Hypergraphian's Muse

Thank you for still coming! Here's some poisonous fugu...

2011-09-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

So I decided to start blogging again after a long while and then I thought I should start fresh. But then I come across my old analytics and low and behold, this blog is still kicking with visitors so thanks! I'm going to still update this one though not as often cause frankly, its hard trying to find funny things to put up and I'm moving all my music selections to another blog, www.canneespreciousmusicbox.blogspot.com. But I shall nonetheless, if only for the benefit of entertainment, keep posting the videos and news that entertain me.(Now why would you eat that cute thing?)

Now you gotta love it when people get enthusiastic about things they shouldn't, especially when it involves a very poisonous fish called, the 'fugu' or the Japanese puffer fish. Well, the story goes that this couple decides to catch, prepare and eat the Japanese puffer fish before suffering from paralysis and eventually being hospitalized for having done so. Suicide attempt? Maybe... but some people will really go far just to get a buzz from toying with death.

Here's the full story from Sankaku:

Crazy Japanese Girl Dancing

2009-09-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Now, there's artistic expression and there's just plain craaazzzeeee. This is plain crazy. Either that or she's having a series of seizures and really needs medical attention. Its surprising that the road's clear, otherwise she really would be endangering herself and on-coming vehicles. Happy viewing :)

Would you eat this GIGANTIC Egg???!!!

2009-09-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

Freaky. This man goes out to his hatchery one morning and finds a big egg TWICE the size of the other eggs that he collected. So, he decides to crack it and see what's inside. I did some research on the phenomenon and it has been documented to be true. The only difference between this and the other VERY rare cases is that this one was much larger. What I want to know is, how many of you would really eat what's inside the egg after you've cracked it open? I guess I still might.

Anyone wanna get CrUnK???? I mean the music

2009-09-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've been at work, work, work. Yes, that's all I have for the excuses on not updating. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Crunk, why is it gaining popularity amongst teens and why shouldn't or should teens listen to it? The genre of music, though mistaken by most to be new, has been sparking a lot of controversy lately and I decided that maybe I should take a bite to see what it would taste like.

I started my discovery by submitting the word "Crunk" into Youtube's almighty search bar and that turned up with a few picks. Seeking for the highest rated, I went for two bands in particular, Millionaires and Brokencyde. But before I get into the details of both bands, I'll give you a really short history lesson on Crunk. Like I said before, it ain't new. Crunk was first popularized by hiphop bands a good 10 years ago. In general, lyrics used in Crunk were harsh and vulgar. The purpose? To make strong statements about all the fucked up things in life you could go through. That means a lot of drugs, sex, alcohol and prostitution themes are often addressed in lyrics, which explains why most teenagers wouldn't be able to get their hands on such records in the first place, lest you were raised and brought up in the ghetto or slums.

All that's changed now since a new breed of Crunk musicians are springing the genre back to life. These kids often portray themselves as famous and filthy rich individuals who could do whatever they please and get away with it. Hmmm, I wonder where they got that idea from. Perhaps some influence from the A-list stars? I also can't help but notice the similarities with Tokyo teen culture. Whatever it is their tunes are now reaching a wider audience because of the upmarket image they have and a strange form of admiration and teen influence has been set into motion. So what does Crunk sound like? Well, there's only so much I can describe in words but for the most part, very synthesized. If you're somewhere with people who will get offended by LOADS of F-words, C-words and other words, make sure you have your headphones on.

So is your brain hurting right now? If not, then you're a Crunk lover. If yes, then you might wanna stay away from Crunk. Here are my thoughts on it though. Crunk, though almost brain dead for the lyrics, is pretty funny to listen to. I think that these songs will sound good with 4 shots of whisky and 3 more of Redbull vodkas. Alright, bad influence but still, as ridiculous as this genre of music sounds, I suppose its just something that is funny and stress relieving and maybe even catchy to a certain extent. Though I wouldn't advice teens to listen to it too much. Getting Crunk or Drunk isn't entirely fun and getting in trouble while Drunk is definitely a no-no. Conclusion? This is definitely some kind of ridiculous music and its funny to listen to, oh and if you didn't get past the first video even, you really should listen to the Hello Kitty Song. Its hillarious.

Vajas - Sparrow in the Wind - Norwegian

2009-08-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad that we have Youtube nowadays. You might not realize it but how many new insights or cultures have you gained through this Internet marvel? I bet you lots be it good or bad stuff. Well here's one new thing I never knew about. Ever heard of a Norwegian language called Sami? I know I haven't. While viewing Buffalax's latest videos I came across this one. I'm sure the first reaction you'll have is to laugh at the man's nasal-like voice. But after listening to it a couple more times and discovering the cultural roots of this song, I began to appreciate its rather hypnotic Bow Wow Wows. Actually, this would make a pretty good remix if anyone wants to attempt. Let me know if you do make a spin of this. I wanna hear :)

Pioneer - Lol... Mondo Media again

2009-08-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know putting this Youtube vid is going to produce a lot of raised eyebrows about my choice of entertainment but really, this is funny to me. I love how random this gets and especially when it delivers a real good punch at the end. Its like the epitome of "what the f***?" Or the f""ked of fu"k"d ups. Hahaha. Have fun with this one, that is if you find it funny.

Adam Lambert - American Idol Concert (Philadelphia)

2009-08-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

OMG... like Oh, My, God!!!! Smexy is so back. Yeah, so I'm an Adam Lambert fan and I know, he's gay. But so what? He's sexy and especially in the video where he performs David Bowie's medly, he is irresistable. Might be a turn off for some but I like guys who depict the bad boy image and aren't afraid to express themselves... which is, in a way, kinda unfortunate for me since most guys aren't that way. Especially not if they're straight. Oh well, doesn't matter. At least I still get eye candy. Okay, enough with my goo goo ga ga-ing. Happy watching and to all fellow Lambert fans, hell yeah he pwned Kris Allen during the tour XD XD XD XD

Call Center - A funny parody on real American Call Centres

2009-08-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

I wonder if many of you have actually seen this. I think not since whenever I mention call center people are like, "Huh, Whaa?" This short film is a parody on real American call centres and the fact that most call centres are routed through India. Why? Cheap labour. In fact, I myself have had a personal experience here in Malaysia where they routed me to India to troubleshoot my router. My experience wasn't too bad though, the guy was helpful and he didn't have a Westernized accent at all, which may not have been a good thing since he was a little difficult to understand. Anyway, there's only so much I can explain and you probably don't want to read a wall of text. So happy viewing :)

Part 1

Part 2

Man feigns death for 3 hours to avoid police questioning

2009-08-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, my paint drawing sucks. But I just had to have something represent what went on in my head when I read this. A man decides that the best way to get out of trouble is to feign death. I guess he thought maybe the police were like bears, i.e. if you pretend to be dead they would leave you alone. Well, in this case, they didn't and he even had a catheter stuck up his urethra. Talk about sheer determination. Oh yah, the best part is at the end of the article where he explains why he decided to play dead. Here's the news in full with the source below.

"Man feigns death for 3 hours to avoid police questioning in Osaka

Friday 21st August, 09:47 AM JST

OSAKA — A 22-year-old man, who was arrested Wednesday night for assault and obstruction of duty after he rear-ended the motorcycle of a police officer, feigned death for about three hours, police said Thursday.

According to police, Yuji Matsumura of Sakai City was riding his motorcycle with some friends when he ran into the motorcycle of the police officer. He tried to escape but was apprehended about 400 meters from the crash.

Seconds after he was handcuffed, Matsumura collapsed and pretended to be dead. Police called for an ambulance even though his breathing and heartbeat were normal. Matsumura put on a good show, however, and didn’t even flinch when medics inserted a catheter into his urethra. A doctor who performed a CT scan found no abnormalities.

This went on for three hours, police said, until Matsumura’s mother came to the hospital to identify him. He returned to his senses at the sound of her voice.

Matsumura was quoted by police as saying: “I was tired, so I just went to sleep.”

LINK TO SOURCE

Mondo Media Goodies - Now with Dr. Tran - He's so Adorable!!!

2009-08-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

Whenever I feel really tired at work or have someone I want to kill, badly, I view an episode of Happy Tree Friends and then I feel much much better. Alright, before you start thinking I'm a potential psycho murderer, I'm not. I just like seeing cute little bunnies have their brains squished out of their eye sockets. It's so funny!! .... Okay, so that didn't come out right. Anyway, if you have never heard of Mondo Media or Happy Tree Friends and you're a person with a good sense of humour, please watch this. I swear that watching it does not make you a saddist or serial killer.

If Happy Tree Friends isn't your thing then maybe Dr. Tran will suit your tastes better. Produced by Lone Sausage Productions and featured on Mondo media, this newer series of short cartoon animations features a young vietnamese boy, surname Tran. Why he is titled Dr. and whether or not he is one isn't the issue. The main highlight is that he is cute. I just adore this little guy and his spunky attitude, especially when he's tortured. Actually, he's always tortured, that's why its funny. If you haven't watched any of Mondo Media's stuff, you have to at least pay Dr. Tran a little visit. Well, not all of his videos are that hillarious but here's a couple that are quite entertaining. If you haven't seen Happy Tree Friends and want to give it a go, here's the link to Mondo Media's channel on Youtube. Happy watching :) Wait, before you go watching this, I'll put a warning for ratings first : FOUL LANGUAGE USED PG-13

Do You Wanna Date My Avatar - The Guild - Hillarious, if you're a WOWer.

2009-08-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

If you have never ever heard of the Guild, then most likely you're not a World of Warcraft (WOW) fan, nor are you an MMORPG gamer I guess. So here's a really brief write up on just who "The Guild" are and what this video is all about. "The Guild" is a highly popular Youtube series created by Felicia Day (Codex in the show). She along with her four co-stars namely Vincent Caso (Bladezz), Jeff Lewis (Vork), Amy Okuda (Tinkerbella), Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo) and Robin Thorsen (Clara), tell a story about their lives in the real world whilst maintaining a second life on WOW. The series has done so well that it's earned them a number of sponsorships and endorsements. They're even backed by Microsoft now, who's rolled out the downloadable HD version of their Season 2 episodes on Xbox Live. Amazing isn't it?

