This week is but half past, and already it's been phenomenal. Last Saturday--if I, Atobe, may take the liberty of beginning my account with last Saturday--my pal Leslie was stuck promoting the Half Court Shoot Out during the Men's Basketball game that afternoon [he frequently changes his mind over whether to blog under his real name; something about attesting to his convictions one day, and something about future employers (correctly) thinking he's a moonbat monarchist the next]. Upon the insistence of some giggly girls from the softball girls running the snack stand, I dropped my name in. As I nibbling a York peppermint patty, Keigo Atobe, 2012, was called. After the other entrant made a respectable attempt, I flexed my muscles, cracked my knuckles, and there was nothing but net. As I hushed the wild crowd, I thanked the team for its graciousness, and said some good things about America giving me my chance to make it big, but I turned down the $100 prize because, let's face it, I don't need any more Benjamins. After deciding to let the prize roll over for the next winner, I hung around to witness our glorious victory, and even got to hang out with our mascot Pierre the Greyhound, who showed up just as Leslie left.

Be awed at...

No, too early for that; there remains more to say. By now, I'm well settled into my classes, but I'm not as busy as Leslie, who's been active in the student government, as always; tonight he asked me to cover our periodic post since he has to be working in the library. He hasn't even had much time to watch anime. Of course, there's ALWAYS time to check up on politics! And the news looks good on both sides of the Pacific.

I, Atobe, was most delighted to hear about Mayor-elect Susumu Inamine's surprising win Sunday in Nago, Okinawa. Inamine is a vocal opponent of the American military presence in Okinawa, now the subject of a long-overdue discussion brought on by the (otherwise most unhappy) victory of the Japanese Democratic Party in the last election. Operative that I am, I contacted my acquaintances from Higa, an island tennis club (though they never held a candle to Hyotei), and enlisted everyone, past and current club members, in the campaign. Given the small margin of victory, its a safe bet our boy would not have won without their upbeat get-out-the-vote effort. And since the win, they've been partying 24 hours a day, except of course to make time for tennis practice.

Though I'm less easily excited about Massachusetts politics, fellow Roman Catholics will be happy to hear that they now have a mostly pro-life gubernatorial candidate to vote for. Christy Mihos, probably in response to the shameful social liberalism of his Republican rival Charles D. Baker, Jr., has updated his site to include a "Life Issues" page, which reads:

Christy supports the use of adult stem cells in scientific research. However, he opposes embryonic stem cell research, which are harvested living embryos, a process that destroys the embryo.

Christy supports replacing the current "opt-out" law with an "opt-in" law that would require schools to have parents opt their children into any class, assembly or other event in which human sexuality would be discussed.

Christy opposes the Massachusetts proposed legislation that would expand to 35 feet, the so-called "buffer zone" around abortion clinics. This violates the first amendment freedom of speech for sidewalk counselors.

Christy opposes the use of public funds for abortions.

Mihos, a heretofore lukewarm and moderate Republican where it most counts, has not, I assume, all of a sudden realized that abortion is murder and should be prohibited by law, nor has he come to oppose homosexual "marriage" as unnatural. I, Atobe, am nobody's fool; I know politicians frequently flip-flop when it's convenient to (take Harold Ford). But, so Leslie tells, me, even though Mihos's emphasis has changed, his actual positions are in line with what he's said in the past. Whether or not he cares all that much about the lives of the pre-born, Massachusetts Republicans now have a chance to back an overtly pro-life man in their primary, and in a G.O.P. year no less. Believe me: from what I, a citizen of Japan (where the abortion genocide is never discussed, despite its role in the demographic collapse) have seen in this state, it takes guts to not only oppose government funding of abortions, but even embryonic stem cell research, not to mention making parents "opt-in" if they want to subject their little ones to perverted propaganda. Bless that man, whom we now endorse (until someone better enters the race), despite his vulgar taste in slogans. For once, you needn't spend a dime to support a decent candidate; the wealthy man is giving away free--if tacky--bumper stickers! Rather ashamed to display one, though it's most amusing. Linguistic aesthetics notwithstanding, Mr. Mihos might just be... a slam dunk. As always,

Be awed at the sight of my prowess!

