“Damn you, Jimmy Hoffa!”

broderic on September 2, 2016

Link of the Day [9.01.16]

Is it?

It is!

NewsRadio Quote of the Day Month has started! It’s been a long time. Like a year. Maybe this time I’ll get into it again, but the quotes are getting to be slim pickings.

Not much to say today. Just a link of the day. Several hours too late to make you click. But just click anyway.

You’re gonna need a translator for this one because I’m sending you over to a Japanese idol’s blog. A member from my favorite group, Nogizaka46. It’s Hina Kawago. She’s writing about taking over center for her kami-oshi, Mai Fukugawa who graduated from the group in June. Kawago-san is one of the least popular members of the group. Fukugawa was one of the most popular of the group. She’s beloved by the members, fans, and idol freaks. Kawago is not. So for her to reach center during a really important show it was awesome.

The first time I had read about her taking over center I teared up. Then reading her blog entry through Google translate I teared up again. I am really glad for her. It seems from the amount of comments the fans did too.

Chou zetsu kawaii, Kawago!

http://blog.nogizaka46.com/hina.kawago/2016/08/034150.php

“If anyone here is a witch, it’s Beth. Look at how she dresses. Case closed.”

broderic on September 30, 2015

I had this NewsRadio quote queued up as a draft. I can’t let it go to waste. Now what should I write about…

IDOLS!

Those cute, gorgeous, talented girls from Japan. I haven’t written about them here, hunh? No? Then let’s get on with it.

I said that one of these days I would explain my fascination with them. But really there isn’t too much to say. It’s like why I love slice of life anime featuring Japanese school girls playing in a band. I just want to cheer them on with their endeavors. It’s the same for Idols. I want to cheer them on.

They work hard in order to bring us kawaii. I can’t let there effort go to waste. I want all of them to succeed. I want them to achieve their dreams. I want them to make me happy that they are who they are.

I believe that is moe, a feeling of affection towards them. I don’t just like one girl. I support them all.

It’s tough to think about. It just is for me at the moment. I am an idol otaku.

“So, I guess it’s business as usual for you. To you, it must have been like stepping on a bug, except this bug had friends and a personality. And it wasn’t so much a bug as a rat.”

broderic on September 26, 2015

I’ve always been meaning to write about why I embraced Japanese idols so quickly, but never really gotten around to it. I’ll attempt to rectify that with today’s link. The author writes about idols represented in anime, but he could’ve been talking about 3D idols as well.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/editorial/2015-09-23/the-intoxicating-lure-of-idol-anime/.93232

“Lisa’s puppy is licking peanut butter off my hand.”

broderic on September 25, 2015

“Beretta” has become my favorite single from Nogizaka46. It’s not just a great song, but the video is also outstanding. Plus, the rest of the tunes on the singles are pretty awesome as well. My old favorite was “Sonna Baka” which is one of the B-side on this single. They also did the OP for the Naruto anime. In that video they are dressed as ninja. You can’t beat cute ninja. Anyhow, I’m thinking about buying the actual CD from Japan. Crazy…

“Dave, with Matthew, telling him to do something is hypnotism.”

broderic on September 21, 2015

Link of the Day [9.20.15]

I didn’t know that Dark Horse Comics released volume 14 of The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service this past July. I only found it in my Local Comics Shop today. I then went to see if it was an advanced copy which it wasn’t, but found out that Dark Horse will release an omnibus edition of the first three volumes of this manga.

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is a great manga. It follows a bunch of esp’ers whose job is to return dead bodies to their rightful place. The dead speak to them and they help the dead move on into the afterlife. It isn’t a creepy manga. Sometimes it’s gory, but most of the time it is dark. Also, funny as well. Unfortunately, it is coming out really slow as volume 14 has collected the most recent chapters from the Japanese manga magazine. It’s going to be another couple years before the next volume comes out. You should collect the omnibuses in order to catch up. Or you can borrow my collection.

http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/23-112/The-Kurosagi-Corpse-Delivery-Service-Omnibus-Edition-Book-One-TPB

“Chicago, 1968. The Democratic Convention. Hippies and yippies alike fill the streets, waging a war of peace against Mayor Daley’s thugs. There I was… watching it on TV in my dorm and drinking.”

broderic on September 11, 2015

Link of the Day [9.10.15]

I would post this tomorrow, but it would stop the momentum that is NewsRadio Quote Month. Err, I like to call it September also.

So today, umm, tonight, go check out Nogizaka46’s first documentary website. There’s no trailer there, so I don’t know what you’ll do there. I hope you get the Ikuchan banner. At least, it would make it worthwhile to click the link. In reality, I can’t wait for the fansubs of this one. I’ve been watching the AKB48 documentaries, and they are all good. The movies make you appreciate the hard work of the members, and they remind you that these are real humans — girls with feelings. I wish them all the best. And to work hard. I think I’m an idol otaku!

http://www.2015-nogizaka46.jp

“Dave, if I wanted to have this conversation I’d have hired that guy Siskel Ebert to do your job.”

broderic on September 9, 2015

I only realized lately that I don’t know the Undergirls or the 2nd Generation members. So frustrating. I want to support them all.

Today’s music break is a B-side off of Nogizaka46’s 7th single, “Barrette.” This song’s name is “Tsuki no Okisa,” and it was used as an opening number to the anime, Naruto. I’ve never watched it. You may have. Now, the interesting thing is that the music video for “Barrette” is one of the more darker Nogizaka46 videos. I should post it up. Show don’t write.

“You bought a duchesshood?” “No, I rented it for the day. You know those dukes and duchesses, they’re always hard up for money.”

broderic on September 28, 2014

All that flying out to Wisconsin this summer and back made me hungry for cheese. Pick up a block of it now and then. Truck it home. Make grilled cheese. It’s all tasty but sometimes you need something more. Something like cheddar cheese popcorn. Not the white cheddar you find around here, but the bright orange stuff. The stuff of your childhood. The good stuff.


It’s easy to get if you fly out through Chicago’s O’hare. There are a few kiosks that sell the stuff. I picked up a few bags. This one time, as I transferred through O’hare, I decided to pick up a bag. I only found Garrett’s, but I knew there was a Nuts On Clark there, so I searched around for it. It was around the corner. These two brands joined the other bag of popcorn I had brought back from Wisconsin. Right then and there I decided on a taste test.


First up is Seguin’s cheddar cheese popcorn. This one was at a disadvantage as the bag had been opened for a couple of days, so it wasn’t as fresh as the following two. This one also wasn’t popped fresh that day. It was probably packaged a few weeks before I bought it. Of the three, it had the sharpest cheddar taste. It also had the most normal looking of popcorn with a brilliant orange color.


Garrett’s cheddar cheese popcorn is a great contender. The popcorn are fluffy and more rounded. The cheese taste is smooth. It’s color is a a mellower yellow-tinged orange.


Nuts on Clark’s cheddar cheese popcorn is the best of the three. I recommend getting this on your trips through Chicago. It has the same mellow cheese taste as Garrett’s, but the popped kernels are slightly bigger and fluffier. I saw that they use Monster Mushroom Popcorn to achieve that awesome size and shape. I’m not sure if Garrett’s uses the same, but theirs is a smaller size.

You can’t go wrong with any of these. If you can get Seguin’s, then get it. If you want Garrett’s then want it. I recommend Nuts On Clark’s cheddar popcorn.

You should also try the Chicago mix — cheddar and caramel corn. It’s just as good.