L'arc en ciel

If you recall the previous L'arc post I made, I said they should just make an album of ballads. They released a single which is a fantastic ballad, it's called "Jojoushi" something like that, i've seen lots of different spellings. Anyways, it's a great ballad. It's over 5 minutes long, has string swells, lyrics about loving someone passionately, a cool relaxing verse, a very climatic chorus, it's great.

Welcome back L'arc en ciel, unfortunately I won't buy your upcoming album, but this single is amazing.

Care Bear Test

I ran across this bad mofo and so here are the results.

	Friend Bear You are everyone's ideal friend because you are sincere and genuinely kind. Sometimes you worry about your friends' problems so much, you forget about your own responsibilities, which can get you into trouble. For you, it's the little things that really count. You also happen to be the main driver of the Cloud Car. No speeding!
Take the Which Care Bear Are You? Quiz!

That's right I drive the cloud car, sans license.
Only 22 posts this month. 89 or something like that in total, no I don't know which post is 69.

Cali Gari

I just love this picture.

Look at that full-size action. I love Flickr. I'd post content if I wasn't digging Flickr so much.

Flickr

There's a decent amount of photo posting website out there and I've mostly been using Photobucket, one issue was that it resized the images, which I didn't like. Today I signed up for a Flickr account and it seems really cool, way more features and no resizing. So here's a test. I think they have free mobloging too, which I've always wanted to do. First I'd need a cell phone and a job, but still.
Check out this promo flyer.

Title Background Test and More!!!

To be cool I'd tried making that Tosa Mitsouki painting the title background, but it only fills 2/3 of it and the link no longer works, oh well I'll figure it out.

The More!!!, well I figured out how to save streaming real audio files and convert them into wav files, this means what? It means all those streaming files you can burn those mofos to CDs, which I did, without track markers, but I did it. The process is kind of complicated but it's neat, especially with all those KCRW performances.

Umm, that's all I've got, pretty pumped about the real audio thing though.

Guitar Pedals

I spent a decent amount of time checking out guitar pedals today. I came across this company called Catalin Breed, not sure what the name is all about, but they seem to make some great pedals. This one in particular called the Teaser/Stallion.

First it's just a plain distortion pedal, but it can also pull off some great oscillated noises.
For example it can sound like this:
Distortion
Not a bad distortion pedal
Then there's this crazyness.
Crazyness
Watch out, it's really loud, so turn your volume down for this clip.

Either way pretty neat, if I played guitar I'd spent lots of time with that.
This post bores me now. I apologize.

Yeah.....

So, lately, past month I guess I haven't been posting much. Probably due to my stronger adherence to my non-live journal mission statement. Certainly cuts down on stuff to write about.

So, to fill space and promote my other goal of making this say something about myself. I'm going to kick it Chinese horoscope style. Those other horoscopes don't say anything.

First my Chinese sign is the Rabbit. Here's a review of what they say Rabbits are and my views on that.
Timid and attractive - Timid sure.

Compassionate nature leads it to be very protective of those it holds dear, but where romance is concerned, the Rabbit's sentimentality can lead it to idealize relationships. - True

The sweet, sensitive Rabbit often ends up giving more of itself to a partner than is realistic or healthy. - Could be unfortunately true.

Doesn't like changes - Most definately.

Emotionally weak, doesn't like arguments, pushover, pessimistic. - Emotionally weak, more so emotionally cold, arguments I like them, pushover, I'm so stubborn, pessimistic, yeah.

That's not very in depth, kind of pessimistic, they're just feeding it aren't they?

Onto today's Horoscope.
Everything you complain about at this moment happens to everybody! Render service to others, that will allow you to bypass your small personal problems. Be wary of running into too big debts! It's possible that some sly allergy is at the origin of your current respiratory troubles. A day of lessened nervous resistance. Certain difficulties in your love life will be solved; you'll live unforgettable moments of harmony and bloom; no cloud will come to darken your sky.

Hmm, kind of like the regular horoscopes, but this one gets medical. Why are they so optimistic too? Damn, just keeps feeding my pessimism.

Kings of Convenience

On May 18th two men hailing from Norway stopped by the KCRW studios to record a live performance. Since they are from Norway I was curious to listen.


It's quite simple, two guitars, two guys singing. The guitar work is quite beautiful. Only two guitars but it has a very full sound. The melodies are all lovely. The two guitars create an atmosphere not usually seen in groups with many more instruments. The vocals are very folk, reminds many of Simon & Garfunkel, I'll agree.