If you are an avid gamer, you'll definitely love this one. If you're not, but still know a thing or two about the lifestyles of MMORPG gamers, well you might still find this tune enjoyable. It really is quite catchy :)

Yoko Ono Sings???!!!! – Yes, she does.

2009-08-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

That header really is in the present tense mind you. These days Yoko Ono doesn’t do her screaming routine anymore but her music is extremely experimental. I decided to do a brief write up about her seeing how a couple of friends have asked about her singing. Well, to the readers who are way too young to know, John Lennon, a member of the Beatles (that band your parents were once raving about) married a Japanese woman by the name of Yoko Ono. While some die hard Beatles fans back in the day were supportive of his decision to tie-the-knot with this mysterious woman, others were against it labeling her as the main cause for the Beatle’s break up.

Well, whatever it was, the Beatles did break up and John Lennon did branch out towards his own solo career. He also worked with his wife to come up with some very interesting music. The first video you are about to watch is a song titled, “We’re all Water”. The lyrics are very meaningful and as you will see later the song makes a lot of sense. Well, Yoko’s singing, unfortunately, does have quite a few screws loose really. I’m sure about 90% of you who view this video will probably press pause by the time she starts her horror yodeling. The remaining 9% of you will probably just listen on to see how far she will get before people start booing and of course there will be the few of you who will get what she was trying to do and appreciate it to a certain extent. Nevertheless, here’s the video and my advice is to turn the volume down a little before it starts. Oh right, before that lyrics first.

Verse 1

There may not be much difference
Between Chairman Mao and Richard Nixon
If we strip them naked
There may not be much difference
Between Marilyn Monroe and Lenny Bruce
If we check their coffins

Verse 2

There may not be much difference
Between White House and Hall of People
If we count their windows
There may not be much difference
Between Raquel Welsh and Jerry Rubin
If we hear their heartbeat

*Chorus
We’re all water from different rivers
That’s why it’s so easy to meet
We’re all water in this vast, vast ocean
Someday we’ll evaporate together

Okay, you guys still alive after that? Good. So as you can see, this is what I’m talking about whenever I refer to the term ‘experimental’. You can decide for yourselves whether or not the experiment itself has gone wrong. But it should be noted that John once said that it’s a song you have to feel and not listen to on the surface only. I’m not sure if he meant that under or not under influential substances. Okay, I’m being too sarcastic here. Honestly? I can appreciate what they were trying to say, especially when you think about the racial and war issues during the 1970s.

So what is Yoko Ono up to these days? Well, she’s produced a new album titled ‘Between My Head and the Sky’, which was just released this year (2009). She’s a fashion icon and 76 years old to date. Of course she’s been well fed by royalties from the Beatles through the years, but she definitely didn't spend that time just sitting down and wallowing in cash. She’s real big in the Indie scene and has produced over 20 different albums since 1968, not counting the numerous singles. Also, she’s an artist and has produced many great works. Here’s her latest track from the album and its called ‘The Sun is Down’. Unfortunately the footage for this wasn’t great since it was taken from a handphone at a live concert. But this should give you an idea of what her music is like. Also, I’ve posted another of her works that was released in 2007 and that one’s called ‘Walking On Thin Ice’.

Oh, but wait, I’m not done yet. In case you also didn’t know, Yoko Ono and John Lennon did have a son. His name is Sean Lennon. He released a couple of tracks, which were rather successful in the Indie scene but since then he's sunk back into being just a socialite. Not very successful unfortunately, but I do kinda like his tracks. Here’s “Dead Meat” for your listening pleasure.

This is probably the shortest biography ever written about Yoko Ono but the richness that she’s filled her life with is far from a short list. That is why I’m putting this under the Music category. Though her screaming was in a way quite funny, she is after all a respected icon in the art, music and entertainment industry and definitely deserves the recognition she’s earned for her skills. I hope that has helped enlighten you about Yoko Ono's singing career.

Kekkaishi – Nice Supernatural Action

2009-08-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

I was going through my listed anime reviews and realized I left this out. How could I have left this one out?! (Bangs forehead on table a few times). Okay, back to reviewing this cool anime. Kekkaishi was authored by Yellow Tanabe back in 2003. Though this is her only authored series, she has worked for several manga studios before and since this manga series is still ongoing, you can bet on it that her talent is for real and for proof its even earned an award. The anime was released in October of 2006 but ended only after two years or so in February of 2008. The baseline plot is no different from any omnyouji (Japanese type excorsist) anime as the key focus is the excorcism of ghosts and goblins and monsters (ayakashi in Japanese). The real difference comes from the type of powers they use hence the name of the manga, ‘Kekkaishi’. To elaborate, ‘kekkai’ literally means barrier - that’s exactly how their powers take form – and Kekkaishi refers to the weilders of this particular power.

The story begins with a short history lesson on events from 500 years ago, when a feudal lord who was attacked by demons called forth a great Kekkaishi master, Tokimori Hazama, to excorcise the palace. Unfortunately, the demons' power was so great that the feudal lord was killed along with Tokimori Hazama, who sealed the land as a last resort to trap the demons. However, the demons' powers, though sealed still lured ayakashi to the land as these monsters seek to become even stronger ayakashi from feasting off the powers that were leaking out. Thus the duty to protect the land was passed down generation after generation through the Sumimura and Yukimura families; disciples of the Hazame-Ryu technique as founded by Tokimori Hazama. This brings us to our two main characters, namely Yoshimori Sumimura and Tokine Yukimura, both chosen heirs who have been charged by destiny to protect the sacred land now called 'Karasumori'.

As the anime progresses, both heirs grow their powers as more villains show up in the form of powerful ayakashi and a beautiful fox princess. There’s also a mystery surrounding Yoshimori who has an unusual amount of power for a young inexperienced Kekkaishi of his age. Unfortunately, the anime ends before you get to explore what he can do so you’ll have to read the manga to find out more. Art wise, I suppose I should describe her drawings as gentle. Everything seems to have a rounded touch to it from the monsters to the faces of the characters which all hold very few angular lines. Aside from that, the anime is slightly choppy at times, possibly due to budget restraints. Plot wise, this rates as an A minus just because at parts it can take too long and the continuous demon fighting can get a little mundane. Everything aside from that is good though making this a must watch for all who are very keen on supernatural or paranormal type animes. Overall, about 8 out of 10 and I judged this based on its ability to keep me up at night trying to finish every episode I could before I passed out. Here’s the trailer for your own take though and I do hope you enjoy this one.

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE

Why Can't They Play These on the Radio ?

2009-08-16T11:11:00.001-07:00

Here's what's on my playlist currently. I've always been a fan of the alternative because I like things which are experimental. Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of Yoko Ono's screaming vibes. Just more of a person that's always looking for new genres and unexplored use of beats and sounds. I still don't get why they don't play these on radio here. When I was studying overseas, radio was a joy to listen to. I mean even meaningless pop lyric was fun because they didn't overplay the tunes like they do here - I've actually heard Lady Gaga 5 times in a day before and that's sad since I only listen to radio on the way to work or coming back from work. Actually, the 'overplayed effect' is probably why I'm always desperately searching for something different to soothe my ears. If you're in to the Indie scene and love alternative or electronica, or even if you're not much of an alternative fan, the following would still be good to listen to. So please go head and try them out :)

Alphabeat - What is Happening

Passion Pit - The Reeling

Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Chairlift - Bruises

Don’t Drink and Steal Cars… Especially Cop Cars

2009-08-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

To all my drinking buddies out there, if you're ever as drunk as this man, please at least remember that there is the option of cabbies if you're not keen on walking home. This guy didn't only offend the well known rule of "Don't Drink and Druve". He decided to swipe a police car while he was at it. Not too bright of him I suppose.

"Drunk man arrested after stealing police car in Hokkaido

Friday 14th August, 08:15 AM JST

News reports

SAPPORO — A 30-year-old man was arrested for theft on Thursday morning, accused of stealing a police car while the officers were conducting random alcohol breath tests.

Yasuki Mori, an unemployed resident of Sapporo, is accused of getting in the police wagon and driving off just after 4.30 a.m. The vehicle was unlocked and the engine left running to power the electric sign and other lighting set up to caution drivers to slow down for a possible breath test.

Officers in another car caught up Mori with about five minutes later, one kilometer away from the scene. He was arrested for theft and police are pursuing a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Mori told police he had been drinking at a bar and that he didn’t want to walk all the way home, about 7 kilometers away."

LINK TO SOURCE

New Wave of Farmers on Facebook

2009-08-14T01:58:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why watching things grow and collecting money is so addictive but that’s one of the latest fads on Facebook. From Farmville to Barn Buddy to Country Story, chances are someone you know on Facebook is on one of these games and because of these games, your Facebook home page is constantly bombarded by “Level Up”, “Share the Wealth” and “I’ve made sale!” messages. At first I felt that they were annoying and then I thought, if you can’t beat em’ join em’. But there’s so many titles and variations, so which game should I spent my few precious hours of entertainment time on? And which one is worth risking the boss catching me on one of these games? They all seem quite interesting and all have a pretty solid fan base to back them up. The dilemma of variety left me with little choice but to try them all and see which game served up the best bunch of crops. As an added bonus, I think I’ve discovered why this new addiction has developed since I’ve now become a partial addict too.

Before I begin my lengthy detailed analysis, I’ll provide you with a general summary of the farming genre. I suppose it goes without saying that farm games are about, farming and in this case, you get to farm both domestic livestock and plants. In all games, you start off with a small patch of ground and expand as you gain higher levels and earn more gold. You first begin with plants since live stock would cost more gold and take more time to grow before you can collect their produce. In short, plant something, grow something, harvest something, collect gold, plant more things, grow more, harvest more and keep going at that crazy routine till you reach a point that you’re thoroughly bored and done with your addiction. Simple isn’t it? If you’re too lazy to keep planting and going, there’s always the option of trading in real money to buy things you would otherwise have to level up for. But being a cheapo me, having to spend money on something like this isn’t worth it in my books. I’ll be highlighting which game forces you to do that the most, so do take note and avoid that one if you’re planning to save dollars and cents.

