It’s French!

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Jen
its-french

In my attempt to learn ALL the languages and to update this blog in a more at all frequent manner, I’m gonna start writing short updates in whatever happens to be the language du jour. I’ll include an English translation each time so that others can understand and also to guide you, gentle readers, toward knowing what I wanted to say in the hopes that you will point out my mistakes to me in the comments. (Yes? :D)

Today, we start with a little French!

Récemment, j’ai commencé à regarder Stargate SG-1. Le film, Stargate, a été l’un de mes films préférés depuis de nombreuses années. Je préfère James Spader être le docteur Jackson, mais SG-1 est série télé trés bonne. Il est 213 épisodes! J’espére que de la regarder rapidement.

Recently, I started to watch Stargate SG-1. The movie, Stargate, has been one of my favorite movies for many years. I prefer James Spader to be Doctor Jackson, but the SG-1 is a very good TV show. There are 213 episodes! I hope to watch it quickly.

There. Armed with a couple dictionaries and some online grammar guides, I wrote the English first and then translated it into French. Because my French sucks is limited, I intentionally kept my English sentences short and simple.

Typing with a French keyboard layout is a bitch, OMFG. Someone please tell me how to keep the QWERTY layout and still get all the necessary accents. X(

Anyway, the next post will probably be in Japanese and, hopefully, with some proper Stargate SG-1 season one flail. :thumbsup:

Posted in français, Languages | 4 Comments

On the road again…

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Jen

I’m posting this entry on a bus on the New York State Thruway! Technology is awesome! I really have no idea how wifi is motion works, so I’m overly impressed by this. Don’t mind me.

Early Friday morning, the Uncle and I drove down to PA for a couple days. No real reason, I guess. I needed some Pennsylvania Social Time. I drove his van down, which was nice since he paid for gas. :thumbsup: The weekend was pretty uneventful. I hung out with Andrew and did some shopping. Nothing out of the ordinary.

We stayed until Monday morning. I drove us back north, ate lunch at the Uncle’s house and then headed home late afternoon.

:chick:

Anyway, I’m on my way down to New York City for the weekend. Thursday night is the Jin Akanishi concert at Best Buy Theater in Times Square. I’m definitely excited, but not as much as I feel I should be. I think part of the reason is that I’m not really into his current style of music. Another big part is the fact that I won’t be going to the Meet & Greet, due to Akanishi’s PR guys utterly failing at being organized with the sale of M&G passes and also due to my complete lack of talent and inability to win a simple video contest. x(

Rather than the concert, I’m more excited to meet some of the fans I’ve become friends with over the years, including a few that I met at previous concerts.

Since I have my laptop with me, I fully intend to type up a concert report Thursday night. No internet, so I won’t be able to post it until Saturday, but look forward to it, yes? XD

Posted in Concerts, Pennsylvania | Comments Off

[Review] And I don’t wanna get up ’cause of the way you let me down.

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Jen
review-and-i-dont-wanna-get-up-cause-of-the-way-you-let-me-down

I’ve been a fan of Jin Akanishi since early 2006, when I discovered that the two guys in Gokusen 2005, one of my favorite dramas, were members of Japanese pop group, KAT-TUN. Akanishi left KAT-TUN back in 2010 and, honestly, my continued love for him hasn’t been as constant as previous years. When he was still in KAT-TUN, if he did something I didn’t like, I could just ignore him for a bit and pay attention to one of the other guys in the group (usually Kamenashi), so I never really had the chance to really dislike him. But now that he’s on his own, there’s nothing but Jin to distract me from, well, Jin. Now, if he does something I don’t like, I can’t just ignore him in the same way. It’s harder to be his fan recently. How he handled his recent marriage (Not the marriage itself, but how he handled it professionally.) doesn’t really help and, sadly, neither do his contributions to the U.S. music market.

Before you read any further, please know that I am not a fan of hip-hop/dance/club music. I like rock, primarily, but I’m willing to listen to any music, regardless of genre, if the lyrics are meaningful to me or if the musicality of the piece is to my liking. But, really, if I wasn’t already a fan of Jin Akanishi, his solo music wouldn’t even register in my mind as possible tunes worthy of my attention.

So, with all that said, here’s my review of his debut U.S. album, Japonicana!

Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Review | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Here I am, holding on to childhood’s dream.

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Jen
here-i-am-holding-on-to-childhoods-dream

Thursday night brought about live show number two of the year! Jill Sobule again! This time around, the show was in Hudson, New York, about forty miles south of Jen Headquarters. Not too bad of a drive and despite the fact that Google Street View made the venue and the surrounding area look extraordinarily sketchy, it didn’t seem too bad in person. The venue, Club Helsinki, was a quaint, little restaurant/bar/club with a small stage in the back.

It was general admission, so to speak, and I managed to get a seat at a table right up front, about five feet from the stage. Although, in this small of a show, I don’t think distance from the stage really matters all that much.

There were only fifteen minutes or so before Jill came out and started her set.

