So, we're told there will be a choice, to become real pirates.  What? more...

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in Engineer's Disease at 08:33 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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On June 29 Crunchyroll will announce its summer lineup at Anime Expo.

That suits me fine. It's better than what they did for their Spring lineup, where they trickled out the announcements over a week or two. This time we'll get it all at once.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in General Anime at 06:06 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Exterminators are coming tomorrow morning to spray for bedbugs.

The preparation instructions they gave me are rather extreme; pretty much the only way to fully comply is to pack up the place as if I was moving, and that's not going to happen.

So I'm going to clear out my bedroom, and wash all my clothes, and so on, but I'm not going to pack up my computer gear. The instructions say "clear off the tops of tables" and this is the only table I have. But if I unwire everything it's going to take a week to get it all working again, if I ever do. So I'm not going to.

I think the instructions are supposed to be interpreted to refer to the entire apartment, but I'm going to interpret them to refer only to the bedroom.

Even so, this will interrupt my life a bit. I have to be out of this apartment for several hours tomorrow, and I have to spend today doing laundry and then packing all my clothes in plastic bags. After it's all over and I can get back in here, I'll have to spend a lot of time setting things up again.

Which means I probably won't be online much, and I doubt I'll post anything here for at least a couple of days, except maybe for a quick update on how the bug hunt is going.

Where's Juan Rico when I need him?

UPDATE 6/26: The guy came right at 8:00 this morning, as scheduled. He wasn't a hard case about it. He never even looked at the computer table, for instance.

The instructions said I was supposed to remove all bedding, but not move the bed itself because it might make the bugs scatter. I don't use sheets; I have two comforters and I sleep between them. I decided I should leave the lower one on the bed, because I guessed it was probably involved in the bedbug's nesting.

And after he got there, I pulled it off -- and there were a couple of big, gross black places on it, lousy with bug scat.

Then he told me I had to clear out, and stay away for four hours. That was in the instructions, too, and I was prepared. I bought three new books for my Kindle yesterday, and went out to a coffee shop near here and read. But after three hours I got kind of bored with that, so I did some walking around.

If you look at a calendar, it's summer now. But Oregon sure didn't get the message. This whole spring has been cold and gray and wet, and it still is. It was about 60 out, and threatening rain, so I was walking around in my winter coat.

Finally got back about 12:30, half an hour ago. And now I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do. They didn't leave any instructions. The matress from my couch was pulled off, and in the bedroom the mattress and box springs are covered with something. Was I supposed to leave those on?

I went out and found Alex, the handyman, who was there this morning to help. He said they were supposed to stay on.

Meanwhile, my comforters are in black plastic bags, having themselves undergone anti-bug warfare, and I'm not sure I want them any more.

I think the plan is going to be for me to stay in a motel tonight. Tomorrow I'll go buy new comforters, and new pillows while I'm at it. Even with my new big shopping cart, that may turn out to be two trips. I hope not. I think I walked about four miles today, and my legs really hurt. (It's the most exercise I've gotten in about five years.) And it's going to be about half a mile to the motel, and tomorrow I bet my legs hurt like mad. Ick.

At least it won't be blisteringly hot.

UPDATE: The manager just called me. She said I do have to throw out the comforters, but that's OK because I was already planning to do so. But buying new will be a bit of a problem, because now it's pouring down rain.

It's OK to sleep here tonight, she said. But without blankets, sheets, or pillows that might be a trick. I think I'm going to sleep on my couch tonight. I was crashed out for a nap on it when she called.

Also, he put covers on my mattress and box springs, and those are supposed to stay. But the one on the matress has a broken zipper, and he's going to bring a new one, probably tomorrow. So it's another reason why not to use the bedroom tonight.

When I was putting the box springs and mattress back into place, I found a live bug on the outside of the mattress cover. I gather I'll be finding them for a while, according to the instructions. Apparently the poison isn't instant-kill.

The instructions were that it would take two or three weeks for the treatment to succeed -- if it does.

UPDATE: The warning about an interruption was based on the concern that they'd force me to tear down my computer system. Since that didn't happen, looks like my internet activity will continue like normal.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in Daily Life at 09:45 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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Chizumatic friend Ubu Roi has suffered a stroke. That's always a very bad thing, but it sounds like it isn't as bad as it could have been. Here's hoping for a full recovery!

