I had my hair cut and lightened a teensy bit earlier this week. I had it darkened the last time that I went, so now it is back to being like my natural hair color (although it could be lighter IMO). I’m really happy with the way that the girl styled my bangs and trimmed my layers too, since it looks so preppy in pigtails. =P I think that the next time I go in to have my hair done I’ll try doing something a bit more brave, like medium caramel highlights. I’m always doing the “safe” thing and sticking with what looks most like my natural hair color.

I know that the angle in the first picture is a bit strange (one friend commented that I look 12 in it… *sigh*). I had a difficult time getting a close-up picture that showed off the color in spite of incandescent lighting though.

A few days have gone by since Michael Jackson’s passing and I can’t turn on the news without being updated about the circumstances surrounding his death. I don’t care about the media identifying the chemical cocktail that killed him; I’m more interested in discovering the status of his estate and the $400 million debt that is just as poisonous to it. Michael Jackson wasn’t simply an extraordinary performer and unparalleled entertainer, but also a brilliant businessman and negotiator with a clever insight when it came to the value of music copyright and investment. The Beatles catalog that he purchased in 1985 for $47.5 million is today estimated to be worth around $1 billion and he is said to have approached Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller about purchasing their copyrights in recent years. I can’t conceive of Jackson, with his substantial wealth and business sense, not having a living trust (or several) in place to protect his prized assets. Surely he would have sought to avoid the probate of his estate for the sake of his posterity, as well as all the philanthropic interests that he would have undoubtedly wanted to show patronage towards in death as he did in life? One possibility is that Jackson may have set up multiple trusts during his lifetime for his beneficiaries, funded with assets that were not encumbered by his $400 million debt. Yet all we’ve heard about on the news is the extent to which he mortgaged, borrowed, and spent extravagantly, with no real mention of estate planning.

So, I feel a little guilty, but I bought a new watch recently. I already own a pink watch, but since it uses two special batteries (one for the animation and one for the clock), I need to take it to the jeweler whenever it dies. I hate going without a watch during that time, so I decided to buy a second watch to alternate with that uses a battery I can more conveniently replace myself. The Party Girl Heart Watch from Juicy Couture is one that I’ve been eying since last Christmas, so when it was marked down 20% at Neiman Marcus, I kind of leaped at the opportunity. I really like how it came with an alternate pair of bezels to mix and match. ^w^

I hope that everyone had a Happy Father’s Day! I bought my Dad a super cute card and a dorky headlamp thing that he really wanted. *L* Then I spent the day making dinner and baking his favorite cookies (peanut butter coconut), which we enjoyed while watching the series finale of Fuurin Kazan together. =D My Dad really loves NHK Taiga dramas and jidaigeki in general. The last time that we watched an entire series together was when Shinsengumi! still aired on KTSF 26 in California, so it has been awhile!

Although my Dad and I agreed that Fuurin Kazan was the best drama we had seen since Komyo ga Tsuji, one thing did leave me feeling disappointed. I’ve mentioned before how when it comes to Sengoku history, it is the battles of the Takeda that have always interested me the most. As a military history major and equestrian, it intrigues my imagination to visualize the Takeda utilizing their enormous cavalry to execute such impressive formations on the battlefield. But very few of those cavaliers, maneuvers, or battles were depicted in the drama, even though its protagonist was a famous Takeda military strategist (Yamamoto Kansuke). =(

The biggest disappointment however came with the show’s treatment of Kawanakajima. Anyone with a passing knowledge of Japanese history knows about these battles; they are among the most famous and dramatic of the Sengoku, representing the now romanticized rivalry between Takeda Shingen (Kai) and Uesugi Kenshin (Echigo). The real battles of Kawanakajima were skirmishes waged over the course of fourteen years that ended indecisively, but NHK condensed them into a single decisive battle for the series finale. This “battle” of Kawanakajima began at 6:00 AM and ended at 4:00 PM on the same day. The last battle of Kawanakajima in 1564 wasn’t nearly as brief, dragging on for 60 long days! IMO, even the PC game Shogun: Total War depicted Kawanakajima in a more historically sensitive manner than Fuurin Kazan. *L*

