I went to the Folk Festival in Bangor again this year. On a unbearably hot day, again. It was the same as usual with the food and the crafts and the music and the crowds. Something to do but nothing particularly great.
I need to set up 'office hours' so that I can have a period of the day when I'm being productive. As it is I take about an hour to browse recent job postings and apply for any that I am qualified to do. That's hardly being productive in the grand scheme of things. I need some serious 'office hours' in which I devote that time to doing nothing else but work. I spend a lot of time researching how to do the work and what needs to be done, but none of the time actually hammering out some sort of finished product. That's a point against me.
The hardest part about this is being stuck in one room for most of the time. Especially the insanity yesterday with my brother burning the holy shit out of some french fries in the oven which stunk up the rest of the house. Plus he was passed out on the couch in the living room until about midday. Since I'm stranded in this house most of the time that meant that I was forced into our room, in which it's impossible to do anything productive. Somebody like me can't separate their 'fun' space from their 'functional' space. That's one of the top bulletpoints that anyone would advise, finding someplace to actually use as a work space. It's just so easy to procrastinate when you have access to your games, movies, books and the internet. That's what really killed me in college and most of my work was actually done in a computer lab on campus. It was easier in my mind to associate that space as 'work'.
So I've got to get off my lazy ass and sort this out. Writing out this blog post talking about the problem is in fact just another form of procrastination.
There weren't any jobs to apply for today... I'm getting seriously depressed about this job search. I can't even get a job in retail! Everyone says the same things 'overqualified' or 'not enough experience'. What do I do about this?!?! I don't know what to do other than keep applying and hope for the best, but after seven months I just don't know what to do. I've lost my unemployment... I can't find a job... I don't have any hope for the future at this point. I always said you have to create your own opportunities but I don't know how.
This has turned into an unemployment blog... just like so many others in this economic environment. It's become so depressing. But that's my life, y'know. I can't work up the willpower to even do the stuff that I like these days. I often find myself staring into space just worrying a lot. Not even about anything in particular. I just worry. I'm losing my mind.
Once things pick back up I'll probably start another blog since this one is hollow and depressing.
But the Folk Festival was fun at least.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Late August Harrumphs
What have I been up to... ?
It's a solid question and honestly there isn't a very good answer. I've been applying to jobs in the Westfield, MA area which is a damn sight better than around here. The Bangor area is honestly completely dead. If you're a healthcare professional than you are in a good place but for everyone else this place is a job-hunting deadzone. Don't try to move into a new career in this area because it just isn't possible. Every available position is snapped at by hundreds of applicants. I got a Dear John letter from a staffing agency! The demand is so high for jobs in the Bangor area it is ridiculous. If you have one then hold on for your life because the search for a new one is going to be frustrating and end badly. In the Westfield area, which even goes as far as Hartford, there are hundreds of job postings a day. Many of these require experience I don't have but enough are entry-level that I'm finding it far easier to look for a job 6 hours away than 5 minutes out my door.
I wish I'd just have gone overseas...
I beat Raw Danger for the PS2. It's one of the few games I'm playing right now. I just don't have the motivation to get into video games, which is odd for an unemployed person you would think. Not in this case. Gaming is a positive outlet for me when I need to burn off the stress of the world or escape into fantasy, neither of which would do me any good right now. Raw Danger itself was a fun, quirky game. It was very Japanese at its heart and made a very odd transition overseas. For instance every character went from black-Asian hair to blond. Every single character in the game, aside from a few older people, is blond! It's like the city is Hitler's vision of the future. The game is a unique "disaster survival" that you would think could have a huge potential fanbase. Americans just love their disaster movies so I would expect more games along that line. Raw Danger is the only one I've seen, though their is a prequel. It's very limited and held back by a ridiculous side story but was quite fun for what it was trying to accomplish.
We need rain here! It's so dry outside that the grass is dying prematurely. The grass never goes before the trees but this year we have full yellow lawns already. Let's get some rain! At least it has cooled down because the heat only fueled my misery. Sitting around day after day soaking in my own sweat, unable to take a shower for the last month. A bath in such extreme (for Maine) heat is almost as unpleasant as getting pissed on by a giant elephant.
I've set up a new blog that will serve as my HQ for freelancing. Getting into the freelancing market is a confusing mess that I haven't been able to figure out fully at this point. So I've decided that creating a blog to show off my writing ability is the best idea. It's going to have writing samples from a broad range of categories, from sport to travel to technology to business. Hopefully I will be able to point potential clients at this blog and say "This is what I can do," in the future. I'm trying to make it look as professional as possible, obviously, and at the same time make it look like I'm tech savvy. Which I'm really not. I don't know how to get my goddamn foot in the door but at least if I'm trying to make some progress I can feel better about myself. Anything would be good at this point. I've heard that if you can get three paying clients that you aren't a fluke. I want to make it work and sitting on my worthless ass waiting for some sort of magic inspiration or muse is just being lazy. I need to make positive progress!
Today's link-o-the-post is... Livestrong's MyPlate application. As part of my positive progress determination the other day I've decided to start counting my calories. No more unhealthy overeating. Gotta be reasonable about this or I'm going to balloon out of control. Coffee and water. Daily calorie limits. This application helps me... well it doesn't help it does all the work towards keeping me in line. My sedentary lifestyle and certain depression have led to an unhealthy increase in my weight. Gotta fight that and not just talk about it like all those fat American wanks. Walking, running and biking... tried them all this Summer. Followed through with none of them. It's hard to stay motivated but I KNOW it's possible if I just force myself. It's a battle of willpower, you see. I can win that battle because I've done it before. MyPlate has you put in your height and weight and calculates a daily calorie limit. You put in what you eat each day and it totals it up for you, charting everything from grams of fat to sodium. It keeps you in line goddamnit!