If I had a dollar for every time I've said, "If I were dictator [or the president of the college], all the girls would dress like--"...

Usually when I say something of that sort, I have in mind something outlandish, so impractical and standout as to be self-defeating, like this. Yesterday, though, I was walking through the mall, and passed by a friend who told me the local Waldenbooks was closing. Naturally I rushed over, hoping for deep discounts on manga, but the only one I needed was Fruits Basket 5, which cost me a mere $3.50. When I took a look at the cover, featuring Kagura Sohma, the old sentiment arose in me. In this instance, though, I might not be so crazy. I can almost feel the cashmere sweater, and the leggings are so decent and yet so appealing, not to speak of the elegant footwear. Ladies and gentlemen, if all the girls dressed like this, wouldn't the world be a better place?

As I was saying, If I had a dollar for every time I've said, "If I were a dictator [or the president of the college], all the girls would dress like--"... I'd make a big donation to a deserving political candidate. During the Brown for Senate campaign, I ran across the Facebook of one Patrick Foran, a Republican running for the State Representative in the First Barnstable District, campaign site here. Why, you ask, am I so excited about a Republican running on the east coast of Massachusetts? First of all, according to his Facebook, he's a Catholic conservative, always a plus in a state where Kennedy Catholicism still runs rampant. More importantly, he's a 1999 alum of Assumption College with a degree in Political Science! The prospect of an elected official instructed by the learned minds of our Poli Sci department joys me to no end! This is a cause worth investing in!

"There is no way in Hell we’re going to elect a Republican to Ted Kennedy’s seat. Period."

--Rep. Michael Capuano, December 9, 2009

Praise be to God: He knows I was praying the whole way. Never thought I would live to see the day. Enjoyed the results pouring in as I mulled around the public square (Charlie's), celebrating with passersby, most of whom partook in my joy.

We won. But don't up and forget about little Massachusetts now that the votes are in. This is only the beginning for Senator-elect Scott P. Brown (R-MA) (never thought I'd be writing that). The first Massachusetts Republican senator since Edward W. Brooke (served 1967-1979), he'll be needing our prayers, guidance, and vocal support for however long he remains in office. I, for one, can't wait to write him a letter of congratulations and encouragement when he assumes office.

I'm proud--though not for the first time, no Michelle Obama moments here--of my Commonwealth. Alas, however: some things never change. My own Northampton voted 9,415 to 2,447--79% to 20%--for the Democrat, while near neighbor the People's Republic of Amherst preferred her 6,547 to 1,180, or 84% to 15%. Massachusetts may no longer be Mordor, but Noho is still Mount Doom.

After a neverending afternoon of brutally redundant leadership training I, Atobe, am exhausted. Sure, I've played tennis with Tezuka into hours of twilight overtime, but one more overambitious shot at explaining leadership to veteran student leaders and I'll fall flat on my face. To be sure, I'm guilty of much the same, yes yes, as are most big anime stars. Gaze at this handsome poster of yours truly. The slogan may have been lame, but the sales weren't. To atone for my role in the motivational industry, I'll let you in on a secret: leadership is about nothing more than a concern for the good in a greater sense, and a near-fanatical will to serve that good. If you really have these qualities, the whole bundle of joy motivational sophists try to tell you about falls into your lap with a little trial and error. No self-helpers required. My, I Tell You--it took a while to perfect my whole entrance routine, not to mention instructing my groupies in appropriate chants; even then the Ryoma Echizens of the world can try to be smart and throw you off. But if you have the prowess of a leader, you will always be a winner. So there~ I want my speaker's fee!

