I'm thinking of writing an essay along the lines of "Everything I know, I learned from ..." about anime and manga. Would love to hear any life lessons you've picked up from your favorite anime/manga if you'd be willing to share -- specific manga or anime series are great, it doesn't have to be the genre as a whole. Please post here or email me at AKAPirateQueen@yahoo.com. Thanks!

...or at least, getting funding for something equally cool and random.

www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/

That is all.

Just for the lulz:

Teh cute! That is all.

Association Meme: Comment to this post and I will give you 5 subjects/things I associate you with. Then post this in your LJ and elaborate on the subjects given.

I was tapped by the lovely, Lolita-y, and insanely talented shigeruhiko. Her five prompts were:

Inuyasha. My very first introduction to anime, manga, and fandom, at the belated age of 40-something. I met Inuyasha and his insane adherents about 3 years ago, while in the throes of a divorce, and it's no exaggeration to say they helped me through. Even though the scales eventually fell from my eyes and I realized that Kagome's legs look like tree trunks and Inuyasha's eyes -- well -- kind of goofy, y'know? -- I will always love the hanyou. Especially in his hot, adult incarnations (Quillwing, honey, thank you!).  I've also amused myself by writing prony fan fiction about him on occasion.

Summer in Japan. Planned this with the help of the flist and took my daughter to Japan this past summer, on the occasion of her 13th birthday. A once in a lifetime trip, and I am looking for a way to get us back there. Even though my Japanese is pretty much limited to "I will kill you with my giant sword!" (see above) and "Rasengan!" (see below), we were able to do amazing things. Took trains everywhere, soaked in gorgeous and luxurious onsens, walked through Temples and gardens until our minds reeled, ate ramen on street corners, joined a million Japanese otaku nerds at the doujin convention, learned to make sushi.... 

Chuunin. Ah, Naruto. Fandom No. 2, and even though Pain is ridiculous and the power ups make me laugh, I can't let it go. I was so happy to see characters in my age range until I realized that Kishimoto plans to systematically kill them off in order to let his young 'uns ascend to power. Still -- Tsunade, Jiraiya, raawwr! Love you guys.

Pirates. My secret self. Not an anime thing -- one of my legit "outside" interests is Lord Nelson's navy, and i've been working on a series of young adult books about a boy who runs away to sea in 1803, at the age of 14, and joins the HMS Hydra, an actual frigate of the time period. Pirates figure in the narrative, of course. The PirateQueen reference is also a bow to my father, who died in 1992, and who loved Gilbert & Sullivan and especially the Pirate King so much that I grew up singing about him. Finally, AKAPirateQueen sounds so much cooler than AKASoccer Mom. 

Writing. My profession and life for the past 25 years (YES, I could be your mother. Get over it.) I started out as an academic(17th century British drama, baby!),  then briefly served as an advertising copywriter, ghost-wrote Nancy Drew books, and wrote a column for Penthouse magazine for two years before making the jump to "real" journalism. Worked as a travel writer for a well-known newspaper for six years, did several books, eventually became a managing editor, editor in chief, and then, corporate consultant. These days I write websites and other marketing materials for big companies -- not my ideal job, but still fun and more likely to pay for my kids' college than the other stuff. I have my own projects, as well, and sometime between my current age(48) and my death at 99, I plan to become a celebrated "serious" writer. So watch this space.

Okay now let me tag YOU!

What a pleasant question to consider! Let's assume a big payoff -- like $100 million.

First and foremost, I would pay off my mortgage. It's a huge amount (to me) and I never want to think about it again.

Second, I would sock away substantial amounts for my kids' college and my retirement, plus a trust for my kids and their kids -- enough for comfort but not indolence. 20 years of living on the edge has made that kind of financial stability more alluring than Inuyasha in a loincloth.

Third, I would choose two main causes -- probably support for single mothers in the workforce and one form of medical research (such as pancreatic cancer, Crohn's or diabetes, all killers in my family) -- and develop significant philanthropic relationships with organizations that are making real progress in those areas.

Fourth, I would contribute to several other pet causes in my community-- thinking both local and global.

Fifth, I would do work on my house. I might move, but then again, I love it here, so I might rip the front off and give myself that dream kitchen, family room, fireplace and bathrooms I've always wanted. I'd also get the damn landscaping done already.

Sixth, I would buy a few toys, like a gorgeous, light laptop and a fun (but fuel efficient) car.

Seventh, I would plan 1-2 fabulous trips per year with my kids. Maybe one trip abroad, and summers at some wonderful shore location (like Greece. Bwah!).

Eighth, I would get a personal trainer to come whip my ass into shape with daily workouts, and a babysitter/driver to handle the incessant driving to and from school, skating, soccer, karate, etc.

Ninth, I would hand checks for, say, $50k each to everyone in my family and all my good friends.

Tenth, with all of that taken care of, I would shut myself in my studio and WRITE!

How about you?

It's at: http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Best lulz I've had in a long time!

Is that who I think it is? On a "new baby" cake? The mind boggles.




On a less random note, I just returned from the Eastern Regional Skating Championships where my SkaterGirl (13) and her team won a bronze medal -- taking third place among 25 teams! Here she is, being hugged by her proud mom (me):



We celebrated over Chinese food, but maybe I should get her a cake with someone really evil on it...strange times indeed.

