I did end up getting myself a new portable hard drive(a Toshiba 160 GB model)yesterday,though I'm holding out until the last two unfinished Futari wa Purikyua Splash Star raw episode BT downloads(episode 40 is at 96.8%,48 at 40.8%)finally finish before putting it to use.I just happened to find out minutes ago that my Western Digital 40 GB drive I've used for over 2 years in now out of warranty(and may have been for over a year)as warranties for portable hard drives back then were shoddy.Realistically,I don't think I'll be able to cram all the SS on it without deleting other important stuff...

I wonder what mayhem will be in store for me when I return to work in the morning.At least I get an easy schedule coming back(9-2 on the weekdays)...

Happy 41st birthday to Yuuji Ueda who should have been the lone Japanese voice of Sanosuke Sagara.Speaking of Rurouni Kenshin,VIZ has been republishing the manga in VIZ Big(three volumes in one)volumes(2 big volumes so far).I may still get into the manga,though it might be kinda like Fruits Basket(following the manga,but avoiding the anime due to seiyuu casting issues in some episodes)...

This time,in terms of shopping for imported anime novelties,it was fairly weak.Other than a plush P-chan(different from one I've had for years)and plush Pen-Pen;my haul of imported items included a couple of items(a plush mini-Starman and a Super Mushroom cosplay cap),plus various pencil boards and other novelties from various series(two Akane-less Ranma ½ pencil boards,an Urusei Yatsura pencil board,a Tokyo Babylon pencil board,an Aa!Megamisama pencil board,a Mahou Kishi Rayearth pencil board,a Card Captor Sakura keychain or cell-phone charm,a coin purse and hand warmer each from One Piece,three Kouryu Densetsu Villgust pencil Boards,and various Fruits Basket items some of which were furoku from when it was still running in Hana to Yume)...

However,unlike previous editions,I attended on more than one day:yesterday and today.Additionally,I also attended viewings of anime(series samplings consisting of the first two episodes).Yesterday,they showed fansubs of recent and/or current series;and the ones I tried out(Clannad and Rental Magica both seemed surreal to me).Today's viewings consisted of series already available in region 1:Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle isn't nearly as simple as the other universes of CLAMP(some characters are original ones not found on their other series).However,School Rumble(which I do have imported and domestic manga of but haven't managed to read yet)was full of hijinx(mainly 5 to 10-minute mini-episodes,similar in concept to a couple of other school-comedy anime);and I just had to get the DVD starter set at a booth.I also grabbed some domestic manga:all 4 volumes of the Majo no Takkyubin film manga,volume 4 of Nosatsu Junkie,and the respective first volumes of Madara(a franchise that also an anime OVA,a RPG video game,and a series of audio dramas;with Kappei-sama voicing the main character in all applicable versions)and Suzuka(which ended a 3-year serialization in Shuukan Shounen Magazine this past fall,later chapters can be found in the back issues I have)...

Quite frankly,it was a decent trade-off...

Well,Da Capo II is actually being fansubbed by 2 different groups.Though the group I follow has fallen behind the other group,I'm taking my chances with the second group's version at least for now...

Good thing the leather case on my ZEN Vision W is sturdy,because its belt clip doesn't always stay on my belt.In any case,I've ordered the 32GB version(largest capacity in its class)of Creative's new flash-memory ZEN as a spare.Large enough for my music collection and fansubs,this is only availble directly from Creative's online store and is often out of stock...

Happy 36th birthday to Ayumi Yoshida Yukiko Iwai...

Though the link was actually in nakayosi,Akadot Retail has turned out to be a decent source recent back-issue manga phonebooks,including competing semi-monthly Hana to Yume.I recently ordered issues 825 and 826(issued directly before the two issues I acquired on consecutive visits to Oto's)from them,and they already arrived yesterday.Issue 826 debuted the latest work by Fruits Basket creator Natsuki Takaya,and both issues seemed to also have one one-shot a piece...