Aren’t these the girliest peep-toe wedges that you’ve ever seen?! They’re from the new Skechers Cali line and are a Victoria’s Secret exclusive. When I first saw them in my catalog I immediately fell in love with the hot pink gingham, kitsch rose buttons, and tiny hearts on the tread. But… I don’t think that they fit my feet properly. ;_; My toes don’t stick out as much as they should at the opening and the sides of the shoe are a bit too wide for my foot. I ordered a replacement pair that is half a size smaller, but I’m worried about them being too small (I haven’t received them yet). ArGh… I hate waiting to find out… and I hate my feet! =P

EDIT: Yayyy I got my new ones today (Tuesday) and they fit perfectly!! ^3^ Woohoo~

I can die happy now — unicorns in Berserk!!
Berserk has been my favorite manga/comic since I was in high school.
My first exposure was with the Dreamcast game, but the manga is 100x more amazing!

I was surprised to get my TF2 shirts on Friday, which was much sooner than I had expected and very nice considering the complimentary shipping (I didn’t have to pay California’s outrageous 8.25% sales tax either, despite both shirts being manufactured and shipped from LA). I have to be honest though: I wasn’t impressed by the print image quality. Even though Valve went with 20-gauge weave for the shirts (which is great for print transfer), it looks as though they used the bare minimum in print/color quality to reduce their manufacturing costs. Dithering is noticeable on the Spy print and worst on the Sniper print, where it adds a tacky dot effect to his teeth and other details. At $20 per shirt I’m still scratching my head wondering what I paid for in terms of quality. I was expecting Threadless print quality at that price and instead got something below shirt.woot! print standards. The artwork is so awesome too, so it is regrettable to me that Valve didn’t do it more justice. Or maybe they did this intentionally, thinking that it gave the artwork a more “rugged” and manly look? I don’t really understand men’s fashion after all! Speaking of which, even if they were tailored with guys in mind, both shirts are an incredibly huge fit (I bought the smallest size).

Being a girl though, I’m a bit of a clothing snob. I doubt that most guys care about things like the art print quality of a shirt (and baggy is probably a plus). *L* I will say that one thing I wasn’t disappointed with was the material and weave, which is 100% combed cotton and very soft. So, I might get out my sewing machine and resize them… or just give them to someone who will better appreciate them. =P

If you haven’t noticed already, I updated the Poupee Girl widget on the top of my diary to include my new Twitpic feed. TBH, I’ve always resented Twitter’s popularity and thought of it as the “ADD version” of online journals (which I refuse to refer to as “blogs”). But after seeing Ethabella’s Twitpic, I was surprised to discover that you can actually post and host high quality images to Twitter. I use my camera daily, but I only post 1% of the pictures to my diary and I’m too lazy to setup an online gallery for the rest. Posting the images in real time to Twitter just seemed like such a fun and convenient concept. I intend to only use Twitter for posting random pictures on Twitpic though, rather than keeping daily stalkerish updates about my life. =X

Six months after purchasing Fallout 3 Downloadable Content on Games for Windows Live, I’m finally able to download and install it. I’ll have to write more about my whole ordeal with M$ later, but for now I’m just happy to finally have access to the DLC that I paid for (Operation Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel) and was being denied due to typical M$ ineptitude. I am NEVER purchasing DLC on GFWL ever again if I can help it. Ugh!

My bro Masato introduced me to anmitsu recently. It is a Japanese dessert made with fruit, agar cubes (red algae jelly), and koshian (red bean paste made from the pulp of azuki beans). It was very interesting with an intensely sweet taste. Because the agar reminded me of jello cubes, I decided to slurp them down whole with the koshian; so I don’t know how much it resembled real anmitsu. Americanized anmitsu maybe? ww

I would have experimented more, but my Dad ate the other boxes thinking that they were some kind of funky fruit cups. =P I really enjoyed the anmitsu though and my favorite part was the koshian. Pastes made from beans like azuki and kudzu are new concepts to me, since I would have never thought of a bean producing something so sweet. Actually, since kudzu is banned in California (deemed a dangerous “weed” and invasive exotic plant species), I had no idea that it actually yielded such meaningful produce!

