New Years!

It'll be 2011 soon. Hurray! 万歳！
Okay, In truth I don't celebrate most holidays. That includes New Years. Too many people celebrate reaching another year after they did nothing with the current one. It's really only an accomplishment if you have made some type of progress. For me each New Year just means I'm going to have to spend about two months scribbling out or erasing the date I wrote down because it always takes me a while to switch my habit of using the old year for the new one. 2000 was the worst- you had to get rid of not 1 but all 4 numbers.

However there is another side of New Years for me. The New Years period is the time I take to check up on friends and tell them how I'm doing. I've been one of those friends who kind of forgets you once you're not in my daily or weekly life so I started a tradition a few years ago as a step in the direction of changing that. Problem is I totally forgot last year so I am writing this entry in part to remind myself this year. I have in fact already started with 年賀状(nengajo)! (For those who don't know what nengajo are, think of them as a New Years greeting cards.) So I'm looking forward to the year and all that it brings. Enjoy the Holidays everyone!

Don't What?

I'm glad to see this Don't Ask Don't Tell thing has finally ended. Yes, it was signed by the Senate and the House and is waiting to be signed by the president. This will help end persecution of people who are giving their lives for their country. This is the only thing that made sense. I remember when I first heard the term "don't ask don't tell" and I though it meant that homosexuals did not have to tell if they wanted and that others weren't allowed to ask. In other words I though it was to protect these individuals who are serving their country, not alienate them.

The more this has been discussed the more I was convinced that this policy was a gross injustice that should end as quickly as possible. I do listen to more than one side of arguments but no matter what I don't see how you can have someone endanger their life for you and fire or not hire them if they are honest about themselves. In every other sector that would be um....illegal. This should not be surprising as the US military has always been behind the times with human rights- segregating black until after WW2, having Japanese American troops even as they held other Japanese American citizens in concentration camps, and still holds a reputation for exciting racial division, but sexual orientation is a private matter and never needed to be involved in the military's process.

I admit that when I was a child I would not play with the guy who hung out with the girls and acted a bit too feminine, but as you grow you put aside childish behavior. This conflict makes me wonder about the scale of homophobia in the America. How would a person being honest about their relationships, marriages or other family "create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability."? Really what did people think was going to happen? A soldier will find out the guy he works with likes guys and will run into enemy gunfire in order to get away?

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Yes,you read the title right, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. "Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt" is the name of a new anime. I don't know what it's about and to be honest though I am curious I'm not sure if I want to know. More importantly-at least to me- is the fact that m-flo's Taku Takahashi produced the soundtrack for the show and the talented, Emyli sings in one of the songs.
Those interested, can check out more info here

ニュースレター

最に大きなプロジェクトを終えた。今学期、大学の新聞（ニュースレター）の編集者になった。実は数年前から発行していなかった新聞の発行を再開したのだ。先月最初の号を発行した。あと9号残っている。残りの号は最初の号よりも簡単に発行できることを願う。