It's a solid question and honestly there isn't a very good answer. I've been applying to jobs in the Westfield, MA area which is a damn sight better than around here. The Bangor area is honestly completely dead. If you're a healthcare professional than you are in a good place but for everyone else this place is a job-hunting deadzone. Don't try to move into a new career in this area because it just isn't possible. Every available position is snapped at by hundreds of applicants. I got a Dear John letter from a staffing agency! The demand is so high for jobs in the Bangor area it is ridiculous. If you have one then hold on for your life because the search for a new one is going to be frustrating and end badly. In the Westfield area, which even goes as far as Hartford, there are hundreds of job postings a day. Many of these require experience I don't have but enough are entry-level that I'm finding it far easier to look for a job 6 hours away than 5 minutes out my door.
I wish I'd just have gone overseas...
I beat Raw Danger for the PS2. It's one of the few games I'm playing right now. I just don't have the motivation to get into video games, which is odd for an unemployed person you would think. Not in this case. Gaming is a positive outlet for me when I need to burn off the stress of the world or escape into fantasy, neither of which would do me any good right now. Raw Danger itself was a fun, quirky game. It was very Japanese at its heart and made a very odd transition overseas. For instance every character went from black-Asian hair to blond. Every single character in the game, aside from a few older people, is blond! It's like the city is Hitler's vision of the future. The game is a unique "disaster survival" that you would think could have a huge potential fanbase. Americans just love their disaster movies so I would expect more games along that line. Raw Danger is the only one I've seen, though their is a prequel. It's very limited and held back by a ridiculous side story but was quite fun for what it was trying to accomplish.
We need rain here! It's so dry outside that the grass is dying prematurely. The grass never goes before the trees but this year we have full yellow lawns already. Let's get some rain! At least it has cooled down because the heat only fueled my misery. Sitting around day after day soaking in my own sweat, unable to take a shower for the last month. A bath in such extreme (for Maine) heat is almost as unpleasant as getting pissed on by a giant elephant.
I've set up a new blog that will serve as my HQ for freelancing. Getting into the freelancing market is a confusing mess that I haven't been able to figure out fully at this point. So I've decided that creating a blog to show off my writing ability is the best idea. It's going to have writing samples from a broad range of categories, from sport to travel to technology to business. Hopefully I will be able to point potential clients at this blog and say "This is what I can do," in the future. I'm trying to make it look as professional as possible, obviously, and at the same time make it look like I'm tech savvy. Which I'm really not. I don't know how to get my goddamn foot in the door but at least if I'm trying to make some progress I can feel better about myself. Anything would be good at this point. I've heard that if you can get three paying clients that you aren't a fluke. I want to make it work and sitting on my worthless ass waiting for some sort of magic inspiration or muse is just being lazy. I need to make positive progress!
Today's link-o-the-post is... Livestrong's MyPlate application. As part of my positive progress determination the other day I've decided to start counting my calories. No more unhealthy overeating. Gotta be reasonable about this or I'm going to balloon out of control. Coffee and water. Daily calorie limits. This application helps me... well it doesn't help it does all the work towards keeping me in line. My sedentary lifestyle and certain depression have led to an unhealthy increase in my weight. Gotta fight that and not just talk about it like all those fat American wanks. Walking, running and biking... tried them all this Summer. Followed through with none of them. It's hard to stay motivated but I KNOW it's possible if I just force myself. It's a battle of willpower, you see. I can win that battle because I've done it before. MyPlate has you put in your height and weight and calculates a daily calorie limit. You put in what you eat each day and it totals it up for you, charting everything from grams of fat to sodium. It keeps you in line goddamnit!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Kings of Wrestling
I've been a fan of Puroresu for over seven years now. Like I've mentioned in plenty of other posts I'm hardly a fan of pro wrestling anymore since I don't have the time or interest to follow it. I do take the time to keep up to date with Japanese Puroresu.
It's simple fun without the terrible soap opera style bullshit featured in America. It's matches and feuds in the traditional sense with all the stories developing in the ring and based on skill. It's actually pro wrestling in a pure and unrefined glory. Matches are used to impress the crowd and aren't simply the filler between talking segments. Americans would find that boring, but that doesn't matter. I find it odd that US wrestling fans have always cared more about the horrible storylines than real wrestling. That's part of the reason I'm not a fan anymore.
NJPW has recently started a Youtube channel that is updated very regularly with matches, press conferences and compilation videos. This is further evidence that New Japan is the king of Puroresu since NOAH is still suffering from the death of Misawa and a lack of focus. There was a time when NOAH was making more progress in expanding to new markets but that has fallen out of focus as they try to rebuild their company. So New Japan is exciting as all hell and has come out of the early 00s MMA debacle with their heads held high.
So I'm just going to post some pictures I've found from Puroresu sources that I like for one reason or another.
Poster Boy KENTA
ULTRAMAN Tanahashi & ULTRAMAN Kanemoto
G1 Winner Kojima
Not Puroresu, but Japanese. WWE done in Final Fantasy SNES style
It's simple fun without the terrible soap opera style bullshit featured in America. It's matches and feuds in the traditional sense with all the stories developing in the ring and based on skill. It's actually pro wrestling in a pure and unrefined glory. Matches are used to impress the crowd and aren't simply the filler between talking segments. Americans would find that boring, but that doesn't matter. I find it odd that US wrestling fans have always cared more about the horrible storylines than real wrestling. That's part of the reason I'm not a fan anymore.
NJPW has recently started a Youtube channel that is updated very regularly with matches, press conferences and compilation videos. This is further evidence that New Japan is the king of Puroresu since NOAH is still suffering from the death of Misawa and a lack of focus. There was a time when NOAH was making more progress in expanding to new markets but that has fallen out of focus as they try to rebuild their company. So New Japan is exciting as all hell and has come out of the early 00s MMA debacle with their heads held high.
So I'm just going to post some pictures I've found from Puroresu sources that I like for one reason or another.
