Owner: Getsumen URL:http://www.getsumen.com/ Join Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 03:32:23 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A celebration of Japanese animation and English literature, with a side of nonsense. Site statistics:Click here
Straight Outta The Galapagos 2007-06-19 01:52:57 Two hideous hyper-evolved turtle creatures from below the sea, or simple dopplegangers whose insecurities manifest themselves through socially abhorrent facial features? You decide.
More importantly, who thought they were doing the world a favor when they decided to stick these two guys in front of a camera?
Alan Colmes is on the left and William Fichtner on the right. Or was it the other way around… nevermind. Read more:Straight
, Galapagos
RabuKon 2007-06-15 23:10:48 I’ve been really into Lovely Complex lately, which, though some manner of witch-craftery, manages to make the comedy romance genre (shoujo no less!) palatable. The chemistry between Risa and Otani is both dynamic and endearing to the audience without drowning everything in clichés. It doesn’t rely upon dramatic overtures or the existential pining of the protagonist for his/her unrequited love any more than it does panty shots and extraordinary events that force the couple together. That isn’t to say that at times it doesn’t feel a little forced—because it does—but it strikes a comfortable balance. If you’re not familiar with the manga or the anime, a tall (170 cm) girl falls in love with a short boy (156 cm). Comedic drama ensues. The height issue doesn’t run the show and instead takes a background role, allowing it to stand on its own merits—a very difficult thing to do.
Some of the more recent shows like Crescent Love, Nagasarete Airantou, N
Adrift 2007-04-27 01:03:08 Adrift
Cloistered in an amphitheater
of mangroves,
in the open husk of
our boat,
adrift
within the dark
onyx of storm.
I sit cradled.
The stiff embrace
of an orange life jacket.
Regretting the white noise
of the rain,
the honeycomb maze
of the harbor,
the bodies of my brother
and my father
dragging the bow of the boat
by a rope
forever, towards
the solitary rise
of a concrete dock.
I spent some time thinking about some more significant or poignant events in my life, and one memory in particular struck me. Roughly 9 years ago, shortly after our family moved to Florida, we went on a boating trip in Port Charlotte Harbor. Our brother had come to visit us from California, and that was very exciting for me, as we were very close and and I didn’t get the chance to see him very often. So my mother, stepfather, brother and I went out to experience the sights and sounds of the Florida lifestyle. Unfortunately, we didn’t plan for the tremendous storm to move in and turn the trip in
Japanese Ongaku (that means Music!) 2007-03-20 23:24:54 If you’re interested at all in Japanese
music, or if your fancy has ever been given the ol’ “coochie-coo!” by any smooth beats on an anime soundtrack, you need to get your shit together and start pirating downloading music samples of your favorite artists. Your first stop should be the mainstream J-Rock/Pop/Jazz scene, and what better place than the Jpopmusic.com music forum, where an Orlando native has generously compiled over 3500 albums by some of the most popular contemporary artists to ever come out of Japan. You can find that thread here (UPDATE: The thread has been killed by demons). In the thread author is kind enough to provide snippets of most artists’ style or genre.
If you’re still unsure about what kind of music you enjoy, or wish to find artists similar to those who you already know and love, I suggest you create a last.fm account and start scrobbling immediately. To scrobble means to submit to the website the music that you listen to o Read more:Music
To Japan and Beyond! 2007-03-17 23:17:08 I’m thinking about going to Japan
for a year or two, either as a JET program member, which is run by the Japanese government, as an exchange student (which would mean I would be there for a couple months) or as an employee for some business as a translator (also government sponsored) which would require that I really apply myself to the Japanese language over the next couple semesters. As you can see the permutations are various, should I manage to claw away at enough scraps of independence and will power to hurtle myself halfway across the planet.
I’ve heard various things about the environment there. Someone told me that when he went people were cold and distant, often talking about him in their native tongue in front of his face, taking advantage of the fact that his Japanese language skills were nearly non-existent. He also made note of how he couldn’t manage to secure a high class Japanese whore. This I attribute more to his large girth than the distrustful cultural milieu o
What to Think Of 2007-03-05 00:48:02 This is a poem by Mark Strand, whose work I’ve been perusing the past couple weeks. I really enjoy the crisp imagery and how he manages to place the reader in an altered state, assuaging his or her sensibilities with striking scenes that evoke feelings that the reader may not always be readily aware of ever having. In this haunting poem the speaker whisks you away to a world completely foreign to your own–that is, unless you’ve recently seen Gibson’s Apocolypto. Still, the scenario is food for thought, and Strand brings that food to the reader on a silver platter.
What to Think Of
Think of the jungle,
The green steam rising.