あまいがおいしのあんみつをありがとうございました、あにき。(´･∀･)人(･∀･`)
(◕∀◕)b どうぞフェットゥチーネおめしあがりください！！

On the subject of Japanese, I was shown this amusing article yesterday and surprised one of my friends by immediately recognizing one of the designs. The boxers on the far right depict the Rokumonsen (six coins) crest of Sanada Yukitaka, one of Takeda Shingen’s famous twenty-four generals who participated in the Battle of Odaihara over Shinano. Being a military history major, I’ve always had a fascination with Japan’s Sengoku; Takeda Shingen being my favorite daimyo of the period due to his heavy reliance on cavalry. Doesn’t this use of the Rokumonsen seem just a bit… undignified, though? XD Japanese consumers don’t seem to think so, but as an American, I just can’t comprehend some of these fads (or their pricetags). How are these things selling for $94 a pair during a recession?! *L* Even my Italian Intimissimi from Victoria’s Secret costs less!

Being the agricultural apex of California, my county is best known for two things: the World Ag Expo (which it hosts every year) and its abundance of dairies. Our water tower in Tulare is even painted like a giant glass of milk (complete with straw), so it should come as no surprise that baseball teams in the area go with dairy themes to reap endorsements. The Visalia “Rawhide” is probably the best example, with its colloquially named mascot Tipper T. Bull who hands out cowbells from Land O’ Lakes Butter at games.

My friend John got me this cute Tipper shirt at the Rawhide’s 3rd annual Dairy Day recently and since he made a video of the event, I wanted to post it here. Dairy Day is another of those quirky things that you will probably only ever see at a baseball game in the valley. The players engage in a tag team competition on the field to see who can milk the most from a cow (and in this video, also drink the most). My favorite part of the clip is when they ask one of the guys how it feels to be milking and he says, “this button’s not working!” XD

My Dad and I watched Valkyrie and Defiance at my Mom’s house yesterday. They were both good movies, although I felt that Defiance was a much more powerful film. It told the story of the Bielski partisans: Jewish resistance fighters who rescued and sheltered other Jews in German-occupied Poland during the Holocaust. The group was lead by a former corporal in the Polish army, Tuvia Bielski, who survived the massacre of his village with his three brothers by retreating into the Naliboki forest of Belarus. As they encountered other Jewish refugees and took them into their protection, their small resistance group grew into a community, and soon they began organizing rescue missions into the ghettos to save other Jews. Around 1,200 Jews survived the war within the Bielski group, although probably under less eventful circumstances than what was portrayed in the film (such as a battle with a panzer). Since I hadn’t heard of the story before now, I was very intrigued by the interviews and documentaries that were included in the special features.

I’ve been really disappointed in Valve lately, starting with the Sniper/Spy update for Team Fortress 2. Valve did away with the original Achievement system in that update so that second tier “unlockable” weapons could only be “found” by chance, rather than earned with Achievements. They eventually re-introduced the old system once enough people complained, but now they’re kicking around the idea of adding unique stats to “found” weapons supposedly, which sounds even worse. I don’t know why Valve thinks that adding MMORPG elements to FPS games is such a great idea. The only gimmick about it that interests me so far is the hats, which I luckily have the SourceOP Steam Stats Modifier to help me find anyways.

Then there is Left4Dead 2, which Valve announced last week at E3. I find it absolutely ridiculous that L4D came out about 8 months ago and will already be getting a sequel. The game as it exists now is only half of a game: 4 campaigns, an update that added one new gameplay mode (survival), and only 2/3 of the weapons and special Infected that we were originally promised. Many of the new “features” being bragged about for L4D2, such as the new tank and melee weapons, sound like things we were told to expect in the L4D update that were never delivered. Heck, I would even go so far as to say that what was revealed at E3 looks like little more than a L4D update with some new skins/models. I just don’t see how it justifies an entirely new title; especially when that title represents a split in the community like with C-S: Source.