Well,since no portable Dragon Quest games have come out in years,I now have the PSP version of the original Final Fantasy...

I don't know how their factories held up,but one of Japan's largest confectionary companies is headquartered in the city hit hardest by Niigata prefecture's second deadly quake in less than 3 years...

Since it's almost tomorrow(the 18th),happy 44th birthday to Niina Kumagaya...

If Noriaki Kinoshita becomes the first Japanese-born player to make an NFL roster,it would be sweet...

Happy birthday to both Kaho Kouda(who turns 40)and Hatsuharu Ichirou Ohgami Akio Suyama(who turns 39)...

For roughly a year now,I'd been yearning to pay a visit to the one Japanese food shop in all of Sacro;but for one reason or another(mainly because it's on the other side of town and was planning to move to a larger storefront with a mile from the old location),I ended up hesitating and putting it off.However,I did learn recently via sacramento that the delayed move finally happened last month.As recently as last night,I was still undecided whether to go on an outing today(the last weekday of this vacation week),but I somehow went to bed at 10:30 last night(at least an hour earlier than normal).I usually don't remember 99.9% of my dreams(since they're basically blatant distortions of past and present reality),but I somehow managed to awaken at 4:50 in the morning,due to an emergency bodily function.Afterwards I tried to go back to sleep,but I just couldn't get drowsy again.About 6:45,I gave up.At the same time,I decided that I wasn't hesitating any more.By about 7:40,I slipped on some otaku gear(including a Newtype USA t-shirt received as a renewal premium,my Kirara cosplay cap,some jeans,and the smaller of my Furuba messenger bags),grabbed a couple drinks(a water bottle and Sangaria bottled cold coffee sold at a Korean shop near home),and ventured out on the journey to paradise in the middle of an otaku backwater.

Two bus rides,a brief light rail ride,and 2 ½ hours later;I blurted a 'Yatta!' just before stepping foot inside Oto's Marketplace on Sacramento's Freeport Boulevard(next door to Rite Aid's oldest unremodeled Sacro location,semi-ironically since it's an older section of town).Once I got off the bus a block away,I took a couple of exterior snapshots,since I had my digital camera.Once I stepped in,I knew it was pure bliss.Though some non-Japanese products are scattered along the shelves,I was surely at the right place.I spent some 90 minutes in their new digs(chain-drugstore sized,but at least twice as large as their old location)and I loaded my basket with instant noodle cups/bowls(including several large sized packages of the original Cup Noodle,not the Americanized Cup-O-Noodles),several Japanese drinks(Calpico,Coca Cola's Soukenbicha,bottled/ready to drink Pocari Sweat,C.C. Lemon,UCC canned coffee,and a couple others including anoth Coke-made tea dring called Hajime),and a lot of Japanese snacks(tiramisu Pocky,a couple bags of Calbee potato chips,citrus-flavored rice candy,ramune candy with a Yes!Purikyua 5 toy,and other Japanese sweets).Since they also had cooked/prepared foods on site,I also decided to grab lunch:potato croquettes(popular in Japan though the croquett wasn't a Japanese creation)and rice appetizers(an onigiri and layered rice cubes with a fish layer in the middle.Once I checked out,it was cheaper than I thought.Though I couldn't find any personal care products,I was told they were sold at their auxillary location a few blocks down.After eating,I went to the addy they told me,but the block number was non-existant.I called the main store,and it turned out I was given an incorrect block number.After receiving the proper directions,I then found the other location,next door to the main store's original location.It turned out to be their video-rental and variety shop(selling mainly non-cooking items).In their magazine section,they had some manga phonebooks.There were some outdated ones at reduced prices,but I was told that the covers had to be removed for credit-out purposes.I ended up settling on the latest Nakayoshi(that included at least one premium item),a 2-pack of Japanese gel-rollers,a pack of erasers,and a couple other things.Once it was all said and done,I was lucky my load was still carryable(two paper bags).A few minutes before boarding the first bus for the long journey back to the northeast side of town,one of the bag handles broke,but not enough for stuff to spill/fly out.Not only that,after I boarded that bus,I rode it to the next stop before making the first of two transfers.That bus stop turned out to be in front of a new Rite Aid that just opened earlier in the year on the edge of downtown.I browsed in there(half the size of a typical west coast Rite Aid)for a few minutes,and managed to get a jumbo plastic bag to wrap around the broken paper bad,and continued on my journey back home.Not only was the weather nice(80's even with summer-style daylight hours),I didn't even sweat until I got home.Even better,I fortunately haven't even been subjected to those nihonjin kanojo jokes...yet.It very well could be worth at least one return trip...

