Blog 234 > Heavy Metal to Babymetal

Konnichiwa, my Titanium Toyboxers, if you’re still out there! Can you believe it’s been nearly 2 and 1/2 years since my last post 233? And nearly 10 years since my first post 001? So what’s the momentous occasion? Babymetal! Of course, it’s very possible that many of you have already discovered their music years ago. But, as for myself, the inevitable event finally smashed into me on March 25th, less than 2 weeks ago, as I’m writing this on April 5th-6th. Luckily, I discovered them in time for the release of their headbanging second album, Metal Resistance, on April 1st. Nice! But wait, what if you’ve never heard of them before? Well, if Metallica represents the metal gods, then Babymetal’s Su-metal, Yuimetal, and Moametal represent the metal demons. Or maybe the metal fox (kitsune) spirits!

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Blog 212 > Clubbers, Sisters & Butlers

Konnichiwa! Guten Tag! Buenos dias! Hello, my Tumbling Toyboxers! What would you do if you were the opposite gender for a day? Oops, wait, wrong post, lol. Nevertheless, it’s that time again. Time for yet another weekly mega-cast attack upon your otaku soul! Assuming you know what an otaku is, lol. But why wouldn’t you know? If you’re here, your otakuspheric spirit will be subject to the pitiful plunge of Pandora, the daring departure of Disney Choo, the chaotic catapults of Clubber Dan, as well as the melancholic charisma of Kyou-chan, the graceful corruption of Ciel, and the shadowy seduction of Sebastian. Don’t know whom I’m speaking of? Well, don’t worry, you will. So let our broadcast assault your shame, slice open your pride, and repair your despair. Whatever that means, lol. Now on with the show…

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Blog 211 > Moe, Watchmen & You People

Hello-hello! Welcome back, folks, friends, and fellow Toyboxers! Are we there yet? Is it time for another weekly mega-odyssey into medieval mayhem? Of course, why else would we be here? This week, our mega-cast catapults us into the far-reaching heights of the blogging otakusphere, ricochets through the wildfiery depths of the watchful anti-hero underground, and crash-lands into a rowdy crowd of indie-film partiers. Yeah, just another normal week, lol. What else is new? So sit back, relax, crack open a can, and let our broadcast take control…

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Blog 182 > Year of Anime, Rock & Otaku

Ah, what a year it’s been! For my last mega-post of 2008, I tackle another mixed bag of “Rock Band” sessions, a year’s truckload of anime speed-reviews and faves, and a sparkly sprinkle of otaku thanks and wishes. So happy holidays and all the rest. Now on with the show…

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Blog 176 > All-Night Rock Band Party!

Ahh, time for yet another non-anime post, lol… This time, it’s about the increasingly popular and addictive Rock Band 2. While I’ve only played it at 2 different parties this year, it’s pretty damn amazing. For those unfamiliar, it’s hard to describe with mere words. It’s as if video gaming, playing instruments and karaoke are all magically fused with the power of rock-and-roll into an awesome team-playing experience. Nope, not something a lone otaku can duplicate in front of the computer screen, lol. But first things first, I’ll start at the beginning…

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Blog 167 > Code Geass & Dark Knight

Ah, Code Geass… Whatever anyone else says, it’s still undeniably “ambitious and wide-sweeping… still one of the most-intellectually engaging 5-star series” I’ve ever seen, ranking alongside other epic animes like “Death Note” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”. I finished the final episode last night, but since I’m too lazy to write any more thoughts on it, I’ll direct you to my past comments, lol.

Oops, sorry, I lied. I’ve got one more intriguing thought. While wandering Wikipedia, I stumbled upon a fascinating comparison. The Wiki article on Lelouch Lamperouge describes him as a Byronic Hero. In other words, as privileged yet outcast, perceptive yet flawed, cunning yet conflicted as another dark Byronic Hero ~~ Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman. Wow, never would’ve made the connection before. But yeah, they definitely share the same intense burdens of a secret identity, sacrificing personal happiness, and wielding their righteous power from the shadows. Lelouch Lamperouge’s Zero and Bruce Wayne’s Batman. Both symbols of dark justice in their respective worlds.

P.S. On a lighter note, thanx Miko for cheering me up, and for the awesome tracks! If anyone wants to listen to the Korean artist Nell, just click on the Box.net tracks which appear in the right-most column of my blog. Easy. Enjoy! >_<

Blog 101 > Shakira Versus Motoko

WOW, Shakira! First, let me say that during my workday breakfasts, I always keep the Spanish TV station turned on, since Spanish morning shows are always funnier, dancier, and never as serious as American morning shows. Much easier to wake up with a smile, lol. Well, today, the music video show of the hour played a newer Shakira video “Las de la Intuicion”. Usually, Shakira doesn’t turn my head, but I think this is the first time I thought “WOW!” seeing her. I don’t know why, but in her short black outfit and that bright blue-violet wig, she looked especially hot! If you remember my Blog 094 > Ghost in the Figure!, I think Motoko’s got some burning competition, hahaha!

Full Motoko Photoshoot (92) >>

Blog 097 > When It Rains, It Soars

Wow. I don’t usually rave over a musical artist. But in this case, I must make a startling exception for pianist-singer-songwriter Charlotte Martin. It’s barely two weeks since her song “Every Time It Rains” struck me on July 4th via the internet radio Pandora.com. Yet since then, I’ve been hooked by her heart-stopping resemblance to Tori Amos and to a lesser extent Kate Bush, whom she idolizes. Charlotte’s cover of Kate’s classic “Cloudbusting” is subdued yet piercingly refreshing. Tori yet not quite Tori. Kate yet not quite Kate. While some may deride her musical resemblance to her predecessors, Charlotte’s melodies and vocals are undeniably moving and clutching on a soul-stirring level that reaches their own. Fantastic! If you’re a fan of Tori or Kate and want to tread new paths that they themselves could’ve explored, then add Charlotte to your wish list. If you haven’t already.

