Wow I really meant to write more regularly in 2009 to make up for my slacking off last year... but it turns out I've been neglectful again for the same reasons. (illness, computer issues, etc) Came back to find out that a few friends have had some serious problems and I feel like an absolute shit for not being there for them. I'm sorry everyone, for neglecting you. Fortunately most won't care, but I suspect the few who do would have been comforted by my presence... no idea why but they keep telling me this so it must be true. *sigh* Major family issues currently, I won't go into detail to avoid boring anyone but if you'd like to know just send me an email or private LJ message.
Aside from the depressing shit, what has been happening? Miyavi and Melody's marriage, congrats... baby expected in july, congrats... so-called fans bitching about it, stfu. Miyavi announces 2nd world tour but no mention of US appearances yet, let's hope he remembers the east coast this time. X Japan rumours about Heath quitting, apparently crap so I refuse to worry about it. Sugizo officially a real "member" of X Japan. (sorry those of you who don't like him, but i'm happy about it) Hey Yoshiki remember how you announced a Madison Square Garden show, then cancelled, then added venues in other locations like Hong Kong and have performed there, and now going back to Tokyo Dome May 2-3, but never rescheduled NY which was promised first? Wtf is up with that. New Dir en grey dvd is amazing. That's all.
Me? Nothing worth telling. I'd rather spend my limited online time reading your journals than babbling in mine. Whether it's entertainment news from aquaintances or personal news from friends, I really need to catch up.
April 30th, 2009
crappyMarch 31st, 2009
In case anyone was wondering, i'm still alive. Not feeling wonderful though. I had both pneumonia and bronchitis for over a month. My punishment for having had a comparatively illness-free 2008. I thought bronchitis and pneumonia were basically the same condition, like pneumonia was just an advanced state of bronchitis, but apparently they can coexist. All i know is it hurts, it takes forever to heal (at least for me) and i still feel like crap. But at least i get to be home and not in a hospital.
Meant to post an entry on Kaoru's birthday but ended up in the hospital and sleeping through most of it. We had a belated celebration yesterday with hibachi dinner at our favourite japanese restaurant in honour of Kyo, Kaoru, Shinya, and of course Toshiya's birthdays. But the whole month of february was just a huge disappointment. I'm already making elaborate plans for next year.
Missed you all. Hope everyone is ok and i didn't miss anything serious. Will get to everybody's journals asap. So don't be surprised if you get 27 LJ comments all at once and I'll apologise in advance for the possible comment spam. If I actually have anything worth saying, that is.
So anyway I'm posting this at 3:31 on 3-31, happy birthday Toshiya! *sets off firecrackers* It's 4:31 in the afternoon in Japan and Dir en grey don't have a show tonight, which means Toshiya is probably getting bombed as I type this. Have a lovely day dear Toshiya-san, may your birthday wishes come true, and have fun but not too much fun... don't wanna be hungover for tomorrow, when it's back to work as usual.
cheerfulFebruary 15th, 2009
Nasty bronchitis that will not go away. Has been almost two weeks and still feel like something the cat coughed up. But I've actually been healthier than usual the past year or so, none of the usual issues from november to january so I'm thankful it took this long. Still yucky though.
Computer has been repaired, and my hard drive files recovered, just in time to share this video for Kyo and Shinya's birthdays. I made it just before the computer crashed, when things were acting wonky but still somewhat functional. The video could have turned out better if I'd had unlimited time and a movie maker that didn't crash every 40 seconds during the process. *sigh* I would have made it better if there was more time, but I really wanted it up by the 16th. So anyway, here it is.
The medicine I'm on makes me loopy. Bed beckons. I'll try to catch up with everybody's LJs this week, in between work I'm behind on, as illness permits. When I wake up it will be the 16th in Japan, so I will be spending the next 2 days celebrating, as best I can, the glory that is Kyo. Happy birthday to him. <3
tiredJanuary 23rd, 2009
Found a stray puppy the day of Obama's inauguration, adorable little black poodle mix trotting playfully down the middle of a busy street in front of the library. No idea how old he is, but from his teeth I can tell he's not full grown yet. He wasn't wearing a collar and turns out he isn't microchipped either, so right now I'm just checking the paper and calling the local animal shelter every day to see if anyone has reported a lost dog. If we can't find his family, we might have to make room in our menagerie for one more.