Poster Boy KENTA
ULTRAMAN Tanahashi & ULTRAMAN Kanemoto
G1 Winner Kojima
Not Puroresu, but Japanese. WWE done in Final Fantasy SNES style
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Definitely a Twitter Quitter
I thought for once I was ahead of the curve when I signed up for Twitter. It was largely used by foreigners and geeks. Then it passed me by and became something far more than for what I was using the service. So it doesn't really hurt me to say that today I become a "Twitter Quitter".
There are legitimate uses for Twitter I'm sure, but I've never had one.
Just one of those things I tried for a while and never really went anywhere with.
There are legitimate uses for Twitter I'm sure, but I've never had one.
Just one of those things I tried for a while and never really went anywhere with.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Kojima the King
In what has to be considered a bit of an upset, Satoshi Kojima won the G1 Climax yesterday.
If you had read my pre-G1 post then you would know that I considered Kojima an outsider without much of a chance to make an impact. I assumed his time in AJPW would put him at a lower rung when he made his return to the Lion ring. How very, very wrong I was. Coming off a recent Triple Crown reign it seems that even in his growing age his success can't be come up short. He defeated both Hirooki Goto and Hiroshi Tanahashi in a single night to become the 2010 G1 Climax winner.
Kojima now returns to New Japan as a triumphant prodigal son. An instant contender for the IWGP Championship and a fresh face at the top of the card for New Japan. Some interesting matchups open up with his return, including rematches with Tanahashi and Goto. In so many cases the outsider was simply a strong hurdle for the "sekigun" to defeat in order to propel them to greater glory. There were no New Japan defenders that could bear the flag and an outsider has won the G1 for the first time ever. Certainly it's not an outsider like Shiozaki or Akiyama since Kojima started his career in New Japan, but it's a huge upset anyway.
Many had thought that Satoshi Kojima was reaching, or in fact well past, his glory years. Two Triple Crown and and IWGP reign behind him as well as Champion's Carnival and Fire Festival wins were thought to be as much as he would get. Maybe a few title matches, sure, but nothing like what happened. He still has the talent that made him famous though he is moving into the respected veteran ranks as opposed to (relatively) young upstart. In the modern New Japan landscape he's practically the elder statesman.
I've always been a fan of Satoshi Kojima since the first time I saw him, which oddly enough was in American promotion MLW. His match against... somebody... for the MLW Heavyweight title was really good. It was just about the time I was first getting into Puroresu and Kojima floored me. He had crazy entrance attire which included a 3/4 face mask, insane electronic music, an intensity in the ring I'd never seen, and of course an amazing name! I was a fan of Cozy Kojima from that match on.
New Japan is going to be interesting in the next few months. Kojima will stake his claim on the title as Makabe continues his badassery at the top. Nakamura and Tanahashi will continue to try and lead the company. Goto, Makabe, Nagata, Devitt and the rest will make their impact. The matches will be pretty damn good. I've heard the Nakamura vs Shiozaki draw at the night of the final was one of the matches of the tournament so a rematch is a no-brainer.
If you had read my pre-G1 post then you would know that I considered Kojima an outsider without much of a chance to make an impact. I assumed his time in AJPW would put him at a lower rung when he made his return to the Lion ring. How very, very wrong I was. Coming off a recent Triple Crown reign it seems that even in his growing age his success can't be come up short. He defeated both Hirooki Goto and Hiroshi Tanahashi in a single night to become the 2010 G1 Climax winner.
Kojima now returns to New Japan as a triumphant prodigal son. An instant contender for the IWGP Championship and a fresh face at the top of the card for New Japan. Some interesting matchups open up with his return, including rematches with Tanahashi and Goto. In so many cases the outsider was simply a strong hurdle for the "sekigun" to defeat in order to propel them to greater glory. There were no New Japan defenders that could bear the flag and an outsider has won the G1 for the first time ever. Certainly it's not an outsider like Shiozaki or Akiyama since Kojima started his career in New Japan, but it's a huge upset anyway.
Many had thought that Satoshi Kojima was reaching, or in fact well past, his glory years. Two Triple Crown and and IWGP reign behind him as well as Champion's Carnival and Fire Festival wins were thought to be as much as he would get. Maybe a few title matches, sure, but nothing like what happened. He still has the talent that made him famous though he is moving into the respected veteran ranks as opposed to (relatively) young upstart. In the modern New Japan landscape he's practically the elder statesman.
I've always been a fan of Satoshi Kojima since the first time I saw him, which oddly enough was in American promotion MLW. His match against... somebody... for the MLW Heavyweight title was really good. It was just about the time I was first getting into Puroresu and Kojima floored me. He had crazy entrance attire which included a 3/4 face mask, insane electronic music, an intensity in the ring I'd never seen, and of course an amazing name! I was a fan of Cozy Kojima from that match on.
New Japan is going to be interesting in the next few months. Kojima will stake his claim on the title as Makabe continues his badassery at the top. Nakamura and Tanahashi will continue to try and lead the company. Goto, Makabe, Nagata, Devitt and the rest will make their impact. The matches will be pretty damn good. I've heard the Nakamura vs Shiozaki draw at the night of the final was one of the matches of the tournament so a rematch is a no-brainer.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
ReFail
Retail. It's the dirtiest word I know. May as well lop off those first three letters and give them away to some other word. Retard... retire... they can have them. The important part of retail is those last three letters. Plop an F in front of them and you've got the real meaning of the word. If you end up in retail you are a failure.
It's unskilled work. In fact it's the peak of unskilled work. It's unskilled people being run by management lacking in the field of people management. Or in common terms, a clusterfuck.
The customers are doddering idiots with the most inane questions. They make the job an even greater hell than normal. If you have to deal directly with customers you know that it's only the dregs of society that ever make themselves heard. And, oh my fucking shitting god, do they ever make themselves heard.
