Why I Prefer Tuesdays

“Lucky Star” episodes are subbed (thanks yous a.f.k.!) and available for viewing (read: torrent lovin’) every Tuesday (at least, that’s what I’ve been told and I don’t bother checking on Monday night). This series, although consisting mostly of conversation between a group of teenage Japanese schoolgirls, just does it for me. I don’t know whether this is a schoolgirl-fetish in the making or just the fact that this show is so different from the other stuff I like to watch (see Mythbusters, The Colbert Report, and anything conspiracy fanatical).
Last week’s tribute to otaku and anime convention behavior was a real laugh for me because I sort of identify with that kind of stuff. Have you seen my Gundam collection? What about my Yu-Gi-Oh card collection (before they got steal-ded)? I’ve always wanted to go to Anime North and maybe I will next year if I can get veterans (Queenie and Joshua, I’m looking at you guys) to take me there so I don’t get spawn-pwn’t.
This week’s episode was also quite good (not as funny as last week’s IMO) but I simply loved the ending video that played during the credits. I even uploaded a copy (and I hope it doesn’t get taken down since it’s not my content). It’s Minoru Shiraishi, a male voice actor/minor character from the show, singing (and karate-ing) to “Hare Hare Yukai” from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (yes, the “Haruhi-Dance” song). Here’s the original song and dance from the anime too.

Light on a Hill v. 2.0 Beta Release

Here at TJCAC co. we like to treat our environment nicely by holding weekly get-togethers and treating our neighbors to some free food, live music, and car washes (saying that reminds me of that Canadian Tire commercial with the man pressure stripping the paint off of his car). We’ve even got arts and crafts for the little ones. Last year, we managed to come out and have a pretty sweet showing every Wednesday evening/night (starting at seven o’ clock or so) and so we’re going for the same thing again this year.
So this has been my shameless plug for LoaH 2007 and if you are at all interested in having something to do on Hump Day evenings (other than what you’d normally have planned for Hump Day) then come out and have a burger.
Note: TJCAC can be found at 9950 Sheppard, just east of Meadowvale. It’s a giant red bricked building (that looks every bit the church with its high top and chiseled orange steps…) after an open field of nothing. You can’t miss it.

What I’ve Done

Linkin Park, although not being very blatantly religious, does manage to sound so very often. Have at the title for a listen.

In this farewell, there’s no blood,
There’s no alibi, ‘cause I’ve drawn regret
From the truth of a thousand lies.

So let mercy come and wash away…
What I’ve done.

I’ll face myself,
To cross out what I’ve become.
Erase myself,
And let go of what I’ve done.

Put to rest what you thought of me.
While I clean this slate
With the hands of uncertainty.

For what I’ve done, I start again.
And whatever pain may come…
Today this ends.
I’m forgiving what I’ve done.

What I’ve done,
Forgiving what I’ve done.
- Linkin Park, What I’ve Done

Amateur

Final Exam Season 2007

Next Monday will mark the beginning of exam week at VPCI and as I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve come down with something like an auto-immune problem. Nevertheless, here’s the run down:

• Monday – Exam Review Day = massive skippage
• Tuesday – Biology (2 h) at 9 am and Chemistry (1.5 h) at 1 pm
• Wednesday – No exam! Break day for sleep and some review I guess.
• Thursday – English (2 h) at 1 pm
• Friday – It’s the big one, Math (2 h) at 1 pm

So that’s what I’ve got lined up for the coming week. Tomorrow night I’ll be heading to Hosanna to have a night’s worth of guys’ sports without girls around (win win!). I’m actually quite glad we’re having a guys’ night since we never get to actually compete for real with girls around… (this opinion of mine is also why I could never play mixed for badminton).
We were reviewing old tests in Biology today and I was quite surprised to find my results weren’t half as bad as I’d thought (I’ve a terrible way of being relatively under-prepared for this class). Obviously, the marks weren’t amazing but really, I’d say I did quite well. I could’ve done better but sometimes I don’t really think it’s worth the extra effort.
While walking through Fairview Mall today with my good friend Shivon, I came up with a pretty neat idea. I’m not going to say what it is since I wouldn’t want to give away this kind of thing but I am pretty fortunate to have friends like Shivon (and Kishon, even though he’ll likely never read this) around to keep me company. I mean, they may not be the most tactful or comforting friends at times, but they sure are honest. Seeing as how I’ve shared maybe only 2 classes with Shivon in my entire high school career, I’m pretty surprised that he and I are good friends to this day (I tend to not keep friends with whom I don’t have things in common very well). I guess it’s all thanks to Frisbee and ranting about school stuff.
Speaking of Frisbee, I’ve joined the TUC and the Junior’s league in that club. Today was the second skills and training session of two but the first session I attended since I missed last week’s. League games start next week and we get our stuff (rulebook and more importantly, one of their 1337 standard size and weight Frisbees) next week too. Today’s scrimmage was pretty good and I think I played pretty well (not to mention the fact that my larynx burns when I breathe). See what I did there? I named the part that was on fire with Biology knowledge. These exams are going to be interesting. I just hope I get better sooner before later.

NOTE: Click title for Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” covered by Kanye West. This one was brought to my attention, rather appropriately, by Shivon so yeah, have fun.

For Fear of Sounding Gay…

I’m going to say the only reason I’m posting this song is that a few of my friends at school happen to like this band… Oh what can I say, I like em too.