Speaking of winners and losers, I'm going to need to ask a favor of my faithful readers. As a temporary resident of the most glorious Commonwealth of Massachusetts (if you wonder why it's glorious, witness this scholarly post on Andrew Cusack's blog concerning its heraldry), I look forward to reveling in tomorrow's electoral victory in the Senate, but the conservative win will not come to pass without your help.
Yesterday, truth be told, I skipped out on leadership training to attend the 3,200-strong outpouring for Scott Brown in Worcester, though sadly none of these shots captured my person. Though the unprioritized media failed to report it, I whipped up an adaptation of the traditional, if perhaps elitist Hyotei chant (see first link above):

The winner will be G.O.P.! The loser will be DNSC!
The winner will be G.O.P.! The loser will be DNSC!
The winner will be Scott P. Brown! The winner will be Scott P. Brown!

Mean of course, but when you're up against Martha Coakley I prefer to fight snobbery with snobbery. But as I, Atobe, can't vote here, I must remind you to remind all your Right-leaning or anti-socialist friends to turn out for what'll be a close vote, though one the polls suggest an unforgettable victory is near at hand. I know, most Bay State conservatives are quite energized for tomorrow, as are those fed up with Obama/Obamacare, there are always those who prefer to sit back and complain as they let things go to Hell. I say to them, face it: you'll be voting for many, many years once you're dead, so you might as well get the hang of it now.

To this Japanese student/observer, the finest joy will be making Rep. Mike "No way in Hell" Capuano eat his words. Yes, folks, if MA elects SB, the state I'm in will no longer be political Hell, and I've exacted a promise from Crusader that he'll even stop calling it Mordor.

Be awed at the sight of my prowess!

Over at Hub Politics, there's a must-read omnibus post on the latest developments in the perplexingly energetic Massachusetts Senate race. Most interesting is a link to a candid video of union workers wearing shirts for Martha Coakley--and admitting they were paid to do it. Honestly, as a lifelong resident of the Bay State, I can't figure out what's going on here. All of the sudden, about half of the Commonwealth's citizen-dopes are coming to their senses at the behest of Scott Brown, the Wrentham gallant from the Gallant Old Party. I really thought most of the men and women of Massachusetts would sooner surrender their first-borns than vote Republican. But maybe that was just Northampton. Why, get a look at this video, which documents the energy of the campaign but is rather misleadingly labeled. It's really nice to be the national center of attention for once: during Jeopardy today, two-thirds of the ads were for one or the other candidate, including this new Coakley attack ad, which is sort of funny cause, if I were running, I'd run practically the same ad for myself. Six days before the polls close, I really think Scott Brown will pull ahead just in time to take it all.

If the late Edward M. Kennedy made a contrite and concise confession before his passing, I am sure he is interceding for the same at the throne of God.

In other news, look at this neat tea service Atobe sent me (there are two). He told me he's back in the country in preparation for the new semester, and found these vintage service, of Japanese manufacture, at a garage sale he insisted on visiting. They were wrapped in a Daily Hampshire Gazette from 1990; one of the headlines was "Unemployment Soars to 6.4%". Ah, the good old days!

*************

While Atobe will be heading back soon for tennis practice, I must return for SGA training, but at least I got plenty--but never, never enough--over the break. Foremost among reads completed was Sarah Palin's Going Rogue: An American Life. At first I wasn't planning to ask it for Christmas, but after one too many of David Letterman's things more fun than reading the Sarah Palin memoir, I realized the purchase would as much spite him as reward her. Certainly not a regrettable impulse request. She is a fine writer, with a compelling story to tell. Though there is some of the requisite surface understanding of issues, it isn't any worse than in, say, Joe Biden's memoirs. Her frequent life in Alaska stories and jokes are in good taste, and are just one of many occasions when her motherly nature shows through. Alaska must be like a different world; by the time she relates John McCain's VP offer, I'd almost forgotten she's also an American. And as against the manifold accusations against Palin the media tosses about, it's refreshing to hear her side of the story; by the end of the four hundred page memoir, the recurring attacks on Palin seem belittling indeed. While her story sometimes contradicts the accounts of her critics, she does recall some of the same anecdotes, such as her need to study up on some areas of foreign policy, and embarrassingly calling her opponent Joe O'Biden.