It's sad to see so many missing pets in the lost and found section. One family is looking for a white poodle, another lost a black cat, but no black poodle yet. There was also one ad that read "Lost my mind. If found, keep it. I don't want it back." I swear that looks familiar, pretty sure it was on a bumper sticker or tshirt, but here it was actually printed in the classifieds.
And a somewhat related incident, while shopping for a harness and leash (so we can walk the dog without fear of him running off again) was reminded of the last time we were at Petsmart. I overheard a woman who had misplaced her kid. Thought my ears were mistaken when she called "GORDITA! GORDITA?" but then she said "CHALUPA, WHERE GORDITA AT?!" What the... ok... I just had to ask. "Excuse me... what are your daughters' names?" She repeats them, nodding. "Yeah you heard right. I always crave Taco Bell when I'm pregnant." Wow.
amusedJanuary 22nd, 2009
Anyone else tickled by the message of diversity, inclusiveness and religious tolerance Obama has been sending so blatantly? As he said in the inaugural address, "We know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of christians and muslims, jews and hindus, and nonbelievers." This sentiment echoes loudly in his broad range of choices in faith representatives.
According to the presidential inaugural committee, spiritual leaders have been chosen to symbolise "America's traditions of religious tolerance and freedom." Yesterday's national prayer service, an inaugural tradition dating back to George Washington, included for the first time ever a sermon delivered by a female minister. Previously Obama had chosen the Rev. Rick Warren, a well-known evangelical who has campaigned against gay marriage, to deliver the inaugural invocation. But then he invited V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay episcopal bishop. Something to piss off everyone, huzzah!
The president(still haven't ceased to be gleeful over that phrase)'s choice of two religious leaders with such vastly opposing and controversial views suggests that we should not shrink from our differences, but accept them or even embrace them. "Bless this nation with anger: anger at discrimination at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people," said the Rev. Robinson at the opening of inaugural ceremonies on sunday. Imagine a statement like this uttered in G.W.'s white house.
I am delighted to see a president trying so hard to represent the entire country, in all of its diverse colours and genders and faiths and views. As Obama so eloquently pointed out in his inaugural speech, we're all in this mess together and must work together to get ourselves out. We don't have time fore "petty grievances" and "worn-out dogmas"... we need to recognise that "all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
chipperJanuary 21st, 2009
PRESIDENT Barack Obama (it feels sooo good to say that) has probably done more good during his first day in office than his predecessor did his entire two terms. Already he has concentrated efforts to revive the economy, imposed a pay freeze for white house staff, ordered new lobbying restrictions, issued new ethics rules for his administration, summoned top military officials to chart a new course in Iraq, eased into middle east diplomacy, banned torture, begun plans to close Guantanamo Bay, and secured the gray wolf's spot on the endangered species list.
( DETAILS )
New polls show Obama's approval rating currently at 80%. Obviously, Obama did not have 80% of the vote on election day, so he must have won over a lot of skeptics incredibly fast. By a 3-1 margin, people feel more optimistic about the country's future now that Obama has been inaugurated, including 30% of republicans. Not a bad first day.
January 20th, 2009
Our new commander-in-chief Barack Obama was sworn in and began his presidency today, declaring our nation must choose "hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord" to overcome the current state of disaster. Frigid cold didn't deter the unprecedented million+ crowd from showing up to celebrate Obama's inauguration.
Obama emphasized that his biggest challenge will be repairing the shattered economy created left by exiting president Bush. In fact his speech made several unflattering references to Bush, once again showing Mr Obama is not afraid to risk offending anyone by speaking his mind. =p
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin the work of remaking America... What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every american, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task."