I asked her to stay but she wouldn’t listen.
She left before I had the chance to say
The words that would mend the things that were broken.
But now it’s far too late: she’s gone away.

Every night you cry yourself to sleep
Thinking: “Why does this happen to me?
Why does every moment have to be so hard?”
Hard to believe that…

It’s not over tonight,
Just give me one more chance to make it right.
I may not make it through the night,
But I won’t go home without you.

The taste of your breath, I’ll never get over.
The noises that you made kept me awake…
The weight of things that remained unspoken
Built up so much it crushed us everyday.

Of all the things I felt but never really shown,
Perhaps the worst is that I ever let you go.
I should not have ever let you go, oh oh oh…

It’s not over tonight,
Just give me one more chance to make it right.
I may not make it through the night,
But I won’t go home without you.
- Maroon 5 – Won’t Go Home Without You

As you soak in the mostly sad lyrics, check out this pic I took of my forearm while stretching it. You see those grooves? Those are killer aching right now.

info @ the P.Pole 06.11.07

I’ve finally gotten around to listening to some tracks by The Academy Is… after hearing lots of good things from everyone in the punk-scene. To be honest, they sound a bit like a more melancholy Fall Out Boy but I’m not complaining.

Don’t be so scared, we will not lead you on like you’ve been doing for weeks.
So you’re selfish, and I’m sorry.
When I’m gone you’ll be going nowhere fast.

Would you believe me if I said I didn’t need you?
‘Cause I wouldn’t believe you if you said the same to me.
And near death, last breath, and barely hanging on.
Would you believe me if I said I didn’t need you?

Don’t be so scared to take a second for reflection,
To take a leave of absence, see what you’re made of.
So I’m selfish, and you’re sorry.
When I’m gone you’ll be going nowhere fast.
So who’s selfish, and who’s sorry?

Someone, somewhere said some things that may have sparked some sympathy,
But don’t believe. Don’t believe a word you’ve heard about me.

Don’t be so scared. It’s harder for me.

Would you believe me if I said I didn’t need you?
‘Cause I wouldn’t believe you, wouldn’t believe you now.
- The Academy Is… – Skeptics And True Believers

There’s almost nothing worse than group partners who refuse to do their parts. The only thing I can think of is group members who refuse to do their parts and refuse to pay me back for material costs. I’m not gonna name any names but you people owe me money and time.

info @ the P.Pole 06.04.07

Today’s a special day because it’s the first info post of June as well as it being another 4th of ________ (month). Those have been special for awhile now and I’ve grown fond of commemorating them in small ways.

5 things that made me teary recently:

• watching the Team Hoyt video (see end of the post) that was part of the “ASK” sermon yesterday–I don’t even know how to begin describing how inspiring the story of this father and son is… watch the video and go to their site
• downing a glob of wasabi the size of half a large marshmallow at Starwalk Buffet last Friday to stay in and win an eating contest between myself and Henry
• yawning uncontrollably today during badminton at the club because I didn’t get enough sleep last night
• having to cut open the scrotum to reveal the testes (on my dissection pig at school)–I was the only one who could do it since David was squeamish and Amy, being the innocent little (and little as in petite) girl she is, wouldn’t know her way around these parts
• attending a Sunday baptismal service (Jessica Lu’s, no less) at Morningstar Fellowship church (at Morningside and Sheppard, formerly Churchill Heights Baptist Church)

Something about yesterday’s double whammy of Sunday services (first at TJCAC and then at Morningstar) made for a seemingly endless service. It was a good Sunday, a good day of renewal and refreshing of the soul’s viscera. Morningstar Fellowship has something that I think Jaffray is lacking… but I can’t place it exactly. Anyway, here’s the video I promised.

Cool Body Facts

So I have a habit of listening to my MP3 player with my left early only when I don’t have both buds plugged in. Of course I prefer having both in to just one, but if it’s got to be one only (for example, when I’ve got listen to Mr. Teacher give a lesson or something) I always have it in my left ear. It just seemed natural to me. Having just my right ear with a bud in it always sounded worse to me than my left ear, and apparently, this makes sense. According to a post on Lifehacker, your left ear’s better at picking up musical tones.
My hearing’s probably not as great as it used to be–due to the large amounts of rock music and BS that I tend to hear–but I can still hear the annoying buzzing mosquito ringtone mentioned in that same post. There are actually kids who turn it on during tests or exams to piss the hell out of other people knowing that, chances are, the teachers probably can’t hear it. Hey God, look at the cool things we can do with the brains given to us.

info @ the P.Pole 03.22.07

4 artists I recently discovered:

• Jem (“24” from the Finally Woken, thanks Gears of War OST)
• The Pillows (“Mighty Lovers” from My Foot)
• OK Go (“A Million Ways” from Oh No, thanks to Henry)
• Rie Fu (“Life is Like a Boat” from the Bleach OST, thanks to Amy)

Jem comes across as a harder sounding Frou Frou/Imogen Heap with more rock elements instead of synth. The Pillows, although terribly old according to Adwin, sound like a version of Asian Kung Fu Generation without the random non-single tracks that suck. Sorry to all AKFG fans out there, but really, I’m not a fan of the crap filler tracks on their albums. OK Go sounds like a nice break from the usual and plays well into my alternative, funky musical side. Rie Fu is there simply because… Bleach. C’mon! And she sounds decent in English which is surprising considering the other Japanese speaking artists out there. Not too much to look at but that’s not what a singer is about, right?