I perceived two rather pesky shortcomings in Palin's worldview as she explained it. Firstly, she never tires of grandstanding for the independent spirit of the Last Frontier. Alaskans, she frequently reminds us, cherish individual freedom, and are rugged and self-reliant. Yet, when she recounts her time as mayor of Wasilla, she tries to frame her concern for economic development as an expression of that independent spirit. This denotes a misunderstanding of how such a independent spirit is fostered in the first place. Though Palin spends the balance of her time talking up her fiscal conservatism, she also brags about paving many of the city's dirt roads, thereby attracting several chains, most notably Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart, that everyman's cornucopia, obviously is not going to enhance the Alaskan individualism she loves, or for that matter the Alaskan harmony with nature she grew up experiencing. Far as I can tell, the only time Wal-Mart ever bettered self-reliance was when it inspired this very nice liberal quilt. If liberals deserve credit for anything, it is for despising Wal-Mart, albeit mostly just so they can unionize it, which creates a host of new problems while only partially solving the original problem. As she should have realized, Frontier individualism arises from removal from the comforts and easy life of developed, modern society, compelling them to live hard, rich lives. Palin frequently notes that Alaskans supplement their groceries with fishing and game hunting; when Alaskans can get fresh fish and meat without hunting, see how often they still will. If she wanted to preserve the spirit of freedom in Wasilla, rather than building roads, she should've cut taxes still further, and strengthened zoning laws so to preserve the community's rural character. Secondly, Palin wasn't bluffing when she said she was a feminist in her interviews. My, by the end of the book, she seemed like just another angry feminist hornet, though a Christian and unflinchingly pro-life. To her credit, she speaks in terms of her experiences (ex. bragging about sportive tough, daughters) rather than of ideology, she believes Alaskans appreciate the equality of the sexes because of the frontiersmen and women naturally lived without refined sex roles. Again, I think she misunderstands the what the Frontier, essentially, is. Around the same time I read an article in Chronicles magazine which perpetuated a similar misconception. Thomas Fleming, who should have known better, attributed America's conservatism, in part, to the Frontier experience, which he said recreated the conditions of the Middle Ages. The men of the Middle Ages lived in relative privation, yes, and they relied on their own handicrafts, but Medieval life was far more communal and sophisticated than Frontier life. Need I mention guilds, fashion, or prevalent forms of worship? There was scant individualism--individualism certainly promotes some salutary ethics--yet life was more purely and truly human than at virtually any time in Western history (I know I am going against Tocqueville in this, but so be it). Nice as the Frontier life may be, Palin should have realized that the Frontier lifestyle, which informs the American character, is a pale, primitive shadow of the excellence human society can attain in a long-established, communal, stratified, aristocratic society.

Translation: peons, despite Going Rogue's flaws, buy, buy, buy.

I won't say as much about Ann Coulter's Guilty, but I don't need to. Unlike Sarah Palin, the more I read this woman's books and columns, the more I'm convinced that she's a real conservative in an movement of liberals disgruntled that the Left's historical dialectic passed them by. While Palin, happily, refused to approve of teenage pregnancy when the news of her daughter's pregnancy broke, your life will not be complete until you read Ann compare single mothers, unfavorably, to drug dealers. Of all the liberal taboos she's broken, her long, hellishly funny chapter on how single mothers victimize the rest of America is perhaps the most daring. Until I read it, even our Crusader (formerly Pundit) was largely unaware of just how much single motherhood undermines society. Even if you already have Ann's first six volumes, your library will be severely wanting unless you have her seventh.

Ta ta. Atobe and I will be busy till Monday or Tuesday, when classes begin at Assumption College.

Some Christmases ago, our parents gave us Viewtiful Joe, a super hero side-scroller like no other, and I was instantly hooked, though admittedly I never played the sequel. When, after finishing up The Prince of Tennis, I learned that there's a 51-episode anime based on the unforgettable video game, I was ecstatic. Better yet, it's available from Crunchyroll, an approved purveyor which gives ad money back to the makers of the animes it shows.

