Ice Cream Poll Results

Ben & Jerry's Won :(

I can only surmise that Blue Bunny was not victorious because you have not experienced Blue Bunny. Blue Bunny tastes like what I imagine SNSD tastes like!

SNSD :)

You must try Blue Bunny!

Bunny Tracks!!!

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More Deg Shit to Deal With

NATALI:

thx syrup!

Interviews (boring), live photos (eh), and (if I read right) two tracks: a remix of "Amon" , and "Zan (Wizardry version)" (which is just the Lotus version of "Zan" but slightly,what, shorter?)...

Nice hair, Kaoru.

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X Japan Played Ten Whole Songs Last Night!

Demonoid:

Music : J-Pop : Lossless
X JAPAN
Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Thursday 28th June 2011

Recorded by HAD0KEN

SETLIST

New Intro S.E

Jade

Rusty Nail

Silent Jealousy

DRAIN

Kurenai

Born To Be Free

I.V.

X

Encore

ENDLESS RAIN

Art Of Life (2nd movement)

Notes: I've not seen a single audiance recording of this band since they started 20 years ago! I had been waiting a long LOOONG time to see X Japan and to be honest, I thought it would never happen. The show was absolutely superb. And it killed me to have to leave 5 minutes early to catch the last train! Last song is missing because of this. They took nearly 20 minute break before the encore which has got to be the longest I've ever noticed. Quality came out pretty good in my opinion. The AWFUL support band "Japanese Voyeurs" were also recorded but using my iPhone instead, so the quality ain't anywhere near as good as this. If people request that show, I'll upload, otherwise I'll just leave it. So I think that pretty much covers the evening, so therefore, I hope that you enjoy my recording of X Japan live in London :)

lol! 20 minutes is SHORT. They've done multiple half-hour breaks at the Tokyo Dome.

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Two Things That Have Been Kicking Around In My Head Lately

I forget where I read these.

"Startups are the new rock band."
Meaning there's no money in the music business anymore, you can be just as famous doing a tech project, coding can satisfy the creative impulse (and there's a definite artistry to a well-made app or platform), VCs investors are the new record deal, etc.

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference."
Meaning that if you want a girl to like you, you can't be all quiet an inactive for fear of messing up. You have to be bold. And even if you royally fuck up, the "hate" she'll feel is a strong emotion, like "love", so you can maybe transform one into the other. Whereas if you're boring, you're doomed to be boring forever. (And the regret of inaction is always worse than making a move and screwing it up. In fact, screwing up can actually be fun, when you're laughing about it in retrospect!)

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In Flames album cover art with the classic-era italic logo!

I love the Colony/Clayman era, so I applied the band logo from that era to their other albums last night. :)

Sounds of a Playground Fading (2011)

A Sense of Purpose (2008)

Come Clarity (2006)

Soundtrack to Your Escape (2004)

Reroute to Remain (2002)

The Jester Race 15th Anniversary Edition (2011)

The Jester Race (1996)

Subterranean (1995)

Lunar Strain (1994)

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The Supreme Court Has No Gamers

Duke SCOTUS!

ACLU:

The Supreme Court ended the 2010 term today, delivering the much-anticipated decision in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, a case that challenged California's ban of the sale of violent video games to minors.

In a 7-2 decision, the Court found the state's law violated the First Amendment. The Court called California's attempt to put video games in a new category not protected by the First Amendment "unpersuasive."

But they're not just free speech -- they require active participation. When you shoot someone in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, you don't think "oh the character I am playing got him!" You say "*I* got him!!!"

Anyone who has played a shooter understands that the dynamic is drastically different than watching a violent movie or reading a violent book. It's also reflected in our language. In reviews, tutorials, chats, it's always "You have many weapons to choose from" or "(You) Go to point B and shoot the guard" or "Don't teabag me!"

Combine this fact with shitty parenting, crap diets, medication, totalitarian school rules, and/or a mild sociopathic/psychotic temperament (so only about HALF the school-going population of the U.S.) and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Letting kids play violent games is gonna seem as nuts as letting them smoke or drink in 50 years, after there's more research and a few more massacres and society finally gets it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go play my 837th 841st hour of BFBC2 now...

