Cosplay (コスプレ kosupure), a contraction (or portmanteau) of the English words “costume” and “play”, is a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from manga, anime, tokusatsu, and video games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action television shows, Japanese movies, or Japanese pop music bands
According to me: Cosplay is sublime, and occasionally hilarious.
The OS-tans are an Internet phenomenon on Futaba Channel; the OS-tan or simply OS Girls are the personification of several operating systems (OSes), most famously Windows, by various amateur Japanese artists. A pure fan creation, the appearance of each OS-tan is generally consistent across artists. OSes are almost always portrayed as women, the Windows girls usually as sisters, despite sometimes seeming the same age.
There’s even a cartoon about these cartoons called Troubled Windows. DANJ has links to the original Troubled Windows Flash movie and mp3 of the song. There’s a subbed version somewhere on this page. Wow.
I can’t believe I’m giving up the Internet for Lent.
There are toy collectors, and then there’s superstar illustrator Coop. Skullbrain.org posted an 18 minute video interview with Coop. You get to see Coop’s massive, unboxed collection. It’s more than awesome, it’s… Wabi Sabi!
Makes me wish I had my own house so I could fill it with crazy Japanese toys. Maybe that’s a goal to shoot for?
Google Video is down at the moment for reasons unknown. Maybe the party is over. If any of the Google Video links or embedded videos on my site aren’t working, that’s why.
Aunt Irma Visits
The arrival of Jen’s “lady time of the month” has unexpected consequences for the office. Jen’s in a bad mood, Moss feels weird, Roy bursts into tears, and even Richmond’s been feeling gloomy. The only cure is to have a big girly night out with scented candles and Dirty Dancing saves the day, before cutting a rug at the office party…
February 25, 2006 at 1:15 pm
· Filed under Nutrition
As I’ve said before, the ethnic foods section of the supermarket is a great place to find bargains. It’s also a good place to find non-carbonated beverages that have origins in Asian countries.
Yeo’s Vietnamese Style Soymilk is very tasty. It tastes like regular soymilk (which is really soyjuice because it doesn’t come from a mammal), but it’s sweeter and less thick. It really is delicious, and I could imagine drinking it chilled with ice in either New Jersey or Vietnam.
White Gourd Juice tasted like sugar water. There wasn’t any flavor to distinguish it from ordinary sugar water, so I really can’t recommend it (unless you are a hummingbird).
February 25, 2006 at 1:07 pm
· Filed under Nutrition
Easter is 43 or so days away and the Easter candy has been in the supermarket for a least a week. I’m not supposed to eat candy, but I do on special occasions, like when the Peeps arrive at the supermarket. Peeps, for the uninitiated, are marshmallow formed in the shape of a chick or bunny, which is then coated with colored sugar. There is no reason to eat a Peep unless you are child, or an adult with no taste and a devil may care attitude about contracting diabetes.
You have 3 days before lent starts: go out and buy a pack of Peeps and consume them while they’re still fresh.
Video: Blood on the Carpet is a hilarious commercial for the Mortal Combat Shaolin Monks video game. Helps if you’ve played the game or attended a business meeting.
I’m currently suffering from gout, a painful disease caused by a build up of uric acid crystals in my foot region. Apparently I’ve been eating too much buffalo meat chilli, pork, and fish. Most people get it in the big toe — I get it in the part of the foot where the ankle meets the toe bones.
In the 80’s, Los Angeles was the place to get signed if you were a metal band. In the early 90’s, Seattle’s grunge sound ruled the airwaves. In the mid to late 90’s Detroit produced Eminem, Kid Rock, the White Stripes and others. So, what city will be the next L.A., Seattle or Detroit? I bet it won’t be a brick and mortar city; it will be MySpace. MySpace has over 40 million users (probably more like 8-10 million) — that’s bigger than any city on the planet, and unlike a many cities, where people go home, lock their doors and never speak to their neighbors, MySpace members actually communicate and network. News about a great new band or song could spread in a matter of days, instead of months or years. The implications are both terrifying and sublime.
