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Friday, June 24, 2005
Bits & Pieces
I sent in one freelance assignment about an hour ago and I need to finish another assignment right fucking now - but I'll need some sleep, clear my mental palette before jumping back to work.
Unfortunately, I've got enough caffeine in me to keep me awake for another hour or two, minimum.
So for the past hour I've been listening / watching my iPaq PVs and surfing the web.
Here's some random observations, just for the hell of it. Until the caffeine dissipates or whatever.
SugarBank is a great new blog about the adult entertainment industry that is wonderfully frank, wittily written, and highly informative. He also features PSP pics of women in various states of undress, which are nice but not necessary.
Idolizing St. Anna is expanding its focus and doing more general pieces about Japanese pop idols, starting with a look at how the industry works commercially. I'm liking this direction and hope he continues.
Speaking of Santos Anna and her blog there's a cute picture of her in a green dress - but all I could think is how pale she is behind the tan line. That said, I took the shot of her in concert with B3 and made it my new wallpaper for my main laptop. The shot is very washed out color-wise but I like it better than the group shot that's also on the blog. Anyway, this wallpaper replaced an old favorite, the one of SweetS sitting on a bed for the "Coundtown" single.
So I'm reading the new issue of Supreme Power and it opens in a strip club with the lyrics of a song that's very familiar... and I realize the song is Billy Joel's "The Stranger". And all I could think of as I read the rest of the comic is, Do strippers really perform to "The Stranger"?
Jarret at I'm bad at naming things continues to maintain that Konno is the prettiest member of Morning Musume. Good for him! Konno's always struck me as horribly underrated. I'm glad Jarret's making a point to look at different TV shows and comment on them - it gives his blog a solid, unique angle.
Over at Magical-Girl.com, Alice Lee has some interesting observations on this year's H!P Shuffle groups. The best line: "The theme this year seems to be jailbait vs barely legal vs retirement home aged groups."
My most dedicated commentator, Chris H, asks,
Since moving to Hawaii, I've been picking up photobooks on the cheap, so my collection of actual, physical photobooks is pretty scattered. I've got a nice one of Uehara Takako looking very sexy, a couple great ones of Speed, Nakazawa Yuko's Feather, some others... Ah, there's a Petit Moni photobook that's just about entirely of them in their "Baby! Koi ni Knock Out" costumes. Still has the trading cards and stickers and poster. Just a month ago I got the first Tsujikago photobook, which is a great find.
I have two photobooks which I love to bits, though.
The first and most precious is the second Morning Musume photobook (at least, I think it's the second) a hardcover about the size of a vinyl record where they visit some Southeast Asian country. It takes place after Asuka left and before Gocchin joined, so that's around "Manatsu no Kousen" and "Furusato". I think the best thing about this photobook is Ishiguro Aya and Ichii Sayaka. I love Ayappe and Sayaka, I think they both left Morning Musume too early and any photos of them - especially Ayappe - brightens my day. It also has a pre-blonde Mari, before she discovered the sexy beam and became a force to be reckoned with.
The second photobook is Peaceful Dream with the original Dream. As time passes, I grow increasingly convinced that the original Dream was the perfect Jpop group. The prettiest and among the most talented. I like the current Dream now - love them to bits, actually - but it's still about Yu and Kana, and I wish Mai'd come back. Anyway, this photobook is also vacation themed and while there's nothing very original or artistic or striking about the photography, the presence of these three girls is enough to make it very special.
If I buy any relatively new photobooks, it'd be one of three: 50W because I do adore Tsujikago, Konno Asami's photobook because she's so damn striking in it (not just in a bikini, either - the photographer knows how to make her cute in a schoolgirl outfit, have nicely dramatic close-ups, look wistful in a summer dress), or Berryz Koubo's first group photobook since I'm really developing a taste for their songs.
Oh, and I'm thinking of bribing people to post comments on this blog. The reasoning goes like this: I buy too much crap and if I can get rid of some of that crap, bring happiness to some random strangers, and generate traffic for this blog, wouldn't that be a trifecta of cool?
Now, don't start posting comments all of a sudden. If I do this (and that's still a big if), it'll be at the start of next month, maybe. I've got some hefty comic book hardcovers coming in and need to make space by then. But my bookshelves are filled to bursting and I'm thinking things like, Do I really need two copies of that Pinch Runner photobook? and Am I really going to re-read that She-Hulk trade paperback? and Just cuz I bought those Erica Sakurazawa romance manga for real cheap don't mean I have to hold onto them forever.
I have a history of collecting and dumping. Whenever my comic book collection hits over a certain number, I just give them back to my local comic shop at a fraction of the price. Did it right before I left Florida for Hawaii. Once, years ago in California, I actually left two long boxes of comic books on the front door of a comic shop before it opened. I just didn't want to deal with the people at the store and explain I didn't want those funnybooks anymore.