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film review roundup - four to skip and one to see

True Grit (2010) - Classy, smart pacing, great characters with realistic motivations, but I hated the very end, and wish the film had stopped at the "happy" ending... Great dialogue, great delivery... "It astonishes me that Mr. LaBoeuf has been shot, trampled, and nearly bitten his tongue off, and yet not only does he continue to talk but he spills the banks of English." :)

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Never Let Me Go (2010) - I've never fast-forwarded through a film so fast. Boring as hell, and ridiculously plotted. (You can't even sell the body parts of ugly people, you think people will stand for chopping up Domino!?) :(

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Unknown (2010) - A boring "thriller" that compelled me to skip ahead in 30-second chunks almost non-stop. And so contrived on this ridiculous notion that two professional assassins would accidentally leave a mission-critical piece of luggage at the airport! Puh-lease! :(

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The Adjustment Bureau (2010) - Matt Damon's always good but this is his least interesting movie in years, possibly ever. The story doesn't hold water -- it's impossible to suspend one's disbelief this much -- I didn't buy it when I was little and The New Twilight Zone did a similar story with Blue-Man-Group, and I didn't buy it now. Not awful, but completely missable until that inevitable day when it's on TV on a rainy day and the remote is out of reach. :/

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Black Swan (2010) - I sat through this whole movie hating it, knowing it wouldn't be able to cash the checks it was writing. When I wasn't feeling bored, I was feeling manipulated. Never enjoyed an Aronofsky movie, and after wasting two hours with this overblown wad of cum in the eye, it's official: I'll never let him have my time or money again. :(

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Jimi Interviewed, In-Depth :)

JaME U.S.A.:

JIMI: "All of my former band mates have stories of seeing X or LUNA SEA on TV and hearing their parents tell them “please don't grow up to be like that.”"

thx evan!

It's loooong (did he type that all in one go!?) but detailed and interesting. Go check it out! Post your favorite sentence here!

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review: louie | s02e01 (2011)

I love Louis CK's stand-up, especially all the shit about raising kids. I've listened to his four specials three or four times each since finding him in 2009-ish.

I identify!

But as the premiere of season 2 of his show approached, I began to worry, because some of those episodes last year were SO UNCOMFORTABLE TO WATCH and the possibility of him going too far for the season opener seemed likely.

So it's with a smile that I can report that -- despite disliking the middle section (the sister was simply too unpleasant) and not enjoying the stand-up segments (which tend to be the main reason I watch) -- that the episode as a whole was... nice!

Life-affirming, even.

I'm so pleased his young daughters and future-niece/nephew didn't end up dead!

rating: :)

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review: dir en grey | "different sense" (2011)

dir en grey

different sense

2011

I'm sorry, but I can't take the flapping-in-the-breeze/tuned-down-to-drop-Z tunings and the elephants-on-trampolines riffs and worst of all Kyo's super-gutteral, mic-swallowing verse vocals, which I just realized is NOT him being silly but him being LIKE DIRELY SERIOUS.

"GRAWBROWUHHRR graaaaa~aa~aa~aah~h~h~h~h!" x1000

On the other hand, the chorus I like. Because, you know, there's ~notes~ strung together to form ~melodies~ and stuff.

The solo section is great too, the way the dual hammer-on-ing guitars ascend, dancing, like birds in a mating ritual.

"...I wonder what he thinks I think of his mustache..."

Then the horrible verse again, but it's over soon enough and we're into a nice "Kasumi"/"Drain Away"-ish pool of swirling harmony that escorts us to the end peacefully.

So it's mostly a cool song. Mostly...

Kyo's dog loves peanut butter.

"Tsumi to kisei" is an affront to fandom, a pile of putrid, rotting flesh sitting there.

"Red Soil (live)" is the fifth live version of the song I have (including DVD audio rips). It seems unnecessary and redundant and not very digfferent than the other versions they've released except that he yells "OSAKAAAA!" slightly more.

rating: :/

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X Japan's "Jade" pv... feels longer than it is

thx cliff!

Wow a PV of footage that felt old a year ago, and STILL isn't the official video, but is just promotional filler from the L.A. Showcase dvd(?)...