( Full transcript of inauguration speech )
Rejoice, America.
jubilantSo i have my account on 43things, which i blog in regarding my goals. I have my private journal, for all those super-personal things no one gives a damn to read anyway. I have a japanese journal, for the sake of language practice. What shall i use my LJ for? Hmmm....
I find myself making numerous pointless observations throughout the day, and have noticed some people keep blogs where they record precisely this type of pointless observation. Perhaps i could use LJ for that. No one will want to read that, but if i don't post any entries no one will be reading anything anyway right? So i might start doing that.
My mistake has been in refusing to write unless i have something very important or interesting to say. But 95% of human communications do not involve anything especially eventful or profound. Most of our conversations are crap, just like life. Life is not only about major events. Life is what happens to you in between the big stuff. The daily routines and small pointless crap.
So from now on, i will give equal (or greater) time to the little things, as well as any significant events that happen to crop up. Which means those of you on my friends list will be just a little more bored than you were already. Lucky you. ^_^ *smooches*
chillDecember 20th, 2008
お誕生日おめでとうございますDieさん
Have fun, but not too much fun. ~_^
We don't want you spending your birthday hugging the toilet.
December 18th, 2008
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khaoskinema304 has me thinking about this, as she has to write a serious academic report on the parus major - otherwise known as the GREAT TIT. Now the poor girl is going to burst organs from continuous laughing while researching and writing this thing, with lines like "Great Tits are endowed with uncommon plasticity that allows them to respond to changes in the environment" and "Most Great Tits do not migrate"...
Great Tits are supposedly common throughout Europe and Asia. Sure there are lots of Great Tits in Europe, but from all I've ever seen or heard, there aren't many Great Tits in China, Korea, and Japan. Perhaps there's a species of parus minor (Teeny Tits) or even parus media (Moderate Tits) in Asia, but I'm certain the Great Tits are scarce in that region.
According to Wikipedia, Great Tits in England have learned to break the foil caps sealing bottles of milk to obtain the cream floating on top, but I'm thinking maybe the TIT/milk connection was just someone's idea of a joke. I mean, that's just too good to be true.
Where do scientists get these names for things? Every species and creature has its greek- or latin-based systemic name (scientific classification), and also a common name. So we have a bird called 'Great Tit' and a fish named the 'Slippery Dick'...
It's true. The halichoeres bivittatus is more commonly known as 'slippery dick', a 12-inch long saltwater fish. I swear these names are scientists having grand fun just because they can.
( Transcript of biology classification meeting )
ROFLMFAO
December 13th, 2008
♥ HAPPY BIRTHDAY HIDE!!! ♥
Also Happy Birthday INA, his birthday was yesterday.
And Happy Birthday ME, and also kanarae - YAY!!!
Time for the annual hidelicious concert dvd marathon - wheeeeeee!~ Later i will force everyone to sing 'Happy Birthday' to hide plushie, as is our tradition. ~.^ And of course hide Sim will have a birthday party.
Later today i will make a pink spider cake. (LEMONed cake, pink icing, strawberry pocky legs) Also tradition.
Anyone ever have Mike's Hard Lemonade? It's yummy. And now they have a pomegranate variety, which is red-pink. Oh yes.
I'm not into booze, and almost never drink (maybe a thimbleful of sake at japanese restaurant 2 or 3 times a year) but i have to toast hide-sama. *Raises glass to hide poster* Happy birthday dearest Hideto. Party on in heaven.
December 12th, 2008
Every month, the moon in its eccentric (oblong) orbit around the earth swings closest to our planet at 'perigee' and farthest at 'apogee'. At perigee, the moon comes approx 30,000 miles closer to earth than at apogee. However, the distance to perigee (moon's closest point) and to apogee (moon's farthest point) do not remain the same month to month. In fact, this year's closest perigee and farthest apogee both occur this month.