Lyrics, well, I haven't really payed attention to those. Seems like love songs, I seemed to have caught a , "why can't you notice I love you?" theme in one song. I really just listen to the music and take the emotion from there. Either way, I'm enjoying it, you may as well. Quite relaxing, which I like.
Here's the performance, I believe mostly songs off their new record "Riot in an Empty Street".
Radio Performance

Tosa Mitsouki

A screen painting from the Edo Period by Tosa Mitsouki

Stem Cells Tailored to Patients

I myself have been a supporter of stem cell research. I'll admit it's kind of creepy, but who am I to say that someone should suffer or die? Recently a group of Korean Scientists made a huge advance, they created stem cells that immunologically compatible to the donar. This means what? They have produced cells that won't be rejected by the body in treatment. This means what? They can synthetically produce cells that can treat ailments and inject them into the body and they won't be rejected. It's not good to go yet, traces of the diseases which would be treated by this method still exist in the stem cells, but either way the potential is enormous. Imagine cancer cures, that's pretty profound.

Some people say, ahh you're killing live. There are no babies in the embryos they are using, so it's not life to me, and clearly if these embryos were donated they weren't going to become babies anyway. My opinion isn't really the point though, I just thought this held quite some weight.

Video Game Madness

Recently the three big video game companies decided to reveal their upcoming consoles. First I say console in a very odd way, second it's madness.

The Xbox crew dropped their new console first. It's called Xbox 360.

Pretty cool looking. The thing that interests me is the original creator of
Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy composer, Nobuo Uematsu, are making games for this new system. I love Nobuo Uematsu and Final Fantasy.

System two is Playstation 3. This console is the business as far as graphics go, and I've seen some video footage and it's amazing, nearly CGI quality. The console looks weird to me, but the rest I like.

Clip of new Killzone game. This is amazing.
Clip may come up as guy on treadmill, try the link again.

The last one is the Nintendo Revolution.

I'll admit it I'm a Nintendo fanboy. I stand by the statement that Super Nintendo is the best console ever. It looks pretty cool, not original, but slick either way. No details have been released however, so I'm still waiting.

Sanbika

Plastic Tree recently released a new single. They've been around since 1995, kicking out really catchy, as they say, british rock inspired music. I think it's a bit too pop at times to be that, but whatever, I dig it. They're last album Cell wasn't that great though, so when they said they'd go back to their "roots" I was interested.

Here's Plastic Tree.

Left to right:
Akira(lead guitar), Ryutaro(Vocals, Guitar), Tadashi(Bass), Hiroshi(Drums)

They're new single "Sanbika(Hymn)" is blowing my mind. Really "raw", really crisp, distorted guitars, the energy stays high the whole song, or the tension is really buidling up. Then that chorus hits and ahh, it's old school Plastic Tree all over again. An extremely catchy chorus, with their trademark melodies. I've been drumming on my computer desk to this for a few days. I'm excited to see what follows.

Maximo Park

I ran across this group Maximo Park.

They are from Northern England and they have been bunched together with other British groups like Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party, etc. They do have similarities, but the song I really like from them sounds different to me. It's called "The Coast is Always Changing". It's a really catchy song, but it's not just fluff, it's moving, at least I'd say so. To pull the classic music reviewer slant, I see a bit of Joy division/ New Order in there. It's just got a high melodic bass part with guitar rhythms, very Peter Hook.
Here's the music video for "The Coast is Always Changing".
I'm only happy when I move away.

???????

On my routine check of quicktime.com for movie trailers I ran across something fans of a certain series of book may be interested in.
That's right the trailer for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
No need to speak anymore of it.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Enjoy.

Direction

In a effort to make up for my long absence and inform the masses. Interpol recorded a new track called "Direction" and it will be on the next "Six Feet Under" soundtrack, which unfortunately comes out June 21st. Also includes a new track from The Arcade Fire called "Cold Wind". Well that's quite a wait, but I'm always in the mood for more Interpol. Consider yourself informed.

Whoa

I think this is the longest break I've had. It is much too long.

I still don't have much to post, so again music you don't care about.

This song is a from an up and coming group, Sid. They are getting lots of attention because they're style is out there. A lot of traditional music influences, polka, jazz, spanish music, all over. Probably also because girls think they are good looking.