Okay with that, let’s move on to our first game, Farmville. Don’t ask me which farm game came first. I have completely no idea. But I did start by playing Farmville and that’s how I’m going to tackle my review. Farmville seems pretty lackluster, graphic wise, except for a few cute twitching animals in the form of rabbits and pigs. It does have the advantage over other games in providing more variety when it comes to avatar selections. You’re allowed to change your farmer’s hair, eyes, facial shapes and all. But that’s it as far as game looks go. Making gold is pretty easy though and so is leveling up. In a matter of 10 days I found myself at level 17 with about 80k gold in the bank. There are 3 major produce categories to manage, namely vegetables (chili, strawberries, pumpkins, etc), trees (banana, avocado, cherry, etc) and finally animals (goats, pigs, cows, chickens, etc). With each level you gain, you unlock new types of produce to grow. Screenshot below.

You also get to purchase a number of things to make your farm a little more farm-like. These include barns, tool sheds, wells, fences, hay and more. The good side of this game is that it allows you to do the most with your in-game gold without having to purchase their “farm” cash for real money. The only downside is that you can’t expand your farm unless you have tons of neighbours, i.e. you need to get your other Facebook friends to join in too. Also, the 600 clicks every harvest, plow and plant routine I do is rather tiresome since there’s no mass select and click tool. Still, I’d keep playing this one so long as it doesn’t force me to buy anything that is necessary with real money.

Next up is Country Story. Since this is produced by the increasingly famous Playfish Ltd, you can be assured of pretty graphics – it’s pretty to the point that most guys I know wouldn’t touch it unfortunately. But nevertheless, females are the main target for these farm-type games so not much worry there. There are also cute sound effects when you harvest crop or when you pick up rocks and twigs, making your farm actions slightly more realistic. Aside from everything looking nice, the avatar choices are pretty disappointing. Actually, there’s no choice of any kind except for what color your avatar will be dressed up in and what color his/her house will be. Quite sad I must say. That aside, leveling up is slightly harder than Farmville but you won’t feel it since the game offers a few simple quests to complete for level and reward gains. Screenshot below.

On the produce side, you have as usual vegetables (less variety than Farmville) and animals (takes too much game gold). The one unique feature setting this game apart from the rest is that fulfilling quests provide you with fertilizer which you can use to make your crops grow faster. Harvesting is also less time consuming as one farm plot represents a multiplied number of crops. So you technically don’t have to click on hundreds of squares like Farmville. You can also get your friends to help harvest or water crops on your behalf while you’re away from the game. The bad side is that the game is still new and is lacking further content. Also, you can’t get fertilizer unless you earn them as rewards from quests (which you only get whenever you increase a level) or pay real money for ‘Playfish’ cash, the only token you can purchase fertilizer with. If you ask me, I’d rate this less playable than Farmville but since its new there could be new content in the works so don’t delete this application from your list just yet.

Finally, we arrive at Barn Yard. In a nutshell, this one combines all of the above but has no avatar. What you can do is buy crops, harvest and sell them. Graphics are so-so and comparable with Country Story, but less girly. The bad part about this compared to the rest? You have to buy their game tokens with real money which is used to expand your farm. This means you won’t get very far in this game unless you spend dollars and cents so that’s that. After two hours of playing this one, I decided DELETE was the best option here. Screenshot below.

So there you have it. Since this post is already yonks long I’ll cut my conclusion short and sweet - play Farmville, keep an eye on Country story but screw Barn Yard. These are the only 3 games I’ll comment on seeing how they have the highest ratings on Facebook. But if anyone has any other farm games they want me to try out, do comment and I’ll go have a look see. After all of the above, why is the farm genre so addictive? It prays upon the hoard principle, i.e. people like me just like seeing those gold numbers increase. It’s as simple as that in my opinion. I hope that helped answer why your friends are still bombarding you with farm messages and for those who’re playing, happy gaming.

Hayate No Gotoku – Old but Refreshing

2009-08-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

If you’re anything like me, that is you’re already keeping tabs with the latest and the best out there but still have room for more, then here’s something that would make your wait for the next week’s episode a little better. Hayate no Gotoku is a really good romance comedy that should fill up that waiting gap more than sufficiently. In fact, the series was so successful that it made it to season 2 and a few OVAs. The initial manga run started way back in 2004 and the anime series about two years ago in 2007. The original author of the series was Kenjiro Hata. But the title has since gone through two other directors from different studios, namely Keiichiro Kawaguchi of Synergy SP and Yoshiaki Iwasaki of J.C. Staff (currently producing season 2).

The story begins with an introduction to the butler, Ayasaki Hayate, who’s in his late teens but living a life that’s far from any average teenager. His parents are hopeless gamblers and money swindlers. Their continuous lust for spending and debt accumulation leaves Hayate with little choice but to pick up after them. The last straw arrives one day when his parents leave Hayate a note saying that he has to repay a debt they owe to vicious loan sharks. The debt amount – about 153 million yen. Penniless and facing impending doom from ruthless gang members who would definitely be searching for him at his house, he decides to leave home.

During his aimless wondering, he enters a park and encounters a perplexed girl in front of a drink vending machine. Desperate, Hayate hides in a bush and observes her behavior whilst wondering whether or not he should kidnap her for some money. Coincidentally, a couple of thugs approach the young girl and threaten her safety. Letting chivalry overtake him completely, Hayate jumps out of hiding and rescues her, not knowing that she was the daughter and heir to the ridiculously wealthy Sanzenin family. One circumstance leads to another and Hayate soon finds himself employed in the Sanzenin household as her personal butler.

So what makes this one interesting? Well, of course to the girls, having a butler serve your every need (especially one like Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji) is a dream come true. I mean really, who doesn’t enjoy the fantasy of being rich and pampered. So the plot is its key draw. Aside from that it’s also really funny. There’s plenty of slapstick comedy coupled with other anime reference jokes, a tiger which talks and plenty of interesting characters thrown into the mix. Art is rather towards the loli side but that’s acceptable seeing how most characters are in their early teens. However, girls can be assured of more eye candy further down the road as the series adds more characters in the form of striking young butlers. Out of 10 I’d rate it an 8 overall and definitely a must watch for people who are interested in romantic comedy and haven’t seen this yet.

As usual, here’s the video for your own evaluation.

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE

Woman Arrested for Driving Over a Sleeping Man

2009-08-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

I suppose when you've done something stupid and refuse to admit it, your mind conjure's up the most ridiculous excuses you can find. In this case the woman blurted "But he was sleeping..." I guess sleeping humans and roadkill are the same thing to her. Hmmm.....

"Woman arrested for fatal hit-and-run of 'sleeping man' in Nagano car park

Monday 10th August, 08:54 AM JST

NAGANO — A 30-year-old woman was arrested under the Road Traffic Law on Sunday after hitting a man with her car in a Nagano City car park and failing to stop at the scene.

Minako Nishio is accused of hitting Kazutoshi Hara, 31, with her car at about 1.30 a.m. Sunday morning as she was leaving a car park in Central Square, and driving off without stopping to check on the man’s condition. A passer-by who saw the incident called for an ambulance and gave police the car’s license plate number. Hara was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Police found Nishio at her home and arrested her. She admitted to hitting Hara but told police that he was sleeping on the road."

LINK TO SOURCE

Teacher Slaps 41... yes FORTY ONE students

2009-08-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

At first I thought, "teacher slapping students... nothing strange about that." Then I imagined the teacher running down the line of 41 students and slapping them as he went along - yup, pretty funny. I know I sound saddistic since there's nothing funny about anyone slapping anyone. But really, try imagining how he ran down the line with his palm open. Now tell me, doesn't it seem like a scene from the three stooges? Original article below :-

"Teacher reprimanded for slapping 41 students who failed to follow excursion rules

Wednesday 05th August, 12:14 PM JST

FUKUOKA — A 41-year-old public elementary school teacher was formally reprimanded by the Fukuoka City Board of Education on Tuesday for slapping 41 fifth grade elementary school students on April 27 after they failed to follow rules on what they could and couldn’t take on their school excursion.

The school in Jonan Ward had set a rule before the excursion on April 24 that the students were only allowed to eat snacks distributed by the teachers, but many students were found to have eaten other snacks brought to school.

All of the fifth grade students were in a group gym class on April 27 when the teacher asked those who had eaten other snacks to stand and line up. He reportedly told them: “You think we can have gym class today under these kinds of circumstances?” before running down the line slapping each of the students once on their cheeks with his open hand. None of the kids were injured in the incident.

The teacher told the board that he lost his cool when nearly half the fifth grade failed to follow the rules laid down before the excursion."

LINK TO SOURCE

Missing from my blog (>_<)

2009-08-12T06:15:00.001-07:00

What happens when you get a new job, shift into a new office and spend plenty of time on business travel, your blogs grows moss - that's what. Apologies for the horrible delay on blog updates but really, I've been heaps busy. So ultimately, priorities had to be reshuffled and something had to go. So I've put "Cannee" my warlock from World of Warcraft up on a shelf and yes, unfortunately, she shall gather some dust there till a time in the future when I decide that Malaysia's "speedy" broadband service actually gets upto speed.

In any case, I decided to put this as a return-to-blog youtube video. I've tagged it under both animals and music because Barcelona's song with this is just a serenely beautiful combination. I've always loved watching marine life, though I don't enjoy scuba diving - am just to cowardly for that. I hope that someday I can actually see this in its real form. For those who don't know, the Okinawa Chura Aquarium opened not long ago and is the 2nd largest aquarium in the world, the only aquarium to hold 3 whale sharks in its tank. Though you might start thinking that its cruel to hold the world's largest fish in a mere 10m by 20m by 35m space, they are doing it for the purpose of conservation and are trying to breed the sharks. I do hope their efforts are successful because it would be sad to lose one of the world's greatest marvels to our horrible polluting misdeeds.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful video and accept this as my apology for being horribly tardy.