Go Yoshiki!

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Kyo Talks "Different Sense" (translated!)

I'm still not convinced this is real. The tentacle porn clips seem too easy, too unimaginative/uncreative... something they'd have done as teenagers, not now.

Dir en Facebook:

by Dir en grey Official on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 8:04am

We released 'DIFFERENT SENSE' today.

You know what saddens us.
There is no need for an explanation.
I'm grateful from the bottom of my heart to all our fans who see this and wait for our releases patiently.

Is Kyo referring to the leak in a subtle Japanese way? I'm always impressed by bands who embrace barbaric perversion and death and fighting the system, and then contort themselves into knots about the evils of filesharing. You can kill your parents and rape daughters on graves but don't take our new song!

I hope to see DIR EN GREY grow together with you from now on.

Human growth
There are many kinds
It's all very difficult…

I grew to be pretty tall and it wasn't difficult. I also grew fatter, which was EASY. In fact I'm doing it RIGHT NOW.

But there is nothing but good things at the end of the path of growth

Isn't DEATH the end of growth? Or... what's that word that sums up "weed-smoking dead-end-job'd college dropout living in mom & dad's basement"? That seems like the end of growth too.

Never be drowned in greed, just living as humans do
I hope to be able to grow with all of you.

Ahhhh haaaaa is he talking about Yoshiki here?

As the DIR EN GREY in our present
We, the band, went through a lot of hardship
Spending many years to put our all
Into 'DUM SPIRO SPERO' which will soon be released.

When did "many" become synonymous with "a couple"?

The cover art, the booklet
The design, everything is 'MOO'
Please look forward to it.
And if you gain something from 'DIFFERENT SENSE'
Then there is nothing more I can ask for.

Except ¥3,150 for the regular version or ¥12,600 (tax in) for the initial limited version.

To all of you who hold strong to your hearts.
Thank you very much.

(To all of you who don't hold strong in our hearts -- and don't buy every disc and merch item we sell and who actually question what we say and do instead of just slavishly drooling all over everything we do -- y'all can fuck off. :)

Kyo

thanks Cliff!

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BLOOD @ AUSA

Still sucking?

S-T.net:

"We talked about DJ SiSeN going to Anime USA, Kiwamu just announced that BLOOD will also be making an appearance at the con this fall! Don’t miss this chance to see the new era of BLOOD!

I saw Blood at a small NYC club in 2007(?)... and I recall them being atrocious. Even for a VK band. No chemistry, no style or presence, only a basic understanding of how to use their instruments, and zero ability to craft anything resembling a good song at all...

If they're someone's first exposure to VK, they'll probably also be the last.

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Where the Word "Meltdown" Comes From

The "Rather Nude Than Nuke" Campaign

did not realize how porny it looked

until it was far too late.

al jazeera:

"The fuels are now a molten blob at the bottom of the reactor," Gundersen added. "TEPCO announced they had a melt through. A melt down is when the fuel collapses to the bottom of the reactor, and a melt through means it has melted through some layers. That blob is incredibly radioactive, and now you have water on top of it. The water picks up enormous amounts of radiation, so you add more water and you are generating hundreds of thousands of tons of highly radioactive water."

Whoa whoa whoa WHOA: we call it a "meltdown" because this highly advanced, near-magical fuel ~melts~... ~down~!?!? Are cavemen in charge of naming this shit? Can't we get some fancy-ass Latin all up in here?!

...the exposed reactors and fuel cores are continuing to release microns of caesium, strontium, and plutonium isotopes. These are referred to as "hot particles".

"We are discovering hot particles everywhere in Japan, even in Tokyo," he said. "Scientists are finding these everywhere. Over the last 90 days these hot particles have continued to fall and are being deposited in high concentrations. A lot of people are picking these up in car engine air filters."

Radioactive air filters from cars in Fukushima prefecture and Tokyo are now common, and Gundersen says his sources are finding radioactive air filters in the greater Seattle area of the US as well.

Is that good news? (It's not in your lungs, it's in the filters.)

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Despairs Ray - Hizumi + Taka (who?) = LUV PARADE

The name "Despairs Ray" is one of the coolest in rock.

The name "Luv Parade" is not.