He's awake, he knows who he is, he knows who we are, and he knows who Marika is. So there's hope.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in People at 08:22 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Random comments and speculation on ep 25, below the fold.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in General Anime at 08:35 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Oh, what an awesome episode. Sato crossed me up several times, and had me in stitches at least once. Somehow I have the idea that next episode is going to be a surprise, too.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in General Anime at 09:11 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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1 Between this and Shining Hearts, it's going to be a long week.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at June 23, 2012 09:44 AM (+rSRq)

2  

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at June 23, 2012 09:50 AM (+rSRq)

3 The thing I found interesting is that it's hinted that just about everyone on the Bentenmaru (at least bridge crew) knows who Gozemon is.  Which means he took them into his confidence when he suffered his "food poisoning" and they're keeping it secret from Marika.

Posted by: ubu at June 23, 2012 09:56 AM (GfCSm)

4

Only one episode to come, and I just don't see how they can wrap everything up. Frankly, it looks to me like they're planning for a sequel.

I sure hope there is one. There's plenty of story potential left in this canon. And Marika and Chiaki (and Gruier and Grunhilde) are wonderful characters. I want more of them!

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at June 23, 2012 10:10 AM (+rSRq)

5

 Quartz: Irrespective of her physical build, doesn't it strike you that she isn't acting very mature? I bet it comes out that she's about the same age as Marika and Chiaki.

Gruier: Gruier really gets around, as princess of Serenity. As we know she had already met Jenny formally, for example. I wonder if it's going to turn out that Gruier knows Quartz Christie? I wouldn't bet against it.

Sato likes to hint at things, to give us indirect evidence that lets us infer stuff. Mami says that according to Gruier, Marika had reached the Pirate's Nest, so we know that Gruier has been keeping up on what's happening. Of course, it's Serenity military intelligence that's doing it, and feeding her what they know. I wonder if Gruier will show up at the battle?

For instance, I wonder if she'll be on one of the Empire ships that are shown coming out of hyperspace.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at June 23, 2012 10:19 AM (+rSRq)

6 In the preview, were those Empire warships coming out of FTL, or multiple ships of the Grand Cross class?

Posted by: Siergen at June 23, 2012 10:52 AM (PuIGa)

7 Grand Cross is a prototype. It's too soon for it to become the basis for a ship class.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at June 23, 2012 10:59 AM (+rSRq)

8 Ive been eagerly looking forward to each Saturday, but now my feelings are mixed.  I don't want it to end! 

Posted by: Siergen at June 23, 2012 07:11 PM (PuIGa)

9 I know exactly what you mean. It's going to leave a big hole. Nothing I see coming this summer will be able to fill it.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at June 23, 2012 08:13 PM (+rSRq)

10 Here's a question:  Why did Luca not want the others to know that Ririka had saved her from a kidnapping attempt?  Not only was her story about altered travel plans bogus, but when Marika asked her directly, she answered by changing the subject. (Involving another rare fan-service shot, by the way.)

Posted by: Dave Young at June 23, 2012 08:44 PM (ZAk0Z)

11 Dave, although the crew obviously respects Marika's abilities, it seems that most (perhaps all) of them have no troubles keeping secrets from her.  In fact, it almost seems to be their primary objective.  I wonder how she will react when she learns just how much they all have been deceiving her...

Posted by: Siergen at June 23, 2012 09:02 PM (PuIGa)

12 The only thing that eases the pain of waiting for a sequel is the knowledge that the story arc in books 4-6 includes Lynn and the yacht club, with a side order of Ririka.

-j

Posted by: J Greely at June 24, 2012 10:36 AM (2XtN5)

13 I personally wouldn't mind seeing Quartz Christie truly taken down and abjectly humiliated.

I'll keep my crude question about her suit design to myself....

As for the Grand Cross, In spite of possible SDF-1 comparisons, the way it makes a face before attacking, I think of the old Video game Sinistar.

Posted by: Mauser at June 24, 2012 06:34 PM (cZPoz)

14 In the next episode, I really wonder if Marika is going to reveal to the bridge crew that she hasn't been completely fooled by the shenanigans with Kane-squared, Luca, and Ironbeard.