Unlike the other animes I watch, I prefer the Viewtiful Joe English dub. Done in the style of the game, it hardly even looks like an anime, and the characters are as American as they come. Has to be in English. Some elements about the show, such as the bickering between the proudly villainous bad guys, recalls such classics as Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Besides the bickering malcontents, always a boon for older viewers, Joe's Joe Six-pack swagger and manner of "chillaxing" are hilarious. The burger-hungry, pizza-grubbing protagonist is more quintessentially American than Homer Simpson. Witness this twist off the old bomb wire-cutting gag: skip to the three minute mark here. Fantastic. And to top it off it's an old school damsel-in-distress saga.

At the same time, I've also indulged in another endearing anime of the Christian- and occult-themed variety, namely Chrono Crusade. Yep, that's Sister Rosette Christopher, a gun-toting nun in the Order of Magdalene, committed to vanquishing divers demons in the greater New York area during the Roaring 20s. It's also available from Crunchyroll. The opening hooked me, though there have been a few disappointments. Firstly, as of episode 14, there haven't been any cameos of Calvin Coolidge, though the setting, 1924, was the second year of his presidency. Though there have been a few good mob shoot-outs, no vignette of the 1920s is complete without a shout-out to my main man. The sisters in the show, predictably, act a lot more like gushy Japanese schoolgirls than symbolic spouses of Christ with vows of chastity. Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure there weren't any women religious who dressed like this before Vatican II--though the uniforms themselves are hardly a downer. The guy next to Sister Rosette, Chrono, is another drain on the accuracy. Besides that he would've stuck out like a sore thumb in that getup, he's supposed to be a demon, albeit a nice one who helps out the Order. I think Catholics would just say such a good devil had gone back to being a loyal angel. On the bright side, the anime really grows on a person after the first few episodes. One of the characters, Azmaria, is a fictitious Apostle of Benevolence who came to light in the vicinity of the Fatima apparitions. Always sweet and innocent, Azmaria heals people with her singing, and as you can see has adorable wings. In a charming and pious Christmas episode, she plays Mary in the Order's Nativity play--set in their church which, inexplicably, hasn't got an altar. Go figure. Also, this is the nth time I've seen St. Mary Magdalene, perennially popular in gnostic circles, in an anime. In fact, there's even a classic lolita clothing company named for her. I'm thinking that, along with Sts. Francis Xavier, Peter Baptist, and Our Lady of Japan, St. Mary Magdalene would make a fitting patron saint for the Land of the Rising Sun.

Would've reviewed a few books I read lately, but too busy. Just enough time to point out this cool video, which combines graphics from the anime Shugo Chara! and Cascada's "Evacuate the Dancefloor" to create a neat party effect. You'll have to watch all the way through to see.

Atobe here. You will not fathom my shock--or joy--at some news I just checked up on from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In the critical Senate race scheduled for 19th January, polls say the Republican, a local legislator named Scott Brown, is now closing to within nine points of the Democrat, Attorney General Martha Coakley. For one of the most liberal states in the country, this is a telling reflection on the unpopularity of the Obama government's policies. Yes, Brown is not a model conservative, but if he won, the slipshod health care bill the Democrats are staking everything on would be killed in the Senate by a 41-member minority supportive of a filibuster--sort of like my graceful special move, the Rondo Towards Destruction. Crusader has already, he has told me, turned in an absentee ballot for Brown, but pity thing! I, Atobe, a foreigner, cannot vote in Massachusetts!

