Trivia that matter
We have the answer to one of the great puzzles in anime. Marc Hairston talked with Yoshitoshi ABe recently and asked what radio station the shopkeeper was listening to in the second episode of Haibane Renmei.
He said it was local and the antenna was inside the wall. Apparently the wall blocks any radio signals from outside Glie.
There’s also a possibility of the story continuing with an older Rakka, and ABe is working on a novel.
The “Touhou Project” is a family of shooting games. According to what I’ve read, they are mostly the work of one person, “ZUN,” who, as “Team Shanghai Alice,” writes the code, draws the art and composes the music. They are noteworthy for their complex bullet patterns and large casts of pretty girls. ((if you don’t mind cockeyed mouths)) I don’t have any particular interest in playing the games, but I was curious to note that the very active Touhou doujin community includes many musicians who record their own versions of ZUN’s music in various styles. Most I’ve sampled have been okay but nothing more; I forget them as soon as I’ve heard them. One album did catch my ear, though. It has the perfectly comprehensible title “Cubical Another Perspective Has Violated Systematically” and was recorded by something called “Cytokine.” Here’s a sample:
It’s no substitute for ELP, but what we have here is good, old-fashioned prog rock.
*****
No only is Polysics one of the most energetic bands around (they’d be the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band if only Hayashi could carry a tune), but they are also one of the most uncompromisingly intellectual:
Squidpunk — if it’s not for real, it ought to be.
(Via Eve.)
Update: it is for real. It’s got a website and a video and everything.
I really would like to read Anne McCaffrey’s contribution.
Update II: There is indeed a Squid Vicious.
Consider the Harding/Agnew ticket:
Remember when you vote that the Fringe Party, in matters of economics as in every other matter, stands in favor of good things and against bad things. No other political party can say that with a straight face.
The advantage of dead guys in office: they might smell a bit, but they won’t screw things up any worse than they already are.
Update: Big steps require big feet: Bigfoot/Nessie ’08
(Via Dustbury.)
I want one, too. (Not that that’s likely to happen. I’m not as cute as Steven, or Pete.)
If you are a werewolf, and should the opportunity arise to rip out Kid Rock’s lungs, please do so. Listen to “All Summer Long,” and you will understand why.
Here’s a curiosity: a Japanese dub of a Tex Avery cartoon. You don’t need to understand the dialogue to enjoy it.
(Via the comments at Cartoon Brew.)
*****
I’ve been feeling less than wonderful recently, and after a day on the computer at work, I don’t really want to spend the evening staring at another computer monitor. I’ll be back eventually with comments on Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne and PetoPeto-san (the latter features music by Masaki Kurihara of Kuricorder fame) and more pointless lists.
Robert posted “Kublai Khan” today. I just happen to have here a damsel with a dulcimer. She’s Wenzhuo Zhang, who took first place in the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship at Winfield Saturday. Although Zhang lists her address as Fredonia, NY, I believe she’s originally from Beijing, and she plays the Chinese dulcimer, the yangqin. Here’s a view of her instrument, showing the multiple bridges.
Here’s one of the pieces she played in the competition.
Got a question about Haibane Renmei? Send it to Marc Hairston, and he might be able to ask Yoshitoshi ABe for you next weekend.
The crowds were smaller than usual at Winfield, and the camping and campground picking were off-site this year, but the music as as good as ever. I’ve got a bunch of pictures and some field recordings to survey and edit. Until then, here are some videos of this year’s discoveries, The Wiyos ((This actually was their second year at Winfield, but I missed them last time.)) and Doug Smith.
Cutlass dancing.
My friends and I stopped at the relocated Carp Camp on the way home from Winfield last night. Here’s a bit of the music we heard:
The sound isn’t wonderful (crank it up), but it might give you an idea of the energy flowing there.
There will be many more pictures of Winfield and Carp Camp when I have time to sort and edit everything in the camera.
Apropos of absolutely nothing, here are lines from songs that have caught my fancy for some reason or another over the years:
“You probably think this song is about you.”
“His hair was perfect.”
“Grunt, howl, grunt, howl.”
“And.”
“… with a soulful, bounding leap ….”
“I’m dead but I don’t know it.”
“Pippikippippippi!” ((Not to be confused with “Pipiru piru piru pipiru pi.”))
“Someone get me a ladder.”
“Today, I am two separate gorillas.”
“Fridays I go painting in the Louvre.”
“What a pumpkin.”
“We can’t even think of a word that rhymes.”
“No, but I’ve got a dark brown overcoat.”
Update: How could I forget:
And so, I broke into the Palace
With a sponge and a rusty spanner.
She said: “Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing.”
I said: “That’s nothing — you should hear me play piano.”
Not to mention, “I didn’t realize you wrote such bloody awful poetry.”