Okay so I have for years been watching Japanese Anime. My absolute favorite has to be Runin Kenshin. For some you may know this as that stupid americanized Samurai X. The worst damn dubbing ever! At any rate, one of the things that Kenshin did for me was introduce me to Japanese Pop Music. Yeah yeah, cheesy as it is, there are some really catchy tunes.

Best one of these singers gotta be Bonnie Pink. I am in love with that girl for realz. So Bonnie, if your reading, give me your number or give me a call some time.

Because this website isn’t all ha ha’s on my pathetic life, its some edumacashion too. So you know what that means, oh yeah I’ma learn ya some Jap pop so here ya go:

Yes the video is trippy and super cheezy, but common, you liked it. Here is the secret to Japanese Pop, you come up with an English phrase, like I dunno, “Anything For You”. You make some nonsensical Japanese words, “oni ama oshi ota ita noma”, no one is listening anyway, and then you drop that English statement in the bridge, over and over again:

Now it sounds like I have no respect for this kinda music, and honestly well … I don’t but I still love you Bonnie.

Check out how crazy the Japanese language is. This is one freaking hard language, and I think if I could keep up with how fast they sing, my tongue would be one fire. Honestly, I don’t know how they understand the lyrics themselves. You have to hear the entire phrase and the whole word, which by the way is cut in half most of the times, to understand the context of the message. These are the lyrics for the above song “Its Gonna Rain” (my fav by the way). Sing along you know you wanna.

Now if you wanna forgo all English all together, lets look at another, lets look at Kawamoto Makoto. This song, simply titled 1/2 is yet another Kenshin theme song, but holy God try to follow these lyrics here to this song (lyrics from Anime Lyrics):

That’s some fast damn singing. Well, someday after watching enough Anime and Japanese Pop, I’ll be able to go to a karaoke bar and sing Japanese songs. Don’t you love the irony.

Well had a really bad day, thank goodness for Wes Madiko. OLD song I remember from college. Well I guess you cant stay mad when you hear Alane.

After watching the real version, you gotta check out the Dutch Idol audition. This guy tries to sing the song and does a horrible job.

At least I am not the only guy who made a fool of himself today …

Back in college, we used to have shisha night. It was a good old mellow time with exotic teas. smoking flavored tobacco out of a hookah, listening to bollywood music, and occasionally a belly dance. For those not in the loop on what I am talking about, you can read about hookahs and shisha here.

I haven’t had a chance to do it since college, but I had heard of these kinds of bars around here. To my surprise almost a block away there is this place called Shisha Cafe. So a few of us made a night of it.

Here are some instructional videos, Arthur and Greg are kind enough to demonstrate the proper use:

If smoking a hookah isn’t up your alley, they do also have lots of food and really good smoothies. Its a very cool hangout idea, very relaxing. We’ll have to do it again.

Alright, half the people who read this blog already know the story. I guess its time to let the other half know what is up.

So I went to H.E.B, and for those who don’t know what that is, its about the only grocery chain around here. I’m used to 10 or so different chains attacking each other, Food Lion, Ukrops, Harris Teeter, etc etc. But no here in Texas, there is H.E.B, Walmart, and the gas station. Thats about it.

Let me start by saying I HATE grocery shopping. No really, I HATE it. No matter how much I plan or how I map out the store or make a list, it is a 2 or more hour ordeal. Usually ends out being at, or ending at the hottest damn time of the day. I could discuss all day how much I hate grocery shopping and wrestling with 80 year old women who use this as their only time outdoors so figure on spending all day; people using both sides of the aisles so you cant get by; screaming kids wanting candy and throwing up …. Like I said, I could take all day.

So on this particular day, I see the finish line. I am now at one of the only 2 open lanes of 45 closed checkout lanes. So really at this point all I am thinking of is how I am going to cram 2 months of food into my tiny car. I shop this way to avoid having to go more than 6 times a year.

People think this is a socialize kinda time, really I just want to get the hell outta there. So I put up with the small talk and have two guys talking to me for at least 30 minutes in this particular checkout line. I am pretty oblivious to the conversation trying to be pleasant and not offending.

Maybe I did a little too good a job being social. Maybe it was what I was dressed in, I dunno. What ever it was, I will never know. At some point in the conversation, they ask me if I have seen the movie 300.

I tell them naw I havent seen it, which was the truth as it was just out in the theaters. Then my mind and ears heard what was going on when one of them goes:

Would you uh, like to see it with me?

Its kinda hard to put enflection in print. At this point I realized these guys were trying to pick me up for a date. It wasn’t just a friendly hey lets go out and see a movie. It was more like, let me buy you flowers sexy thing, I brought oils.

Okay so my mind races for a response, and the first thing that comes out of my mouth is

WHY!

This must of have stunned both of them cause it was pretty obvious uh WHY but they did me one better and said:

Cause ya know, uh, we like movies about gladiators … wink

So the first thing that comes into my mind is this movie clip from Airplane:

Joey you ever seen a grown man naked? Joey you ever hang around a gymnasium. Joey you like movies about gladiators?

My mind is a blur, somehow I got out of it. I swore I would not see that movie. I made the mistake of telling someone at work the above story. Next thing you know, everyone at work is asking if I want to go see the movie in that EW GROSS sexy way.

Well so I find this one day a gift from Elaine. She is the one giving me the hardest time about it but its cool. I’ll get her back at some point. Sneaky Elaine puts the above movie on my desk and note and everyone laughing. HA-HA guys, alright ya made your point. I think you guys are just jealous you didn’t get hit up at the H.E.B.

I was reminded by my father’s words about the sun. Gave me the old sailor’s tale:

Red sky at night, sailors delight.
Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.

The scientific reasons for this according to The Library of Congress:

Red sky at night, sailors delight.
When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow.

Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.
A red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east. If the morning sky is a deep fiery red, it means a high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain is on its way.

Hmm interesting. I’m waiting for the rain ya sailors!

Welp I took the above picture at 7 AM this morning, and that red ball is fricken HOT. I guess this bodes not so well for the day’s temperatures, as its officially (according to my degree scale):

- HOT AS A MONKEY’S ASS

I have other scales, but this one is appropriate enough. Though, I cant for certain tell you the temperature of a monkey’s ass. I can only imagine its hot, temperature wise, as it is hairy.