This Blog is Boring

The hell guys... lucidmedia got shut down so now I spend my time staring at the forever unchanging face of Boogaloo...

Life's been steadily picking up over here. I climbed a mountain recently, Mt. Hayachine, and I swear to god it was like being on Gutz. Ladder-climbing, chain-swinging, cliff-face-scaling, all with the added bonus of certain death if you fell. I went with my school's mountain climbing club (that's tozanbu, for those of you who are curious). Camped out the night before, had the students cook us dinner, "party" with the other 2 teachers there after lights out... great experience over-all. Next month we're hitting Mt. Goyo and Mt. Iwate.
My band, Kraken Strike (believe it or not, I was not the one who picked that name), has our first concert next month. Its an alright deal, what I've got going, though we've still yet to integrate each of our specific tastes in music into one cohesive whole. Covering the Ramones' "Rock 'n' Roll Radio" and then doing at least 2 of my original songs and one of my bassist's. Obviously we're opening. By that time we might have more under out belts, but at the moment that's our (nameless) set list.
Oh, check this out: I'm taking lessons from a Noh theater director. There's a possibility I might perform in a play in Morioka sometime during November, though I seriously doubt that. Difficult shit, and learning it to a sufficient measure by that time is more or less unthinkable, though its a thought I like to entertain.
I sent in my application for the 73rd Peace Boat voyage last week, though (and per the usual), I'm not at all confident in my chances. For those of you who aren't familiar, Peace Boat is a circumnavigating humanity aid cruise ship docked in Yokohama just outside of Tokyo that makes apprx. 3 trips around the globe a year stopping at different ports for varying spans of time to assist with humanitarian aid projects, as well as to open the world's eyes to different cultures. Normally, it costs (if I'm not mistaken) around 14k to ride. However, if you've got 18 months or more of ALT/ESL work under your belt by the time of departure, you have the chance to be taken on board as an English teacher and have all dues and fees waived. So its awesome, and by the time that 73rd comes around I'll have what, 19 months or so working like this? Hard to believe. Anyway, its doubly good if I actually am lucky enough to be selected because I can opt to not resign with this position when my contract expires in March, have a month of to dick around, set sail in April, and get back right around the time a lot of the contracts come in for another, better company located in Osaka with whom I've already spoken with about employment. That'd be a hell of a year, to say the least.

Alright, I need to go duct-tape more bags together - its getting cold and Japan doesn't know the first thing about insulation.

I think Collin would appreciate this one.

see more EpicFail

inxs - devil inside

i watched this video on VH1 Classics the other day and was extremely entertained. this video features the following:

1. near constant use of a smoke machine
2. skateboarding
3. pool playing
4. catwalking
5. big permed hair (male & female)
6. surfboards
7. motorcycles
8. palpable tension between surfers and motorcyclists
9. ill-fitting blazers worn with mock turtlenecks
10. subtle 'devil' theme
11. keyboards
12. ominous lighting
13. asian girls
14. solitary appearance of what seems to be a bellhop
15. pole dancing
16. satin opera-length gloves paired with off the shoulder tops (a look i am willing to bet we will not see 'come around' again)
17. spandex-clad wrestler types ("beefcakes")
18. unfriendly sideways glares
19. more bowler hats than you can shake a stick at