Most Obnoxious Aspect of Karaoke.

It's not the fact that it is mispronounced. I originally heard it as kerry-o-key. Then I started watching Japanese Anime, subtitled. I would listened to the original Japanese voice actors and became quite fascinated at how much the American writers would deviate from the pronunciation of names. That I still find pretty distracting, but hearing ka-ra-o-keh doesn't. Hey, why bother, not going to change anybody's mind.

People “singing” karaoke doesn't bother me. It's usually easy to avoid. That is until Bob and Tom play clips from American Idol worshipers. Since I listen to their podcast, I can fast forward through that. I wish they would play these clips during the last couple of minutes of the hour instead of the middle of the show so I can just hit the next button.

I did get roped into visiting a karaoke club once in my life, once. On my second vacation to Korea, I met up with a Katusa friend of mine from the previous vacation and he dragged me along to sing karaoke with him and some friends. T.M. Revolution they weren't.

So what is it about karaoke the gets my teeth a grinding? Makes my blood boil? Want to eat ball bearings and crap barbed-wire?

Backing vocals.

Yes.

Backing vocals.

One of my great passions in life is music. I admit I couldn't carry a tune even if it had handles, but I do know what I like hear. Looking at my music collection you will find Slim Shady, Chisa Yokoyama, Phil Collins, Foster the People, Taco, Jay and The Americans, Bon Jovi, Cold Play, Cheap Trick, Owl City, U2, Garth Brooks, Masami Okui, and on, and on. I like individual songs, I couldn't even begin to tell you why this is. A song strikes my fancy and it must go in my collection.

Sometimes I like a song so much, I must have as many different versions as possible. Original, official remix, cover, remix cover, techno, dance, and karaoke. Or more precisely, the instrumental version. I would like to give the band a listen. I want to appreciate the guitars,drums, saxes, and cow bells. What frustrates me is that I can't find the original. I have to go to karaoke CDs. These are often cover versions, and that is a total crap shot as to how good it is. Also It is often not labeled as to if backing vocals are used.

Backing vocals in the original version with the singer do not bother me, it's when the backing vocals  is talking over that great drum solo in a song that I thought was supposed to be an instrumental. That is what makes me feel that I just wasted ten bucks. I know why this is: there's no demand for pure instrumentals of popular music. I'm one of a only a few, and more likely the only one, that wants these. I am probably the one guy that bought the single CD of "I Love You Always For Ever" that had about five or six different versions of the song on it. It did have an instrumental of the Sylk 130 version, but no instrumental of the regular album version.

However I have found some solace. There is a type of music that about 50% of the time will provide me with my desired instrumentals: anime sound tracks.

Anybody got a problem with show tunes?

I thought not.

Even then the hurdles are high. Almost impossible to find the original albums. I want to support the artists, but what am I to do when iTunes, Amazon, or even CD Japan don't have it? Then on top of that the words “instrumental,” “karaoke,” and “off vocal” are used interchangeably. So you may wind up with somebody yammering over the guitar riffs in Forever We Can Make it, but finding Yellow Vacation makes it worth my wild.

Rosario Vampire Season 2 Volume 8.

I hadn't planned on saying anything more about RosaVam until about the end of the year, but a little birdy shouted in my ear that I might want to say something more. He reminded me about how fortuitous it was to talk about some obscure Japanese video game when I did and it might behoove me to talk more about our favorite multiple personality complex vampire chick.

Talking about this issue let's get the one thing I didn't like at all out of the way first: the gore and viscera. One of the things that has made me kind of queasy through out the entire series is the blood. I understand that this is a monster manga but for the most part it's focus was romantic-comedy. Lately we have been treated to a big heaping doses of story telling. Along with that the realism has been getting more and more detailed. Now it is getting to a point that maybe going over the line even for me. There's a scene in which Moka's mother, Akasha, is cut in half and rather graphically depicted. Then later we see her laying down with some spilled guts. 

I had mentioned several times before that I had considered dropping Rosario + Vampire from my reading list. There were several reasons I had been considering this action: kinda boring, no character development, occasional inappropriate sexual explicitness of characters younger than 18, in Yukari's and Koko's cases much younger than 18, and the occasional explicit blood and gore. Well, after 18 volumes it's kinda hard to just call it quits. If I do I more than likely in a few years I will just wind up going back and buying the back issues anyway to get caught up.

I'll tough it out a little while longer. Now let's get into some de ja vu.

To talk about that feeling I have seen it before I need to go back to Rosario to Vampire Season 2 Volume 17. I forgot to mention about this the last time, so I'll do it now. There's a scene where all the main characters are wandering around Fangfang's mansion. It's empty and they're trying to figure out where everybody else is at and it seems to be haunted. Other than most episodes of Scooby Doo, I kept having this feeling I had seen this before, but I couldn't remember where. I was going insane. (Going?) I knew I had seen it just within the past month of this issue.

Then Suzumiya Number 11 came in.