Anyway,I used the latest YesAsia coupon discount(issued before their coupon promotion expired)on two more Makkun CD's(including her most recent album).I also nailed the rare Saber Marionette J to X OP/ED CD maxi single(featuring Proof of Myself and Lively Motion,both sung by Megumi Hayashibara and previously sampled at seiyuu)from an eBay Buy It Now listing.Also,I nailed a 1990's edition of Kenkyusha's Little English-Japanese Japanese-English Dictionary from an Amazon.com Marketplace seller...

Happy birthday to both Ai Nonaka(who turns 26 and also hails from Kappei-sama's hometown)and Light Yagami Mamoru Miyano(who turns 24).Speaking of Kappei-sama,he may have landed a decent new post-Death Note anime voice role.As long as the producers responsible for voice casting don't decide to ruin a good thing by pulling a Michiru Kiryuu not even half way through like what happened last year(Purikyua SS turned out to be Frappi-sama's toughest voice role in years)...

...it's been some 5 years since a Japanese cabinet minister became one of the first political figures to publically call our lame excuse for an American president "an @$$hole!"She clearly must had clearly seen what was coming...

Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks on becoming the first California team to win the Stanley Cup...

Happy birthday to both Sailor Uranus Shinji Ikari Kurama Megumi Ogata(who turns 42)and Momiji Sohma Minori Hyuuga Ayaka Saitou(who turns 19 and still has to be among the youngest seiyuu at the present time)...

Over the weekend,I checked the instruction for my jury summons(valid for this week);and according to info last updated Friday,it said to check back around 5 PM Monday(yesterday).However,I worked late yesterday and forgot to put the summons in my rat backpack before leaving the house.;not to mention that I was out of jury shape as recently as this morning(grungy hippie hair).Once I got home last night,I was in the mood only for dinner and snoozing.Even after I got a sorely needed haircut,I didn't get to checking the summons instructions upon turning this very Toshiba Satellite.Once I looged on and went to the relevant homepage,an ugly but miraculous fluke.Assuming I missed the report date,my assigned group number was one of those not-always utilized midday reserves.For yesterday's midday reports,it was hit(there were needed);but for my group(ultimately the only assigned midday group),it was miss(never needed at the courthouse in the first place).I even called the automated hotline:same result.I've served on a jury once(convicting a wife-beater in August 2002),but both times that I been "summoned" since,it's been uneventful as Y2K...

Bringing you back to my regular life already in progress,I received an application for an Amex gold card,just when I thought those credit card companies gave up on me a long time ago.Even my siter(who got herself into excessive debt with multiple cards years ago)sitll gets applications in the mail.Don't know if I'll go for it though...

I certainly don't doubt the results of the survey suggesting that Sacro's drivers are ruder than those in the Bay Area...

Since it's already tomorrow(the 16th)in all but a few time zones;happy birthday to Kousuke Toriumi(who turns 34),Asami Imai(who turns 30),and Akemi Satou(who turns 27)...

