Passport necessities

I frequently think about getting a passport. Not for actually traveling because I've never traveled outside of the United States. However, some things require two forms of identification and a passport would be a good one. And who knows...maybe I will get the chance for international travel some day. Then it would definitely be useful to already have one.

JDorama review: Zettai Kareshi

Title: Zettai Kareshi Also Known As: Absolute Boyfriend Broadcast date: 4/15/08 - 6/24/08 Genre: Romantic comedy Number of episodes: 11 Cast: Hayami Mokomichi, Mizushima Hiro, Aibu Saki Plot: Riika (Aibu Saki) is terrible at love. One day, she finds herself strapped with a free trial for a new love robot, Night (Hayami Mokomichi). Despite Night's absolute devotion to her, Riika finds herself falling in love with her boss, Soshi (Mizushima Hiro). Which will Riika choose? What is good: Much like Ghost in the Shell, it has a "what does it mean to be human" theme wrapped up in the romance storyline. What is bad: How come Night can't willingly destroy property but he can go around telling everyone he's a robot even though Riika was explicitly told not to tell anyone? Letter rating: A- Overall: As a drama, I found it to be excellent. I was even crying during the final episode. However, that doesn't mean it doesn't have problems. The robotic sound effects that Night makes when he blinks or turns his head get somewhat annoying after awhile. We know that he is a robot. We don't need to be reminded. We do need some continuity though. Why doesn't everyone else hear Night's blinking noise? Also, Riika is told very explicitly that Night is a secret and she is not to tell anyone that he is a robot. So what does Night do? Blab it to everyone. Even if no one believes him, why wouldn't he be programmed to not say he's a robot?

If you look past those few small problems, the show really is good. The actors do an excellent job, especially Hayami Mokomichi. This would be a great show for any romantic comedy fan.

Game review: Laura Jones and the Gates of Good and Evil

I find that I am growing tired of games with extremely long names. Laura Jones and the Gates of Good and Evil is an example of this trend. And I'm sure there will be many more Laura Jones games in the future. Anyway, you play Laura Jones, the daughter of an adventuring duo. You need to track down the six keys in order to open the Portal to the Gates. While it is still a hidden object game, there are some small changes in it. Instead of trying to find a huge list of items, there are levels where you are just tracking down a certain number of paw prints or jewels or something. They've also added a variety of mini-games where you need to do things like catching certain fish for a cat. I don't know if these make the game any more enjoyable. It ended up as an OK game but nothing I'd want to spend a ton of time on.

Music review: Everclear - Father of Mine

Artist: Everclear Members: Art Alexakis (vocals, guitar), Greg Eklund (drums), Craig Montoya (bass, vocals) Album: So Much for the Afterglow Release date: 10/7/97 Video link: Via YouTube

Lyrics: Father of mine Tell me where have you been You know I just closed my eyes My whole world disappeared Father of mine Take me Back to the day When I was still your golden boy Back before you went away

I remember blue skies Walking the block I loved it when you held me high I loved to hear you talk You would take me to the movie You would take me to the beach You would take me to a place inside That is so hard to reach

Father of mine Tell me where did you go You had the world inside your hand But you did not seem to know Father of mine Tell me what do you see When you look Back at your wasted life And you don't see me

I was ten years old Doing all that I could It wasn't easy for me To be a scared white boy In a black neighborhood Sometimes you would send me a birthday card With a five dollar bill I never understood you then And I guess I never will

Daddy gave me a name My dad he gave me a name Then he walked away Daddy gave me a name Then he walked away My daddy gave me a name

Daddy gave me a name Daddy gave me a name Then he walked away Daddy gave me a name Then he walked away My daddy gave me a name

Father of mine Tell me where have you been I just closed my eyes And the world disappeared Father of mine Tell me how do you sleep With the children you abandoned And the wife I saw you beat

I will never be safe I will never be sane I will always be weird inside I will always be lame Now I'm a grown man With a child of my own And I swear I'm not going to let her know All the pain I have known

Daddy gave me a name Then he walked away My dad gave me a name Then he walked away My daddy gave me a name Then he walked away My daddy gave me a name Then he walked away Then he walked away Then he walked away About the song: I always cry when this song plays. It's an autobiographical song about Art's father abandoning the family when Art was a boy. While I know that deadbeat dads aren't uncommon, I think the part that always tugs at my heartstrings is the "Now I'm a grown man/With a child of my own/And I swear I'm not going to let her know/All the pain I have known" verse. It's wonderful to hear someone breaking the vicious circle that usually happens when someone who has a crappy childhood becomes a parent. Even though this is a sad and depressing song, that last verse does give you hope for the future.

Summer will be ending soon

There's only about a month left of the summer. That means you really have to squeeze your vacations in before the school year starts again! About ten years ago, I lived in North Carolina and I loved the area there. It would be really nice to find some decently priced Outer Banks rentals so I can take my husband and daughter down there to show them how lovely it can be. I don't think we're going to be able to make it this year but there's always next year!

Game review: The Secret of Margrave Manor

The Secret of Margrave Manor is a rather uninspired hidden object game. You play Edwina Margrave, a woman searching for her lost grandfather. The only thing that makes the game different is that the objects move every time you enter the room. So it isn't possible for you to memorize where something is located. However, that doesn't make the game particularly interesting. Maybe if they threw in some extra puzzles, this would be a slightly more than a typical hidden object game.

Inexpensive massages are good!

I absolutely love getting massages. They are so relaxing and rejuvenating. I've been looking at local massage therapy schools. Not because I want to learn the art myself but because most of them have clinics that are cheaper than going to a spa. Massage students need to accumulate so many hours of "real" work in order to graduate. These clinics allow the students to achieve their needed hours while giving clients an inexpensive way to relax. It's good for everyone!

Favorite Friday

While I normally post a YouTube video for Favorite Friday, this one is just too good to pass up. Joss Whedon created a mini-series that is currently playing on the internet. I believe it is also available for purchase on iTunes. Believe me, it is worth every penny to buy it. http://www.drhorrible.com/

Watch it. Love it.

Medical ID bracelets are important.

My sister has a form of hemophilia so she has to wear medical id bracelets all the time. I've been debating whether or not I should get one due to my allergy to penicillin. It's pretty important that, if I'm unconscious, the doctors know not to give me any of the -cillin antibiotics. However, I've never gotten around to getting an ID bracelet for it. Maybe I can find a pretty one for me. ^_^