Blog 093 > Fateful Circumstances Revisited

I don’t know if this has ever been done before — creating a video by setting a figure photoshoot to music — but in any case, here’s my first one. Ever since my original Blog 044 > Fateful Circumstances anime-figure photoshoot (47 shots taken in March 2007) featuring Yukino & Arima (from Kare Kano) and Saber (from Fate/Stay Night), I’ve had this intriguing idea in my head, of somehow composing a slideshow and setting it to music. After a preliminary 3-photo test, plus a few hours composing this one, I think the video actually turned out pretty well for an experiment! Enjoy the show!

Original Photoshoot >>
Original Full-Size Video > 856×480 WMV >>

Blog 081 > Opening Pandora’s Box

Hey, ever heard of Pandora.com?… Just a few weeks ago, I heard about it for the first time by overhearing a co-worker. Within minutes, I visited the site and tried out the online radio. And now, a few weeks later, I can’t go online without listening to my randomized “Quick Mix” of customized artist-based stations! In fact, the first tab in my Firefox 2 browser automatically opens to Pandora! If you search for “Linkin Park”, that station will configure artists along that genre, and songs which you can individually “approve” or “decline”. I think I’ve tried another online radio in the past, but I don’t remember it, lol. The thing is: It’s hard to believe that I hardly open my Winamp MP3 player anymore!… So for those sitting at a computer all day, who are open and willing to try out new music that fits one or many artist genres, without the clunkiness of transferring MP3 files, this may be a welcome addition to your musical day! P.S. If you’re interested, here’s the main page and here’s my profile.

Blog 046 > Backwards & Forwards

Backwards & Forwards [Saturday, March 31, 2007] Guess what? For the first time in years, I’ve thrown a bunch of 80s-90s CDs (Alice In Chains, Tori Amos’ Little Earthquakes, Billy Idol’s Cyberpunk, Def Leppard, Erasure, Garbage, Guns N Roses, Heart) into my ancient SONY 100-CD changer, and pumped up the volume on my stereo. Is it nostalgia for my rosier college days? A return to my 20s? Haha, who knows, but I just felt like it, lol. :)))

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post 349 ~ distractions and attractions…


“Operation: Mindcrime II” (2006)
post 349 ~ distractions and attractions…

  • tuesday, may 9 ~ finally bought the $50 divorce-forms kit for us to look over… only $400 more for convenient third-party preparation and court-related fees…
  • wednesday, may 10 ~ got confirmation that my 1800flowers.com order arrived at my mom’s house on the east coast… yep, early to get the 20% discount ;)))… then later that morning, while jen was asleep, her mom came over to pick up some stuff for the store, and when i asked her “how are you doing?”, she suddenly broke down in tears… sad to see a mom cry like that… but she has to keep a strong face for her daughter; can’t force someone to stay if she wants to leave…
  • friday, may 12 ~ this morning, called our bank to start the process of refinancing our home… cashing out jen’s share of the home equity, resulting in a near-doubled but manageable $1400/month payment… the transaction should close in about a month…
  • distractions! ~ otherwise, i’ve been distracting myself with TONS of DVDs and MP3s… including the anime “eureka seven” and “fate stay night”… the japanese sci-fi film “returner”… the gorgeous “memoirs of a geisha” (halfway thru the DVD)… PLUS music from the “fate stay night” anime OST, “ah! my goddess” anime OST, and “damo” TV OST…

    AS WELL AS the amazing return of QUEENSRYCHE’s “Operation: Mindcrime II”… i only downloaded it about 2 weeks ago, and i’ve already listened to it about a DOZEN TIMES!!!… consequently, i’ve re-listened to their original 1988 “Operation: Mindcrime”, as well as their “Operation: LIVEcrime” CD and DVD!!!… revolution!

  • attractions! ~ and pretty soon, i’ll be watching some pre-released episodes of “hellsing ultimate”, “eureka seven”, “blood+”, “trinity blood”, and “doctor who (2005)”… DAMN! lots to watch!

post 345 ~ more canadian and russian tastes…


“Tripping the Rift: Season 1” (2004)


“T.A.T.U.: Screaming for More” (2004)
post 345 ~ this week… more canadian and russian tastes…

  • this week ~ it’s a calm week so far… working, reviewing, editing the latest tech manual on my plate… tedious but i get to do it from home ;)))… chatting with and … watching episodes of “fate stay night” during the day… and episodes of “damo” during my nightly workout…
  • tripping the rift ~ lol, about this dvd… i stumbled upon this canadian series by chance last week, while visiting “best buy” to get some new CD/DVD sleeves… so after getting it via netflix yesterday, i must admit, definitely eye-poppingly “R” rated… just think of “southpark” and “futurama” smashed together into a 3D/CGI universe… even funnier is that the sexy cyborg character “six” is voiced by gina gershon! cool, huh? LOL ;)… i’m giving 4 of 5 stars b/c some of the blood-and-guts violence is a bit too much, but still something to check out! ;)))
  • t.A.T.u. ~ now, thanx to and her posted collection of musical tastes, i was reminded of the russian duo “tatu” ;)… yeah-yeah, i know i’m a few years late, but then again, i didn’t have limewire until this february… so i finally downloaded 15 of their tracks, haha!… and guess what?… as trance artists, i’m surprised i like ’em better than “kirsty hawkshaw” and “conjure one” and “sia”… yup, they’re actually good!… hence, i’ve added their dvd to my netflix queue, why not? ;)))
  • okay, back to work…