Survival Food – Rhino Beetle Larva

2009-07-16T00:08:00.000-07:00

This is a short snippet from Man vs. Wild on Discovery Channel. If you’re ever trapped in an African desert, you might be able to go looking for these delicacies. You’d normally find them cooked but I guess for the show, he ate them raw. I’m gonna warn you and say this video is gross, but I’m also gonna say that its damn funny how he describes what it tastes like. So go ahead and watch it J

Plugging Toilets as Harassment

2009-07-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

There seems to be more reports of high-level-stress behaviour nowadays. Times must be REALLY getting bad. This cram school teacher decides to teach some employees a lesson by plugging the train's toilets with rolls of toilet paper. He was of course, arrested for the malicious or, weird I should say, act. I wonder if he would've gotten away with it if he decided to say it was just some prank. Hmm...

"Cram school teacher arrested for plugging toilets on express trains

Thursday 16th July, 07:18 AM JST

SAITAMA — A cram school teacher in Saitama Prefecture has been arrested for allegedly plugging toilets on Tobu Railway express trains with rolls of toilet paper more than 10 times last month, police said Wednesday. Hirokazu Mochizuki, 50, who teaches in Miyashiro, has admitted damaging toilets, according to police. He was quoted as telling police: “Tobu employees have a lackluster work attitude. I plugged the toilets to harass them.”

Media reports quoted Mochizuki as telling police that his father was a forthright railroad man who worked for the old Japan National Railways, and he developed a grudge against Tobu because its employees failed to live up to the his image of his father. Tobu Railway also said it has received as many as 1,000 harassing telephone calls and complaint letters in the past few years, and police suspect Mochizuki.

Mochizuki was caught on Monday afternoon by a plainclothes investigator who had been watching the restrooms, police said."

LINK TO SOURCE

Beware the Umbrella - Pedestrian Rage

2009-07-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know why things like this get reported as news in Japan but I suppose its pretty amusing when you start thwacking people around with your umbrella. The guy was pretty stressed out and got provoked when a few people complained that his umbrella was dripping water onto them. Out of his two victims one was quite severely injured and that led to his arrest. Oh well, times are bad I guess and aside from the road rages, which normally happen, I suppose we have to be weary of pedestrian rage too. Story in full below :-

"Man arrested for umbrella attacks in Shinjuku
Wednesday 15th July, 08:52 AM JST

TOKYO — A 31-year-old man was arrested for assault on Tuesday, accused of attacking two women with his umbrella in Shinjuku Ward last week. The man, who lost his job at a bookbinding company last October, was quoted by police as saying: “I was frustrated after not being able to find another job,” and “I got angry with one of the women when I thought she told me not to drip water everywhere with my umbrella.”

Police said Hiroshi Tonimura, unemployed and of no fixed address, is accused of hitting a woman on her shoulder with his clear plastic umbrella on July 6 while in a FamilyMart convenience store in Shinjuku, before assaulting a second woman at a pedestrian crossing some 300 meters away. In both cases, it appears Tonimura took issue with perceived criticism of his umbrella etiquette.

The woman in the first incident was not injured, but the second woman suffered injuries expected to take several weeks to heal. Tonimura is accused of hitting the second woman in her face with his umbrella, pulling her to the ground by her hair and then hitting her face with his hand before stepping on her fingers and running off.

Tonimura was recorded by security cameras in the convenience store and in the vicinity, and was arrested after being spotted at a Hello Work employment office."

LINK TO SOURCE

Saki – Anime for Mahjong Lovers

2009-07-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

Yay! A light anime on Mahjong! Yes, this is completely different from the more serious Akagi, another anime that makes playing mahjong the main focus. Also, unlike Akagi where gambling and mahjong playing is completely illegal, this anime has mahjong being played in school tournaments! The manga was written by Ritz Kobayashi and features a first-year high school girl named Saki Miyanaga who has incredible luck and mahjong skills. She’s convinced by her childhood friend, Kyoutaro, who asks her to join his club in a game of mahjong. The club soon discovers her ability and recruits her as a team member to participate in upcoming mahjong tournaments.

On the technical sides, art is good. Also, this is an all-girl anime with plenty of fan service in the form of a cute penguin and nice huge boobs. On plot, this is something different as oppose to your usual sports type animes. Actually, thinking again I suppose it’s similar since the main objective is still to win the games in as many interesting ways as possible. Since I’m a mahjong fan, this anime came as a real treat. If you’re not familiar with the game then it’s going to be tough to understand this one since mahjong has a huge set of rules and different hands that account to various points. It’ll be good to browse the game rules on wikipedia first especially if you plan on watching without knowing the game. Also, if you play mahjong using the Chinese or Taiwanese rules you may want to take a quick browse on the Japanese point system too as it was pretty hard to follow the different terms used.

I’ve done some research to check if mahjong is indeed being played in Japanese schools and have turned up with nothing. So to all you youngsters out there who are watching this and getting influenced to play the game, note that it’s good exercise for your brain. It’s not good when you start losing money and arguing over it. If you find yourself addicted to mahjong, then I recommend you watch the heavier Akagi - a good anime that shows you what the consequences of being addicted to gambling really are.

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE

Murderers - They're Getting Younger

2009-07-14T04:31:00.000-07:00

It's scary when you hear about teenagers committing mass killings and all, especially when you find out how young some of these murderers can be. This boy is only 13 years old and its not like he randomly just took a knife and stabbed his dad out of anger for no reason. He actually wrote notes plotting his father's death. The fact that he was thinking this murder through is what really scares me. I would say that it is an indication of intelligence and how people are developing deeper thought processes at younger and younger ages. However, its unforunate this young man chose to commit murder, which is a waste of his brilliant mind.

"13-year-old Shimane boy in police custody wrote notes plotting his father’s death
Tuesday 14th July, 09:16 AM JST

SHIMANE — A 13-year-old boy taken into police custody last week after stabbing his father in their Izumo City home is said to have told a teacher at his junior high school that he wanted to “get even” with his father, it was learned Monday.

The boy told also told a school counselor in November last year that his father had hit him many times after getting angry over his school results.

Notes found in the boy’s bedroom indicate the boy had planned the stabbing, with one note saying that if he wore a raincoat, he wouldn’t get blood on his body. It remains unclear if the boy wore rain gear during the attack, but there was no blood on his school uniform when he was picked up by police.

The boy is believed to have stabbed his father in his neck just after 8 a.m. on July 7, shortly after his mother and brother went to work. He turned up at his junior high school at about 8.20 a.m. and attended his morning classes as usual.

His father was found on the kitchen floor by a colleague at around noon, who called for an ambulance, but the man was pronounced dead shortly after. Police visited the boy’s school and took him into custody. Later at the police station, the boy confessed to killing his father."

LINK TO SOURCE

Watch Out if Someone in Your Family has Committed Suicide Before - Apparently Its DNA!

2009-07-13T02:13:00.000-07:00

Yup, more whacky news and this time, some lecturer is claiming that when there have been suicides committed in succession by the parent and then the child, its most likely genetic. Well, I gathered that depression disorders and other mental illnesses can be genetic but suicide? I suppose he ignored how great an effect a child suffers when they know that their parents committed suicide. I think this guy needs to go back to his psychology 101 basics. Here's the story.

"DNA affects suicide: LDP's Hatoyama
Monday 13th July, 07:31 AM JST

FUKUOKA — Former internal affairs minister Kunio Hatoyama said Sunday there have been a number of cases in which a parent and child have committed suicide in succession and that it is said ‘‘certain DNA affects the act of suicide.’’

The remarks in a lecture at Kurume University in Fukuoka Prefecture could stir controversy as they are likely to be construed as attributing a genetic origin to suicide at a time when the number of people who committed suicide in 2008 exceeded 30,000 for the 11th consecutive year.

‘‘I hope Kurume University will conduct research (on the links between suicide and DNA),’’ Hatoyama said. Hatoyama, a lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, left his cabinet post on June 13 over a high-profile row concerning the reappointment of the president of Japan Post Holdings Co."

LINK TO SOURCE

Bruno on David Letterman

2009-07-12T01:56:00.001-07:00

I wonder if this is going to measure up to the rest of his movies but Bruno seems to have 10 very good reasons why you should go seek him out at the cinemas. He shared his top 10 reasons on the David Letterman show and it was real funny.

Home Work Outs by SparkPeople - Really Works You Out

2009-07-06T02:16:00.000-07:00

I'm one of the laziest people around and I hate exercizing. Actually, I didn't always hate exercizing, it's just that I stopped doing it and never started again. But when you're in your late teens you can still get away with it, since your metabolic rate would burn more calories than you could consume. Now I'm heading towards the three zero and my metabolic rate has plummeted. Even cutting portions to a bite-size doesn't work anymore. So as usual, I'm turning to my Youtube gurus for help. Here's coach Nicole from SparkPeople.com, a site that's dedicated to good eating and good living. I know, the first question that comes to mind is, "Does this really work?"

Well, from the comments on the video, it seems that it does. From self experience, I've just tried the first of her 7-day bikini bod work-out videos and those 10 minutes of cardio nearly killed me. But that's just because I'm severely out of shape. Nevertheless, I'll keep to that routine she's posted and hope that some results will turn up and if they do, I'll report them. On further thought, if you don't exercize at all and hate going to public places like a gym to get those fat-burning routines going, then just follow these videos anyway. I mean what harm can 10-minutes a day do, especially if you don't do any exercize at all? Go ahead, try it out and maybe you could share some of your experiences here too.

Additional Edits : I forgot to add that I weighed 56kgs going into this workout

Primal Scream - More Juicy Electronica

2009-07-05T08:24:00.001-07:00

Not new but definitely nice to listen to if you love the genre. Lyrics are a joy to digest since it all makes perfect sense. Nothing much to add here since the music pretty much speaks for itself.

UK Spy's Personal Life on Facebook

2009-07-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry I took a day off but you know what happens during the weekend and that is offline life takes off. Anyway, today I spotted something rather amusing on CNN. According to news reports, the man concerned, John Sawers, is the British Ambassador to the United Nations. On his Facebook are what people like you and I publish, that includes photos of family, friends and relatives on vacations, parties and etc. Problem is that when your job is all about National Security, having your own personal details exposed on Facebook becomes a concern, especially when you consider the possibility of someone tracking your movements. They'd know where you've been spending time, who you've been spending time with and exactly how to blackmail you knowing who your family members are. I've checked facebook and he's since put all his settings on private, so no chance of checking him out. But I've learnt a lesson here and I think its high time I reconsider who I add and who I shouldn't add to my list of friends. Also, if you're a working professional, you might want to ensure your settings aren't on public mode since your bosses or clients might not be too fond of looking at those red-faced drunk pictures of you. Here's a section of the story and a link to the full one.