The eccentricity of the moon's orbit varies throughout the year, depending on which lunar phase coincides with perigee. When full moon coincides with perigee, the eccentricity of the moon's orbit increases most. The increased eccentricity brings perigee closer to earth, but pushes apogee farther away. In 2008, the full moon and perigee both fall on 12 december, leading to the closest and largest full moon of the year. (Btw, the farthest apogee of the year falls 2 weeks afterward - 26 december.)
When the 1/4 moon aligns with perigee, the eccentricity decreases to a minimum and the moon's orbit comes closest to being a circle. When the 1/4 moon and perigee coincide, perigee is pushed farther away from earth while apogee is pulled closer. So perigee and apogee are closest together at a 1/4 perigee. This year the 1/4 moon and perigee both fall on Valentine's Day, causing the year's most distant perigee. (There's strong astrological significance to the perigee on Valentine's Day... will write more on that subject in february)
The extra-close full moon will extra-high perigean spring tides along the ocean shorelines. It's also believed that extra-close moons can trigger earthquakes and volcanoes. We shall see....
nerdyDecember 1st, 2008
People tend to ignore the existence HIV/AIDS. They either shrug it off as a "GAY disease" or don't personally know anyone who has had it (yet). Most assume they are safe because they practice "safe sex" or because they are married or in an otherwise committed relationship. Others believe that the only people who acquire AIDS are those who indulge in "risky behaviour" and somehow bring it upon themselves, so they simply don't care. And we've all heard the argument that AIDS is God's judgement upon people for their sin...
Guess what? AIDS is not a gay disease. (how can there still be people who are this ignorant?) If it is punishment for sin, explain the millions of children who have died because of AIDS. What sins did they commit, to warrant painful & premature death? Condoms leak/break, ask anyone who has ever become pregnant while using one. And news flash - humans CHEAT. The only guarantee against HIV/AIDS is to remain completely celibate. And then there are all your family & friends - will they ALL be celibate too? Would a loved one contracting a terminal disease not affect your life? NO ONE is immune from AIDS.
Please donate if you can, for prevention or for cure. (See links below)
And if you can, sign up to join me in the next NY AIDs Walk. ^_^
World AIDS Day org
Mercury Phoenix Trust
World AIDS Campaign
AVERT org
AIDS research org
Misc AIDS links
blankNovember 30th, 2008
It had been announced 14 april this year that he was diagnosed with Hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) so i suppose it's no great shock.
7 months seems like not long to live after diagnosis... but then if you think of possibly suffering that whole time, it's plenty long enough. I wouldn't want to linger long with cancer.
Also yesterday was the 7th memorial of George Harrison's passing. Also due to cancer.
Sleep peacefully.
October 16th, 2008
The family of an elderly woman in california cremated her remains on a backyard fire pit so they could continue collecting her retirement checks, amounting to over $25,000 before they were caught. Ramona Allmond's daughter and grandson were arrested sunday for embezzlement, elder abuse and disposing of a body without a permit.
Authorities suspect 84-year-old Allmond "likely" died of natural causes, but investigators are still trying to determine the exact cause of death.
The daughter Kathleen Allmond and grandson Tony Ray told investigators the woman died in december. They left her body to decompose on her bedroom floor for a week before cremating the remains in their homemade barbeque pit. The two were arrested after the old lady's son grew suspicious about her whereabouts.
Sheriff's detective Richard Knox said "they may have been trying to honour Allmond's desire to die at home and be cremated." I say they were trying to honour their own desire for a big screen tv and some extra beer & cigarette money.
There were actually a few other bizarre news items I had wanted to mention, but then I found this one. I can't even remember the others now. WTF. Seriously.
nauseatedOctober 7th, 2008
Not much time, just want to point out that I'm trying to catch up on all the flist LJs at least once a week, so even if I don't comment lately I am still reading you.
Anyone who missed the VP debate skit on SNL, you must google "Fey Palin Latifah" and see the video asap. It almost makes Palin funny instead of scary. Almost.
Also... anyone who ordered their Dir en grey tickets from Music Today, please take a moment to comment and say whether or not you have received yours yet. Thanks.
rushedAugust 24th, 2008
For crystalplumage and anyone else who likes figs.