Zero's Blog (via TokyoHive):

2011-05-25 00:00:00

LUV PARADE

Starring decision LUV PARADE LIVE!!

Guitar / Karyu

Bass / ZERO

Drums / TSUKASA

Guest Vocal / TAKA ( Defspiral )

Goods produce / HIZUMI

thx cliff!

Is it too soon? Nope, it's right on time, striking while the iron is hot. (What's with the 5/25 posting date tho? Was this announced PRIOR to the official breakup?!)

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review: exist trace | "true" (2011)

exist trace

true

2011

This EP feels like a reinvigorated rebirth for the band after the phoned-in vacation that was their last couple releases.

Listen to "True": do you guys hear the low-hovering UFO from 1:50-2:05? Are you annoyed by the supposed-to-be-heavy-but-ain't breakdowns? Do you like the solo a lot? Is this track cool but a little to catering-to-the-masses for ya?

If you answered yes to all of the above, congratulations on your sharply honed sensibilities that exactly match my own!

I like the swagger of "Honnou"'s mani riff. And the Inoran-lite guitar in the chorus, simple little chime-ins that make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

"Tokoyami" smells a bit like one of Iron Maiden's latter-day filler tracks in the beginning, but mellows out substantially (whispered vocals, lightly tapped drums, a guitar pretending to violinate)... the bridge builds the tension, and the chorus is a bit like an undercooked pancake, failing to live up to expectations.




"Kiss in the Dark" is, groan, "jazzy". The same be-boppin' beat persists throughout the whole song. Sucks!

"Jiyuu" is interesting: it's VK-ish, but also, I dunno, '80s poppish? It feels like the most well-written track, and like the one that could stand up to the most re-listens, with a few different feels throughout the song (the 2:13-2:15 that precedes the two solos is my favorite snippet)... Tasty!

All in all a well-made record, but not guaranteed to dazzle. Great album cover artwork, tho, and a nice PV for introducing them to a larger fanbase!

rating: :/

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Nigero~!! (Run for your lives!)

にげろ (v) to escape; to run away

Though you wouldn't know it from this photo (he is too clever for that), Jack is often Tyrannosaurus-like! Especially as he enters the Terrible Two's next week... his badass tee offers excellent advice: run for your lives! I love this fuckin' shirt!

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A region was battered, not all of Japan.

Washington Post:

...The plane from Minneapolis to Tokyo was “packed,” Reiber said, “and I was thinking, ‘That’s great. People are coming to Japan.’ Then we arrived at Narita, and about 30 people got off the plane. The rest went on to Vietnam.”

Although the triple catastrophe of three months ago caused its most acute damage along Japan’s northeastern coast, it changed the image of the entire country, with millions across the globe following the news and concluding that one of the world’s safest nations was no longer so.

Much of this is founded on misperception: A region was battered, not all of Japan.

Kayo & I toyed with the idea of going this summer, thinking flights would be cheaper, but they aren't, and then she's reading all these reports of radiation in the food, and the foodsellers not reporting it, and it's kinda like, erm, maybe next year.

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'80s Book: The Book that '80s

AV Club:

For anyone who fondly recalls the decade’s seemingly innocuous pop culture, Back To Our Future makes for an engrossing, disillusioning read.

Sirota argues that our present-day attitudes on everything from race to foreign policy can be traced back to the Reagan era, and that the decade’s sports, movies, and television shows were particularly influential in fostering a worldview.

According to Sirota, Knight Rider and The Dukes Of Hazzard helped propel the idea of “benignly ineffectual government,” while Ghostbusters’ mercenaries presaged military contractors like Blackwater.

The book includes a lengthy exegesis of The A-Team’s opening voiceover.

They should have called this The "I have lots of useless '80s knowledge, perhaps I can massage it into something vaguely socio-political because that segment of the book-reading public still buys books" Book.

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Passiony Nachos

Jack and I watched a couple songs off Metallica's "Orgullo: Pasion y Nachos" live video, and god bless 'im, when they cut to a shot of a cute girl in the front row cheering, he went, "Ah! Girl!"

So I said, "Well yeah, it's not a Rush concert."

