Author: Don

Rococo and roll

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Some years back I read Novala Takemoto’s Shimotsuma Story, published in English as Kamikaze Girls. I wrote about it here. I finally watched the movie based on the book this evening. Some of the humor was overly broad, and there were some gratuitous crudities early on, but overall this movie about a very odd couple was watchable and often very funny. Kyoko Fukuda and Anna Tsuchiya were plausible as Momoko the lolita and Ichiko the yanki. The story was necessarily simplified, but it was generally true to what I remember of the book.

There are more screen captures beneath the fold. Click the pictures to see the details of Momoko’s garb.

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Hollywood Juche

Lose a little weight, kid

I’m slightly relieved that The Interview won’t be coming to theaters near me. ((It’s not really a great concern, though — there aren’t any theaters near me.)) It’s one less failed comedy to avoid. Still, I’m just a wee bit uneasy about possible consequences. I’m not entirely sure that a chubby North Korean with a bad haircut is the ideal guide for western culture, even if his daddy was a wacky Daffy Duck aficionado.

Perhaps I should investigate the early history of Captain America. I did order a copy of Team America for my library, lest that also be withdrawn.

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Memo

Ten years ago Sitemeter was a useful tool for seeing who links to you. Nowadays it’s a liability. A month ago, and again yesterday, sites I regularly visit were hijacked with domain redirects most likely piggybacking on Sitemeter code. If you use Sitemeter, please find an alternative as soon as possible.

Memo to the hijackers: Kirika would like to see you.

Kirika

Update: The Bayou Renaissance Man recommends StatCounter.

Tickety tock

Expensive people

A footnote to Kevin Williamson’s recent piece on Wal-Mart and watches:

For reasons that no one can explain, my office is on the Hollywood Reporter‘s mailing list, which recently published an edition all about celebrity watches. Here are a few of the highlights.

$1.5 million

Six figures

$55 million

What does this mean: “A concentrated blend of horological innovations, the Classique Chronométrie 7727 with its balance fitted on magnetic pivot and operating at a frequency of 10Hz achieves an average rate of -1 to +3 seconds per day”? If that is to say that it might lose a second or gain up to three every day, then my cheapo Timex watch is a better timekeeper than one costing $40,000.

$40,000

Visual aid

Not Europe

Those following Madan no Ou to Vanadis might find a map of its world useful. I found a couple at a wiki devoted to the show. (I tweaked the contrast of the first to improve readability.)

Advice to cartographers: Legibility trumps stylishness. Pseudo-black letter might look pretty on the page, but it’s a pain to interpret. Please stick to plain fonts such as Helvetica or Times Roman.

Another map

Ruffling the feathers

It was my good fortune half a lifetime ago to spend time around Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete, who passed away recently. Cardinal Seán O’Malley, in his homily at Lorenzo’s funeral, tells some stories that illustrate one side of Lorenzo’s memorable personality.

It was also around that time when Lorenzo first met Cardinal O’Boyle the Archbishop of Washington. Lorenzo and I spent a lot of time at St. Matthews Cathedral where I was working with Rosario Corredera and the Hispanic community. Lorenzo used to drive me very often. One day, as he was wont to do, Lorenzo parked in the Cardinal’s parking space… (Any ‘no parking’ sign was an invitation to Lorenzo.) At that moment Cardinal O’Boyle was approaching and confronted Lorenzo: “who are you,” he asked. Lorenzo replied: “I am the Cardinal”. Cardinal O’Boyle, who was something of a curmudgeon, answered back: “I am the Cardinal!” To which Lorenzo said: “yes, you are the day Cardinal; I am the night Cardinal.”

It is no wonder that after his first Mass, Lorenzo’s mother asked me to bless her new apartment. I said, “But, doña Conchita, your son was just ordained.” She said, “Yes, padre, but I think he is joking.”

There’s more at the Cardinal’s site. (Scroll down to “Tuesday.”)

So much for fall

Winter I

Many people declare that fall is their favorite season. I’ve never understood why. Sure, there are pleasant Indian summer days when you can read Keats and admire fall foliage, but it always ends in cold and desolation. This year winter came very early. The maples never reached full intensity, and other late fall trees were still mostly green when the January weather arrived. Where’s global warming when you need it?

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