Well, Rosavam did it again. It's only been a couple of weeks since it's release so I won't do any spoilers as to what happens in this volume that set off my de ja vu detector. However that doesn't mean I can't talk about a now twelve year old anime that may or may not be similar. The final episodes of Orphen Season 2 had a big battle with an ancient beast that absorbed sorcerers to increase it's powers to escape a prison. The final episode saw two people, father and daughter, impaled by some tentacles and drawn back into the monster's prison to help protect a girl that had her personality subdued and replaced.

That comparison came to mind right away only because I had just watched Orphen a couple of weeks before. It was on sale for about $20. That's the way I run things now. I just wait for stuff to show up in the used video stores or for the super saver compilations. Guess that also shows just how interesting Suzumiya is to me.

The similarity of event between Rosavam and Orphen I think is purely unintentional. Just two great writers that happen to come up with same idea many years apart.

 

I've talked down on Rosavam enough. What stood out the most was the attention to detail. Most of this issue was very well drawn throughout. As an example close ups of characters mouths had a sense of depth. As in you were looking into their mouths and not at a painted on hole. The flower pattern on Aqua's dress wasn't just a stencil, it looked like each petal was carefully planned out as to what the flowers would actually look like depending on the pose. A scene of Akasha flying backwards in which we get a sorta upskirt that reveals the cage holding her skirt. You can even see the rivets holding the bandings together. We finally get to see Kurumu use her succubus powers.

 Which leads to a final question: of the three chosen characters to go inside Moka's mind, why Mizore? I understand Tsukune. Tohofuhai, I guess because in these things you have to have an old fart of a guide with you that knows everything. Mizore? Reminds me of the final chapters of Sailor Moon when the four asteroid named Sailor Scouts get told the entire story. Why them? Was Kurumu or Fangfang to obvious? Did it come down to a coin flip between Mizore and Yukari? How many licks does it take take to get the center of a Tootsie-Pop?

Now to answer some questions that other people have been asking. I know you have because I hired Kurumu's mom to peak inside your dreams.

“What chapters of Rosario Vampire have nudity?”

This particular volume has nudity in it. The typical non-detailed stuff that can get on Japanese broadcast TV at later times. This volume is rated older teen, but what does that mean? Is that 17, 18, and 19? A friend of mine said no way would he allow such a thing in his house. He doesn't mind it personally, he just doesn't want his kids to see it. I remind him that it was his son that told me about the site that I got all these manga scans from. Boys will be boys.

You'll note that I make sure NOT to give the name of the sites I got these scans from. I believe in supporting the original artists as much as possible. You can go to Amazon, Hastings, or Borders to find your own copy of Rosario Vampire Volume 18. Of course I have no qualms about using someone else's time to save me an extra $10 and a day or so of ripping up a copy and scanning it.

Though I will say thank you and I do appreciate the effort put forth in some people's buying the original Japanese volumes, ripping them up, scanning, and translating them.

“Is Rosario Vampire too explicit?”

Depends on your point of view. Look at the ratings. Though that can be entirely misleading. Which is one of the reasons I ranted so much last year about nudity. I have planned further ranting about that for a later date.

You have to look through it yourself and make up your own mind.

“Why did Yukari say old farts in episode 6 of Rosario + Vampire?”

I went back and watched both episodes 6. I never heard her say "old fart." In the English dub she called Kurumu a “moo-cow.” I think it was added in by the English writers to better fit the mouth movements and to play off the rivalry between the two.

Addendum January 23, 2013: In doing research for the third article I have been watching the anime. And I have discovered that Yukari did indeed say old farts. It was in episode 7. After having been dumped in the lake, Moka, Tsukune, and Kurumu are in the News Paper Club room wrapped up in blankets sneezing and bitching about Mizore, A.K.A. "Frosty the Snow Skank." In that situation it makes perfect sense to call them "old farts." Have you ever been in a retirement home?
 
Unfortunately that's all the questions. Ageha got pissed because she caught me ... er...uhm... someone dreaming about Tsurara, in bloomers. I ..er...That person is alright but will have to use his non-dominant hand to type out blog entries for awhile.

Global Warming/Climate Change: Whatever.

Over the past few years there has been heated debate over global warming/climate change and how much is contributed to it by man, and how best to alleviate this burning issue.

I said awhile back I try to be non-partisan and stay away from more scorching issues. I certainly do recognize it is very hard not to get all boiled over this subject. So I'm not going to get into a blazing debate over the red hot facts here, at all. Instead I'll just post this photo I took the other morning and let y'all make up your own mind.

Brain fart solved the two pixel problem.

But first, an addendum.

Remember awhile back when I was bitching about going slower than the posted speed limit? I got my panties in such a wad I forgot a few things. Like getting stuck at red lights because of these slowpoking dumbasses. I haven't done any scientific surveys to see if I stop at red lights more often when doing the speed limit or when I am being held up below the speed limit. What I do know is that it is it is extremely frustrating when I am forced to stop when the guy in front of me seems to think that slower is safer.

