I found this via Twitter. :3 Iron and Wine live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon performing a cover of New Order's Love Vigilantes!

I found this link via Neil Gaiman's blog. It's a collection of photos someone put together, inspired by reading Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. I haven't read it, but I love these photos! They're so haunting and beautiful. (Wait, that's the title of the blog entry. lol) So for those of us that like cemeteries, have a look!

http://www.jazjaz.net/2009/04/40-hauntingly-beautiful-photographs-taken-in-graveyards.html

Well, shit. Sorry for suddenly spamming everyone's f-list! I just signed up on blip.fm and linked it to my lj and twitter and last.fm. I didn't realize that it was going to auto-post everything I blipped everywhere! :X Even my responses to other "DJs" I'm following, which hopefully explains the out-of-contextness of the last post. Yeah, I'll be turning off that feature now. >_<;;;

@sakotakanonosue The Sinister Ducks were writer Alan Moore (vocals), David J (of Bauhaus and Love & Rockets), and Alex Green on sax.

To go along with the Sinister Ducks, David J's version of V's song from Alan Moore's V for Vendetta.

Dirty, guilty pleasure. :p

I've had the urge to listen to this song all day! I first saw the video one day when I was about 13yo, when the song first came out. ♥

Mwahahaha! You just had to know I would blip this first. *quack quack*

Listen to my station on Blip.fm!

WHOA ROCK! I lurve the intro guitar to Makka na yoru. Such a sharp contrast to HEAVEN. Sakurai's singing is loud and wild. I'd like to see this performed live. It falls somewhere between MLOD and Six/Nine in spectrum. Dunno if it'll become a favorite, but they're showing off their range again.

"memento mori" I was just waiting for them to use this as a title for something. XD But wait, Imai wrote the music AND lyrics to the song?! It's a title I would have expected from Sakurai. Cool! I hope it surprises me like Nocturne -rain song-, another one I thought was by Sakurai but is really by Imai. *Please be perfect like Nocturne rain song, please!* And Jonathan Jet-Coaster sounds like the name of a LUCY song...except Sakurai wrote the lyrics?! And 勝手にしやがれ is a Sakurai/Hoshino song?! What is the world coming to? XD I'm excited!!


OH! OH! Yesterday, I had the BEST dream ever. I dreamt that I was hanging out with Joy Division after they had been practicing inside this empty theatre. I've never dreamed about them before. I've had BT dreams. I vaguely recall a dream in which I and some other people followed Robert Smith down Melrose Ave. at night. I once had a dream in which I chased Daniel Ash through a mall and he went into hiding in an FAO Schwartz. lol Anyway, this dream started out as something else. I was with my family in a parking lot and we were watching all these tornadoes and then it started to snow. I don't remember how it segued into the Joy Division part but it did. All I really remember is that I left the band in the theatre part and went running down a hallway to catch Tony Wilson before he left. Tony Wilson?! He was really nice! XD I fumbled with an all white autograph book that was empty and he signed it. Later I discovered all these other random notes and doodles that he left in the book. I raced back to the theatre and got each member of the band to sign it too. Except every time I thought I found a blank page, I looked again and found Tony Wilson had doodled on it already. ^^;; I managed to get their signatures, but the atmosphere (pun not intended) wasn't that of awed-fan-meets-legendary-band. It was more like we were just hanging out. And that was it really.

The night before that, I had a dream in which my sister got into a fight with Jason Priestley. o_O;

Like a good fan, I've been watching the PV for Buck-Tick's new single, Heaven, repeatedly since yesterday. On first listen, I thought it was just 'meh'. But it's grown on me. I like it now. You can easily find it on youtube, but I thought I'd share the nico nico douga one with a fan's "soramimi" lyrics included. Now we can sing along! (even if they're probably wrong.) I think it's "kokkyou DAKI-au angel" not "naki-au", but whatever. What do I know? Pretty lyrics. Lots of flowers. Sakura and carnations. And Sakurai's David Blaine stunt. XD

【ニコニコ動画】BUCK-TICK HEAVEN Full Ver

sono me ha CRAZY LOVELY BLUE BLUE SKY...

There was a film called Repulsion on the FEARNET channel that seemed interesting based on the description: Left alone when her sister goes on vacation, a sexually repressed young beauty goes insane with surreal fantasies of seduction and rape. Lovely! :D

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059646/

It's from 1965 so I wasn't in a hurry to watch it. But its availability was ending, and it's directed by Roman Polanski and stars Catherine Deneuve, so I thought it would be worth a try. I was not disappointed! What a good movie. The tension that builds up in the film is exquisite. It's so subtle and Deneuve is so pitch perfect in her role. It's full of overlapping symbolism and imagery that you have to piece together to figure out what's going on. It's a thinking person's film. It doesn't spoon feed you anything. It's surreal but isn't so "artsy" as to be incomprehensible. You have to think and pay attention but the meanings aren't so out there that it's too difficult to grasp what the film is trying to say. It's the kind of film that you need to see more than once. After watching, I started it over and fast-forwarded through, trying to figure out the symbols and vaguer parts. It's been awhile since I've seen a film that was so simple yet so effective.