-j

Posted by: J Greely at June 25, 2012 10:24 PM (2XtN5)

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In brigade strength! Where's my bunker? I don't think the anti-duck blastoray can handle this!

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in Weird World at 12:25 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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This show still has a leisurely approach to story telling, but when the action finally starts, they don't waste time.

And it turns out that there is magic in this world. The princess is a top mage.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in General Anime at 12:13 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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There's going to be an officially-licensed Charlotte Yeager M1911A1 and an officially licensed Francesca Lucchini Baretta. Airsoft guns.

The Yeager weapon comes with a "Glamorous Shirley" shoulder patch. (The Baretta comes with a Lucchini patch, but it isn't as cool.)

But there's something wrong with the publicity pictures of each girl with her respective weapon. The shirts are too long. You can't see their panties.

UPDATE: I really meant that, by the way. Here's how they look on the show:

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in General Anime at 09:01 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Coincidently, Japanese blogs are reporting that the home release of the Strike Witches movie is due out on the 26th of October over there.

Posted by: DiGiKerot at June 21, 2012 07:57 AM (a8L05)

2 I was just thinking about that yesterday, wondering if there had been any announcements or rumors.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at June 21, 2012 08:03 AM (+rSRq)

3 It's up on Amazon.jp now, and I gather the official blog though it's not loading at the moment (I presume it's getting hammered), so it looks like that date is correct.

Posted by: DiGiKerot at June 21, 2012 08:07 AM (a8L05)

4 That's why we need 3d monitors, with 3-axis rotational controls.  Then the shirt length doesn't matter.

Posted by: dkallen99 at June 21, 2012 08:10 AM (2lHZP)

5 Here it is.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at June 21, 2012 08:40 AM (+rSRq)

6 I was just doing my Comic order and noticed two Strike Witches figures for ~$50 each.  I'm not sure if they are the same ones you mentioned earlier.

Posted by: Mauser at June 21, 2012 12:40 PM (cZPoz)

7 I'm impressed at least, the Charlotte looks nice and you're right, that is a great patch.  It's certainly not a replica I would take to an airsoft competition though.

Posted by: Tom Tjarks at June 22, 2012 07:40 AM (T5fuR)

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Random Curiosity finally comes through with their summer preview. Guaranteed to be more complete and more informative than my feeble effort from a couple of days ago.

UPDATE: Guaranteed to watch unless I'm badly disappointed:

Dog Days 2 (Saturday)

Probably watch all the way:

Hagure Yuusha no Estetica (Friday)

I'll try one episode:

Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate (Thursday)
Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai, (Friday)

Maybe half an episode before I give up:

Campione (Friday)
Sword Art Online (Saturday)
Oda Nobuna no Yabou (Sunday)
Binbougami ga (Wednesday)

Plunder for the top rotation (i.e. story and acting don't matter; all that matters is how good looking the girls are):

Hagure Yuusha no Estetica (Miu in her battle costume is more than enough for that)
Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru
Binbougami ga!
Koi to Senkyou to Chocolate
Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai
Dog Days 2

The days are when they broadcast in Japan. When they show up for us is anyone's guess. But it's odd that most of the shows I picked cluster on the weekend.

I wonder which ones Crunchyroll will license? They won't tell us until the very last minute (grumble).

UPDATE: This is Miu, from Hagure Yuusha, in her battle underwear:

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in General Anime at 05:32 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Re: Miu.

Saaaal-ute!

(What Nanoha should have been when she grew up...)

Posted by: ubu at June 20, 2012 07:41 PM (GfCSm)

2 No, Nanoha is fine. Besides which, she's a mother. And mothers aren't supposed to look like that.(Vivio would cry.)

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at June 20, 2012 07:54 PM (+rSRq)

3 Ubu, you been reading my blog recently???

Posted by: Wonderduck at June 20, 2012 08:22 PM (2L1Hk)

4 Heh.  Nope, we did it again.

Posted by: ubu at June 20, 2012 08:40 PM (GfCSm)

5 Well, that went right over my head. What the heck are you guys talking about?

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at June 20, 2012 08:44 PM (+rSRq)

6 My comment and his latest article on H.O.T.D.  Both of which referenced this.

Posted by: ubu at June 20, 2012 11:04 PM (GfCSm)

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