On the whole, the show was fantastic, though if i were to compare it to Jill’s show from two weeks ago, this one was lacking. I’m pretty sure it was the smaller, less enthusiastic audience and not Jill’s performance, but the New Hope show was definitely a better show.

There’s something about live music that makes me feel, well… alive. I don’t know quite what it is. I think it’s partly my own desire to be up there on stage. Perhaps, by going to concerts, I can live vicariously through the performer, especially in such an intimate show as this. :musicnotes:

Tomorrow (Saturday), I leave for an overnight stay in Manhattan! I’m finally going to see Bjork in concert!!!!!!!

Posted in Concerts | Tagged | Comments Off

I don’t wanna get bitter. I don’t wanna turn cruel. I don’t wanna get old before I have to.

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Jen
i-dont-wanna-get-bitter-i-dont-wanna-turn-cruel-i-dont-wanna-get-old-before-i-have-to

I mentioned in my previous post that I was down in PA for the weekend, but what I failed to mention was that there was a totally awesome reason for me to be there. A concert! :musicnote:

Since the Cinematic Titanic show on the 4th was canceled, this concert was my first live show of 2012.

And it was a fabulous way to start things off.

I’ve been a huge fan of Jill Sobule since 1995, when her single “I Kissed A Girl” was released. Her self-titled album containing that track is full of wonderful songs and has gotten a lot of play during the seventeen years since I added it to my collection. While she doesn’t come up much when I talk about my favorite musicians/performers, she’s definitely there on that list. Her music has helped to get me through some pretty dark times and just her existence makes me happy. She’s kinda my hero…

I saw her perform back in 2006 at the Sellersville Theater and I was definitely not going to miss another opportunity to see her live again.

So. This time, the show was at the New Hope Winery on Saturday, the 11th. The venue was very easy to get to, despite the freezing rain that was falling from the sky. I got there about half an hour before the show and fiddled with my phone awkwardly (as you do) at my little table until the lights dimmed and Jill took the little stage in what seemed to be a barn. I was in the last row of tables, right near the door, but I was almost dead center, so only 20 or 30 feet from the stage. I don’t think there was a bad seat in the place and would gladly attend another show there.

I don’t know that I have much to say about the show itself. I have video of some of it, which I’d probably have to review to form any sort of coherent thought on the evening. Jill puts on a fantastic live show. She’s funny and personable and she interacts with the audience much more than most singers I’ve seen. Whether that’s because of the small venue and audience or if that’s just how she is as a person, I don’t know, but I honestly wish more performers could be like this.

She’s not afraid to bring politics and other ‘controversial’ material into her show, which is fine with me since I share similar views on such topics, but I think that at this point in her career, she’s not going to attract an audience that would find her opinions offensive. That, in and of itself, adds to the experience of her shows because there’s a sense of belonging with the rest of the audience, even if you’re like me and don’t interact with any of them. :toothygrin:

One thing that definitely sticks out from this show is her biggest hit, “I Kissed A Girl.” As we all know, another song with the same title was recently released by Katy Perry. Jill’s version is obviously superior. But she’s awesome enough that she can joke about it and handle the situation with a grace that I kinda doubt Ms. Perry would have. Here’s a video of her performing the song from the 11th (not filmed by me, sadly):

After the show, there were CDs for sale and I got me an autograph! At the Sellersville show in 2006, I got my picture taken with her, so I figured an autograph would be a good edition my collection. :thumbsup: I have a ticket to see her again up in Hudson, New York on the 23rd. I hope that show is just as wonderful as this one was. I don’t doubt it will be.

Posted in Concerts, Pennsylvania | Tagged | Comments Off

[Music] Yamashita Tomohisa – Loveless – English cover

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Jen
music-yamashita-tomohisa-loveless-english-cover

I’m still working on backdated entries, but in the meantime, more music!

On Friday, while down in PA, I set up my mic and recorded an English version of a Japanese song called “Loveless” by Yamashita Tomohisa (or, usually, Yamapi). I had translated the song a couple months ago and tried to record it once or twice but never ended up with a decent quality recording. Anyway, I recorded it on Friday in one take and mixed it with the backing track a few hours ago.

Of all the vocal covers I’ve done so far, I think my voice is strongest in this. The song fits my limited range perfectly. Obviously, I need to do more Yamapi covers.

Loveless English cover


Download from Mediafire!

Beyond the cut: My Youtube video of the song (which you should like/favorite/etc.), a Youtube video of the original Japanese song, and the English lyrics!

Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Youtube | Tagged , , | Comments Off

[Music] 消えないこの絆 it’s overflowing

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Jen

Another day, another mashup. Actually, I have about 70 billion mashups started, gathering dust on my computer, waiting to be finished. But I have a problem with endings. I start really strong and then, about halfway through, I lose interest. Or I get so excited about sharing my creation with the world that I rush to finish it. Even in my best projects, I can tell it gets a little sloppier toward the end. I can hear it in my “Test Rider” mashup and it bothers me every time I listen to it.