"LONDON, England (CNN) -- Personal details and photographs of the incoming head of Britain's international spy agency have been posted on Facebook, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband acknowledged Sunday. But he insisted that no compromising information had been revealed. "You know he wears Speedo, swim, swimming, swimsuit... I mean what is that? I mean, that's not a state secret," Miliband said on a BBC Sunday morning talk show.

The man in question, John Sawers, is currently the British ambassador to the United Nations. His wife posted details about their family, vacations and residence on the social-networking site, British media reported Sunday. Her Web site has since been taken down, reports said. Sawers "was appointed 10 days ago to be the head of MI6," said Miliband, using the common term for the Secret Intelligence Service."

Link to Full Story

Aoi Hana – Summer 2009 Anime releases

2009-07-03T03:54:00.000-07:00

Just out this season is the highly anticipated Aoi Hana TV anime. Trust me when I say Yuri or Girl X Girl stuff isn’t really my thing. So why watch it? Cause taboos and dramas are interesting. I love a good drama because they fill me up with emotion. I can be angry because someone’s a prick, I can feel happy when the characters get what they want and I can be sad if something goes wrong. Now I’m starting to sound a little nutty so let’s move along to the anime. Aoi Hana was written by Takako Shimura and first published in 2004. There haven’t been many chapters to this and it’s still ongoing, which could explain why the anime debut only happened summer of this year (2009). Another reason for this could be that Yuri just doesn’t garner the amount of attention as Yaoi does (for some odd reason) and that a lot of studios do lay-off from either genres for morality issues. But, it has proven to beat the odds and the first episode just aired.

The plot starts off with two girls, Fumi Manjoume and Akira Okudaira, childhood friends who were forced to go their separate ways when the Manjoume family moved. 10 years later, the Manjoume family returns with the girls attending separate schools – Akira goes to the prestigious Fujigaya all-girls academy and Fumi to another all-girls school called Matsuoka High. They later meet when their mothers, who are old friends, visit each other. That reunion ignites the girls’ lost friendship and they begin to discover what could be a relationship that’s more than just friendly. Adding to the complexity of things are the new friends that they meet in their own individual schools, especially when Fumi starts dating someone.

Well, that’s all I’ll say about the plot. Dramas are no good if their plot's spoilt anyway. The art is good. There’s a lot of detail and you can see that there’s more budget put into this than any other typical yuri/yaoi anime. Background scenes are nice and I like the way some of them give you that whole impressionism art painting feel. Coloring wise, again, it’s on the pale side but that’s just the style like Ristorante Paradiso or Antique Bakery. Character movements are smooth so you know there’s not much frame discounting involved. Overall, it’s a pretty good adaptation of the manga. The only downside, I’ve been reading the manga and I find that the characters are lacking angst, i.e. not dramatic enough. Although the characters understand that yuri is taboo, there just doesn’t seem to be enough self-questioning of the whole issue, especially since they’re just teenagers. Anyway, that’s just my take and as usual, I’ll let you be your own judge.

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE

Blog Technical Updates

2009-07-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

Dear all, if you've been reading and wanting to comment but haven't been able to because of the comment options listing, this has been disabled. That means everyone and anyone can input comments from now on. Thanks to Mythos for realizing this since I had no idea the option for anyone to comment wasn't there. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Make Up for the Geeky Like Me

2009-07-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

I am no girly girl. That means instead of spending money on fashion mags, I choose to spend money on computer or gaming mags. Having said that, I'm not the type that loves going out and looking butch - well, actually I might go out looking like that everyday if looks didn't matter but it does. So, to learn how to dress up and look good, I do what all tech freaks do. I look to almighty youtube for the answer. Here are a couple of girls who are real Gurus when it comes to make up. Its because of them that I'm making room in my expenses to include cosmetics. Caution to girls who start watching because when the watching starts, the spending does too. Especially when you see how one of them has a chestful (4 drawers full) of make up. Ugh, the ENVY!!!

Hooded Assailant Cuts School Girl's Hair and Escapes on Bicycle

2009-06-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

Things get stranger and stranger and this time, its the hair fetish guy... or girl. Well, the bright side is that its just hair and nothing else. I just hope whoever it is isn't stalking the girl and that the act of obsessing with her hair doesn't blow up into a full fledge hunt and kill. Story and link below :-

"MIYAZAKI — A 17-year-old girl had her hair cut by an assailant as she was on her way home in Ishinomaki City on Monday night, police said.

Police said the third-year high school student was walking home by herself when she was approached from behind by a person on a bicycle just before 9 p.m. The girl could not confirm if the assailant was male or female, as the person was wearing a dark hooded top and dark pants, and didn’t speak before riding off into the night.

Police said the girl was not injured but lost around 10 centimeters of her shoulder-length hair."

Link to Full Story

Steven - The Freak Out Kid

2009-06-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, I didn't know whether to put this under miscellaneous or funny but I found it funny so I categorized it there. Now for a bit of background. These videos were posted by a mischevious guy who's brother is a total nut case. From what I've gathered in these videos (fake or not) it seems that the brother suffers extreme outbursts whenever something doesn't go his way. Now, it may seem a little saddistic to laugh at other's misery but I just can't help laughing at the way this guy overacts. As for a brief summary on each of the videos posted here, the first is about him getting a car on his 16th birthday, though not really the car he intended to have. The second and third are about him freaking out on a world famous game, i.e. World of Warcraft. Now I'm a World of Warcraft player and trust me, that really is NOT how a huge majority of players react to the game. If we encountered this kid in the game, he'd be on our realm's "to pwn" or "to ignore" list.

Do I think these videos are fake? At times yes, but when you take into account the parents' reactions it becomes real, either that or they're a family of really great actors. Also, another reason why I don't think its fake is because Steven, though nutty, does hold back on his aggressions. He always stops when his dad has said its enough or once he simmers down. Like with the car, if he really wanted to beat the crap out of it he would've smashed the windows, but he didn't and he probably held back because he knew he'd cause too much damage and wouldn't be able to drive the car if he didn't hold back - something akin to a realistic reaction. If it was made up and he wanted to cause more drama he could've smashed the windows, since he wouldn't really care what happened to the car seeing how its a prop. Don't know, I just don't think its fake and if it isn't fake I just hope that if I ever had a kid, I wouldn't have to beat him up in order to calm him down.

Lyre Bird – Singing about Deforestation

2009-06-30T19:11:00.001-07:00

It becomes a sad reality when animals sing about their own doom and it shouldn't be a surprise seeing how there’s less and less green in the world. The lyre bird is an amazing singer capable of imitating sounds, that’s how the male attracts his mate. The female usually picks males that can give the most vivid and varied of sounds. However, something tells me that this particular bird’s mimic of a chainsaw wasn’t very popular with the girls.

Takashi Kotegawa - Definitely Not Whacky

2009-06-30T02:53:00.000-07:00

This isn't something new, actually, the link to this article is about a year old. But I just came across this and I'm pretty sure lots of people haven't actually heard of this guy before. Meet Takashi Kotegawa, a famed Day-trader in Japan who grew his own mediocre savings from 1.6 million Yen (US$13,000) to 18 Billion Yen (US$153 milion) within a span of 8 years. How old is this guy? Just 30 this year (2009). How the hell did he do it? Just by trading stocks via the Japanese Stock Exchange. Amazing isn't it? The funny part is this guy was deemed by his society as a total Hikikomori (recluse) wash out during his late teens - he was classified as a society menace that was Not currently engaged in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

I suppose he had a very good reason for locking himself up in his room and that was because he couldn't leave his computer for one minute, otherwise, he'd make huge investment blunders. According to his interview with TV Tokyo, the guy doesn't even withdraw much cash to carry around because he fears that seeing how much he has would negatively influence his better investment judgements. But he did pay 400 million Yen (aprox. US$4.2 mllion) in cash for his exclusive condominium. Oh, and he added that he has two Wiis. He also says he doesn't eat much except for cup ramens, especially in the afternoons since eating too much would make him sleepy.

Interesting eh? Sure makes you feel like being a Day-trader too. However, there is a big BUT. Although this guy has had no formal financial education and he makes shot term trading look easy, the risks are high. I wouldn't encourage anyone to take up his example unless you really lock yourself in a room and stare at your screens all day. It should also be noted that investing takes a lot of research and this guy probably does his digging for any insider information before investing on a particular security counter. That's how he makes the big bucks. Whatever it is, he definitely is a good example of being able to do something if you firmly put your mind to it.

Here's a link to the story by Japan Probe

Buffalax – Simple Idea, BIG Laughs

2009-06-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t heard of Buffalax then you haven’t been on Youtube enough. Buffalax has churned up one of the highest comedy video views in youtube history. So what is Buffalax or who? Well, basically, he’s just someone who capitalized on the method of singing foreign language songs using English words as a pronunciation guide. However, its not like he does "pin yin" for Chinese songs, where the actual pronunciations of words are represented purely by consonants and vowels found in the English language. He tries to make sure that whatever English he can make out from the foreign language songs are written into whole words so that they produce hilarious lyrics.

Hence, it is important to note that his songs are not direct translations. He just types out what he thinks he hears the singer sing in plain English. Although most of his songs are of the Tamil or Hindi movie category, he isn’t in any way racist. He has been known to “buffalax” some German, Swedish or even Chinese songs. However, it seems more believable when you match his typed out lyrics to songs sung in Tamil or Hindi. This could be due to the fact that a lot of consonants used in the English language are pronounced in Tamil or Hindi. Whatever it is, just know that he’s not out to make fun of any race or culture and that all he’s trying to do is make people laugh. With that, here's the latest from him and I must say, the best yet. XD

Lady Gaga's Boobies On Fire

2009-06-29T03:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm not a fan but seriously, there's a difference between Madonna's metal clad brassiers and boobies spouting fire and bullets like something out from an Austin Power's movie. What's the difference? Well to me, one says elegant S&M play and the other is a joke. This picture was taken live at the 20th Annual MuchMusic Video Awards at the MuchMusic HQ on June 21, 2009 in Toronto Canada.