States spend incredible amounts of my tax dollars to figure out the maximum safest speed for all the roads. More than likely the speed limits are much lower than they need to be, but that is beside the point. However there are those that think if 55 is safe, then 50 is safer. If 50 is safer than 55, then 45 is safer all the more! That is unless there is a guy yapping on his cell phone, adjusting his radio, texting, sexting, eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner and might actually be doing the speed limit coming up behind the guy thinking that 35 is the safest of all.

This really is insane: once again I am coming to a light that is in the process of of turning red. It's bright orange for all the world to see. I'm going to stop of course, I have plenty of space. The light turns red and the guy in front that caused me to have to stop at the red because he was going much slower than the posted speed limit blows right on through.

That's one for the Huh? Files.

This too has me scratching my head: guy was doing 45 in the 55, we come up to a section of road that is now 45. He slows to 40. I would like to get around him, but can't because some other non-driving pinhead passed by me, caught up to and then slowed down and perfectly matched speeds with Ax. A few more miles down the road Smash decides to make a turn and I can finally make my great escape. At this particular moment in time the speed limit is dropped to 35. I drop to 35 thinking that the guy will drop to 30. Seems logical. He was going 45 in the 55, then 40 in the 45. No, he continues to do 40 blowing right past me.

Now this is the pièce de résistance: Once again I'm behind some bitch doing 40 in the 55. I can't get around him because it's a two lane highway and there is plenty of all the oncoming traffic. Of course I get stuck at the red light. So does Crush. This particular intersection is usually my salvation. It splits into five lanes. A center turn lane and a right turn lane. However this right lane can also go straight across, but it ends and remerges back into the left lane about a block past the intsection. Many the time I have used that lane to get my marry ass down the road. Not this time. The light turns green and I floor it, so does asshole. He blocks me from getting around him. Were up to 50 by the time the lane ends so I have to drop back down to prevent him from wrecking me! He then he slows right back to 40. MOTHERFUCK!

What was that about two pixels? Screw it, I'm all pixelated now. Some other time.

Hey! People! That's NOT a turn lane!

There seams to be quite the enemademic as of late. As I write this, a couple of days ago I'm driving up to an intersection. This particular road is four lanes one way, I'm in the far right lane about half a block away and I can see a guy in the left lane next to mine stopped at the red light. I can see that the cross traffic lights are changing, I travel this road almost everyday so I know that by the time I get to the intersection my light will have turned green. So I keep doing the speed limit which is thirty-five MPH. My light turned green about a couple of seconds before I got there. The guy in the left lane decides to make a right turn right at that moment. Just before I pass by him.

Granted, none of these lanes are marked as turn or straight through, but stupid me, I rely on common sense. Common sense tells me you can't turn from an unmarked lane that far away from the corner. Common sense tells me I should just go down to the next intersection to make my turn. Common sense tells me to be in the correct lane long before. Common sense tells me to check this nifty new invention called a rear view mirror.

That was the inbound downtown lanes, a couple of hours later I'm a block over on the outbound downtown lanes. It happened again. This guy, I 'll grant him maybe he's new and not familiar with how the traffic pattern goes, must have figured he was in the wrong lane and tried to get into the correct lane at the last moment. However in doing so he left his ass hanging out in my lane. So I have to stop two car lengths away from the light AND have to wait for him to move all the way into the his lane BEFORE I can go when the light turns green. The light turns green, I watch him move all the way into his lane, then make a left turn at the intersection cutting across a lane of traffic and almost getting t-boned.

There were two more intersections that could have been utilized to make that turn.

A few months ago I'm coming up to a red light. I'm in the straight across only lane and a guy is in the left turn only lane. I'm thinking that my light should turn green right about...NOW! And, it did as I was right behind and to the right of the guy in the left lane who changed his mind and pulled into my lane.

About a month earlier I need to make a left turn. These lanes are clearly marked as left turn only, straight across only, and straight across or right turn. The light change pattern almost always goes like this: first the turn lanes go green, and then straight lanes. It can mix up depending on if there is any traffic sitting at the lights. Say for instance there is no traffic across the street, all three lights will turn green on one side. If there is no turn lane traffic, then just the straight lanes. This day, as usual, all the lanes on each side of the intersection are fully loaded.

My turn left only light goes green and I take off, the guy next to me takes off too and cuts in front of me. I'm on the horn warning the guy I'm about to t-bone him. He's on the horn too, apparently warning me that it was his turn to turn. That I was the one in the wrong. You see, that's the thing that bugs me most: these people really must think that it is the job of everybody else to move aside for them. Their attitude is such that if they get hit, it would have been my fault. They make no move what-so-ever to avoid an accident.

In each instance my overwhelming desire to NOT wreck my vehicle took over and I avoided having to spend hours on end filling out police reports and insurance paperwork. I like my vehicle, it's almost paid off, and I'm not interested in getting another to replace it. Also, I have more than one ready to go, and I have family that can loan me an extra car or truck.

My driving philosophy is that I don't just drive for me, I drive for everybody else. I try to anticipate what is the stupidest possible thing someone can do at that moment. I have to admit I am constantly caught off guard because there are those whose mission it must be to out-stoopid even my predictions.

Because of this I have full coverage, accident forgiveness, and new vehicle replacement.