Not everyone who comments'd get something, because the postage would kill me. So it'd have to be a contest of some sort... which may be more work than I care to do, just for more comments.
Ah, it's the caffeine wearing off.
Post a Comment
Unfortunately, I've got enough caffeine in me to keep me awake for another hour or two, minimum.
So for the past hour I've been listening / watching my iPaq PVs and surfing the web.
Here's some random observations, just for the hell of it. Until the caffeine dissipates or whatever.
SugarBank is a great new blog about the adult entertainment industry that is wonderfully frank, wittily written, and highly informative. He also features PSP pics of women in various states of undress, which are nice but not necessary.
Idolizing St. Anna is expanding its focus and doing more general pieces about Japanese pop idols, starting with a look at how the industry works commercially. I'm liking this direction and hope he continues.
Speaking of Santos Anna and her blog there's a cute picture of her in a green dress - but all I could think is how pale she is behind the tan line. That said, I took the shot of her in concert with B3 and made it my new wallpaper for my main laptop. The shot is very washed out color-wise but I like it better than the group shot that's also on the blog. Anyway, this wallpaper replaced an old favorite, the one of SweetS sitting on a bed for the "Coundtown" single.
So I'm reading the new issue of Supreme Power and it opens in a strip club with the lyrics of a song that's very familiar... and I realize the song is Billy Joel's "The Stranger". And all I could think of as I read the rest of the comic is, Do strippers really perform to "The Stranger"?
Jarret at I'm bad at naming things continues to maintain that Konno is the prettiest member of Morning Musume. Good for him! Konno's always struck me as horribly underrated. I'm glad Jarret's making a point to look at different TV shows and comment on them - it gives his blog a solid, unique angle.
Over at Magical-Girl.com, Alice Lee has some interesting observations on this year's H!P Shuffle groups. The best line: "The theme this year seems to be jailbait vs barely legal vs retirement home aged groups."
My most dedicated commentator, Chris H, asks,
Have you 'seen' the "50W Fifty Double You"-photobook?Let's see... I've seen 50W and think it's very good. Actually, there are some very cool rocker poses of Kago that makes her look mature and quite sexy in an understated way. Some of the outfits are silly, but this is Tsujikago we're talking about. They're expected to look ridiculous at least half the time. (Though I find it odd how sexy I find those dinosaur outfits from last year... I think it's the tails.)
I am thinking about buying it, though I 'dislike' looking at photobooks before buying them (what I mean is; I am much more excited if I buy something I haven't seen before)...
So if you have seen it and can recommend it (or not), please do.
I doubt it's bad - I mean it's W in half a hundred costumes... but if you have any idea, please give me your input.
And by the way; do you have any favourite photobooks? And why are thoose your favourites/what do you like in photobooks?
Since moving to Hawaii, I've been picking up photobooks on the cheap, so my collection of actual, physical photobooks is pretty scattered. I've got a nice one of Uehara Takako looking very sexy, a couple great ones of Speed, Nakazawa Yuko's Feather, some others... Ah, there's a Petit Moni photobook that's just about entirely of them in their "Baby! Koi ni Knock Out" costumes. Still has the trading cards and stickers and poster. Just a month ago I got the first Tsujikago photobook, which is a great find.
I have two photobooks which I love to bits, though.
The first and most precious is the second Morning Musume photobook (at least, I think it's the second) a hardcover about the size of a vinyl record where they visit some Southeast Asian country. It takes place after Asuka left and before Gocchin joined, so that's around "Manatsu no Kousen" and "Furusato". I think the best thing about this photobook is Ishiguro Aya and Ichii Sayaka. I love Ayappe and Sayaka, I think they both left Morning Musume too early and any photos of them - especially Ayappe - brightens my day. It also has a pre-blonde Mari, before she discovered the sexy beam and became a force to be reckoned with.
The second photobook is Peaceful Dream with the original Dream. As time passes, I grow increasingly convinced that the original Dream was the perfect Jpop group. The prettiest and among the most talented. I like the current Dream now - love them to bits, actually - but it's still about Yu and Kana, and I wish Mai'd come back. Anyway, this photobook is also vacation themed and while there's nothing very original or artistic or striking about the photography, the presence of these three girls is enough to make it very special.
If I buy any relatively new photobooks, it'd be one of three: 50W because I do adore Tsujikago, Konno Asami's photobook because she's so damn striking in it (not just in a bikini, either - the photographer knows how to make her cute in a schoolgirl outfit, have nicely dramatic close-ups, look wistful in a summer dress), or Berryz Koubo's first group photobook since I'm really developing a taste for their songs.