Catherine Deneuve is so young here. Actually, I thought she looked just like Gwyneth Paltrow. lol Her character is repulsed by men, all of whom are attracted to her timid, innocent beauty. It's a study in anxiety and paranoia, a subtle breakdown of one woman's sanity. She's sexually repressed, afraid of sexuality, her own and that of others. It contrasts with the fact that this is the time of the sexual revolution. The ending doesn't "tell" you what's wrong with her or why she is the way she is; it hints at it. The answer seems pretty clear to me, but really you could interpret anything. All this is also subtly juxtaposed with the notion of the secret lives of your neighbors (which Polanski apparently revisits in The Tenant) and the voyeurism of society. Images aren't the only important element, though. Sound is employed sparsely and effectively. There are long parts where there is no dialogue, but everyday sounds can be menacing. I LOVE the arms in the walls! So freaky! So erotic. It reminds me of the arm "fixtures" in the Beast's castle in Jean Cocteau's La Belle et La Bête. Except horny. :x

I really want to write all my thoughts, random analysis and theories, but I don't want to give anything away or influence your interpretation should you choose to watch this film. If you've seen it or choose to watch it, let's discuss! :D

I've never completely read all of "The Hobbit". Rather, it was read to me by Mrs. Palombo in the 4th grade. We also watched the animated movie. It had a big impact on my childhood imagination. So needless to say I'm crazy excited that Guillermo Del Toro is directing the movie version. If you didn't know, yes, they're making it into a movie, two actually. Peter Jackson is the executive producer, so these "prequels" will be heavily tied to Jackson's Middle-earth, attempting to use many of the same actors. I just hope that it'll still bear Del Toro's stamp, since I love his style. The scene he considers the most beautiful in the book, the "Riddles in the Dark" chapter, is also my favorite. It's been so long, though. I've forgotten much of the story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit_films

I'm also super excited about the upcoming Terry Gilliam movie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Imaginarium_of_Dr._Parnassus

I kind of wish Del Toro and Gilliam were each directing one of the films for the two last Harry Potter books, but I guess they're letting David Yates continue to do the rest. He's good, but there are so many HP books, I'd prefer to see that world interpreted by different directors like before. Oh geez, Deathly Hallows will be in two parts. The cash cow is ending; let's extend it for as long as we can! ^^;; Actually, the last probably should be in two parts since it's so dense.

( fill in the blank-punk )

So far, the 21st century sucks. It feels like the whole world has gone mad. News of the financial markets are so depressing. We've got "war on terror" in Afghanistan, a war in Iraq, the usual conflicts that ail Israel, precarious relations with Iran, crazy North Korea, genocide and civil war in the Sudan (Darfur!), and while everyone is distracted, freaking out about falling markets all over the world and sparking civil unrest, Putin will invade Georgia leading to a new Cold War, and all together it'll blow up into World War III!!! Before which, the dollar will become as worthless as a Weimar Deutch Mark and we'll be taken over by fascists led by Sarah Palin?!


...nah.


Maybe I should lay off a bit on the news, and documentaries on HBO, and...sugar. Think happy thoughts, vanessa.

Okay. I'm freaking out here. Someone may have mentioned this already, but I don't read lj regularly so I'm sorry. But I was trying to fix some MP3 tags (instead of doing my Japanese homework) and found myself over at niwlun.net. Didn't it disappear before? Or am I confused? Anyway, it seems it's up (again) as just a post-Guniw members' info page of some sort. It even links to ASAKI's site! (So are they talking to each other?????) The official page for Full's solo work is located at finchliqueur.net now. Back in the day, Full wasn't too keen on people ripping the videos and sharing them on the net, but these days I think he realizes the promotional power and has even posted 4 youtube videos, including 3 that falleninsanity uploaded.

Anyway, there's a message there in japanese and broken english. The english I think is a very confusing translation that implies more than is meant, making you think a reformation has been decided(!). BUT, if you read the japanese, it actually says that nothing has been decided in detail, but IF an opportunity comes up and IF they decide to start activity again, the details will be announce via both fan clubs (Full's and Asaki's) and then most likely posted to niwlun.net!

KYAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

If they have a show, I'm there. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I was at their very last one and I will be at the very first one upon their reunion (if it happens). MIDORI! Keep an eye out! You're buying me tickets if it happens. lol I think you need to interrogate Kuma! Too bad I haven't been a member of finch liqueur for years. Mostly I hope it leads to new music. I don't want to get my hopes up, but just the mention of 'saikatsudou' has me all excited. I've only been waiting 8 years! :p

I know this has nothing to do with you guys, but could you take a look at this petition and maybe even sign it?? :D I'd reallllly appreciate it. You see, there are going to be massive budget cuts coming that somehow worked out to disproportionately affect the department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. The Korean department might get wiped out! But I wanted to take Korean. T-T UC Berkeley is the top public university in the country and I'd hate to think what this means for the school and as a precedent to public education at large. :/ But I guess this isn't anything new. BUT IT AFFECTS ME SO SIGN IT! :D No really, I can't take the other half of 5th year Japanese next semester because it won't be there. How am I supposed to graduate, damn it?! God knows what else will get cut. UCB used to be quite progressive in this field. Now what's going to happen? Its reputation will come to naught. They just opened a shiny new East Asian Library in March. Who the hell is going to use it now? (Although, I love it. It's the coolest library on campus.) My friends in 5th yr were joking today about how Standford (our main rival) doesn't have stupid problems like these. Public school sucks. T_T I'm surprised at how angry I feel. *sigh* Finals are coming and I'm totally slacking! I have to take my stress out on someone. Let it be the administration. Yeah! :DDDD

Doumo Arigato.

http://petition.berkeley.edu/

On the site, click "open petition" if you want to sign.

So...I've been hiding. My Japanese teacher says it's Spring and I'm not allowed to be depressed but I can't help it. ^^;; Well, the sakura trees are all in bloom around campus and it's lovely. But I just feel so blah. At least the new building for the East Asian Library is open now. I've been looking forward to it; the old one was one of my favorite places to study. It's really nice inside. Inviting and zen austere at the same time. I want to live inside it. I checked out a book for a project and it turns out the book plate inside says that it used to belong to Endo Shusaku! The writer! One of these days I'll try to go down to the very bottom floor where they're hiding all the ancient books.


Anyway, I've been hiding and avoiding the world only to discover by accident that Bauhaus released a new album. o_o; I knew they were talking about it but I didn't know it already happened. It came out last month and it's called Go Away White. I wonder if it's any good. I probably won't like it at first and love it later. But I have faith in the Boys! I mean that's my history with the band, and most bands I truly, deeply love. Something will initially draw me in. I have a hard time digesting all of it. Then one day it's the greatest thing ever. I mean I know it's cheesy to say so, but I'll always love Bela. It's so simple and brilliant. From the new album, I've only heard The Dog's A Vapor (from the Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack) and a poor mp3 of Endless Summer of The Damned performed live. The former is just okay until about 4:11 when Danny's guitar starts wailing exquisitely. I love that part. The latter I quite like. It could fit on say...Burning from the Inside. But I need to hear the clean studio version first to really get a feel for it.

http://www.bauhausmusik.com/

Gah! It's their "Final" album. Sure, sure. ehehe And they recorded it in Ojai. As in California? Ojai where all the New Age weirdos live? Figures. :p It amuses me to see their most recent photos. Danny looks like Bono. haha OMG, they're selling Bauhaus underwear. *dies* Well, now I want a pair. It can go with my Sakurai underwear. *dies some more* But maybe not for $12.

Hrm...just listened to Black Stone Heart and Saved over at their Myspace site. http://www.myspace.com/officialbauhaus I like 'em. Although, Saved sounds more Peter Murphy solo to me than Bauhaus. The first 10 seconds or so of Black Stone Heart remind me of the Jesus and Mary Chain, with a tinge of Love and Rockets through the rest of the song. Yet it makes sense as Bauhaus. Mature Bauhaus but still Bauhaus. Now I'm excited to hear the rest of it. I guess I'm going to the record store today. You know, hearing the older songs on myspace right after the new ones, I notice one difference is that the volume of Peter's voice is louder in the new songs. I think it blends better in the older songs. So much for modern production.

I have new books.

I got a Facebook. Yes, I caved and joined. But I still refuse to join myspace! windbourne is right. Facebook is silly fun. I can't stop adding stupid apps to my profile and filling them in. I gave up adding books, videogames, and albums to their respective "shelf" and "racks". I don't even remember half of what I own. Granted, I'm only adding things I legitimately purchased. No mp3s or copies made by friends. I just spent the last hour answering a music quiz about music I largely don't care about. ^^;; It's a fun way to keep in touch with people though. Jessica found me today and added me! I haven't seen her since she left Japan. Anyway, if you have a Facebook account, add me! ^_^

I also got a new Macbook - white with 2.2Ghz processor. I love my HP laptop and I only had it for a year and a half. But yesterday it just died! Conveniently after its 1 year warranty. T_T I don't know what happened. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it. No signs beforehand. I shut it down in the morning and decided to bring it to school because I had a 3 hour break between 2 classes. Maybe it got shaken around one too many times. I'm going to try to get it fixed if it doesn't cost a fortune. But 3/4ths of my classes rely heavily on the internet. Readings and assignments are posted online. Homework gets submitted by email. Needless to say, I freaked out. My mom told me to get a new one since I need it and suggested Mac because my sister has had the same one for years without trouble. Fortunately, I was able to get a $100 educational discount on it.