Unheralded and put down for every task you complete. Promised promotions that never come are sort of a guarantee. Everybody hates everyone else since it's the job that most of those gossipy idiots you remember from high school ended up doing.
Do I ever wish that I was done with working in retail. Realistically I know I'll end up down that road at least one more time in my life. It's almost mentally easy how easy it is to get a job in that "field". Unless they think you're too good for the job, which most of the places I apply do.
If it's what I gotta do, then I'll do it. You're only a failure until you succeed.
I'm not really bitching here I'm just saying. I was thinking how much I hate refail. This aren't whiny exaggerations but observations from the job I did and will most likely do again.
It's unskilled work. In fact it's the peak of unskilled work. It's unskilled people being run by management lacking in the field of people management. Or in common terms, a clusterfuck.
The customers are doddering idiots with the most inane questions. They make the job an even greater hell than normal. If you have to deal directly with customers you know that it's only the dregs of society that ever make themselves heard. And, oh my fucking shitting god, do they ever make themselves heard.
Unheralded and put down for every task you complete. Promised promotions that never come are sort of a guarantee. Everybody hates everyone else since it's the job that most of those gossipy idiots you remember from high school ended up doing.
Do I ever wish that I was done with working in retail. Realistically I know I'll end up down that road at least one more time in my life. It's almost mentally easy how easy it is to get a job in that "field". Unless they think you're too good for the job, which most of the places I apply do.
If it's what I gotta do, then I'll do it. You're only a failure until you succeed.
I'm not really bitching here I'm just saying. I was thinking how much I hate refail. This aren't whiny exaggerations but observations from the job I did and will most likely do again.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Photoblogging
I've really admired photo bloggers for a long time now. I have saved photos from as far back as 2001-2002 on my computer that I relentlessly stole from the very people I followed. I've been following some bloggers since before the word follow was so hip. Before Twitter and Facebook ever existed.
Photo blogs have provided me enjoyment for so many years. I aspired to become one myself on numerous occasions only to fall short. Or I would run out of steam. Plus I'm not a great photographer so that didn't help any. I eventually came to the conclusion that I don't live an interesting enough life to take photos on a regular basis. Then I thought I'd start taking photos on trips, only I stopped going on trips. When I did there wasn't much desire to take pictures over just enjoying being wherever I went.
I'm not so sure how to get myself to do something like that. I've tried. I have. It never happens. I have to be willing to go out on my own and just snap, snap, snap. That's not me at all. I want to experience it and write about it afterwards. Sometimes waaaaay afterwards.
There will never be a photo blog run by me unless something drastic changes. When my life changes in a big way, hopefully very soon, I will start up a new blog with a new direction. Maybe it will be a photo blog. Probably not though. I've long since come to the decision that I prefer to just let other people do the photo blogging for my indulgence. I'll always have a handful that I read regularly. It changes over time since blogs come and go like monkey powered sail boats in a river. Y'know?
It was just something that was on my mind and decided to write out my observations. I know what I like to let entertain me and I know what I actually want to try to create. Writing is what I do best so that's what I'll stick with. I've never been very successful at any visual medium whether it be pictures or videos.
Anything could happen though. I'm 27 and have a long way to go in life so who knows what will happen.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Friday the 13th and a List
Today is Friday the 13th as often happens during the normal calendar year. It's also August 13th which makes it my mother's birthday today, my niece's birthday tomorrow and my birthday 3 days ago. I turned 27. It was uneventful and slightly depressing.
I went to a zoo at the very bottom of Maine yesterday with the Ashes. The York Zoo. The animals were all pretty lazy which meant there wasn't much to see except some bored looking monkeys, lemurs and birds. Plus a dinosaur. Well it was a giant bird that really highlighted the link between dinosaurs and birds for the first time in my life. Usually when I heard that statistic I'd shrug my shoulders and defer to those dinosaurologists wisdom, but whatever this bird was definitely highlighted the link. It had some raptor like feet/talons and a crest on it's head that looked like it could kill a bull. The prairie dogs were delightful too. Their futile digging and fighting was hilarious. It was some capital capering.
I also continued my futile quest for bubble tea when I went to the Portsmouth mall. It used to house a bubble tea kiosk in the food court but upon entering it was boarded up. I was so disappointed at this turn of events as my continued failure to get some bubble tea frustrates me endlessly. At least I got some Sarku.
Soccer season is almost here and it looks like Liverpool stand a fighting chance. I thought the team was going to be torn apart due to the change in ownership. All the big names stayed which means that a strong campaign is still a possibility. Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham look like the top contenders with Liverpool. Should be an exciting season.
The J-League season is into the second half, speaking of soccer, and Shimizu S-Pulse competing with Kashima Antlers for the top spot. Hopefully Okazaki's brilliance can continue and there won't be a repeat of last seasons late drop of form. An Asian Champions League spot is looking likely and a J-League title is a complete possibility. Go S-Pulse!
Top Gear continues to be one of my new favorites on television. If you have BBC America make sure you watch an episode when its on. You don't have to like cars at all, lord knows I don't, to enjoy this show. It's a bit of British fun.
Stress is killing me right now. Nothing is going my way and all this fail is piling up and piling up. Won't last forever, though, and everybody has to through a storm to get to paradise. Something good will come from this. It's got to.
I don't really like 1st person shooter games. It's all anyone makes anymore and it's starting to bug me. Maybe in a few years we'll move beyond this stagnation of quality, different games or maybe we'll be mired in more shooters. It's hard to tell right now.
And now for something completely different.
A list.