I know Lady Gaga has this image she portrays and that's supposed to be fashion forward and bizarre but this really pushes her off the ledge. I mean, what was she thinking when she saw this outfit or had this outfit ordered? "I want my boobies to be like *KAPOW* on stage!!" Did she really mean that or did her entourage just take her comments too literally?

Plus I can't help but notice that her leotard is almost giving her crotch a wedgy. I usually am all for open expression but certain open expressions are best left permanently in the closet for tasteful reasons. Then again I guess its all for the sake of entertainment - comical entertainment that is. Well, if its good for laughs I say, "Hell Yeah!!! Burn it with FIRE!!!!"

Picture Source : Rolling Stone

Sea Lion and Sunglasses?

2009-06-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

This was a picture taken from the Sunshine International Aquarium in Tokyo's Toshima Ward. The seal needed to train wearing sunnies in preparation to watch the coming solar eclipse which is supposed to be happening on the 22nd of July. I don't know but something about this form of urbanization just doesn't sit right with me. :P

Souce : Kyodo News

K-ON – Loli Fan Service

2009-06-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Here’s another anime that’s not in my favored genres but is entertaining. If you’re the type that digs young innocent chics, a.k.a. loli, well K-ON definitely is a must watch. It’s a loli banquet that has something for everyone. You get the loli-blur girl, the loli-shy girl, the loli-cool girl, the loli-princess girl and the loli tomboy all in one high-school band! Ok, so enough with the loli-loli and lets get down to dissecting shall we?

K-ON was authored by “Kakifly” and first published in May of 2007. The anime made its debut only recently in spring this year (2009) and has recently ended its run of 13 episodes in total. The plot is rather simple comprising of 4 girls who are trying to start a band. This kinda takes me back to my high-school days actually, but that’s a different story. Back to the anime, this one is light-hearted and presents quite a fair bit of comic relief, thus providing you with sufficient entertainment whilst waiting for your next block buster anime to air.

So what’s the downside? The art is nothing new and pretty typical of the loli genre though I must say the 4 heroines in the story were drawn pretty cute. For its short stint, the characters have garnered a respectable amount of attention to create some money milking merchandise. Plot is really on the light side so if you want something that goes deeper and presents more than just your typical high-school life, you’re better off looking elsewhere. To a certain extent, I’m glad that this was short and sweet since it would have been rather pointless to extend what was mainly intended for fan service. Overall, the anime served its purpose, it entertained.

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE

Women with Beautifully Haunting Voices and Moving Messages

2009-06-28T02:36:00.000-07:00

I have this thing about listening to women who have hypnotic voices. This includes Tori Amos, Hayley Westenra, Lily Allen and Regina Spektor amongst others. Some people call their music and singing sleepy lullabies but that’s just because they hardly listen to what they’re singing about, which is a real shame. In my opinion, it’s getting harder for female singers to hold their own without flaunting skin or surgical enhancements nowadays. After all, being popular sometimes means you have to be as colorful of a bird as you can – no one wants to pay attention to a plain old chicken do they. Despite all that, these women continue to defy the norm by not doing things that gain the popular vote. They sing what they believe in and are passionate about and that’s what I love most about them. Here are a few videos of their songs. Hope you can find the same enjoyment I do from them.

Additional Thoughts : Hayley Westenra’s “Wuthering Heights” is a live version of Kate Bush’s song. I decided to put this up amongst others because I loved the song and I wanted something to represent both Kate Bush and Hayley.

Basquash – Nike Sponsored

2009-06-27T05:51:00.000-07:00

This manga was written by Testuya Hayashi and started production just January of this year (2009). Unlike some mangas which take anywhere between 1 to 3 years to accumulate the appropriate level of funding and interest, this one only took 4 months to be churned into anime moolah. That’s because with a huge giant like Nike as its major sponsor, you can rest assured they’d have enough funds to last them the whole 9-yards, so long as the Bigfoots continue to wear their shoes. Talk about a good way to make sure your shoes sell by putting them on huge robotic machines that play basketball.

Shoes aside, the plot is pretty basic. Like any sports anime, the objective is to defeat as many opponents as possible and in the most flamboyant way. Same goes for this anime. Based on a sci-fi world of merging machine and man, the game of basketball is played using Bigfoots which look like cars mounted atop long human-like limbs. The basketball players sit in the cockpit and from there they maneuver a larger ball suited to the size of the bigfoots. Of course the game’s objective is the usual, i.e. put the ball into the basket. The setting though is a little different.

At the start of the anime, we are introduced to the Basketball League, a proper version of Bigfoot-played basketball where games are held in stadiums and governed by a set of specific rules. But that didn’t sit too well with Dan, our hero and Legendary player in the making. An advocate of street style, Dan takes basketball to the people outside of the game’s rules and stadium’s confines. However, that wasn’t his intended ambition. All he wanted to do was to make enough money to go to the moon where he could find a cure for his sister’s paralysis. Thus the anime unfolds his journey and various chance encounters that help him determine his true purpose whilst paving the way towards his success.

Now to the critical side of things. I’m not usually fond of sports animes. Like Prince of Tennis, I gradually lose interest in them if the moves get too crazy or if they keep repeating the same power skills. But this is a little different. Since the game is setup in an environment that’s totally out of this world, it becomes acceptable for players’ moves to be unrealistic. Also, the anime has a bunch of rather interesting characters and that includes a shoe designer, presumably from Nike, who has gravity-defying boobs. I’m also rather fond of Dan’s mask and though I’m not sure what it is I’m going to assume it’s a toad that eats anything. Art-wise, this definitely is a little towards the kiddish side save and accept for gravity-defying boobs. The fantasy world we’re introduced to is colorful and very well detailed. Of course with huge budget there’s going to be lots of CG (computer graphics) effects which really you can’t help especially if you’re trying to tackle a fast-paced game like basketball. It gets more interesting if you can see the ball dribble or move from one player to the next smoothly.

Overall, I’d say the anime is entertaining and worth the time to watch especially if you’re a basketball fan. If I had to rate it, I’d give it a 7 out of 10 but that’s because sports genres just don’t hold my interest for long enough. As usual, below is the video and official site for your own references. Cheers :)

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE

Michael Jackson Passes On

2009-06-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

He's finally left our world for a better place. I've always been a fan of his (yes, even me, the alternative, electronica, rock chic) and despite all the crazy rumours, poor plastic surgery choices and bad rep he gained in his final years, there was no denying that he was a legend in his own right. And like all legends, his life ended in an abrupt way. I'm going to post up a link to the original article and end this post with a couple of videos to remind us what a great artist he was. May he rest in peace and forever be remembered.

LINK TO ORIGINAL STORY

Makoto Nagano - Ninja Warrior

2009-06-24T10:19:00.000-07:00

Ninja Warrior is an obstacle course TV show that tests contestants on their agility and strength. Of all the contestants I was watching, none of them came close to this guy in terms of consistency. As you will see, he was as solid as a rock and he made the course look so easy except for a few parts here and there. Pretty interesting to watch and it makes me feel bad for the lack of exercise I participate in.

Higashi No Eden – High Budget, High Adrenalin, High Expectations Met - Must Watch

2009-06-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

There are some animes that grow on you and there are those which really strike you with love at first sight. This is one of those 1st-episode cupids. Higashi No Eden (HNE) or Eden of the East is a modern day spy action slash mystery anime that will have you craving for every new weekly episode. Of course you wouldn’t be expecting any less, especially since this was created and directed by Kenji Kamiyama. “What, who?” If you don’t know who he is, you have to go watch Ghost in the Shell. Your anime collection just wouldn’t be complete without that title.

Anyway, back to this one. HNE was released spring of this year (April 2009) and it boasts the latest track by Oasis entitled Falling Down. That means you’re blasted with a cool opening right from the start and in my opinion you could listen to that tirelessly every week. If that isn’t enough the 1st episode’s plot line will leave you so intrigued you can’t help but follow the rest of the story. Why? Cause it starts off having the main character stand stark naked in front of the White House with only a handphone in one hand and a gun in the other. It gets more interesting when his memory gets erased on the spot. If anyone can say they don’t want to know what happens next, something must be really wrong. But that’s all I’ll give away for now since this is a thrilling anime and spoiling the plot just won’t be any fun.

Let’s skip right down to art shall we? Well, I’ve never been a fan of the “child” type drawings. I’m not sure of the correct terms but basically, I just don’t like characters which look way too young for their age. But I can’t say I absolutely hate it either. It just takes awhile for me to adjust. Other than that, clean lines and smooth movements make this anime a delight to watch. Of course the smooth movements are coming from the extra budget this epic series has and when it comes to Kenji Kamiyama’s direction, I’m sure he’d only settle for perfection.

Bad parts? I can’t seem to find any unless you’re the kind of person who doesn’t dig the whole detective, espionage, spy, action, thriller thingy. Of course the worst would be for the ending to suck, which is always a danger when it comes to any anime. Well, lets hope that this will be one of the few that won't. With that, I’ll leave you with the video as usual for your viewing pleasure.

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE

Polysics - Addictive Nonsense... Love it :D

2009-06-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

While digging through my box of music treats for a good friend, I came across something I should have posted long ago. If you're stressed and you just want something that completely doesn't make any sense, listen to Polysics. Trust me, you really won't regret it. Turn it up loud, jump around in your room and scream any giberrish you think the song is singing. It doesn't matter if you're 15 or 85 years old. As long as you can afford to do so physically, you should let yourself go once in awhile and feel refreshed. The first youtube video I plastered is the most mellow of all their songs called "I My Me Mine". I know, it makes absolutely no sense. The second video is their recent release, titled "Young Oh Oh." Go ahead, have fun and shout it out!!!