The HP was 17" and awesome for watching movies and shows on, but not exactly great for carrying around. It's pretty heavy. I bought it to be a desktop replacement. My new Macbook is only 13" and fairly light, so I can bring it to school without killing my back. I miss the huge screen of the HP, though. I've used Macs before but not regularly so I'm still getting used to how OS X Leopard works. One thing that I really miss is right-click! I also wish there was a 10-key pad on the side, but I suppose it doesn't fit on such a small laptop. This is otherwise pretty intuitive. There are definitely pros and cons for both Windows and Apple OS X. And, fortunately, the printer I had *just* bought works with either platform. That would have sucked if it didn't. There wasn't a port on the HP for my old printer that I've had for 10 years, so I had to buy a new one. I didn't expect to have to buy a new computer, too, not for years yet. -_-;; I should learn to build my own like hkoneko. What's really annoying is that I had to buy MS Office (cheaper student version) again, when I just paid to activate the one on the HP this past year!

*sigh* I can't spend any more money for the rest of...my life.

On the plus side, Firefox works on Macs, too! XD So I've been modifying it to my usual preferences. Although, I should give Safari more of a chance. If there are any Mac users out there, maybe you can give me some tips or suggestions.

goddamn it! I didn't realize today was the last day to register to vote for next month's primary here in CA (15 days before the next election). I just moved so I need to reregister. I've only been here a little over a week. I was sort of counting on someone with a clipboard rounding up registrations on campus to approach me today, the first day of classes. But if I had known today was the last day, I would have just gone to the post office. Oh well. The year is young and there are still more elections to come, including the big one in November. So who do you want to be the next US president? (Is this a loaded question?)


Anyway, yeah, first day back at UCB after a very loooooong time for me. Today, I had Japanese 159: Contemporary Japanese Literature, focusing on Oe Kenzaburo this term. The class readings will be both in Japanese and English and promises to be a hard class. And also extremely depressing and dark, according to the professor. Half my brain is shouting, YAY! dark and depressing! And the other half is flashing danger signs. But NO, I will not get depressed. I refuse! >.< If I had been here last semester and had taken J155: Modern J-Lit, I would have gotten to study nothing but Mishima! Nuts! Oh well.

My other class today was J 180: Ghosts and the Modern Literary Imagination, as it pertains to Japan of course. This could potentially be one of the coolest classes I ever take. haha I love ghost stories like nobody's business. They've been among my favorite things to read since I first learned to read. So when I saw this class on the schedule, it was like the first thing I registered for. XD The reading list looks pretty awesome. Plays, like Yotsuya Kaidan (Yotsuya Ghost Story), essays about the fantastic, short stories etc. Aside from the course reader, our books are Japanese Gothic Tales by Izumi Kyoka, Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edogawa Ranpo (get it? Edgar Allan Poe?), and Masks by Enchi Fumiko. I've already read and written a paper on Masks but that's okay. I sometimes use the name "masugami" to register for things online. It comes from Masks. It's the name of a Noh mask that is usually used to represent a young, mad woman. ehehe. And the name literally means long hair, which I have. :) On top of all this, next week we're watching Ghost in the Shell and towards the end of the semester, Ringu and Ju-On! I also love horror movies. Somebody woke up one day and said, hey let's make a class just for vanessa! All that's missing is some darkly tinged music, preferably from the late 70s-80s. XD "Prof. O'Neill, there's this Japanese album called 13-kai ha..." Nah. ^^; I'm excited. Can you tell?

Tomorrow will be a fourth year Japanese language class that is either just right or might prove to be too easy, grammar-wise at least. We'll see. And East Asian Languages and Culture 105: Dynamics of Romantic Core Values in East Asian Premodern Literature and Contemporary Film. Same professor as the Oe class. Wow, a class that isn't just about Japan. Now we've got China and Korea. Woohoo! Incidentally, it looks like the book for Japan is, surprise, surprise, The Tale of Genji.

I love reading but...gah so much now. A sharp change from my no studying at all lifestyle back in Japan. ^^;; And in the end I'll probably become an accountant.