Five Favorite Chinese Epics (WuXia)
5. The Warlords
4. House of Flying Daggers
3. Hero
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
1. Red Cliff
I went to a zoo at the very bottom of Maine yesterday with the Ashes. The York Zoo. The animals were all pretty lazy which meant there wasn't much to see except some bored looking monkeys, lemurs and birds. Plus a dinosaur. Well it was a giant bird that really highlighted the link between dinosaurs and birds for the first time in my life. Usually when I heard that statistic I'd shrug my shoulders and defer to those dinosaurologists wisdom, but whatever this bird was definitely highlighted the link. It had some raptor like feet/talons and a crest on it's head that looked like it could kill a bull. The prairie dogs were delightful too. Their futile digging and fighting was hilarious. It was some capital capering.
I also continued my futile quest for bubble tea when I went to the Portsmouth mall. It used to house a bubble tea kiosk in the food court but upon entering it was boarded up. I was so disappointed at this turn of events as my continued failure to get some bubble tea frustrates me endlessly. At least I got some Sarku.
Soccer season is almost here and it looks like Liverpool stand a fighting chance. I thought the team was going to be torn apart due to the change in ownership. All the big names stayed which means that a strong campaign is still a possibility. Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham look like the top contenders with Liverpool. Should be an exciting season.
The J-League season is into the second half, speaking of soccer, and Shimizu S-Pulse competing with Kashima Antlers for the top spot. Hopefully Okazaki's brilliance can continue and there won't be a repeat of last seasons late drop of form. An Asian Champions League spot is looking likely and a J-League title is a complete possibility. Go S-Pulse!
Top Gear continues to be one of my new favorites on television. If you have BBC America make sure you watch an episode when its on. You don't have to like cars at all, lord knows I don't, to enjoy this show. It's a bit of British fun.
Stress is killing me right now. Nothing is going my way and all this fail is piling up and piling up. Won't last forever, though, and everybody has to through a storm to get to paradise. Something good will come from this. It's got to.
I don't really like 1st person shooter games. It's all anyone makes anymore and it's starting to bug me. Maybe in a few years we'll move beyond this stagnation of quality, different games or maybe we'll be mired in more shooters. It's hard to tell right now.
And now for something completely different.
A list.
Five Favorite Chinese Epics (WuXia)
5. The Warlords
4. House of Flying Daggers
3. Hero
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
1. Red Cliff
Saturday, August 7, 2010
G1 Climax 2010
It’s August now which means it’s time for the biggest pro wrestling tournament of the year, the New Japan Pro Wrestling G1 Climax.
Though wrestling isn’t a form of entertainment that holds much interest for me anymore, I still follow Japanese wrestling religiously. This is one of the most exciting weeks in the Japanese wrestling calendar since new stars are made and classic matches always happen.
Since 1991 this tournament has been the high point of the summer in terms of wrestling. Even when the company had it’s disastrous flirtation with MMA in the early 2000s, the G1 was still able to be a showcase of Strong Style and the spirit of wrestling. Since one on one matchups are a bit rare in Japan and usually saved for special occasions. The G1 is one of those times where special one-off matches take place. There are always upsets every year. A top star will drop his opening match to a young lion then go on to win the rest of his matches, meaning the young lion looks strong and the star doesn’t seem any weaker. The G1 is when these New Japan stars really shine, determined to make an impression on the fans and the company in order to secure their future. Only the January 4th Tokyo Dome show can even compare to the atmosphere of the G1.
The last two years have seen upsets in the final winner. Two years ago it was the young lion Hirooki Goto, fresh from his excursion to Mexico, who went on to win the tournament. It was unprecedented for a young lion that hadn’t even made it to a secure spot on the midcard to take the prestigious G1. It turned out for the best since Goto now leads NJPW Sekigun against the heels and outsiders, alongside Hiroshi Tanahashi of course. Last year it was Togi Makabe picking up the unlikely win over Shinsuke Nakamura in the final. It had seemed to be Nakamura’s year to win. He was the ace of the company, he hadn’t won the tournament before, he had several IWGP reigns behind him, he had gone undefeated through the preliminaries and it was his time. That is what made Makabe’s win all the more important. It set up a top-level heel by dashing everyone’s hopes and expectations. Rarely does a heel win the G1 as the tournament either cements or creates a company ace. Last year it created a top villain. As Togi Makabe is the current IWGP champion and gets a huge reaction, I’d say the plan worked.
This year we have a lot of strong contenders to look at, from former champions to top outsiders. I’ll group them and discuss their prospects.
THE ACES
Hiroshi Tanahashi
He’s the face of NJPW right now and has returned from several recent injuries to be in this tournament. Not likely to get to the end but will have a strong showing that he can build off in order to get back to the top of the card after his injuries.
Hirooki Goto
His momentum is huge at the moment it seems. He won two years ago and turned that into major success. Might make the semis and might not. He’s doing well enough on his own not to need the win. It wouldn’t hurt him to win and would certainly mean a title reign by the end of the year. I just don’t think he’ll need the win to continue his success.
Shinsuke Nakamura - My pick to win the whole tournament. I think he’ll start off weak and then go undefeated all the way to the final. He’s going to make a showing for sure. The most important New Japan star that hasn’t won the G1. It’s his time. Hell it was his time last year, but that was fine as I’ve said. This time it’s Nakamura’s year to win. He’s one of the most visible stars in New Japan and that always equates to success.
THE YOUNG LIONS
Tetsuya Naito - He’s one half of the tag champions and has been more successful than young lions 10 years ago. Not likely to get higher than midtable in his group. He’ll be an impact in a few years, but won’t manage much this time.
Yujiro Takahashi - Naito’s partner will fare about the same. Probably will go bottom of the group. Don’t expect too much from this young lion just yet. Watch out down the line, though.
THE OUTSIDERS
Satoshi Kojima - Surprise inclusion this year as he makes his G1 return after just leaving AJPW. Outside wrestlers never win the tournament, wouldn’t make sense. Sometimes they make the finals and lose to make a winner look strong against other feds, but that’s it. Don’t think he’ll make the final this year. If he’s in New Japan, he’ll have to start from the middle.