One track I've got is a single I think. It's called "Nervous Breakdown Party". Cool song, lots of jazziness, mixed with some funk and rock. Great chorus.
Here's the song:
Nervous Breakdown Party

Candy and Snacks

After failing to notice the shop I was trying to take my amp to was right in front of me. I went to Masquerade and got some Japanese snacks. Masquerade is a really geeky Japanese shop, tables for card battles and everything.
I came for the snacks.
The first tasted were these Meiji hard candies. I got them mostly because the little girl in "Grave of the Fireflies" had them.

They taste like fancy Jolly Rancers, pretty good. They come in this cool little metal tin, I thought that was a good touch.
The next is two different kinds of Pocky.

Caramel Chocolate Decorer Pocky

Really good, tasted like a Mocha drink. A coffee, chocolate, caramel mixture. The coating is soft and thick, I'd recommend it.

Royal Milk Tea Mousse Pocky

I really like this one. A thick, soft coating that tasted just like tea. Not just regular tea, amazingly good tea. You could taste all the subtle overtones that a great tea should have. I really enjoyed this one.

Everything was around $2.50, I spent $7.40 or something like that.

Alright, so my picture taking could have been better. I was just going for a Moblog feel, you know, here's my thing I did, here's pictures of it. This makes me feel like I accomplished somethhing.

05-05-05

That's right it's the 5th day of the 5th month of the 2005th year, and that means grotesque amounts of bathroom graffiti. I'll probably work on putting up my own. Apparently dry erase markers are the best tool.

Possible '05 saying
"'05 beat Russia into space"
"'05 takes their tea with two sugars"

Ok that's all I've got, but I think they are winners.
*post to be continued.

"'05 beat Russia into space" officially in the bathroom.
As well as "'05 set the record for flawless victories in Mortal Kombat".

Hyde

I don't care, I think he's handsome. Damn you women, all disagreeing with my view of handsome men.

Old CD Case

I found my old CD case and having quite a hoot listening to some of this. These AFI CDs, man they are awful, especially Answer That and Stay Fashionable, hilarious, but damn it's awful.
The All Hallows EP, still digging on "Totalimmortal" that's not a bad song.

Good times either way.

I must write more later, this is too short.

I'm a Sick Bastard

I just realized I didn't celebrate one year of owning my bass. It was two weeks ago, shame on me. It will get new strings soon enough, sometime this week. I should have a sent an e-mail to Koichi who helped me get the bass, ohh Koichi was such a nice guy. Thank you Koichi, thank you Ishibashi Music Shop, thank you Japanese and American Postal service, thank you nice guy who delivered my bass to my door. Thank you mom, panera, and various other methods for allowing me to get enough money to buy my bass. (Music playing), ohh I should end this. I love you bass, you complete me, seriously it does.

Buddhism

There are 4 noble truths of Buddhism.

1.The Truth of Suffering, or Misery (Duhkhasatya), that life is suffering, including birth, disease, old age, and death.

2. The Truth of the Cause (Samudayasatya), that suffering is caused by desire and by ignorance, which ultimately depend on each other.

3.The Truth of Cessation (Nirodhasatya), that suffering can be ended if its causes, desire and ignorance, are removed

4. The Truth of the Way (Mârgasatya), which is the Middle Way, between the extremes of asceticism and indulgence, or the Eightfold Way, which is

1. Right Knowledge (or Views)
2. Right Resolve
3. Right Speech
4. Right Conduct (or Action)
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Meditation (or Concentration)

There it is, a bit of Buddhism, a big part actually. Do I follow Buddhism? No, I believe it's philosophy holds a lot of truth, but I don't think I can go as far as saying, I don't exist, which is Buddhist philosophy. I do think all suffering is caused by desire, that seems very clear to me. What is life without desire? Is it Nirvana as they say, or is it emptiness? There's my deep thought for the day.

Save the Green Planet

If you flash back, to February I did a little upcoming attractions feature, while it returns.

I've only got one for now. It's this Korean film called, Save the Green Planet, I can't explain it, it can't explain itself, but you should check out this trailer, it looks really cool. Or does it? I don't even know, it's so weird.
Save the Green Planet

Ahh wait, I have another. I know this probably isn't very new, but I saw a trailer for Kingdom of Heaven a ways back, and yeah it looks cool. Here's my favourite of the 3 different trailers.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/kingdom_of_heaven/teaser_menu.html

Tomorrow, I'll give you a quick lesson on the 4 noble truths of Buddhism.

Another side note, one good thing about going to Wayne, I can finally learn Japanese, about time with my 2-3 years of listening to music I don't understand.