This mashup is no exception, but this time, it’s not entirely my fault.

I started this a few weeks ago and I was really excited about. There’s a huge fandom for these two guys and I knew that doing this mashup right could make a lot of people flail. I aim to please afterall. :wink:

The song combines Kamenashi Kazuya’s “Kizuna” with “Akanishi Jin’s “The Fifth Season.”

I did a rough edit of the first verse and it seemed like it would work. Well, yeah, the first verse worked fantastically! Unfortunately, the vocal rip of Akanishi’s song really degrades in quality after that and with my current skills, there’s nothing I can do about it (even after spending, like, two hours last night trying to improve it). The rip of Akanishi’s vocals is tin-y and warble-y and parts of it were completely unusable. :brokenheart:

But. I went ahead anyway and finished the mashup. I’m kinda reluctant to share it with the world because the last one I shared was awesome. This one? Not so much.

Meh.

Kamenashi & Akanishi – Overflowing Kizuna


Download from Mediafire!!!

Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

[Music] You got me tipsy, baby

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Jen

I feel like I’ve started 80 bajillion new music projects this week. The response for my previous endeavor was very encouraging. Unfortunately, I don’t have the motivation to finish anything. I’m too much of a perfectionist and I really don’t want to post something only to want to change most of it later. My “Test Rider” mashup is pretty good. I’m really proud of it. But every time I listen to it, I find something else that I want to change or fix or tweak. It’s hard to resist the urge to go back to it, but even if I allow myself to do that, it’ll never be finished. I will always find something wrong with it.

What I bring you today, however, is finished. Completely.

Summer of 2010 brought about a dozen songs by Akanishi Jin that were just begging to be remixed, mashed up, or otherwise played with, but there weren’t any high quality (read: usable) recordings of any of them. Just a handful of fanrecordings.

Still, determined to unleash some creativity on something, I ended up pounding out a piano accompaniment for “Tipsy Love,” the ‘ending theme’ of each concert of Akanishi’s L.A. shows as well as his November tour. Once I figured out the chords, it was probably the easiest piano project I’ve done so far, which is odd considering the fanrecording didn’t give me much to work with.

Anyway, the mix has been sitting on my computer since last September, gathering dust. Luckily, “Tipsy Love” was released on CD earlier this month, allowing me to redo the song. The best part? I didn’t even need to record the piano bits again! :uparrow: Aside from having to chop a little off at the end, my original recording fit perfectly! So perfectly, in fact, that it’s not that far off from the original song. :thumbsup:

Akanishi Jin – Tipsy Love (Piano)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

:musicnote: Download link!

(And here’s original version! If you’re curious…]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

And with that, I’ll file this away as COMPLETED.

… well, I may make a Youtube video for it later…

But the song itself is done!

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Merry Christmas… if that’s okay

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Jen

I never really managed to get into the “Christmas Spirit” this year. All the stress leading up to it made me want nothing more than to camp out in my apartment with no outside contact until the end of the year. Unfortunately, the holiday season tends to require all sorts of Family Time, so, in order to keep up appearances, I had to make the trip down to PA, exchange gifts and make nice with the family.

Luckily, I wasn’t driving. :blackcar:

I headed over to the Uncle’s house late Wednesday afternoon and he immediately put me to work, cutting carpets. X( He needed to Rex-proof his new van, which required all sorts of hard work for me. Oh well. I got a free dinner out of it. As well as the free round trip to Pennsylvania. We left around 9:30 Thursday morning, stopping halfway for coffee and cookies. I worked on some craft projects during the ride, not really accomplishing anything important, but it was something I wanted to do anyway.

There was talk of social time that night, but after doing a little shopping and spending some time with the parents, I was in no mood to do anything, so I stayed in and watched TV and slept. The social time, which involved shopping with Andrew, happened on Friday instead, and it was definitely needed. I was still in a horrible mood, but spending time with someone other than family was good. We hung out again after dinner Friday night, too, keeping me away from the parents.

Sadly, social time had to end. Sister #1 and her family came Saturday, to stay over night, and my mood just plummeted. I just… no.

Anyway, long story… less long. Christmas happened. I got some nice presents. I was definitely happy to pack up the van yesterday morning and leave for home, though.

And now, I’m here, with tentative plans to go back to PA for New Years. I’m not sure if I want to yet. *shrugs* I guess I should figure that out soon…

Posted in Pennsylvania | Comments Off

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Jen

I love how my site decides to be completely failtastic the one time I get more than two visitors a day. Most of my audio files aren’t working and now I notice that my banner is gone, too. X(

I have about two weeks worth of stuff to accomplish in the next day and a half. Including all of my Christmas shopping.

I’m just not feelin’ it this year. I would be happy to stay in my apartment and watch movies and dramas for the next month, but the holidays require all this Family Time. :downarrow:

Oh well. Pointless entry is pointless. I guess I just wanted to say that if something seems broken around here, it is. And I have no idea why. *kicks the internets*

Posted in The Internets | 1 Comment