You may be wondering, You, Atobe, against universal health care? Japan has had welfare for a long while. From the dawn of Japan's history, the sense that Japan and the Japanese people are an integral whole, under our beloved Emperor, has been very strong, without the counterbalancing individualism which has shaped the American experience. This cooperative spirit is an irreplaceable strength of Japan, but these goods tend to be corrupted by the unnatural technological developments of the modern world, rendering us more vulnerable to the nanny state than our American cousins. The French liberal conservative philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, whom I'm thoroughly versed in from my elite education, spoke most eloquently describes the nanny state soft despotism he fears modern democracies will succumb to:

Above this race of men stands an immense and tutelary power, which takes upon itself alone to secure their gratifications, and to watch over their fate. That power is absolute, minute, regular, provident, and mild. It would be like the authority of a parent, if, like that authority, its object was to prepare men for manhood; but it seeks on the contrary to keep them in perpetual childhood: it is well content that the people should rejoice, provided they think of nothing but rejoicing. For their happiness such a government willingly labors, but it chooses to be the sole agent and the only arbiter of that happiness: it provides for their security, foresees and supplies their necessities, facilitates their pleasures, manages their principal concerns, directs their industry, regulates the descent of property, and subdivides their inheritances – what remains, but to spare them all the care of thinking and all the trouble of living?

Though we have resisted its corrosive influence much better than the Americans have, our nanny state has nonetheless done untold harm in softening the proud Japanese martial spirit. (Japan, an inhospitable environment for the family, has another big complication: our dearth of young workers is causing incredible strains on our welfare state, which Americans will not face so severely as we are until years from now.)

While we won't know what the final bill will look like until the versions passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate are reconciled, this may be the only chance the Americans have

to stop the bill. Kids, get out there and win one for Scott Brown, and you will in turn win

praises from the King of Tennis himself. I, Atobe, am not in this for personal benefit; the Atobes could enlisted an entire team of John Hopkins-trained physicians to wait at my beck-and-call should I fall ill. And after all, athletes as physically fit as myself tend to avoid health worries.

*************

Also, write your congressman if applicable; there are several moderate Democrats in the House. There is yet, however, plenty of time to indulge in good cheer in the coming weeks. Hence I, Atobe, recommend that you watch A Gift from Atobe, starring yours truly as he throws an opulent party for my Hyotei teammate, Kabaji, when he's feeling down. The studio managed to work it so they get the lion's share of proceeds (though I certainly don't need any more money), so consider this short film, clocking in at just half an hour, as my gift, to you. Chock full of jokes from the anime, the mini-movie will nonetheless provide good cheer for the whole family--or at least the insomniac pleb otaku running out of ramen at 4:13 in the morning. Though originally shown after the inferior The Prince of Tennis: The Two Samurais, which recounted a less interesting anecdote concerning Ryoma Echizen and his brother Ryoga, A Gift from Atobe is set to displace The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. See it, why don't you?

Be awed at the sight of my prowess!

I had planned on reflecting upon the past decade, but our internet was down for the last few days. Already I miss the zeros- whether they were good or bad for mankind, the decade as a whole was a great time in my yet young life.

*************

The last ten years perfectly encapsulate the end of a rare period of easygoing peace, the course of action America took under the leadership of George W. Bush, and the beginning of a new stage in our politics commenced under a spirit of hope which already appears to have been illusory. It is hard to imagine that Bill Clinton, the president of my childhood, left office only in early 2001. Despite his faults, which have inspired hundreds upon hundreds of Ann Coulter one-liners, his time at the helm will go down as one of the most peaceful and carefree in our history, though probably not thanks to him.

It was in the run-up to the 2000 election that I became a conservative. One of the hot debates in Massachusetts was over Question 4, an essentially non-binding measure to roll back the state income tax to 5%. Both sides aired ads, but even the No on 4 ads made the tax cut sound like an excellent idea. I was happy when the question won, but of course the legislature just ignored it. At the time (early in 6th grade), many of my friends were already politicized, but I do not remember any Bush supporters. On election night, I even took a picket sign a radio station had given out a few weeks before, wrote a pro-Bush message on the other side, and waved it about as the results poured in on election night; as far as 11-year-olds go, I think I was one-of-a-kind. When Bush was finally declared the winner weeks later, I was beaming for days, whilst the rest of Northampton spent the time moping with downcast faces.