Most recipes from my italian/japanese grandmother. <3
( TO THE YUMMY FIGGY RECIPES )
I'm adding more recipes, so if this line is still here,
I'm not done yet. Please check back later.
hungryAugust 13th, 2008
Anyone who lives in a rural area with clear, dark skies, take a few minutes (or hours) to step outside and peer up at the Perseids tonight. The meteor shower is best seen in the hours after midnight up until just before dawn.
Edit: I was hoping to come back tonight and give a glowing report, but turns out it was way too cloudy tonight so we didn't see diddly. Bah. Oh well the Leonids are coming in november....
August 11th, 2008
Thus far, this is what has been announced:
11.05.08 Wednesday
Revolution
Ft. Lauderdale FL
11.07.08 Friday
The Club @ Firestone
Orlando FL
11.08.08 Saturday
Center Stage
Atlanta GA
11.10.08 Monday
Rams Head Live
Baltimore MD
11.11.08 Tuesday
Theatre of Living Arts
Philadelphia PA
11.12.08 Wednesday
Wilbur Theatre
Boston MA
11.14.08 Friday
Terminal 5
NYC
11.15.08 Saturday
Le Medley
Montreal QU
11.16.08 Sunday
Kool Haus
Toronto ON
11.18.08 Tuesday
Clutch Cargo's
Pontiac MI
11.19.08 Wednesday
House of Blues
Chicago IL
11.20.08 Thursday
First Avenue
Minneapolis MN
11.22.08 Saturday
The Eagles Club
Milwaukee WI
11.23.08 Sunday
Pop's
Sauget IL
11.25.08 Tuesday
House of Blues
Houston TX
11.26.08 Wednesday
Palladium Ballroom
Dallas TX
11.28.08 Friday
Marquee Theatre
Tempe AZ
11.29.08 Saturday
The Wiltern LG
Los Angeles CA
11.30.08 Sunday
Warfield Theatre
San Francisco CA
12.02.08 Tuesday
Hawthorne Theatre
Portland OR
12.03.08 Wednesday
The Showbox
Seattle WA
12.05.08 Friday
Gothic Theatre
Englewood CO
Tickets on sale HERE
It looks like they picked another winner for opening band. Nothing like Fair to Midland, but certainly damn good. The Human Abstract sounds to me like a combination of Kansas-DreamTheater-Metallica, which is extremely interesting.
And thank you, Dir en grey, for not coming in the dead of winter again. November is much more reasonable for overnighters. No freezing to death in the ten degree Boston cold this time...
excitedAugust 8th, 2008
DIR EN GREY's 7th ALBUM
『UROBOROS』
Coming 12 November 2008
(Which means a tour to promote the album *dances*
I hope it's not TOO cold by the time they get here)
【Regular Version】 ￥3,150 (tax in)
【Initial Limited Version】 ￥3,675 (tax in)
【Deluxe Limited Version】 ￥12,600 (tax in)
Reservation deadline AUG 17
Uroboros (or ouroboros, uroborus, ouroborus) is the mystical symbol of the serpent consuming its own tail. It represents concepts of cycles, unity, infinity, rebirth, alchemy, the uniting of opposites, the conscious and unconscious mind. Carl Jung interpreted its archetypal association to the human psyche. It is also associated with Gnosticism and Hermeticism.
Sometimes the serpent is shown as half dark and half light - illustrating the dual nature of all things, polarity, yin/yang, complements or opposites not in conflict.
The Uroboros suggests something constantly re-creating itself - perfect symbol for this band, which is continually evolving and rebirthing itself. The album contemplates themes of guilt and reincarnation, incorporates unusual instruments such as mandolin (!) and features more frequent melodic vocals.
There are 13 new tracks including the singles 'Dozing Green' and 'Glass Skin' plus the live 'Third time does the trick.'
Ultra-limited Deluxe version includes 13-track album, bonus CD with unplugged recordings and songs from the band's international-only releases, bonus DVD with recording studio footage, and two LPs (what?? as in vinyl?) and is available for guaranteed preorder only until 16 august.