It is yours.
You are the prince of Paraguay.
Your minions kneel
Deep in the shade of giant leaves
While you drive by
Benevolent as gold.
They kiss the air
That moments before
Swept over your skin,
And rise only after you’ve passed.
Think of yourself, almost a god,
Your hair on fire,
The bellows of your heart pumping.
Think of the bats
Once Every Other Week 2007-02-27 22:06:49 Once Every Other Week
They both stood on either side of the door.
The mother was furious, pointing at
His car that had one tire up on the curb.
She was screaming, her tiny arms worked hard
Beating his chest, and she went on and on
Telling him how horrible he is, how
She should have left him long before she did
How he wasn’t cut out to be a father.
“You’re drunk! What am I going to tell him?�?
Like through wax the early sun shone sparkling
Between his strands of graying hair, between
His arms holding an old cap bunched in his fists.
“I want to see my boy.�? His voice was low,
Resigned, and he straightened his tweed jacket
Tight over his shoulders, avoiding her eyes.
He shuffled back to his car on the curb
But the strong scent of pipe tobacco lingered
Only for a moment, but long enough.
To the child crying behind the corner
Who couldn’t understand it all, his dad
Was just like a stray dog starving for love.
Sorry there hasn’t been an update in a while, I was having s
Legume Lethargy 2007-02-15 15:20:08 I always knew I it would someday come to this. Some conspiracy has finally aligned to put the kibosh on me. And what is the agent of their destruction?
Peanut butter. Yes, the bench warmer of condiments will be my undoing. On the news today there was a story that there has been a salmonella outbreak stemming from our good friends at ConAgra Foods Inc., producers of the Peter Pan and Great Value brands of peanut butter.
They said that “lids of jars with a product code beginning ‘2111’ may be tainted”. Surely, this couldn’t be the number that engraves the lid of my peanut butter.
Wonderful. Does salmonella get worse if consumed the product it taints has expired? Time will tell! Only a week ago I dove eagerly into my corrupted nut-paste, spreading it upon my bread with gusto. Fortune is a legume, my friends.
Upon closer examination of the jar I found what should’ve been a dead giveaway of what was to come.
Next time I’ll be ready. If you don’t see me again soon it
Downloading Anime 2007-02-13 23:06:06 I know many of you out there are saying to yourselves, “Hey, Noah. You know I love watching anime, but how am I to go about watching episodes without spending hundreds of dollars for pot-luck DVD’s?”
Like a firm yet comfortable pair of boxer briefs I am here for you now, providing an anime acquisition tutorial. Buying an anime series online can be a serious hassle, especially if you’re a discerning connoisseur and wary of dubbed voice acting, which many feel can lead unto disaster an otherwise enjoyable show. Anyone who’s had the misfortune to hear Naruto or One Piece on Cartoon Network after following the anime as it came out of Japan can attest to this.
But your troubles don’t end there. Even subbed anime can be a serious impediment to its fruitful enjoyment. Here’s a subbed portion of Last Exile from a DVD I bought several years ago:
If they involved the bomb shouldn’t she be quizzing the bomb and not the engine? Yikes.
Engrish abounds when you unknowingl Read more:Downloading
, Anime
Introductory Icon Bonanza 2007-02-13 00:22:40
From left to right: Misaki Nakahara of N.H.K. ni Youkoso, Pam Beesley of The Office, Haruhi Suzumiya of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Van Fanel of Escaflowne.
These are a few of the icons I’ve spent some free time working on. They’re only a fun distraction so don’t expect to see too many throughout future updates. It is in my benevolent nature to grant requests so let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to immortalize through iconization.
Franz Kefka 2007-06-21 20:37:48 It’s been said that Final Fantasy VI’s Kefka Palazzo was created in the image of Kafka, due to the nihilistic nature and penchant for surreal absurdity that they share. If a mad government official trying to destroy the world in a clown suit atop a tower of garbage isn’t surreal or absurd than I don’t know is. Kafka’s magical realism in the manner of Marquez or Rushdie shines through in Kefka’s behavior. Even more interesting is Marxist though that arguably existed in Kafka’s work as expounded upon through Kefka’s often insubordinate behavior. Case #1, outside castle Figaro:
Kefka: “Phooey! Emperor Gestahl’s stupid orders!”
Kefka: “EDGAR, you pinhead! Why do you have to live in the middle of nowhere? These recon jobs are the pits!”
Kefka: “Ahem. . .There’s sand on my boots!”
Nothing but contempt! And Case #2, atop the floating continent:
Kefka: “Run! Run! Or you’ll be well done!
