The Hurt Locker

I took a song by Gackt called Returner - Yami no Shuuen to create this music video about the movie 'The Hurt Locker'. Enjoy it until You Tube pulls it but as for the movie goes, it was pretty good but not exactly like the real thing over there. Definably a Hollywood feel to it. I would not be surprised to see a Broadway version of this movie. 

Gaiking

When my wife heard that her favorite show from the early 70's was going to be made into a movie, she was upset beyond words while complaining that Hollywood was destroying everything from Japan. Especially since early this morning when it was reported that Hollywood was going to make another Godzilla movie. But after watching the You Tube video has her more calmed down now. Hopefully Hollywood learned its lesson from Dragon ball Evolution disaster.

My brothers birthday

Never let a good time drift away. A long time ago and a few decades at that, all was right with the Universe. At least from the point of view of a kid living in the days before cable TV, home computers and video games. It was a time where playing outside didn’t require batteries. But most importantly it was the food.

One such event happened during my brothers’ birthday. Or for that matter anyone in my family’s birthday but my brothers was the most remember able. My grandfather worked at the rock quarry near Topsail Island, North Carolina. After he retired he moved back to his family home and started a small 5+ acre farm as well as raising a few dozen pigs for special occasions. And family birthdays are the best occasions for a pig picking.

My brothers’ birthday was coming up and everyone was getting items ready for the party, which looked more like a family reunion. Aunts and Uncles with cousins living miles away were coming to my Grandparents home to celebrate my brothers’ birthday. With the best part being to getting the pig ready for cooking which I won’t go into too much detail but maybe later. But it was one of the few times that waking up at 4 AM and starting a fire to get the cooker ready to cook the pig and to welcome the morning with breakfast made by grandma was the best part ever.

Biscuits made from scratch, country ham that’s not store bought, eggs from the chickens living in the chicken coop, cheese that came from a cheese wheel not squirted out of a tube, bacon that you had to slice yourself, not the prepackaged kind, sausage links that were made from the last pig. Buttered toast or biscuits with cheese in the center and a plate of thick pancakes covered with maple syrup. The kids even got a chance to drink coffee but only after we loaded it down with sugar to kill the taste.

As the pig is cooking, the men will stay outside and basically talk about anything while the women stayed inside preparing all the other food dishes. All the kids couldn’t go inside so we basically played. By evening time more relatives would show up with more food dishes and desserts. The favorite dessert of all the kids is Mississippi Mud Pie. As the time for the party to get started we would say prayer and everyone begins to eat and catch up on how everyone is doing along with all the gossip stories. But on my brothers’ birthday it was a little bit different.

As we got closer to start eating, my brother was no were to be found. It was getting later and later so we went ahead and started the party. About 2 hours later my brother called. He wasn’t going to make it to the party. The reason being is that as soon as he finished working he went straight to the beach to do some weekend fishing.

Normally some people might be upset over this but with my brother its to be expected. As a teenager he would spend every Friday and Saturday night doing night time fishing on the Surf City fishing pier. He once spent 3 hours pulling in a Marlin. After he carried it to the taxidermist he went back fishing. So years later as nearly the entire family was celebrating my big brothers birthday, he was 3 hours away on a fishing pier having the time of his life.

Wifes April drawing

Worlds Dumbest

I recently started watching a show on truTV. Channel 204 on Dish Network. The show is hosted be a few writers, comedians and former entertainment celebrities. At first I would watch a few minutes of this show but now I just sit back and feel a lot better about myself knowing I made a lot of good choices in my life and grateful that the most stupidest things I had ever done were not recorded.

Shaving Cream

Substance similar to Viagra but primarily used on facial hair. Keeps it long and stiff before circumcision or castration.

Spring Time

As winter begins to leave and nature starts decorating, a more equal if not enjoyable effect takes place. From looking like a native of Antarctica to a member of the Brazilian Mardi Gras parade. The shedding of clothes of biblical proportions leading viewers asking for forgiveness from ones religion. Most importantly a time to purchase new sunglasses. For what is not seen will not hurt you. Unless you forgets to move your eyes and not your head.

'Boondock Saints' 1st and 2nd movie

I usually do not like a movie with too much cursing and a lot of overly done shooting scenes but this movie is the exception. Imagine two men, similar to Joan of Ark, receiving a message from God to kill all the bad people of the world. Mainly the Mafia. Both movies are loaded with a lot of comedy scenes as the brothers sometimes do get on each others nerves plus the police detectives who try to track them down and at the same time, support them. And a large assortment of supporter ranging from bartenders to the Vatican church who helps the brothers on their mission

So if you like lots of cursing, people getting shot, dark comedy then this is the movie for you. If not then watch it anyway. You'll thank me later.

Fullmetal Alchemist news

As my wife is a huge Fullmetal Alchemist and will stay awake every Sunday morning till 3 AM to watch the show broadcast from Japan through the internet. She will even buy the GANGAN comic book, which is bigger than the standard phone book as well as read the English translations of the manga through the internet.

She just found out that Scar and the Führer Bradley have a big showdown to which Führer Bradley eventually dies. My wife found this out from a blogger she chats with in Japan who obtained an advance copy of the Monthly Shōnen Gangan.

Newborn Kittens

One of our cats had her litter on the 9th. Three little kittens were born under a storage of old kid toys and assorted items. When we finally found them we moved the entire family to a more better place. And for now we have three generations living with us now.