Koukaku no Regios (Chrome Shelled Regios) – Light Action

2009-06-23T03:23:00.001-07:00

Who says I don’t watch action anime? Of course I do and this one still has eye candy in the form of Layton Alseif – if that even really is how you spell his name. Anyway, this comic novel by Shuusuke Amagi and illustrated by Miyuu was first published in April 2006. The anime, released in January of 2009, aired for a total of only 24 episodes before it ended. Unexpectedly, one of the producers in the studio passed away halfway through the TV anime’s run, which may explain its short lifespan when compared to its still ongoing manga run.

Briefly, the anime’s main character Layton was expelled from his regios (region in plain English) because of a crime he’d committed. Looking to start a fresh life, he takes an entrance exam and joins an academic regios called Zuellini. Though he had vowed to never fight again, various circumstances throws the wanderer into a Military Arts platoon and back into combat all over again. At first, he fights unwillingly as he does not see the need to unleash the full force of his powers (Kei). But as relationships with his peers, team mates and captain build, he discovers that he must fight on and live at all costs in order to protect the people and friendships which he treasures dearly.

I’ll be honest and say that I thought the anime was shallow when I watched the first two episodes, the baseline “protect or die doing so” plot is cliché in every sense. But as it progressed and more character backgrounds were revealed, I realized that it wasn’t so bad. Even the humour was good and not bimbo-ish in anyway. I also liked how the characters were varied and linked with each other’s pasts, not to mention that there was a good size of characters to start with – from the 12 Heaven Blade Wielders, to the Queen of Grendan, to Layton and his wide group of friends. So you can’t say this anime didn’t have plot and depth.

However, note that the anime really did suffer an abrupt short life. The manga is still going on so I do recommend that you read instead of watch since the anime doesn’t detail out everything there is to know about this strange world. Also, if you don’t read, the anime may appear really disjointed. There are parts where a serial within the anime is shown and it leaves you wondering if these snippets are part of Koukaku no Regios or just some show Layton and his friends are watching in their world. There’s a buzz in the air that because the manga’s still going, a 2nd season will ensue. I’m about 70% sure that there will be a second season in the making and I would’ve been 100% sure if not for the producer’s passing. So end words for this? Read, yes – watch, not really since there are better things to focus your watching efforts on.

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE

Man Rapes women in Brothel then Runs Away with their Dresses... HUH?

2009-06-22T21:49:00.001-07:00

I know how bizzare the headline sounds but its true, really. I'm still trying to find the words that define sin in sin city. In a nutshell, some guy decided to break into a brothel by kicking down the door and then proceeds to rape two of the women there. As if that wasn't weird enough he decides to make-off with their floral dresses too. According to the full story, police were also wondering why it took the women several hours to contact the station. First of all, the act of accusing someone of rape in a brothel sounds almost like a joke. In my books, the guy probably got the cuffs because he didn't pay and the working girls were just furious about it. I mean, what do you expect men will do if you work in a brothel? Rape really wasn't the issue, it was the "no-pay" for sure and of course trying to runaway with their dresses didn't help. The best part of all was what the man said after the police arrested him. Check out the full article below. Seriously, just when you think you've seen or heard it all.

"Tuesday 23rd June, 09:56 AM JST

KOBE — A Maritime Self Defense Force Leading Seaman was arrested for rape, assault, trespassing and theft on Monday, accused of forcing his way into an adult entertainment business establishment in Kobe City on Sunday morning, raping two women in the store and running away wearing a floral gown that belonged to one of the women, police said.

Takashi Kanaguchi, 26, a Maizuru City (Kyoto Prefecture) resident and seaman assigned to the Takanami class destroyer Suzunami (DD-114), is accused of breaking into the establishment just after 5 a.m. Sunday morning, by kicking in the door which was locked at the time. Police said he took off his clothes and raped a 33-year-old woman in one of the rooms, and is also accused of biting her breasts. He then entered another room and raped a 31-year-old woman, before putting on a dress and running out of the store, police said. He is estimated to have been in the store for about 25 minutes.

Police received a call at around 7 a.m. from an employee at a hotel about 1.5 kilometers away, saying that a naked man had just forced his way into one of the rooms. Police rushed to the scene and held Kanaguchi, who was in a delirious state. Police received a call after 9 a.m. from one of the women at the sex shop, and then began to question Kanaguchi about the incident.
Police are investigating why it took the women several hours to report the crime. A third woman employed as a cleaning lady was also in the sex establishment at the time, and has told police that she thought Kanaguchi was a new staff member who helped attract clients.

Kanaguchi has admitted to the rape and other allegations, but was quoted by police as saying: “The man who did this has already died.” A Maritime Self Defense Force official said that Kanaguchi had applied for a week’s leave from June 18, saying he was going to Kobe for some fun."

LINK TO FULL STORY

Benny the Super Cop

2009-06-21T03:43:00.000-07:00

I still laugh whenever I watch this eventhough I know what's coming. This snippet was taken from a comedic movie. If you haven't seen Benny the Super Cop, you should take 2 minutes to view the clip. It makes for a pleasant short break with a few good laughs.

Ristorante Paradiso - Scandalous

2009-06-20T01:25:00.001-07:00

More eye candy, well, sort of and especially if you're in to the whole Sean Connery suave. Created by Natsume Ono, the story focuses on a beautiful young woman's journey of self discovery and love. At the start, we're introduced to Nicoletta who had just arrived in Rome to meet with her mother. On a quest to reconcile their broken relationship she begins her search at a restaurant owned by her mother's new husband. When she enters the restaurant, she's greeted warmly by the staff and discovers that they comprise only of matured men wearing spectacles, the restaurant's trademark. Amongst them, one waiter in particular catches her eye, marking the beginning of a strange romance between them.

I'd like to narrate more on what "strange" means but that would just give too much away. Obviously, there are a slew of issues to handle when you pair up a young woman and an older man together, hence the reason I termed the anime Scandalous. So I shall just say that the plot gets an "A" in my book and veer off to discuss some other technical issues like art. As you can see, there's a resemblance to Antique Bakery, not in terms of character design but more so the ambience and setting. As for character art, Nicoletta's was drawn with the whole One Piece look but of course the mangaka (author) is a different person. Overall I like the way they've done the colorations and how much detail they've invested in the scenic shots.

So, should you be putting this on your must watch list? Yes if you're they type that loves romantic stories with a twist, no if you cannot deal with slow moving animes. There's obviously no action in this one so be prepared for drama, drama and more drama. As usual, I'll end this with a link to the trailer for your personal take. Ciao!

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE

Typing Maniac on Facebook

2009-06-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I haven't posted any reviews on games yet so I'll start of the games section with a light one. I just encountered this on facebook and its semi-addictive. Its called Typing Maniac and obviously, its a game that tests your typing skills. All you have to do is type out the words and hit the enter button as they come falling down the screen in a tetris fashion. Of course if you miss too many you'll fail. The words get longer and harder to type as each level progresses. But to aid you, they've included a few bonus words with special powers like ice to freeze, fire to wipe out the board and slow to slow the rate of words falling.

In a nutshell, the game is kinda cute but as with all flash games, the music does get a little annoying after a few repetitions. Then again, there's a little mute button that you can press if you need to play this game silently in the office :P. The highest score I've achieved so far is 200,000 but I've got a friend at 330,000 which I intend to beat at all costs. If you're on facebook do add this application and give it a go. It'll make for a good typing practice past time till you grow bored of it and move on to newer better things. Have fun (^_^)

Obama Kills Fly

2009-06-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

This was taken during one of his CNBC interviews. I don't usually dig voice over comedy but this version had some hillarious voice overs. You can also search up the original footage on youtube after watching this one. Enjoy :)

Burglar in Spiderman costume arrested

2009-06-19T03:47:00.000-07:00

Yet another whacky news addition today. So this guy decides that spiderman outfits make for good camouflage. Either he's colour blind or he's severely lacking in the logics department. I can't think of anything else that could stand out more when you're trying to commit burglary. Unless he was thinking that the outfit might just unleash its powers and help him scale slippery walls and surfaces effortlessly. Who knows what was going on in this man's mind but that aside, here's the full story.

"Friday 19th June, 06:27 AM JST

FUKUOKA — Police have arrested a 27-year-old man who allegedly broke into a home in Iizuka, Fukuoka Prefecture, while wearing a Spider-Man costume. Tetsuya Fujisawa is suspected of entering the house belonging to a 56-year-old man around 10:20 a.m Wednesday. The owner returned and Fujisawa ran away without stealing anything, police said.

They searched the neighborhood and found Fujisawa changing his clothes in a car. They reported finding a black costume and mask based on the 2007 movie “Spider-Man 3.” Fujisawa was in a fishnet T-shirt and tights and was putting on a sweater when apprehended, police said."

LINK TO STORY

Additional thoughts : Fishnet 'T' and tights... Reeeallly???!!!

Shoplifter tries leaving shop wearing women's "shorts"

2009-06-18T01:17:00.000-07:00

Well, creativity is inspired by things happening around us on a daily basis. For me, some of these things include the whacky stories I catch on the news. Today, this story really hit my funny bone. I just can't wipe the picture of this man, wearing women's "shorts" under his pants and trying to escape the store with them. Here's the full story from Kyodo News Service.

"Thusday 18th June, 6.58 a.m. JST

HYOGO - A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting four pairs of women's shorts from a Hyoko Prefecture supermarket by wearing them under his trousers, police said Wednesday. Office worker Katsutoshi Nishigaki was alledgedly caught red-handed while attempting to leave the store in Asago, Hyogo Prefecture, at 4 p.m. Monday.

The shorts he is accused of stealing are worth a total of 5,670 yen (Roughly US$56). Nishigaki allegedly took the shorts with him into a fitting room to layer them under his trousers so no one would notice the theft, according to police. Bus his escapade was seen by a female plainclothes security guard who took notice of him when he entered the women's underwear section, police said."

