported from Japan, it turned up....

Cosplay.

Yes, that's right, the people who so love their favorite anime, manga, or videogame, that they degrade it and themselves by dressing up like a character from it, and then take pictures. Anyone who sees these images becomes just a bit less intelligent. Which might explain why cosplay seems to be a growing fad-they share these pictures with the world, and thus spread their disease.

Now, I will readily admit to being a bit of an anime/manga person myself--but not to that level, thankfully. My friends always tell me I would engage in such behavior if I had the cash (my family keeps me perpetually broke), but they are dead wrong. I have enough trouble without acting like a complete fool.

Look, I may be wrong about the entire thing, but I think you have to have a very unique...malfunction..to act this way. Not only have you spent about $30 getting into the convention, and you'll also spend money on food, souvenirs, hotel rooms, etc. But now you've also spent probably upwards of $75 just on the costume, and may god protect you if you want to accessorize.

Seriously, though, I can understand this kind of thing...it it were little kids. Hell, I was Luke Skywalker for Haloween...whhn I was 7. But it isn't just little kids. We have teenagers and even adults doing this! For Christ's sake, use your money more wisely, people! Get a better hotel room or more souvenirs. I understand that acting like an idiot it your god-given right, but is this really how you want the internet community to see you? Wearing a crappy Tidus costume for a drunken groping session with a Seras Victoria lookalike? Stop degrading yourselves and these characters and just wear jeans and a t-shirt. If they're interested, people will ASK you what anime/manga/game you like. If they aren't, don't shove it in their faces.

And before you start flaming me, I know I don't have to look at these pics, there are other ways to get the images I want, but it's MY god-given right to complain, so that's what I'm gonna do. If you don't like it...don't read it.

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10-30-2k5

Lately I've softened up quite a bit on the cosplay folks, partly 'cause I've kind of softened up on lots of my convictions. I mean, I've gotten to the point where if I can afford it, and do it properly, there are a few characters I wouldn't mind dressing as. Most of the stuff above still stands, though.

Snowmen in Hell and the New Nazis

Yesterday at around 3pm the weatherman said we had a good chance of snow in my area. Now, I live in Texas, south Texas, within spitting distance of the Gulf of Mexico. What I'm trying to say is, it'll snow in Hell before it snows here. So you can imagine my reaction to this proclamation of the forgotten mineral (yes, dumbass, snow is considered a mineral).

I spit eggnog all over the TV in a fit of laughter.

You can also imagine my reaction when, around 9:45pm, it began to snow. My little brother was all excited, because it was the first time in his memory he'd seen snow. I expected it to be a quick-melting flurry, and said so to crush his spirit.

It was still snowing when I went to bed around 2 this morning. The snow is nice, but the best present the universe could have given me this Xmas was a crushed spirit. Oh well. I'll just have to make do with the Ultimate Matrix collection.


A Species of Slime

The ESRB, the PMRC, and the MPAA.

These three groups are among the most disgusting forms of slime on the planet. They belong to the species of slime know as the "Disturbingly Overprotective Parent."

In case you didn't know, the ESRB rates videogames (E, T, M, etc.), the Parent's Music Resource Center (Commission? Committee? whatever.) puts the "Parental Advisory" stickers on CD's, and the Motion Picture Association of America rates movies (G, PG, etc.).

(I really hope that explanation was wasted space. If you needed that little bit of text, get out of the house more often.)

So, these are the people who keep kids like us (or maybe just me) from many of the things they consider interesting, like the new Green Day album (just an example--I hate Green Day), or Fahrenheit 911, or Doom III. Now, in some cases, I can see how this could be a good thing. For instance I wouldn't let a 7 year-old play Bloodrayne. We've got enough shitheads running around claiming to be vampires. But in many cases, these "rating systems" are one of the biggest piles of bullcrap I have ever come across. Now, I can't complain about the MPAA so much since they do seem to rate the films fairly in most cases but they seem a little uptight about language.

The first Matrix movie was rated "R" for violence, language, and brief sexuality. Now, I just finished watching it, and i really didn't see anything that could be classified as "brief sexuality." If you're worried about exposing your kids to violence, you need to get rid of the TV news, Saturday morning cartoons, and even the christian channels have graphic stories of martyrs, god's wrath, and the crucifixion.

So, there's no real sexuality, and the children are already desensitized to violence (welcome to america), so the only thing left is language.

As far as I'm concerned, teach the kids all the words early, around 1st or 2nd grade. Then, teach them not to use the words. They will learn the words eventually. Hell, I learned most of what I know in that vein from my parents, anyway (Goddamnit, clean this crap off your bedroom floor, NOW!). So, if you can't teach an old dog new tricks, why not teach your kids both parts of the 'language' trick- -the words themselves, and when to, or to not, use them? As afr as I can see, this is an easier system.

Plus, parents won't tell their kids they can't see a movie beacuse it has bad words in it. They can't seem to figure out that we know all the words already, and probably have a larger vocabulary of of them than they do.

Hello Again

Wow. This blog hasn't even been around for a day, and it's already getting comments.

Anyway, I advertise myself as being extremely opinionated. This is a true statement, and it becomes obvious over time. For example, I have very little respect for religion. I used to say I hated religion, but then I realized that some people need it to fill the spiritual void all humand are born with. If they think they will burn in Hell or be reincarnated as a tapeworm for killing someone, so be it. It keeps them from killing each other. Oh wait--never mind. "The opiate of the masses," my ass.

I had some unpleasant experiences with a few people in my parent's church. Not of the truly nasty, disturbing variety; just people being condescending and acting like idiots. Most Christians are good people, but there are those few who are just total jerks abuot god and such. So, after several of these unpleasant experiences, I decided to quit the Methodist church, and religion in general. I became an agnostic. I made a deal with god--I would acknowledge his existence, and he would try to get my parents to stop dragging me to that blasted church.

He's not holding up his end of the bargain.

Goodnight and pleasant dreams of sugar plums for the kids, new golf clubs for Dad, and a Christmas meal without food poisoning for Mom. Which is impossible for my mom. >gack<

Hello

Hello. My name is Anderson. Somehow you have stumbled across my blog. I don't have much time for this first entry. I will be adding more stuff as soon as possible, so keep checking if you're interested. I know that isn't much of a hook, but things will begin to get interesting soon, i promise. Merry...(insert whatever holiday doesn't offend you).