Wireless Bath

Making a long story short, I just ordered my own wireless internet with USI Wireless, who is providing Minneapolis' wireless internet service. However, until my required arrives, I'm continuing to piggyback of my dad's wireless router, in exchange for promising not to use any BT during that time. I'm feeling good about this decision, although right now my internet is... Poor. I think that has more to do with the router (or perhaps the weather) than USI Wireless being shit. (Well, I suppose I must accept that wireless internet will by default be worse than DSL in times of bad weather.) Anyways, hopefully my modem will be here soon. I'll definitely have fun installing it, though. ><; I guess it'll be good practice.
Also, ellie_desu provided some great ideas to me today. The one I'm jumping into first is a sort of payment system for my entertainment. I'll be putting away 50 cents for every half-hour of media I watch, and maybe 25 cents for every chapter of manga. Still haven't decided what I'll do with that money, whether it'll be my spending money or will go into savings. I'm a bit uncomfortable with making it my spending money, since that would essentially reward me for watching TV... I'm also considering her suggestion of setting up a checking account with a non-TCF bank and giving my dad the check card and checkbook. Anyways, she came up with a lot of good ideas that I'll be considering.

[EDIT: One other thing I should mention. In the past I've made efforts to make firm study schedules for myself, but I never stick to them. Something I've thought of that should help: I need to think of those schedules in the same way that I think of work. If I have work from 5 PM until I finish closing around midnight, apart from my half-hour break and maybe a few 3-minute bathroom breaks, I can't decide to just stop working for half an hour or go take care of some errand I just decided I need to do. If I can manage to keep that viewpoint in my mind, hopefully my planned study sessions will go better.]

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Bathing on the Moon

In Defense Of SuperS - The Anime

I don't know to what degree I agree with it (especially in comparing Sailor Moon - the series, not the character - to a Harvard graduate).

The truth is, SuperS is more than merely not cute. It's actually one of the more disturbing and mature Sailor Moon series. While the other seasons focus on the collecting of items such as pure hearts and star seeds, SuperS involves the exposing of private dreams. Not collecting them. Not using them for evil schemes. Just exposing and examining them in the hopes that Helios might be hiding there. This is the spiritual equivilent of a strip search.

The Amazon Trio's technique for exposing dreams is nothing short of appalling. Typically, the Trio starts by manipulating the target into a vulnerable spot, usually by intensive deception and exploitation of the person's fears. Then the victim, usually female, is strapped to a board and a dream mirror is yanked from her chest while she screams and struggles. At that point, usually with hysterical laughter, a Trio member will stick his head through the mirror to watch and ridicule the person's dream. When it is determined that Helios is not there, the victim is slated for immediate death. Is this sequence of events, by anyone's standards, even remotely cute? It's an assault bordering on rape! Yet the psychological horror of the quest for the dream mirrors provides potential for major character development. It also allows storylines that revolve around adult issues, such as what defines an individual. Try that with star seeds.

Which is a very good point, except it's really not played that way (perhaps because it's a kids' show). [EDIT: Well, no, it is played as violating a person's very private dreams, but they don't at all portray it as psychological rape; that requires the aid of an adult's more careful analysis.]

I have to say, though, re-watching S, my "I love this show, but mostly out of nostalgia, because in truth it's a really flawed show" has turned toto "I love this show, largelly out of nostalgia; it also has some significant flaws in it." Somehow in this watching (and in this series?) the monster-of-the-day-ness of it all isn't bothering me much at all. Maybe because I'm recognizing something valuable to the overall plot in nearly every episode. I still want to throw my pillow at the screen every time Tuxedo Mask's only role is to throw a rose, make a speech, and remind Sailor Moon that she should attack (especially that last part). I don't mind him breaking into a bad situation and giving her a moment of opportunity, even if he has to do it every other episode, but somehow that last bit of needing to remind her that she's needs to, um, hurry up and use her power because she's kind of in battle here, rubs me the wrong way. I really liked him four times more in PGSM.

Moving on, I set up a once-a-month transfer of $30 to my savings account starting on the 1st and 15th of September. I'll up those transfers to $75 once my finances have more wiggle room, but I've decided that, SGMS or no, I need to be firm about putting away money for my Firstmark payments, so that comes first. In the end, I've decided that, if registration is still open on the 15th, and I have enough money, then I can go. Who knows - maybe Dad'll be willing to lend me $20 if I need it.

I really, really, really need to go to Half-Price tomorrow morning. Like, before Katie picks me up for the Obon thinger. I should go through my stuff I have packed away downstairs, too, and see if there's anything I'm ready to let go of yet.