During the first days of the war in Afghanistan, I remember a 7th grade teacher apologizing for how we would have to grow up during a war, and as it turned out, an additional war in Iraq. Indeed, our apprehension over worrisome affairs across the globe seems a new thing. In the 90s there had been, for example, warfare in the Balkans, but that was never perceived as a threat to our national security in the way the purported menace of Iran seems to be. I never really agreed with my teacher's assessment. War in itself is an evil, and in the case of Iraq, and likely the continuation of the war in Afghanistan, is not justified, though I certainly didn't think so during my hawkish neocon days. But war also brings out the best in men, and fosters certain virtues which rarely have their day in liberal democracy. The French Revolution launched what was to become the prototypical crusade for liberalism--and yet, as Nietzsche observes, it gave birth to Napoleon Bonaparte (who, interestingly, is also admired by the Catholic historian Hilaire Belloc). Now, as far as I know, General Petraeus is no Napoleon, but no one can help but be impressed by the spirit of those classmates who, formerly known mostly for clownishness or as jocks, upon graduating high school, signed up for the United States Marines knowing they may well be sent into combat. For those of us safely continuing our civilian lives, war demands justification, and we are called to reconsider the fundamental beliefs of our civilization. A just war effort is incumbent upon a just political order. By and large, I do not think most Americans have really weighed the virtues and vices of liberal democracy--most believe the ideals of our political order are perfect--but at least the wars, as anyone who has taken an Assumption College political science course knows well, a fitting context for re-raising the fundamental political questions. As an aspiring political philosopher, this is an ideal era in which to live. St. George, pray for our armed forces +

The Bush years were a good time for social conservatives. Unlike the fiscal conservatives, whose concerns were often ignored, and pro-peace conservatives (as I discovered when I came to oppose the war, liberals could not imagine that such an animal could exist, at least before the Ron Paul campaign), social conservatives had few real qualms with the policies of the administration and the Republican majorities in Congress. The Mexico City policy was back in season, federal support for ESCR halted and was twice vetoed,Leon Kass chaired the President's Council on Bioethics, the Supreme Court tilted to the right for the long term, we got the occasional grandstanding for an amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman, etcetera etcetera. Sure, many especially among fellow traditional Catholics, said Bush didn't do enough against legal abortion or in other fields, but his record impressed me well enough. He was not ideal, but it took courage to make the veto threat which prevented homosexuals from being added to the groups protected from so-called "hate crimes". As with all Christian conservatives, he was subjected to unending abuse by the media, but held his ground pretty well for all of it. In the ObamaNation, however, the seasonal policies have shifted against the natural family, and things aren't looking good for America's Christians. Even last year, it would've been hard to believe I'd miss Bush so much.

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It was a great decade for manga and anime. Though a friend of mine says she lost interest in manga and anime when her favorite 90s series ended, my favorites are nearly contemporaneous with the decade as a whole. Though the first anime I really loved was Kazuki Akane's The Vision of Escaflowne (1996), Tite Kubo's Bleach, popular amongst many non-fanatics and in some ways a new generation's Dragonball Z, exploded into the manga scene in 2001. Everyone [generalization alert] loves Bleach. From the stylistic manga art and the rockin' theme music to the damsel-in-distress plots and the fine females, Bleach has the right stuff for everyone on your list. Just a year later, the manga-ka duo Peach-Pit, my favorite manga artists, got started with their first serialized manga DearS. Delightfully-yet-deceptively sexy, the manga-turned-anime perfected the ecchi (I could creatively translate it as "sketchy") genre, accenting its bawdy chastity with themes worthy of a Philosophy and book. (I successfully cited a few passages in an argument over the source of the moral wrongness of slavery in an exchange with a fellow Assumption philosophy major.)