That isn’t the end of my frustrations though. I ordered the new TF2 shirts from the Valve store back in May and three weeks later I still haven’t received them. I sent Valve an e-mail about it this morning since I paid for the fastest shipping method (1-3 business days) and they replied with an apology as well as a confirmation that they had sent out the package today. I was a bit upset, but they fully refunded me for the shipping costs, so I can’t really hold it against them. One thing you have to give Valve credit for is that they do work quickly to rectify their mistakes. They’re a bit like one of those sloppy, forgetful boyfriends who always drives you crazy, but manages to do the most endearing things at the right moments to keep your affections. =P Haha

My gun cabinet has been collecting dust ever since my Dad purchased the gun safe, so it has now been turned into a cabinet for dolls instead! *L* I think the cabinet suits them since you wouldn’t be able to tell it was intended for guns unless you saw the barrel rail in the back. Although it is a little crowded right now, my Dad promised to get some glass shelves for the inside later. I think that my girls can manage until then. ^^

Why don’t I continue to use the cabinet for one or two rifles in the meantime? Well, not only would it be easy for a burglar to break into, but it is actually illegal. Under California law you have to keep your firearms locked up when they are not in use and the statute has been amended so many times over the years that this type of gun cabinet no longer fits the legal definition of a lock box. It is kind of sad really, since I’ve always loved how elegant this cabinet looked. All the more reason to use it for girly things now I suppose!

I got new glasses today. They’re not what I had my heart set on (Juicy Couture, which my optometrist didn’t carry), but I admire the retro Americana designs of Kate Spade nearly as much. The eyeglass case is way cuter than any of the Juicy Couture ones I’ve seen too, so I’m happy with them. =D

I normally wear non-colored corrective lenses outdoors, but my Dad insisted that I get transition lenses in case I ever wear the glasses when I go horseback riding. So far transitions seem really… gimmicky. Maybe I’m just not in the right lighting, but they don’t seem to darken as much as I would have expected them to in the sun and I feel like my money would have been better spent on just buying a pair of sunglasses. I just got the glasses today though, so maybe my opinion will change once I start wearing them outdoors more.

My Japanese friends are always playfully remonstrating me for eating what they perceive to be fatty American foods (most of the yummy stuff that I bake and post on my diary). The Japanese seem to have a very negative impression of American eating habits overall, and I don’t hold it against them either — because it is true! We treat eating as a form of entertainment in the US and as Americans have gotten lazier, somehow our calorie intake has also gotten larger. Even high school kids are known to eat McDonald’s for lunch every day in the US; but is bento with asparagus-wrapped bacon and lots of mayo really any healthier? What about cuttlefish ink spaghetti? Eeewww!! If I’ve learned anything from playing through the Fujibayashi twin’s arc in CLANNAD, it is that the Japanese interpretation of American and Italian food is no exception! =P wwwww

Oh oh oh! I got Ryou Fujibayashi’s good ending last week (until now I always got her bad ending). Ryou is one character in CLANNAD that I was never really interested in getting to know, but as I played through her arc for a good ending, I found her character growing on me as much as she was growing on Tomoya! That made her bad ending so much sadder to get each time, but her good ending with Tomoya so much more rewarding. The ending was so cute and sweet too. Gosh… Key really has a way of pulling on my heart strings! ;3;

I bought these cute sponge curlers for my hair recently. =B The second picture is what they look like in my hair, since a few of my girlfriends were curious about how they worked. Basically you wrap your hair around these at night after a bath or shower and when you wake up in the morning, your hair will have dryed into curls/waves. How tight the curl is depends on your hair density and volume though, so I don’t know if these would work as well with people who have thick hair. They’re supposed to be strawberries BTW — not hamburgers! I thought that was kind of obvious until two of my RL friends asked if they were hamburgers. *L*

