Super-Great!

I got back from watching スーパーエイト and it's the best (non-comic book) movie I've seen so far this summer! Thoroughly enjoyable romp with never a dull moment, a few weepy bits, tremendous acting (especially Fanning), great FX, lots of nerdy goodness to keep an eye out for (watch for the LOST tribute in the final scene) and for the first time in ages-a soundtrack where I knew absolutely every single one of the tunes and could hum along (much to the chagrin of my gal-pal.) Highly recommended and those of you in Japan need to run out and see it quick, for it's soon to be Transformed into another movie.

Added bonus: I got a bucket full of Pokemon-popcorn with a free little glow-in-the-dark character that I know nothing about!

The Obligatory Valentine's Post.

This is the time of year when I make my annual "Happy Anniversary of the St. Valentine's Massacre" joke (82nd this year.)

It also happens to be the 30th anniversary of my father's death. (He passed away around 1:00am on the 14th so we covertly state his passing on the 13th.)

Once again, I have no lover with whom to share this holiday but am I upset about that? Not really, I may be alone, but I'm not overly lonely.

I had my 3 adult classes today and only the first group bothered to give me a gift. I'm not surprised but a little disappointed because I usually make my annual "I got so much giri-choco that it gives me geri"* joke. So by only receiving some macaroons, I can't earnestly make that gag. (I did get to use my favourite Valentine's anecdote about apples and choosing a mate that I recounted here.)
*義理=giri=obligation; 下痢=geri=diarrhea

At lunchtime, I walked for an hour to go visit my pal Yuki who has managed to break her right leg this time by slipping on the ice. Not quite as dramatic as falling off a skateboard but still pretty painful. Since she had lots of free time, she's the perfect person to perfect my resume.

I arrived home just in time to see Worf & Jasdia get married and then CN ran Curious George in English! I found it to be truly charming, Will Ferrell wasn't as smug as usual and it had some of the best songs since Randy Newman. I saw the finale of the mini-series JEKYLL and if that show isn't all about Love, I dunno what is!

All in all, I expected to be a tad cynical today about the whole rigmarole but certainly not as nasty as how one friend put it on FB,
"BTW if you are in Love or a relationship, I'd just like to say on this valentines day, I wish you...
...Would %$#% off and stop shoving your happiness in my face every year just cause some Roman priest was executed for marrying people a long time ago. Seriously! Go %$#% yourselves, you smug "Complete" %$#%s!!!!!"
Here's a candy heart for you.

So I fully planned to be on the sardonic side with this post but how can I when amongst my junk mail I found this!
"For someone special...There's a certain kind of romance we cannot experience in youth. Some love takes years to understand--Kobe Morozoff." From my gal-pal Michiko, it included 3 choco-hearts and a choco-coin. What a sweetie!

Finally, just after WWII, the government gave the public a notice on the proper way to hold hands in public...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
Ps. Thanks to follower Erick who pointed out the Lost Valentines.

Hounen The Bone.

Today is the 豊年祭 ( Hounen Festival) of which I reported the year before last. This is a major fertility festival and for a similar festival, check this out. My roving reporter Mark, brought me back this phall-ashtray as a souvenir.










I'd advise you all to view the above links in the comfort of your own home and not within sight of young impressionable eyes or your boss! Somewhat of a non-sequitur, but doesn't this Kubrick of Locke look as though he could be at the head of the Parade?

Get Lost!

I popped into Yodabashi Camera looking for last-minute Halloween Costume ideas and came up with squat. I found a couple of trinkets upon which to waste my money but decided it wasn't worthwhile. I thought all was lost until I espied LOST! Kubrick has come up with Lost figures!








They aren't cheap so I only got one, but it's my second favourite character, Sawyer! (My fave, Hurley, is alas much rarer!)











Manoman, the Kubrick corporation must be expecting a ton of wrongful death/ choking victims...check out this warning label! (Click it to make it Monolithic.)



Btw, in case you get Lost on Friday, the Echophonyk Halloween Party is at Shaft!

LOST in Translation.

Well, I've watched the first 20 episodes of "LOST" now and am as much in the dark as when I first started watching it. But I must say that it is the best scripted, most intriguing and most wonderfully acted Sci-fi/Action/Drama that I've seen in many a day.

If anyone in the Japan area wants to do some chatting about this show, I'd love to share my thoughts with you on the show. I do NOT want to chat with anyone outside of Japan, because you are one or two seasons ahead of me and it's hard enough keeping the show a surprise when one reads headlines on the net. My biggest fear now is that AXN is going to put the first season into reruns soon which means I have to wait another 20 weeks for new episodes.

(They love to do that here. We're already 2-3 seasons behind in a show and they'll show it here weekly. Then instead of starting the second season, they'll repeat the first one. It gets really frustrating for a TV junkie to get his fix!)