There is also a 2-CD limited edition with the 13-track album and acoustic/rarities bonus disc, and the regular edition featuring just the main 13 tracks.
CD Japan - Holy shit - Preorder NOW!
July 29th, 2008
Everything kinda sucks and I don't feel like writing about that, but I've been neglecting LJ too much lately. So here's a recipe I just shared with my asian cooking group on Livestrong.com.
Hiyayakko (冷奴), aka Hiyakko, is the most popular japanese tofu dish, made with chilled tofu and toppings. It is usually served during the summer season. In fact japanese poetry uses 'hiyayakko' as a season-word for summer. ( RECIPE )
SUPER EASY VERSION: Cut tofu into 4 pieces and place on dishes. Top with grated ginger, dried bonito flakes, and scallions to taste. Pour soy sauce around. Add some karashi mustard if desired.
July 17th, 2008
I feel overly conceited even thinking someone might notice or care, but just in case... I'm still alive but I'm afraid my computer is not. Don't even have time to say much now, let alone catch up on everybody's LJs, will do that asap. Miss you guys, hope all of you are doing ok and no one is having a crisis or anything. Those who have my cell# feel free to call if anything important is going on. Or even if it's not. ~.^
June 23rd, 2008
No new nuclear plants have been built in the US since the 70s. I think the Three Mile Island incident in 1979 put a damper on that sort of thing for a while. But John McCain, who evidently shares Shrub's passion for promoting nukes, wants to double the number of US nuclear reactors. During his campaigning last week in Missouri, he told the crowd that he sees nuclear power as "a clean, safe alternative" to traditional sources of energy that emit greenhouse gases. Mr McCain's preferred goal is 100 new nuclear plants, with 45 of them built by 2030.
"China, Russia and India are all planning to build more than a hundred new power plants among them in the coming decades. Across Europe there are 197 reactors in operation, and nations including France and Belgium derive more than half their electricity from nuclear power. And if all of these nations can find a way to carry out great goals in energy policy, then I assure you that the United States is more than equal to the challenge."
Translation: Omg we can't let all these other countries have something more than we have! Yes folks, the answer to the classic mother's query of "If all the other kids jumped off a bridge, would you do it?" is apparently, "Damn right!" The US-of-A is the greatest nation on earth, we can't let anyone beat us at anything, especially in the category of stupidity.
He also says we might get out of Iraq by 2013, but has "no timetable" for withdrawal and admits that the war could possibly go on "indefinitely." I don't have much time so can't go into it right now, detailed entry on this coming soon.
The more I hear about McCain, the worst it gets. And it isn't the rumours or accusations from opposition that worries me most -- the scariest shit is what this guy openly proclaims with his own lips. I am terrified right now, moreso than ever before. After 8 years we finally rid ourselves of one lunatic, and it looks like we are about to enter the reign of another who is just as bad or maybe even worse. According to the Mayan calendar, we're actually right on schedule. 2012 is when all comes to completion... or ultimate annihilation. But after that....?
worriedJune 16th, 2008
Finally, some official news. From Yoshiki mobile and X Japan official site:
Thank you always for your continued support of X Japan.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have decided to postpone the X Japan concerts previously scheduled to take place on July 5th in Paris France 'Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre', August 2nd in Taipei Taiwan 'World Trade Center', and September 13th in New York America 'Madison Square Garden'.
We are terribly sorry for this disappointment to all X Japan fans who have been looking forward to these concerts. We hope to announce a new schedule in the near future. Your patience is very appreciated.
Don't be too upset yet. I doubt they would just cancel completely. Yoshiki just needs to take some time to get proper care and rest, and honestly it is way overdue. Maybe he will actually take appropriate safety precautions when performing from now on, and realise when he needs a break and stop pushing himself too hard.
Let's hope he takes good care of himself, gets strong and healthy soon, and comes back to us asap.
Please remember X Japan in your prayers and direct lots of nice positive healing thoughts to Yoshiki.
hopeful