I received my NRA membership stuff in the mail today. I was reluctant to join the NRA until now because most people my age view it as some kind of right-wing conservative cult. *L* I can’t really blame them either when their only exposure comes from liberal films like “Bowling for Columbine” and recitations of Charlton Heston’s “cold, dead hands” mantra. But you know what? I think that the NRA does a pretty fine job of promoting and protecting the Second Amendment. I’m still impressed by how quickly they tackled Proposition H in San Francisco (Judge Warren’s opinion of which is definitely worth reading) and every time I get a newsletter, I learn about a new bill, law, or case of interest to me. Of course, getting complimentary insurance for my guns and other benefits is nice too. =P Today we had a safe smith come over to change the combination on our safe and when he found out that I had just joined (I was wearing the hat), he gave us a discount!

I also got a new car! We had to go all the way to Bakersfield to get it and even then there were complications. While the payment to the original owner went through, the payment to the bank was still being processed; so I had to make a second trip to transfer title and get my pink slip. But here it is at last, my 2007 Lexus RX 350 in “Savannah Metallic” with “espresso bird’s-eye maple” interior! Somehow they manage to make this stuff sound more fancy and pretentious than it actually looks. *L* Anyways, I’m still learning all the features. I like the camera for when I back up, but why on Earth do I need a 6-CD changer, or a heater for my butt? D=

I learned something new while preparing two care packages to send to my friends in Japan: Most Japanese people have a natural revulsion for the #1 Italian fruit, olives, and the #1 American soda, Root Beer. Why? I don’t know. Well, supposedly poultices in Japan smell like root beer, so that could be one reason. XD Black licorice is another thing that they cannot stand apparently and of course, I sent that too! Doh. The American palate is so different from the Japanese! ヘ（´ﾍ｀）ヘ Don’t worry though, I sent them lots of good stuff too. I packed rigatoni, fettuccine, sauces, and even some instant stuff, including some items unique to California. Hopefully I won’t give them a totally negative impression of American and Italian food. Haha

I cleaned the gun safe last week and it looks so much better! I can’t believe how much grime had accumulated inside of it. I don’t think that the previous owners ever bothered to clean it. *L* I love this safe so much. The only gripe I have is that some of my rifles are too short for the stands, like my M1 Carbine.

I was feeling a bit nostalgic in Fallout 3, so I decided to visit some Vaults around the Wasteland, starting with home sweet 101. A lot happened at Vault 101 while my vaultie was away. His former robotic butler, Andy, was promoted to the position of Vault Doctor in the absence of dear old Dad. Uhm, with what look to be dire consequences for the remaining Vault population. As if they didn’t have enough to worry about down there between an overbearing overseer, revolution, and uhh… excessive inbreeding.

Charon and I also had our first argument. I needed a GECK, so we stopped by Vault 87, which was next on my checklist of places to visit anyways. I didn’t want to get my power armor dirty by walking in puddles of radioactive Super Mutant goo/pee/whatever, so I asked Charon to retrieve the GECK for me… to which, he refused! What? Charon refusing to do something?! *gasp* Honeymoon over! I decided to take out my frustrations by activating the GECK instead, which uhm… ended the world. Oopsie.

Because of the earthquake in Italy, lots of my immediate and extended family has been getting in touch with each other. Being as young as I am (and living in California my whole life), I only know of a few of them. So when they call asking for my Dad or Grandma, I end up making an idiot of myself by asking what their business is (assuming that they are a client), when I should recognize them as family. I feel really humiliated afterward for making such a poor impression, worrying that I might have insulted or offended them. =(

My Aunt and Uncle are also visiting us right now from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I made this roast yesterday for dinner and it was very… un-impressive. *L* I really do not know what to cook for so many people, since it has always been just three of us. Hopefully my Dad will offer to take everyone out more.