Go Shiozaki - If an outsider had a chance to make the finals it would be Shiozaki. He probably won’t, though, as NOAH and New Japan aren’t really feuding. Likely he’s just their to focus on the Tanahashi-Shiozaki feud. Maybe make the finals, maybe make the semis.
THE JUNIORS
Prince Devitt - The Irish sensation is setting New Japan on fire recently. He’s one of the token juniors that made the G1, though he was a last minute replacement for Naomichi Marufuji. Like all juniors in the G1 (except Koji Kanemoto that one time) he isn’t far. Devitt IS the junior division right now so it won’t hurt him to do poorly in the heavyweight-centric division.
Wataru Inoue - I still consider him a junior. Not going to do well at all. Doesn’t have a great record against heavyweights. Filler, really. He’ll compete with Yujiro for bottom of his block.
THE FOREIGNERS
Giant Bernard - The top foreigner in New Japan since Scott Norton, even bigger than Sapp or Lesnar (Bernard is sticking around and making an impact, rather than fucking no-showing title matches). If any of the foreigners are going to get far it’s going to be Bernard. He’s never going to win the thing but he could certainly be in the finals. He has won the New Japan Cup in the past but is unlikely to win the big one. He’ll make a great impact.
Strong Man - I don’t even know who this is, and I don’t care. He’s pure filler. I’m sure they could’ve found someone better to take his spot but there it is. He’ll lose and never be seen again.
Karl Anderson - The Machine Gun is Bernard’s number 2 in the company. He’s made a name for himself by winning the tag titles with Bernard. In this tournament he might get a win or two but nothing more.
THE VETERANS
Yuji Nagata - The Blue Justice leader is always a strong contender in these tournaments. He won in 2001 I believe and has had two reigns as champion and was the ace in the early 2000s. Past his prime now for sure, but that doesn’t mean a thing when it comes to this tournament. Though recent trends in Japan have shifted towards youngsters, the tradition in the company is that the veterans are the winners. Age = strength. Simple as that. Chono won a few years ago and he wasn’t favored at all due to age. What I’m saying is that I think Nagata has a chance to win this. It could propel him towards a match with Makabe and could lead to a third IWGP reign or a solid defense for Makabe. I think he’s got a chance.
Manabu Nakanishi - Won the G1 in 2000 but never won the title until 2008 (or was it 2009?) so he has a history of success. Doesn’t have a lot of momentum right now and is getting older, but neither of those mean a thing as a G1 win could turn everything around. I’m not sure he wins it this time, but maybe he will 10 years after winning his first one. Or he could be a solid opponent and wall in the semis for one of the finalists. Whatever happens I’m sure he’ll do well.
THE VILLAINS
Togi Makabe - Last years winner and the current champion. He won’t win it because that wouldn’t make any sense. The tournament creates a challenger for the champion, so having the champ win the thing would be counterproductive. He’ll definitely look good coming out of the tournament but won’t win it. Has no chance.
Toru Yano - I’ve always liked Yano. He’s that sort of heel that is like a street thug. He has an attitude and you don’t fuck with him. He’s always scowling too. He has a permanent scowl! Sadly he’s not due to make it to the top at any point in his career. It’ll be tag reigns and midcard feuds with other stars. He’ll make the mid-table, maybe lower, this year and won’t even have a sniff of the overall win. It won’t stop him though since he doesn’t even need wins to keep up his place.
That’s it for the contenders. Check out Strong Style Symphony for daily updates on all the action. It’s the best New Japan website and the one I personally go to. I’ll be back after the tournament to talk about the winner.
BOM-BA-YE!!!!
Though wrestling isn’t a form of entertainment that holds much interest for me anymore, I still follow Japanese wrestling religiously. This is one of the most exciting weeks in the Japanese wrestling calendar since new stars are made and classic matches always happen.
Since 1991 this tournament has been the high point of the summer in terms of wrestling. Even when the company had it’s disastrous flirtation with MMA in the early 2000s, the G1 was still able to be a showcase of Strong Style and the spirit of wrestling. Since one on one matchups are a bit rare in Japan and usually saved for special occasions. The G1 is one of those times where special one-off matches take place. There are always upsets every year. A top star will drop his opening match to a young lion then go on to win the rest of his matches, meaning the young lion looks strong and the star doesn’t seem any weaker. The G1 is when these New Japan stars really shine, determined to make an impression on the fans and the company in order to secure their future. Only the January 4th Tokyo Dome show can even compare to the atmosphere of the G1.
The last two years have seen upsets in the final winner. Two years ago it was the young lion Hirooki Goto, fresh from his excursion to Mexico, who went on to win the tournament. It was unprecedented for a young lion that hadn’t even made it to a secure spot on the midcard to take the prestigious G1. It turned out for the best since Goto now leads NJPW Sekigun against the heels and outsiders, alongside Hiroshi Tanahashi of course. Last year it was Togi Makabe picking up the unlikely win over Shinsuke Nakamura in the final. It had seemed to be Nakamura’s year to win. He was the ace of the company, he hadn’t won the tournament before, he had several IWGP reigns behind him, he had gone undefeated through the preliminaries and it was his time. That is what made Makabe’s win all the more important. It set up a top-level heel by dashing everyone’s hopes and expectations. Rarely does a heel win the G1 as the tournament either cements or creates a company ace. Last year it created a top villain. As Togi Makabe is the current IWGP champion and gets a huge reaction, I’d say the plan worked.
This year we have a lot of strong contenders to look at, from former champions to top outsiders. I’ll group them and discuss their prospects.
THE ACES
Hiroshi Tanahashi
He’s the face of NJPW right now and has returned from several recent injuries to be in this tournament. Not likely to get to the end but will have a strong showing that he can build off in order to get back to the top of the card after his injuries.