Link to full story

Joe Hisaishi - One of the Greatest Composers and Directors of our time

2009-06-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

Before I end the slew of posts for today, I thought I'd put up a post on music that pierces my heart. There are many tunes that move me but nothing beats a good orchestral piece. Top on my list currently is Joe Hisaishi, music composer and director. If you guys were thinking the name sounds familiar, that's because his exceptional musical finesse and Hayao Miyazaki's out-of-this-world imagination create some of the most magical animations to date. These include Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, Nausicaa, Totoro and a few more. The clips that I've collected here are from these movie's soundtracks. "chunfeiwong" has kindly managed to upload Joe Hisaishi's entire performance from 2008 and it consists of themes from all of Hayao Miyazaki's works. I won't plaster the entire show here, only the ones I really really love. However, these clips are currently available on youtube though I hope they don't remove the links anytime soon. Ugh, I'm crying even as I upload the clips. One wonders why they don't bring these people here... sigh.... Enjoy :)

(24/08/09) Edited : Included new videos as previous were removed.

Princess Mononoke

Laputa - Castle in the Sky

Howl's Moving Castle

Spirited Away - Vocal Version

Tonari no Tottoro

Pandora Hearts – Definitely Mysterious

2009-06-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

Here’s another title that I’m currently following. It’s called Pandora Hearts, a manga series by Jun Mochizuki that started production in June of 2006. The anime was released at the same time as 07 Ghost during Spring 2009. When choosing animes to watch, I prefer picking those which contain intricate art and complex lines. Of course, there’s almost always eye candy involve but I’m not watching this one for that purpose. It’s the plot line that draws me in.

It starts with Oz Bezarius in a mansion getting ready for his coming-of-age ceremony. The anime goes on to introduce his best friend, Gilbert and caretaker Oscar. Just before the ceremony, Oz and Gilbert explore the grounds where the ceremony was to take place. Suddenly, the ground breaks beneath them and they fall upon an old grave. After gathering themselves Oz spots something shining in the sunlight – its an antique pocket watch. He examines it and decides to keep it as the object interests him. Since it was getting late, he leaves the area and heads back to the mansion for the ceremony - unknowing that what awaited him there was something more sinister.

At first, I wasn’t much impressed because the first episode felt very messy. However it was understandable since nothing had been revealed yet. So I stuck onto see if it would grow on me. After watching about 10 episodes, I got more and more absorbed into it. The reason is that every episode only gives you a tease of the whole truth. I find myself wanting to watch more and more, wanting to know about the real villain, about his past and about the organization called Pandora. I have a feeling there’s a good mystery behind all this and I’m waiting for it to unravel. The bad side though is that the anime can be a little slow since it does quite a few flash backs. Other than that, no further comments till I see more but I do recommend to give it a go.

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/ph/

What's an immoral pleasure seeker?

2009-06-17T01:36:00.000-07:00

A clip from Jeopardy. Talk about a question that stirs corrupt thinking but I guess it can't be helped. I mean, what else could be the same as a garden tool and an immoral pleasure seeker. Anyone got the same answer as the contestants?

Fat Cat

2009-06-17T01:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a real life garfield. I decided to post this video out of all the other fat cat videos because this one isn't just a picture. This cat is big, funny and cute and he's roughly the size of a small bulldog. Have fun with the fat cat.

07 Ghost – One of the best eye candies

2009-06-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

Alright, for those who know me well, you’d understand that I have a HUGE thing for Japanese animation and their characters. I’m such a big kid, but I can’t help it. I mean, how could anyone not like men who are sensitive, kind, powerful, good looking, rich, charming, proud yet not egoistical. Such men just don’t exist in real life right? Okay, enough about my mindless gaga-ing over anime guys. Let’s get down to the anime I was going to talk about.

So, 07 Ghost is a fantasy manga written and illustrated by Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara. The hero of the plot, Teito Klein, is a former slave sent to attend the Barsburg Empire's military academy due to his use of Zaiphon, an ability to manifest the weilder’s emotions into power. The story begins with Teito as an amnesiac and doesn't remember anything of his origins except for a recurring nightmare. Then one day, in the midst of delivering papers to a professor, Teito overhears his name. He stops to listen and realizes that the speaker, a man named Ayanami, is the man who killed his father in his dreams. This is when all the action begins. Here’s the link to wiki’s full length description though I wouldn’t read into it too deeply if you wanna keep the suspense going. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/07_Ghost

After watching about 11 episodes, I must say that the plot has been well developed. Combine that with intriguing character developments and you’ve got yourself a real winner. Note to those who don’t like anime’s with yaoi hints, this may not be up your alley. The action and powers are masculine enough but this was definitely written with the female audience in mind. Nevertheless, the anime’s focus on Zaiphon powers are a unique element, something I haven’t seen before in my short 10 years of anime patronage so that should stir your interests.

On the technical bits, the manga’s original run began in 2005 and the anime just got released in Spring of this year, 2009. So its pretty new and has only been out for just 11 episodes. I just can’t wait for the rest to get subbed and am dying for next week’s episode to come out. But I'll just have to be patient and wait. Meanwhile, there are a couple of other titles that I can keep myself occupied with and those I'll introduce once I get all my stuff together. Have fun with this one :D

LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE : http://07-ghost.net/index.html

How to get up and get ready in 5 mins

2009-06-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

I found this really hillarious and this is for all you guys who don't wanna waste a single second getting up. I have completely no idea how relevant this will be for some, since we don't live in a small boxed up place like most Japanese do, but I did find one or two of his tips helpful. Unfortunately there's no translation for this video so I'll attempt to translate. But just watching this alone is funny enough. The translated tips are below the video.

Step 1 - How to undress yourself in one swift move.

Step 2 - Press aluminium foil over a square shaped container. This will mold it into a bowl. Place the foil into an electric toaster oven, put oil, crack an egg and place bacon onto the foil. Include a piece of toast and start the oven.

Step 3 - For coffee, drip coffee can be made instant using room temperature water. You simply have to pop the beverage into the microwave for one minute to make the coffee.

Step 4 - There are times when your toothpaste gets frozen. If that happens blow into the tube, shake it like a ketchup bottle and out comes the paste.

Step 5 - Then while brushing your teeth, head over to your pants which you've laid on the floor the night before. (He then demonstrates how you wear them)

Step 6 - Next head over to your shirt, which has already been buttoned up except for the top 2 buttons. To button the collar button which can sometimes be a real pain, use a safety pin to draw the button through the hole.

Step 7 - He then demonstrates how to tie your tie in the quickest way. As for the socks, you wear them normally.

Step 8 - Bring out your breakfast and coffee. As for buttering your toast, rather than knifing the butter, take the butter to the toast directly.

Step 9 - He also demonstrates how to pour milk into the coffee and the fastest way to put on your jacket.

The Whip - Blackout

2009-06-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

This has been stuck in my head recently, all thanks to a World of Warcraft video I was watching. I don't know what it is about Electronica and me but the two just click. The bass to this is wicked and somehow has that sexy undertone to it. Okay, perhaps I'm the only one feeling sexy but I can't help it. Music moves me in all directions.

Karoshi Bros - Catchy

2009-06-16T08:43:00.001-07:00

This isn't exactly new but it is really one of my favorite Electro-pop beats - plus it has a cute video to top it off. In case you were wondering, this was released end of 2007. Not only is the tune catchy but the lyrics make a whole lot of sense too. That's why I've included them below the video for your singing pleasure.

Verse 1
Coca Cola is pop, Madonna is not
All music is hot, Now my head won’t stop
There’s nothing to take
There’s nothing to give
There’s nothing for me so…aaahhhh
Myspace is yours and Your space is mine
A bad stripper adds a fake Frankenstein
We’re all selling cheap
We’re the latest freaks
A desperate peeping show
For the videoooooo

* Chorus
It’s easy to come
It’s easy to go
It’s easy to tell
But harder to show
Sometimes to work
Sometimes to play
Sometimes too bad
So then I just say
Love the world

Verse 2
Now is too late, So concentrate
Let’s educate the United States
There’s nothing to take
There’s nothing to give
There’s nothing for anyone…aaaahhh
The news is lost to men with hoods
Two dollar signs in heads of wood
I’m your new king
I’m Exxon bling
I’m a desperate plea
Will you love me?

*Chorus

Bridge
Buy one get one free, half price all you see
Three for two or five for four, end of season sale,
Car bomb, rising seas, hotter air and higher fees,
Big gun, bird flu, more for me and none for you
Mad cow, bad clones, no gas, fewer homes,
Sweatshop, knuckle bare and ten fat cats.

*Chorus

Introduction to Gaki No Tsukai

2009-06-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, some may find this rather disturbing to watch. I mean what isn't disturbing about a man dressed only in a pair of gaudy speedo's singing a birthday song right? But it's hillarious. Just to bring you up to speed, this is a snippet from a TV comedy in Japan. The comedian group is called Downtown and the guy who's birthday it is, is part of the group. His name is Matsumoto Hitoshi. Together with Hamada-san they form the most hillarious acts. Their ideas are so popular that some of their shows have been reproduced by the Taiwanese. In this particular video, Hamada-san has prepared a special treat for Matsumoto's 44th birthday. Hope you have some laughs watching this cause I did. Enjoy.

For Parents When Buying Toys 4 Kids

2009-06-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, if you're a parent and you're looking to buy toys for your kids, you should add this guy to your youtube watchlist. He's a freelance toy designer and has many years under his belt so he knows exactly what he's talking about when it comes to failed toys. Well, not all of them are as provocative, grotesque or inappropriate as he seems to think but at least he highlights the various areas of concerns. The final decision is always up to you, the parents, of course. Here's his latest video and if you ask me, I think this is really inappropriate and am glad they don't sell these anymore.

Start with the Cutesies.....

2009-06-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

Just to get things going a little, I've decided to post my top heart string-tugging youtube video. Presenting the whistling puppy. Enjoy.

What Drives Me

2009-06-16T02:36:00.000-07:00

A couple of people have been wondering about my likes and dislikes lately. Like what provokes me or turns me on? Alright, so maybe I won't reveal the latter part. But I will share with you some of the things that entertain me and of course, the music that I love listening to. Hence, this blog will be entirely dedicated to my music, books, games, anime and youtube video favorites. Plus, its better I separate my philosphical alter ego from my everyday self. It gets less messy that way. That mean's Hypergraphian's World will still be running so if you still wanna know what goes on in that whacky head of mine, you're welcome to drop by. Stay tuned for a flood of posts :)