Oh, and yes, I have to admit… for an American-Italian girl, I really can’t cook. ;_; *cry*

My bro Masato sent me these awhile ago: Submission Spirits 3 and a special edition of Paraestra. Both come with DVDs, but I haven’t watched them yet because I don’t want to rip open the plastic slips inside the magazines. XD I’m always reluctant to deface gifts in any way; I even carefully unwrap and save gift wrapping because it is just too pretty to destroy, as weird as that sounds! *L* Anyways, SS3’s DVD comes with some fights and seminars while Paraestra comes with instructional (transitioning between guards/holds and BJJ stuff). Both DVDs amount to six hours worth of footage too, even though they’re just goodies included as an extra with the magazine. I’m so jealous of the quality… we don’t get anything like this stateside.

BTW, could you recognize who is on the SS3 cover? SHINYA! My hero! (*3*) There are four pages of interview with him (only 40% of which I can even understand www). Then on the next page, I was surprised to see… Genki Sudo! OMG!! (;3;) I miss Genki and his ridiculous ring entrances. Why did he have to retire?!

I finally got the Explorer perk in Fallout 3, so I’ve been running all around the Capital Wasteland discovering new locations. The most obvious that I overlooked until now was Scrapyard. You’re supposed to discover it on your way to Minefield for the Wasteland Survival Guide (one of your first quests in the game), but I managed to walk around it instead; not once, but twice! I went to Minefield a second time for Strictly Business (only for the achievement on an alternate save) and still didn’t find it. *L* So here I am, level 20, and finally getting Dogmeat as a companion in my party. =P He’s worth it though, since he looks a bit like Vladimir. <3

See the second screenie? Charon is always glaring at Dogmeat like that! Could he be thinking about taking the name literally and eating him one of these days? Or… maybe he’s just an eensy bit jealous? XD

Remember the gun safe that I mentioned? Well it took a lot of persuading (not of my Dad, but of the owner) and it is now mine! Yayyyy!! Now that you’ve seen the pictures, it should be pretty obvious why I wanted this thing so badly. =P I’ve never seen a gun safe quite this “elegant” before and I love the colors. It will look sooo much better and brighter once I get around to cleaning it too (it is really dirty). For now though I’ve just been playing around with the shelves inside of it and deciding how I want to organize everything.

BTW we did get two new rifles out of this too (including one which I picked out). See the rifle with synthetic stock on the far right? It is a customized Mauser M 98 (with 1¾ 5x scope) that the girl’s father created. He died before he ever got the chance to shoot with it, so my first time firing it will also be its first time in use.

My neighbor’s father was a gunsmith who left her a large gun safe full of stuff when he died. Her boyfriend decided that he wanted to buy and fix up one of my Dad’s old Mercedes (which is a total hunk of junk BTW, I can’t believe that ANYONE would want it), so we came to an arrangement of trading the vehicle for our pick of whatever was inside the safe. I was actually more interested in the safe than the guns, since it had double steel construction and more than enough room to hold around 20 rifles. I’m trying to talk my Dad into just getting the safe from them instead, since it probably has more value than any of the guns we saw there.

I did get a few things that I liked though. =B Doesn’t the bench rest look so bright, tiny, and cute? *L*

The idea of trading a car for guns probably sounds strange to people in other parts of the country (or world), but it is pretty common where I live in the valley. Firearms retain a high resale value, there is always a market for them, and even the most destitute of individuals tend to own one for sport or home protection. Many separate and stacking exemptions under California bankruptcy law also include firearms (CCP §704.060: heirlooms up to $6,075, grubstake up to $18,350, and tools of the trade up to $6,075), so it is common for a person to emerge from a Chapter 13 bankruptcy with firearms being the personal property of greatest value still in their possession. Most of the firearms that we own today were actually payment for a bankruptcy, probate, or other legal service rendered over the years, so they aren’t just hobby items.

My Japanese friends will sometimes invite me to group voice chat sessions on the Himitsukichi TeamSpeak server. Anyone can create a channel on that server, so you have to scroll through hundreds of derelict ones in order to find your own. While I was scrolling through the list today, this cute ascii art of Nobita caught my eye. Did its creator draw it out of convenience (so that they could easily spot their channel), or boredom? Whatever the reason, I thought that it was very cute and creative. ^w^