Hirooki Goto
His momentum is huge at the moment it seems. He won two years ago and turned that into major success. Might make the semis and might not. He’s doing well enough on his own not to need the win. It wouldn’t hurt him to win and would certainly mean a title reign by the end of the year. I just don’t think he’ll need the win to continue his success.
Shinsuke Nakamura - My pick to win the whole tournament. I think he’ll start off weak and then go undefeated all the way to the final. He’s going to make a showing for sure. The most important New Japan star that hasn’t won the G1. It’s his time. Hell it was his time last year, but that was fine as I’ve said. This time it’s Nakamura’s year to win. He’s one of the most visible stars in New Japan and that always equates to success.
THE YOUNG LIONS
Tetsuya Naito - He’s one half of the tag champions and has been more successful than young lions 10 years ago. Not likely to get higher than midtable in his group. He’ll be an impact in a few years, but won’t manage much this time.
Yujiro Takahashi - Naito’s partner will fare about the same. Probably will go bottom of the group. Don’t expect too much from this young lion just yet. Watch out down the line, though.
THE OUTSIDERS
Satoshi Kojima - Surprise inclusion this year as he makes his G1 return after just leaving AJPW. Outside wrestlers never win the tournament, wouldn’t make sense. Sometimes they make the finals and lose to make a winner look strong against other feds, but that’s it. Don’t think he’ll make the final this year. If he’s in New Japan, he’ll have to start from the middle.
Go Shiozaki - If an outsider had a chance to make the finals it would be Shiozaki. He probably won’t, though, as NOAH and New Japan aren’t really feuding. Likely he’s just their to focus on the Tanahashi-Shiozaki feud. Maybe make the finals, maybe make the semis.
THE JUNIORS
Prince Devitt - The Irish sensation is setting New Japan on fire recently. He’s one of the token juniors that made the G1, though he was a last minute replacement for Naomichi Marufuji. Like all juniors in the G1 (except Koji Kanemoto that one time) he isn’t far. Devitt IS the junior division right now so it won’t hurt him to do poorly in the heavyweight-centric division.
Wataru Inoue - I still consider him a junior. Not going to do well at all. Doesn’t have a great record against heavyweights. Filler, really. He’ll compete with Yujiro for bottom of his block.
THE FOREIGNERS
Giant Bernard - The top foreigner in New Japan since Scott Norton, even bigger than Sapp or Lesnar (Bernard is sticking around and making an impact, rather than fucking no-showing title matches). If any of the foreigners are going to get far it’s going to be Bernard. He’s never going to win the thing but he could certainly be in the finals. He has won the New Japan Cup in the past but is unlikely to win the big one. He’ll make a great impact.
Strong Man - I don’t even know who this is, and I don’t care. He’s pure filler. I’m sure they could’ve found someone better to take his spot but there it is. He’ll lose and never be seen again.
Karl Anderson - The Machine Gun is Bernard’s number 2 in the company. He’s made a name for himself by winning the tag titles with Bernard. In this tournament he might get a win or two but nothing more.
THE VETERANS
Yuji Nagata - The Blue Justice leader is always a strong contender in these tournaments. He won in 2001 I believe and has had two reigns as champion and was the ace in the early 2000s. Past his prime now for sure, but that doesn’t mean a thing when it comes to this tournament. Though recent trends in Japan have shifted towards youngsters, the tradition in the company is that the veterans are the winners. Age = strength. Simple as that. Chono won a few years ago and he wasn’t favored at all due to age. What I’m saying is that I think Nagata has a chance to win this. It could propel him towards a match with Makabe and could lead to a third IWGP reign or a solid defense for Makabe. I think he’s got a chance.
Manabu Nakanishi - Won the G1 in 2000 but never won the title until 2008 (or was it 2009?) so he has a history of success. Doesn’t have a lot of momentum right now and is getting older, but neither of those mean a thing as a G1 win could turn everything around. I’m not sure he wins it this time, but maybe he will 10 years after winning his first one. Or he could be a solid opponent and wall in the semis for one of the finalists. Whatever happens I’m sure he’ll do well.
THE VILLAINS
Togi Makabe - Last years winner and the current champion. He won’t win it because that wouldn’t make any sense. The tournament creates a challenger for the champion, so having the champ win the thing would be counterproductive. He’ll definitely look good coming out of the tournament but won’t win it. Has no chance.
Toru Yano - I’ve always liked Yano. He’s that sort of heel that is like a street thug. He has an attitude and you don’t fuck with him. He’s always scowling too. He has a permanent scowl! Sadly he’s not due to make it to the top at any point in his career. It’ll be tag reigns and midcard feuds with other stars. He’ll make the mid-table, maybe lower, this year and won’t even have a sniff of the overall win. It won’t stop him though since he doesn’t even need wins to keep up his place.
That’s it for the contenders. Check out Strong Style Symphony for daily updates on all the action. It’s the best New Japan website and the one I personally go to. I’ll be back after the tournament to talk about the winner.
BOM-BA-YE!!!!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Big Moving Blowout
I've been promising this post for days and I suppose it's about time for me to get around to actually writing it. It's been nearly three weeks since my last post, the first two weeks being mandated by my loss of internet and the last week... well.
The last two weeks living in the apartment drove me near insanity. I was trapped at the apartment all day since Ashes had sold her car and required mine in order to work, the internet and cable was out which meant I lost 2/3 of my entertainment. That right there would be enough to drive an electronics junkie like me to craziness or alcoholism. I avoided both, somehow, and managed to fill my time by reading and playing games. I watched a few movies
thanks to our subscription to Netflix which we have renewed at just the right time. I had Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility for the wii that kept me occupied for a straight week in July. It was a hot, miserable time but I got through it. Then we moved.