Death Notes 2007-06-20 23:55:41 Things are winding down to a close with only one episode left. In the immortal words of Haruhara Haruka, “It’s the climax!”
Though, I would’ve been completely satisfied if the series ended after episode 25. The Obata and Ooba team may have been riding along the coattails of a good thing in order to try and squeeze a few more miles out of it. We’re lucky they ended where they did, because I think we’d be seeing Yagami Raito in action for many more years to come if O team knew what kind of beast they would create. Two films are already out and there’s even a spin-off that’s currently in production.
If you’re jonesing to get your fix of Death Note media head over to deathgod.org. They have an amazing array of original full manga scantilation, downloads, trivia, etc. I used one of their scans to make a rockin’ shirt on cafepress.com:
But sadly, Viz Media issued a Cease and Desist to “Kuro-Hana”, the fansub group that Read more:Notes
Straight Outta The Galapagos 2007-06-19 01:52:57 Two hideous hyper-evolved turtle creatures from below the sea, or simple dopplegangers whose insecurities manifest themselves through socially abhorrent facial features? You decide.
More importantly, who thought they were doing the world a favor when they decided to stick these two guys in front of a camera?
Alan Colmes is on the left and William Fichtner on the right. Or was it the other way around… nevermind. Read more:Straight
, Galapagos
RabuKon 2007-06-15 23:10:48 I’ve been really into Lovely Complex lately, which, though some manner of witch-craftery, manages to make the comedy romance genre (shoujo no less!) palatable. The chemistry between Risa and Otani is both dynamic and endearing to the audience without drowning everything in clichés. It doesn’t rely upon dramatic overtures or the existential pining of the protagonist for his/her unrequited love any more than it does panty shots and extraordinary events that force the couple together. That isn’t to say that at times it doesn’t feel a little forced—because it does—but it strikes a comfortable balance. If you’re not familiar with the manga or the anime, a tall (170 cm) girl falls in love with a short boy (156 cm). Comedic drama ensues. The height issue doesn’t run the show and instead takes a background role, allowing it to stand on its own merits—a very difficult thing to do.
Some of the more recent shows like Crescent Love, Nagasarete Airantou, N
Adrift 2007-04-27 01:03:08 Adrift
Cloistered in an amphitheater
of mangroves,
in the open husk of
our boat,
adrift
within the dark
onyx of storm.
I sit cradled.
The stiff embrace
of an orange life jacket.
Regretting the white noise
of the rain,
the honeycomb maze
of the harbor,
the bodies of my brother
and my father
dragging the bow of the boat
by a rope
forever, towards
the solitary rise
of a concrete dock.
I spent some time thinking about some more significant or poignant events in my life, and one memory in particular struck me. Roughly 9 years ago, shortly after our family moved to Florida, we went on a boating trip in Port Charlotte Harbor. Our brother had come to visit us from California, and that was very exciting for me, as we were very close and and I didn’t get the chance to see him very often. So my mother, stepfather, brother and I went out to experience the sights and sounds of the Florida lifestyle. Unfortunately, we didn’t plan for the tremendous storm to move in and turn the trip in
Japanese Ongaku (that means Music!) 2007-03-20 23:24:54 If you’re interested at all in Japanese
music, or if your fancy has ever been given the ol’ “coochie-coo!” by any smooth beats on an anime soundtrack, you need to get your shit together and start pirating downloading music samples of your favorite artists. Your first stop should be the mainstream J-Rock/Pop/Jazz scene, and what better place than the Jpopmusic.com music forum, where an Orlando native has generously compiled over 3500 albums by some of the most popular contemporary artists to ever come out of Japan. You can find that thread here (UPDATE: The thread has been killed by demons). In the thread author is kind enough to provide snippets of most artists’ style or genre.
If you’re still unsure about what kind of music you enjoy, or wish to find artists similar to those who you already know and love, I suggest you create a last.fm account and start scrobbling immediately. To scrobble means to submit to the website the music that you listen to o Read more:Music
To Japan and Beyond! 2007-03-17 23:17:08 I’m thinking about going to Japan
for a year or two, either as a JET program member, which is run by the Japanese government, as an exchange student (which would mean I would be there for a couple months) or as an employee for some business as a translator (also government sponsored) which would require that I really apply myself to the Japanese language over the next couple semesters. As you can see the permutations are various, should I manage to claw away at enough scraps of independence and will power to hurtle myself halfway across the planet.