...with a raging hangover and a tattoo of a bald eagle on my ass. Okay, not really. But I was pretty pumped about the election, and we did our share of partying with my main man (or his facsimile, seen here with daughter Lila).




In other news, my work (along with the rest of the country's) has hit a slow patch, and I've been expending considerable energy talking myself out of my tree. My latest idea was to get a group of successful, high-earning, motivated women together for coffee and to provide mutual inspiration, if not actual networking. Ended up with a fascinating, high-powered bunch, and noticed that two things distinguished them from most of the people I've been networking with lately: 1. balls, and I mean big, swinging ones, and 2. a refusal to indulge in the victim mentality. I need to keep this in mind going forward. And in fact, it must have rubbed off, because I got a message on my way home with my first new project/new client since last November.

Onward and...well, onward, at any rate.

Finally, my youngest turned eight in a storm of fanfare on Monday -- he was especially pleased by the national holiday in his honor. The party included laser tag, bumper cars, and what seemed like 24 straight hours of Rockband 2. My favorite part was watching the adults whip their kids' butts at laser tag. One very lady-like parent got off 112 fatal shots in 15 minutes, an experience she later described as "remarkably cathartic."

To my LJ friends and their families:
Here's to a new year that's rich in health, happiness, and friendship!
Deborah

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

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Reading them is hilarious -- but creating them is addictive. You have been warned.

No surprise here:

I have been feeling a bit down lately and don't know why -- a bit of la recherche du temps perdu. Yet things are good overall. To wit:

RTBC Anime/Manga Edition

1. Samurai Champloo. Beyond the valley of utter hilarity. We're watching 4 episodes a night, courtesy of Netflix, and already mourning the fact that we'll be done by the end of the week. Most quotable show *ever*.

2. On the fluff side, Crystalis just posted episode 36 of Saiunkoku Monogatari. That show is like Turkish Delight--can't stop gobbling it down.

3. Naruto in Toad Sage mode--frog eyes and no warts ftw!

RTBC Real Life Edition

1. I finally found a friend to go to the Metropolitan Opera with! And the NY Philharmonic, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the Russian National Orchestra if I can drag him to those as well. A girl can't live on anime alone.

2. Sucked it up and ordered a high-def TV...it will arrive Wednesday. Plus, got a free Wii from American Express (love those bonus rewards), along with Smash Bros. Brawl and DDR Extreme with two pads. *And* pre-ordered Rock Band 2. All as a surprise for the kids. It's Christmas in October! Figured I'd better blow it out before the economy forces all my clients out of business.

3. Halloween is coming! Zilla is the first to get in the swing of things. Here she is with her spider/web/bow thing:




So, note to self: Buck up!

It's not often that a trip not only meets my expectations, but blasts them out of the water. But Japan was more wonderful than I ever imagined. We spent two weeks in Tokyo, Hakone, Takayama and Kyoto, and it wasn't nearly enough. I've posted photos on Facebook -- if you are interested, check them out at:

Welcome to Japan

More Japan

Re-entry has been difficult. The jet lag is a killer, but more than that, everything in my life here seems overstuffed, messy and irrelevant.

Note to publishers: if you're an English-language pub looking to expand into Asia and need an experienced start-up guru for the first year, I'm your woman!

My 13 year-old daughter went off to sleepaway camp for the first time, and sent this letter to her grandma and grandpa after the first day. Letters like this are worth the price of admission, imho. You'll be happy to learn that, by Day 3, things had looked up substantially -- her third letter began, "Hey Mom, Guess what? I found the shower!!"

Anyway, here's Day One:

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

Thank you for the letter! I found your camping story quite interesting. I didn't know I was our family's third generation of sleep-away campers. Wow! However, I don't think I'll go to sleep-away camp next year. This is because, although this experience is interesting, I'm not exactly having the time of my life the way you did. Currently, I have no close friends and am extremely homesick. I hate camp.

However, as I write this, I spotted an ant on the ground crawling towards me. Since I detest most insects (including ants), I attempted to squish this creature with my shoe. As I started slamming the ground with my flip-flop, the insect frantically ran around, trying to get to where it was going. I finally smashed my shoe against it, and am now looking at the creature, completely weak and almost dead. Still, it slowly lifts up a leg, and, despite its condition, continues moving forward.

As shall I.

Love,
Lila

So I've got too much work. This is a good thing, for a consultant. But I am ripping my hair out. Everything is taking longer than I expected, and July 4 is almost here and I will spend at least part of it working.

Not starving to death. But working.

On top of all the work, one of my clients is making me feel like this:

I VANT TO KEEL YOU

Watch for me on the evening news.

Now that it's all over, my mind is a swirling mass of unanswered questions. And we all know what that means -- fan fiction. This one's for Sesshomaru and Rin. It spilled out in about 20 minutes; I don't even ship this pairing as a rule.

Title: Twelve Years
Author: akapiratequeen
Rating: G
Pairing: Sess/Rin (implied)
Words: 481
Note: Spoilers for the end of the manga. Also, I have a feeling my math is off, so feel free to correct me.