Three episodes into Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star,Momiji Sohma Minori-chan has almost met Frappi-sama in each episode.Based on events in episode 2,I almost wonder if Naruto Uzumaki Kenta likes Saki.If BitTorrent decides to speed up even faster than it has been,I just might have episode 4 fully downloaded before snoozing.The most recent episode available(episode 8),was released back in October,but Mystery Fan Translation Group X actually took 5 months between 2 prior episodes last year.As long as episode 9 comes out within a couple of months,all will be well.In case I run out of episodes to download,I may get into older fansubbed anime such as Villgust and the first Mahoujin Guru Guru series.As long as no one suggests that I get into series such as Panzer World Galient,Tonde Buurin,and/or Nurse Angel Ririka SOS;series suggestions are welcome...

Well,no matter what,the package that I wanted to mail before Christmas will be assembled and mailed within days;because I know that it will be forwarded and won't bounce back...

Since it's basically tomorrow in 80%+ of the world already,happy 35th birthday(already!)to Edward Elric Romi Paku...

Both Bay Area football teams stunk it up(again);but at least Bibby,Artest,and company snapped that hard-luck losing streak...

Sooner or later,I seriously gotta get into the music of Ritsuko Okazaki.I knew she co-wrote some of Megumi Hayashibara's songs,but I never realized she was a background vocalist on some of them.I know that For Fruits Basket was on her last studio album,but I wonder if the ending was also on one of her albums...

While there's still time,happy 28th birthday to Kyohko Tokiwa Ikue Kimura...

This time,the local bus operators were actually sharper this time around,and actually made it to Sac-Anime as soon as it was beginning this time around.However,when I got there,the con staff was overwhelmed to the point that there was a long line halfway through the parking lot of the venue(the Scottish Rite Masonic Center,just a block from CSUS).Eventually,I got through within 15 minutes...

Once I got in,there didn't quite seem to be as many vendors this time around on the surface.However,I left 3½ hours later with still a rather impressive haul(again,not counting stuff found for other people):

• two more sets of uncut One Piece(episodes 98-132)
  
• a set of the first 24 episodes of Keroro Gunsou,a longer and ongoing(in Japan)anime series that hasn't yet been licensed for region 1 release.Don't know how early Tororo appears...
  
• the first(code free from a region 3 country)volume of uncut Shaman King
  
• a domestically licensed human Yuki keychain
  
• 2 decks of One Piece playing cards
  
• a Tony Tony Chopper keychain
  
• a pair of Majo no Takkyubin chopsticks
  
• one pencil board each from One Piece and Kidou Senkan Nadeshiko,and two each from Kidou Senkan Nadeshiko and Tenchi Muyou!
  
• a mini plush Clefairy
  
• six Shin Seiki Evangelion star-and-constellation mini display figures
  
• a Hatsuharu Sohma reversible ox cosplay cap,which has been rather elusive
  
• a box of pizza-flavored Pretz
  
• a lucky cat sundial bobblehead
  
• three seiyuu CD's,all authentic:Hiroko Kasahara's Madrigal(PICA-1052,I have heard Fuu sing in a season 2 MKR episode),Ai Orikasa's Shukujo Choutokkyuu(PICA-1058),and Chisa Yokoyama's Magical Fantasy World(PICA-1140);and last but not least...
  
• several items from Manga Universtiy's booth(they were the only company booth there):Kanji de Manga 4,Manga Moods(40 faces,80 phrases),Costume Collection:"A Day in the Life of a Japanese Schoolgirl",and a Manga University t-shirt...
  

While there,I might have made a minor celebrity.Not only were ther actual fan organization booths,but one of them snapped a shot of the T-shirt I was wearing.If you eventually find I pic of an "Anime Freak" t-shirt here,it's yours truly...

A belated word on the World Cup final:Final result aside,both les Bleus and gli Azzurri deserved to make it to the championship,as they did each knock off either of the 2 teams resposible for Samurai Blue being eliminated in the group stage(gli Azzurri shattering the Suckeroos' Cinderella shoe in the round of 16,les Bleus extending their hex of the New York Damn Yankees of international soccer in the quarterfinals).Since I missed the game(I worked that day),I can't be the judge on who was the "terrorist"...

Back to work tomorrow,but I actually accomplished quit a bit during that 6-day layoff...