[Rozen Maiden's Shinku holding her Detective Kun Kun doll]

Even DearS, though, could not live up to the sheer magnificence of their Rozen Maiden. Joining French aristocratic fashion, typical manga obsession with occultism and a bit of Christian imagery, an intriguing Cartesian-deterministic undertone, and adorable, innocent characters, the manga never hit the best seller list, but certainly won my attention; I've read most of the eight volumes at least five times. Japan's former Prime Minister, Taro Aso, is a famous reader of Peach-Pit's master work. I haven't read the duo's subsequent Zombie Loan, but from what I've read of it, their girly-but-good Shugo Chara! is another manga for the ages.

Over the decade, manga and anime grew in popularity in America. Manga is now regularly published in its original right to left format--hence I always tell my friends, "Manga is the crack you snort from right to left"--and thanks to the Internet, animes are available in the Japanese with subtitles, though whether it is good that it comes free depends on whether you watch or produce it. Anime films are also shown in more theaters than ever before. Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Awaywas shown in just 26 theaters in 2002, but this year, his Ponyo appeared in 927 theaters, and I was fortunate enough to see it. Undeniably the best anime film maker, Miyazaki does get on my nerves with his Hollywood-style leftism, so I often think of him as the George Clooney of anime.

*************

The Church, in these years, was humbled by the shocking sex abuse scandals, and failed to retain many who turned away from its offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. The dearth of priests persists, and the closings of parishes continue afoot--my own St. Mary of the Assumption, where I was baptized, confirmed, and first received the Holy Eucharist, holds its last Mass today. Nonetheless, the tradition-minded orders in the Church continue to flourish, and their priests serve more and more believers every year, in part due to and with the encouragement of our beloved Supreme Pontiff, Benedict XVI, fearless starer-down of secularists and misguided neo-Catholics alike, especially with the daring removal of the decreed excommunications on the bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X. The pope is, as truly as any saint honored with a feast day, an image of Christ in the world, and a model shepherd of His faithful. God grant him many happy years on the Chair of St. Peter.

And, of course, I became Catholic, though this poor sinner may prove more a liability than a gain to the Church founded by Jesus Christ Himself.

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My musical ignorance could easily make Jay Walking, but here goes. From my perspective, the decade began with *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, and ended with Stefani Germanotta, better known by her inane stage name. Since I never listened to Michael Jackson, I count the gradual breakup of *NSYNC as the biggest music tragedy of the decade. We still have Backstreet, thank God, but their popularity has plummeted to a remnant of their now aged former preteen girl base, plus me. My Mom was nearly laughed out of Barnes & Noble recently when she asked about their new release, This Is Us. Oh well, I'll just get it at the mall when I get back to Assumption. Justin Timberlake got himself a nice solo career, but I'm beginning to wonder if he ever plans on making a third album. Nelly Furtado's career has been contemporaneous with the decade. I have yet to get her new CD Mi Plan; though I don't follow my musicians too closely, I suspect I never heard of this one because it's in Spanish. Concerning She Who Must Not Be Stage-named, I'd be a bigger fan if she wasn't so darn evil. Her pop hits embody all the artificiality and purposeful superficiality which makes pop music great. Social critics often slam artists for singing about situations they've never experienced, i.e. being poor and jobless, and Ms. Germanotta zinged them one with "Paparazzi". Likening love to the press attention the stars contend with daily, she brought the common pop theme up/down to her own level. My, but my heart sinks into my stomach when I see how she dresses, not to mention how she wastes her time hawking gay causes. Until she wises up, I can't buy her albums in good conscience.

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What else happened last decade? To sum up everything I can't cover: Pirates are back, and not just on the silver screen. Forget Pirates of the Caribbean--pirates now have a Swedish MEP. And shockingly, non-Internet piracy is back along the coast of Somalia, and more menacing than ever. Today's pirates capture much larger ships--such as oil tankers--with small, agile crafts launched from the anarchy that is the horn of Africa. Even with their modern weapons, today's pirates can't help get caught up in the romance of the pirates of yore. Witness this hilarious Somali pirate montage from Wikipedia. They look pretty proud of what they do:




















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That's all. If you have some reminiscences you think I should've included, tell me so in the commbox.