Oh, and I'm thinking of bribing people to post comments on this blog. The reasoning goes like this: I buy too much crap and if I can get rid of some of that crap, bring happiness to some random strangers, and generate traffic for this blog, wouldn't that be a trifecta of cool?
Now, don't start posting comments all of a sudden. If I do this (and that's still a big if), it'll be at the start of next month, maybe. I've got some hefty comic book hardcovers coming in and need to make space by then. But my bookshelves are filled to bursting and I'm thinking things like, Do I really need two copies of that Pinch Runner photobook? and Am I really going to re-read that She-Hulk trade paperback? and Just cuz I bought those Erica Sakurazawa romance manga for real cheap don't mean I have to hold onto them forever.
I have a history of collecting and dumping. Whenever my comic book collection hits over a certain number, I just give them back to my local comic shop at a fraction of the price. Did it right before I left Florida for Hawaii. Once, years ago in California, I actually left two long boxes of comic books on the front door of a comic shop before it opened. I just didn't want to deal with the people at the store and explain I didn't want those funnybooks anymore.
Not everyone who comments'd get something, because the postage would kill me. So it'd have to be a contest of some sort... which may be more work than I care to do, just for more comments.
Ah, it's the caffeine wearing off.
Post a Comment
You don't need to bribe people to have them comment on your entries and generate traffic for your site. Just set up a discussion board for your site and you'd get all the comments and traffic your little heart desires.
A discussion board is a good idea, something I hadn't considered... though I'm not sure I'd have it for just the blog. For me a blog is a different beast from a board, centered more clearly on a single writer (or team of writers) than on a community. More of a dictatorship than a utopia, if you will. To have a forum may balance it out, but I guess I'd rather keep Cult of Pop centered on me. (And Ian, if he'll ever provide a second post.)
Beyond that, I'm also afraid that a Cult of Pop board would only be a poor copy of the boards that I currently frequent, the MM-BBS and the Newsarama board. (Though reading Fanboy Rampage gives me a helpful glimpse of many different comics boards...)
That said, if I ever get back to writing hypertext stories and a couple of pet project sites I want to develop, a forum would be a good way to unite them all - including this one. My freelance schedule's gonna lighten up soon, so hopefully... hopefully...
Anyway, anybody have any suggestions on what software or service I should use for a BBS?
Looking over this post and thinking about it in the clear light of day (or a new night, really), I also realize I care a whole lot less about generating more traffic to this site than about generating more feedback on what I write. Not counting a very strange time when every Irie Saaya post tripled page hits, this blog has between 300 to 600 page hits a day. (With dips on days where I don't post.) That must mean there's at least a couple hundred regular readers - I know, I'm being very optimistic with such an estimate - and it'd be nice to hear what they think. The responses I've gotten so far have been great, and I appreciate those who comment regularly, but it'd be interesting to hear new opinions along with Chris H and Alice Lee and some others.
Beyond that, the whole notion of giving my stuff away is probably a combination of geeky enthusiasm and den mother instinct - ten years ago I used to mke copies of my VHS anime fansubs (mostly Sailor Moon movies and Tomodachi's fansub of Marmalade Boy) for other people, and I was always one for lending out comic book trade paperbacks to friends. So I'm actually intrigued by the idea of sending stuff of mine out to people who only know me by my internet presence, little thank-you gifts for bothering to visit this site (and make your presence known, of course). But "thank you gift for visiting" isn't as funny as claiming to bribe folks, so I'm sticking with "bribes" as a more entertaining term if I go ahead with it.
Which seems even likelier now that I've been babbling about it some more.
Wow! I don't know how to be euphemistic about this so I'll just say it bluntly. You sir, talk too much, and I don't mean any disrespect by that or anything of the sort. It's just something I noticed. I've read some of your entries and I know that you are quite prone to "blabbing" (sorry for the term, no euphismistic term comes to my mind at the time), but I always assumed it was an offspring of your sincere interest for the topic you were currently wrangling. But after seeing the length of your response for my quick comment above (yes, that's me you replied to), I have to tell you, you have to learn to trim some of the details. I mean, I like your writing -- it's very professional and your in-depth analysis of Jpop and its artists and various other topics deserve nothing less -- but sometimes, you don't have to be so formal. Like, right now. :)
It's me again. I made a punctuation mistake on my last comment. The last comma shouldn't be there. It changes the meaning of the last sentence (fragment, technically) and turns it into a command when it's obviously not without that comma. LOL
So I should lighten up. Got it. Right.
But your post about the comma reminds me of something I once read about postmodernity which I want to quote in length here, followed by --
Ahh, just kidding.
i have two copies of the pinch runner photobook also. lol
Good Lord! If we can find some more people with two copies... why, we could start a secret society!
Or maybe not. But that is funny.