Ashita no Joe Film with Tomohisa Yamashita Set for 2011

The Sankei Sports newspaper has confirmed that the live-action film adaptation of Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba's classic boxing manga Ashita no Joe will open early next year. 24-year-old Tomohisa Yamashita (Ikebukuro West Gate Park, Kurosagi) of the idol group NEWS will star as an orphan named Joe Yabuki who rises from the Tokyo slums under the tutelage of a former boxer. Yamashita is undergoing training for the physical rigors of the role.

Teruyuki Kagawa (20th Century Boys, Tsurugidake Tennoki, Gedo Senki) will play Danpei Tange, the former boxer who tutors Joe. Kagawa is a well-known boxing "otaku" who even writes his own column in Baseball Magazine company's monthly Boxing Magazine and provides commentary of WOWOW's live televised boxing matches. Joe's opponent Rikiishi and other characters are still being casted. The Japanese television station TBS denied published reports that Keiko Kitagawa (live-action Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Romance of Darkness, Hitsudan Hostess) is also starring in the film; Kitagawa co-starred with Yamashita in the live-action television series Buzzer Beat.Fumihiko Sori (Ping Pong, Vexille - 2077 Isolation of Japan, To) is directing.
Takamori and Chiba's original 1968-1973 manga is among the most critically acclaimed stories in Japanese popular culture, and Osamu Dezaki's television series added to the story's iconic status. It would later influence two generations of sports and shōnen manga, including Hajime no Ippo (Fighting Spirit). A crucial twist in the Ashita no Joe television anime's plot made headlines in Japan as people marked the occasion with public ceremonies.

Happy Flight

This is one of the most funniest movies I have ever watched. At times I had to stop the move to calm down from laughing so much. The movie has a simple story line with no real plot. Just an ordinary day about life at the airport. It has the kind of ordinary humor that happens everyday unlike many comedies today where the scene is set up or staged for a pratfall.

The movie is in Japanese but subtitles are available. This is a kind of movie that all hard working people can relate too and see a certain character in this movie as themselves being played out. A very realistic natural comedy.

College Basketball in North Carolina

Every country, for that part each area of a country, has its own sports attraction. As one travels to what is called ‘The South’ will encounter a decoration of Colleges and Universities attire on one’s personnel vehicle, homes, mailbox and on any given Saturday even exposed body area’s up to and including their pets as well. In one area of North Carolina lie 3 such Universities within a few miles of each other. Called the Triangle these lines connect N.C. State University in Raleigh, Duke University in Durham and University of NC in Chapel Hill.

Whenever any of these three teams play against each other has over the years become a local holiday where nearly all radio’s, TV and cell phones are tuned into the game. Bets are wages and rivalries going decades back are brought out with stories of classic game plays are retold 1,000 times over. It matters not what the teams overall standings are. Their ranking, wins/loses or even who is on the team means very little when two of these three teams face each other. Even when Michael Jordon played for UNC he had to play extra hard against Duke and N.C. State.

Many years ago I use to work for a grocery store in Zebulon. And every weekend the manager would setup the radio to broadcast the game over the intercom system. It was a service to all the employees, the customers and the perfect sells gimmick for during those games, that grocery store were full of customers shopping away while enjoying the play by play call of the game. It was truly busy during the half time part of the game as customers quickly paid for their items so they could return home to see the rest of the game while those watching the game ran to the store to stock up on more food and drinks.

A look at what was important to the people was broadcast on the radio sometimes in the early 80’s. The announcer said that the three most important thinks for a person and family are religion, college sports and NASCAR. People from other countries would scream for Soccer, Hockey, Sumo, Wrestling or even Horse Racing which is all important but for those living in ‘The South’ will follow college sports and NASCAR first before even looking towards other professional sports such as Baseball and Football. One of the best reasons is the beginning points of them.

With College sports you have young people who are playing for the love of the game. Sure they want to eventually play on a professional team but for now they are perfecting their skills and abilities. Getting use to playing in front of large crowds and being cheered and booed by fans and abstractors. They are still doing their school work to keep their grades up while using all their spare time to practice for upcoming games. No pay, no commercial endorsements and no free passes in the classroom. These players are donating what little free time they have to participate in an extra curricular activity. Even NASCAR started out as a poor mans sport to which the people who made it a sport cannot afford to attend anymore.

Look closely at professional sports players you see people playing for money and glory with little worry about breaking the law even showing respect. Years ago one player in California chocked his coach, many players continue taking questionable drugs, multiple affairs and illegal gambling with sports and animals. People who have forgotten where, how and whom helped their career to began. Unless it involves publicity stunt to either increase their popularity or to make people forget their mistakes.

Back around the mid 90’s I was in Hayward, California. I had a friend who was originally from the Northern part of England. One day a few of his friends who were mainly from other parts of England and Europe were together having a very energetic conversation. He saw me and asked me over to ask me what I thought was a rather strange question. He wanted to know how I thought about America defeating Germany three games in a row in Soccer. Without even thinking I made the statement ‘We have a Soccer team? High School or College?’ The next thing I experienced was one German man started speaking in German and it didn’t sound like he was too happy.

I was totally unaware that America had a professional soccer team. Needless to say I became aware that soccer games are not held every four years. I became more aware of other countries sports customs and to not only respect those traditions but to clearly see that those traditions in other counties, even different sports cultural areas inside America, mirror every other part of the world’s sports traditions. I saw a few Europeans cheering away for their favorite home team that day just as people here do for their home team. In a way, everyone in the world is more alike than we really realize.