The first of the month was our official moving day. We had to empty our apartment and move on with our lives. More on that later. The moving itself wasn't stressful as we managed to move a lot of the bulk over the previous week. On the first it took us five car trips and two trips with Ashes' parents SUV in order to get everything out of the apartment. Fortunately we threw away some of the more nasty objects, such as the couch and the kitchen table. It was a long, long, hot, tiring day. At the end of it we just collapsed and went to sleep, not even bothering to sort out the mess or hook up any electronic entertainment. We had moved. Leaving the empty shell of the place I had called home for a year was weird but necessary. Money, y'know.
So here I am now, sitting in the front room of my parents house with an apartment load of shit encroaching from all sides. I've been left just staring at the walls several times, wondering what the hell is going to happen in the near future. I've always had a future goal to shoot towards. Now I don't. I don't have a near future, short term goal except find work. That's a complicated process on it's own right. So I sit here, still without a job, my mind gradually fading into madness and wonder what to do. The answer doesn't come and it's depressing. Very depressing. I'll soldier on because I know that after hardship comes success. I'll make that success happen. I think I've found some determination in the last few days. Or maybe I've found my downfall. I'm living in the same room as when I was pre-10. I'm a burden on my parents again at age 27 (next week) and I'm taking up more of their ever limited space. I want to move on soon, I really do, but it's hard to uproot your entire life with no prospects.
By September 1st we'll be resolved on a course of action. If Ashes doesn't get any of her teaching jobs in Southern Maine we'll head for western Massachusetts, because that's our easiest or best option right now. I'm not sure which. At least that's the plan for now. I think. Can't be certain right now.
I'm going to cut this short since I could keep going on forever about this, which would get increasingly depressing and probably bum all of my readers out. Whatever we do, wherever we end up it is going to take effort and time to get to our goals. So for now I'll sit in my parents house and work on getting my life back in order. Plus I've got Ashes, provided she doesn't get so fed up with me from being in such close proximity to me all the time that she runs away. I don't think that'll happen.
Shaun of the Dead t0-do list
1. Go round mum's (check)
2. Get Liz back (ummm, not check. not applicable)
3. Sort out life (work in process)
Tomorrow I'll leave all this behind and write something more interesting up. Like my thoughts on the G1 Climax which has just started in New Japan Pro wrestling. GO NAKAMURA. Or Tanahashi or Shiozaki or Naito... or Nagata or Nakanishi or Yujiro. They have a really likable roster, don't they?? Tomorrow, that's a topic for tomorrow.
Link of the post time now. It's Tokyo Times, yet another photoblog from Japan. Why do I like these types of sites and showcase them so much? They are a small window into another part of the world I love so much. It's escapism, really. A window into another life in another land. Stuff of dreams. This photographer often posts only a single picture in a post, but they're good ones.
The last two weeks living in the apartment drove me near insanity. I was trapped at the apartment all day since Ashes had sold her car and required mine in order to work, the internet and cable was out which meant I lost 2/3 of my entertainment. That right there would be enough to drive an electronics junkie like me to craziness or alcoholism. I avoided both, somehow, and managed to fill my time by reading and playing games. I watched a few movies
thanks to our subscription to Netflix which we have renewed at just the right time. I had Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility for the wii that kept me occupied for a straight week in July. It was a hot, miserable time but I got through it. Then we moved.
The first of the month was our official moving day. We had to empty our apartment and move on with our lives. More on that later. The moving itself wasn't stressful as we managed to move a lot of the bulk over the previous week. On the first it took us five car trips and two trips with Ashes' parents SUV in order to get everything out of the apartment. Fortunately we threw away some of the more nasty objects, such as the couch and the kitchen table. It was a long, long, hot, tiring day. At the end of it we just collapsed and went to sleep, not even bothering to sort out the mess or hook up any electronic entertainment. We had moved. Leaving the empty shell of the place I had called home for a year was weird but necessary. Money, y'know.
So here I am now, sitting in the front room of my parents house with an apartment load of shit encroaching from all sides. I've been left just staring at the walls several times, wondering what the hell is going to happen in the near future. I've always had a future goal to shoot towards. Now I don't. I don't have a near future, short term goal except find work. That's a complicated process on it's own right. So I sit here, still without a job, my mind gradually fading into madness and wonder what to do. The answer doesn't come and it's depressing. Very depressing. I'll soldier on because I know that after hardship comes success. I'll make that success happen. I think I've found some determination in the last few days. Or maybe I've found my downfall. I'm living in the same room as when I was pre-10. I'm a burden on my parents again at age 27 (next week) and I'm taking up more of their ever limited space. I want to move on soon, I really do, but it's hard to uproot your entire life with no prospects.
By September 1st we'll be resolved on a course of action. If Ashes doesn't get any of her teaching jobs in Southern Maine we'll head for western Massachusetts, because that's our easiest or best option right now. I'm not sure which. At least that's the plan for now. I think. Can't be certain right now.
I'm going to cut this short since I could keep going on forever about this, which would get increasingly depressing and probably bum all of my readers out. Whatever we do, wherever we end up it is going to take effort and time to get to our goals. So for now I'll sit in my parents house and work on getting my life back in order. Plus I've got Ashes, provided she doesn't get so fed up with me from being in such close proximity to me all the time that she runs away. I don't think that'll happen.
Shaun of the Dead t0-do list
1. Go round mum's (check)
2. Get Liz back (ummm, not check. not applicable)
3. Sort out life (work in process)
Tomorrow I'll leave all this behind and write something more interesting up. Like my thoughts on the G1 Climax which has just started in New Japan Pro wrestling. GO NAKAMURA. Or Tanahashi or Shiozaki or Naito... or Nagata or Nakanishi or Yujiro. They have a really likable roster, don't they?? Tomorrow, that's a topic for tomorrow.
Link of the post time now. It's Tokyo Times, yet another photoblog from Japan. Why do I like these types of sites and showcase them so much? They are a small window into another part of the world I love so much. It's escapism, really. A window into another life in another land. Stuff of dreams. This photographer often posts only a single picture in a post, but they're good ones.
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