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Despairs Ray Is No More

Remember the good times! (2003)

despairsray.jp:

Notice of Dissolution of D'espairsRayD'espairsRay always gotten up rooting for, thank you.

Vocal: HIZUMI vocal cords in order to concentrate on treatment, 30 December 2010 BLITZ Yokohama after the concert, the band hiatuses 致Shimashita, a result of discussions among members about future activities, I decided to dissolve Womochimashite June 15, 2011, it became the end all activity.

Since its formation on September 9, 1999, I received support so far everyone, I received support and To everyone of the participants become to report such a sudden, I am sorry.
Everyone cheers and support from our members to everyone who ever hot, I will thank.

Thank you.

June 15, 2011D'espairsRay
HIZUMI Karyu ZERO TSUKASA

When they announced their hiatus last fall, I theorized that, "since they've really only ever played with each other, and become popular together, I have confidence that we'll be hearing good news, or even new music, by next Christmas." [link]

Whoops.

Though I've enjoyed them less and less over the last five years or so, I still liked that they were still around. I'll miss 'em!

Individual google-translated quotes from their official site:

Treatment for throat health during the indefinite hiatus, acupuncture, chiropractic, and that all treatment and qigong, throat during the current recovery is still unlikely now, a result of discussions with four led to the conclusion that if you attempt to disband willingly work place can not die a natural death anyway.
Please forgive the way I became disappointed people waiting for me to have a revival. Unfortunately, I live performed dissolution, if I want to give back in a different way to Ikere.
There are various meeting started this band can be sad too hard and having fun, I did not have one useless experience.
D'espairsRay 11 years, the people who love and thank you very much.
HIZUMI



D'espairsRay in my dreams I finished in the middle.
To everybody who believed in the resurrection waiting I really sorry to announce such a thing has become.
In a live situation can also be dissolved Please understand where things end without any feeling of bumping.
Everyone has been in creating D'espairsRay 事無Ku change in the future and its ties This is my pride.
A hole in my heart Able to fill that little by little To see you smile again I'm going to live with that.
D'espairsRay to all who love Thanks Thank you.
Karyu



Sorry surprise announcement.
Indefinite hiatus before hindsight FC vowed to revive the trip with everyone on the bus. Everyone vowed to reunite with a variety of interviews and the face. I still keep your promise, I'm really sorry guys. I think it is a member D'espairsRay, I call the agony of a positive decision I understand appreciated.
In the first stage to any indefinite hiatus from the state has not yet advanced. I get a dissolution of their live tour go on without so broke. What is a good thing or bad thing that it may have controversial results D'espairsRay live music to created by members all over the years and more than 10 years as The current situation is now what the best quality Between the judge and it is unable to deliver to all members last I decided to put an end in such a way that is frustrating.
Personally I'm doing that now in visions of the future of this point has not yet been drawn. I now turned to a little before, just look back a little bit Everyone thought the day and see your smile, I think to myself what can we do in the future.
The staff continue to support us everywhere hotter than usual at the end. Maniac who always believed that to love me best. Thank you very much so far.
ZERO



I hope you've lived a day until the day I believe that everyone back from their members are enthusiasts have announced indefinite hiatus.
But really I'm sorry, our answer to eventually become this way.
Everyone waited for me to resume work, really really sorry.
Been working together toward the same direction over a decade and that it is shuttering all enthusiasts alike also immense for us, I think it should run through the feelings into words. You see, I treasure my life.
As everyone knows, I am really sorry if you can not also take the form of a live situation just broke up the situation.
D'espairsRay is also the band split up, I'm sure the world is a cool band of mind and memory will live forever all the time.
I'm proud of D'espairsRay I have worked as a drummer, Proud of all enthusiasts, we now live. We will live positively.
You can party with everyone so far as members, and still continue to do so we will be able to celebrate a birthday or, what I'm going, do not worry.
I must be bad because of the dissolution of the relationship? The called me from. Jaarimasen not it?
Finally, my mania for all involved to date Dear all, Thank you very much so far.
TSUKASA

thx reitsu!

When Will Yoshiki Faint Next (poll)

I voted August, because he's smart enough not to try it twice in the same month!

Plus it's hotter.

Ungh!

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