I’ve heard various things about the environment there. Someone told me that when he went people were cold and distant, often talking about him in their native tongue in front of his face, taking advantage of the fact that his Japanese language skills were nearly non-existent. He also made note of how he couldn’t manage to secure a high class Japanese whore. This I attribute more to his large girth than the distrustful cultural milieu o
What to Think Of 2007-03-05 00:48:02 This is a poem by Mark Strand, whose work I’ve been perusing the past couple weeks. I really enjoy the crisp imagery and how he manages to place the reader in an altered state, assuaging his or her sensibilities with striking scenes that evoke feelings that the reader may not always be readily aware of ever having. In this haunting poem the speaker whisks you away to a world completely foreign to your own–that is, unless you’ve recently seen Gibson’s Apocolypto. Still, the scenario is food for thought, and Strand brings that food to the reader on a silver platter.
What to Think Of
Think of the jungle,
The green steam rising.
It is yours.
You are the prince of Paraguay.
Your minions kneel
Deep in the shade of giant leaves
While you drive by
Benevolent as gold.
They kiss the air
That moments before
Swept over your skin,
And rise only after you’ve passed.
Think of yourself, almost a god,
Your hair on fire,
The bellows of your heart pumping.
Think of the bats
Once Every Other Week 2007-02-27 22:06:49 Once Every Other Week
They both stood on either side of the door.
The mother was furious, pointing at
His car that had one tire up on the curb.
She was screaming, her tiny arms worked hard
Beating his chest, and she went on and on
Telling him how horrible he is, how
She should have left him long before she did
How he wasn’t cut out to be a father.
“You’re drunk! What am I going to tell him?�?
Like through wax the early sun shone sparkling
Between his strands of graying hair, between
His arms holding an old cap bunched in his fists.
“I want to see my boy.�? His voice was low,
Resigned, and he straightened his tweed jacket
Tight over his shoulders, avoiding her eyes.
He shuffled back to his car on the curb
But the strong scent of pipe tobacco lingered
Only for a moment, but long enough.
To the child crying behind the corner
Who couldn’t understand it all, his dad
Was just like a stray dog starving for love.
Sorry there hasn’t been an update in a while, I was having s
Legume Lethargy 2007-02-15 15:20:08 I always knew I it would someday come to this. Some conspiracy has finally aligned to put the kibosh on me. And what is the agent of their destruction?
Peanut butter. Yes, the bench warmer of condiments will be my undoing. On the news today there was a story that there has been a salmonella outbreak stemming from our good friends at ConAgra Foods Inc., producers of the Peter Pan and Great Value brands of peanut butter.
They said that “lids of jars with a product code beginning ‘2111’ may be tainted”. Surely, this couldn’t be the number that engraves the lid of my peanut butter.
Wonderful. Does salmonella get worse if consumed the product it taints has expired? Time will tell! Only a week ago I dove eagerly into my corrupted nut-paste, spreading it upon my bread with gusto. Fortune is a legume, my friends.
Upon closer examination of the jar I found what should’ve been a dead giveaway of what was to come.
Next time I’ll be ready. If you don’t see me again soon it
Dennou Coil 2007-06-24 16:57:44 Released May 12th, 2007, Dennou Coil is a visually stunning Science Fiction/Adventure anime from Mitsuo Iso. Iso had a hand in key animation for some of the anime greats known for their nouveau treatments of art like FLCL, Evangelion, and Ghost in the Shell (the movie).
Working with Iso is Hiroshi Gouroku, fresh from working on Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo’s (winner of the best animated film award at Catalonia and Sitges) background art. Together they’re able to created a detailed world that doesn’t rely on eye-popping colors and recycled graphics reminiscent of bargain anime like Inuyasha.
Here’s a plot summary from animenewsnetwork.com: “Eleven years after the introduction of internet-connected, augmented reality eyeglasses and visors, Yūko Okonogi moves with her family to Daikoku City, the technological center of the emerging half-virtual world. Yūko joins her grandmother’s ‘investigation agency’ comprised of children equipped with virtual
Nexuiz 2007-06-28 00:46:12 My roommate, a loyal Linux devotee, told me about Nexuiz
a couple weeks ago. Since then I’ve spent many an hour freely fragging people from all corners of the world.
Nexuiz is a completely open source project that’s been in development for over 5 years, and live for the past 2. It aims to return to the heart and soul of deathmatch fps with honed weapon balance and fast paced action reminiscent of Quake. But that’s not all! It also offers the ever popular CTF venue. And by popular, I mean frequented by a dozen people out the 50 that are ever online at any given time. Alas, it is unfortunate that there are only a handful of people that play Nexuiz regularly–surprising considering its availability and the number of servers that are online and ready to be filled with trigger-happy patrons.
There are advantages to low numbers. The people that are around and playing have been there for a while, so the community is fairly tight-knit and mature. If you’ve been pl
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