Home

Advertisement

DePimped iN tHe NinTorIuM [entries|archive|friends|userinfo]
alphazen

[ website | Japan For a Bit ]
[ userinfo | livejournal userinfo ]
[ archive | journal archive ]

Hey [Sep. 18th, 2009|05:09 pm]
[Tags|]
[Current Location |Home (NY)]
[mood |accomplished]
[music |Home by Miles Fischer]

Anyone have a Windows Copy of Adobe Premiere?  I've been looking to do some editing again and well, I can't seem to find my old copy.  Lemme know if this is a can do. 

BTW sorry for the long interlude of non-post-dom.  Not too much going on as of late. 

Edit:

Anyone down for this?

EVANGELION 1.0
September 18-24
Village East Cinema
181 - 189 2nd Ave, NYC
 
Ticket:$9-$12.50
Theater: www.villageeastcinema.com
official web: www.funimation.com/Evangelion/
Phone:212-529-6799

link6 comments|post comment

PS3 [Aug. 26th, 2009|05:33 pm]
[Tags|, ]
[mood |busy]

PS3 ID :  RickDoggTime


Finally, a PS3.

Bring it mofos.  Anyway you can.

So now that I have this system, what do I play on it?
link3 comments|post comment

This is really just for Brad [Feb. 16th, 2009|11:31 am]
[Tags|]
[mood |accomplished]

Enjoy Brad. 

http://dinosaursfuckingrobots.com/
link1 comment|post comment

Of JCVD and WTF? [Jan. 12th, 2009|04:20 pm]
[Tags|, , , , , ]
[Current Location |Home (NY)]
[mood | uncomfortable]
[music |Muse]

The Kick Boxer - Win? )

Now for something slightly different..
WTF? )

link9 comments|post comment

of Games and Cars [Jan. 7th, 2009|08:20 am]
[Tags|, ]
[Current Location |Home (NY)]
[mood |awake]
[music |Muse, Tsp]

Game )
Cars )

Anyways, anyone else see any hallmark games/cars this year? 

link3 comments|post comment

Of Digital Color Pixels and the emotions they produce [Sep. 6th, 2008|02:15 am]
[Tags|, , , , , ]
[Current Location |home, LI]
[mood | blank]
[music |Mogwai, Auto Rock]

Rick Bitches, someone needs to smack him )
link2 comments|post comment

Of Homecoming [Sep. 3rd, 2008|02:47 pm]
[Tags|, , , , ]
[Current Location |Home]
[mood | relieved]
[music |DCFC- What Sarah Said]

 So it's been about a month now since I've been home, give or take some time zones and days.  Last time I really wrote anything down here I was in the thick of it, raging and dodging through my last weeks of Japan and trying to juggle it all.   Now I'm home and trying to get a firm grip on everything, and it seems I'm just full of time.  Random Thoughts on being home now )Random Thoughts on being home now )
link3 comments|post comment

Hey ... everyone... hehe [Jul. 28th, 2008|03:10 am]
[Tags|, , , , , ]
[Current Location |Soon-to-not-be-my Apartment]
[mood | tired]
[music |Boku-wa-Kuma -Hikaru Itada]

So hey, how are you all?  Yeah so me.... and not posting in forever... sorry about that. 

As I am sure you can imagine, I have a lot I should go into, but the most important thing I will throw out there is this...

I'll be home on August 4th.

I am not sure if I will do some traveling after that week (from August 11th into September) but I will be in the NY and NYC area for at least that week, and then, depending on things, will be back for good in September. 

Again, sorry I haven't posted.  There are too many epic half finished posts in my Gmail Documents folder, which is bad.  There are also way too many nutty weekend I did not document, which is the worst.  Recent highlight is the least I can give you. 

Imagine if you will, you are an ex-Hostess girl in Roppongi.  You are celebrating your 23rd birthday at your older sister's apartment with some friends, wine, and cake.  Oh and you are also smoking hot. 

Then from your left the unimaginable; A man, greased up in baby oil and wearing a thong comes charging at you, cake in hand, aimed for your hair.  This becomes an all out cake fighting party involving you and all your ex-hostess ex-stripper and bar tender friends against a man-man smeared in cake and oil.  What was once just some man-meat pole dancing entertainment has become an unstoppable, drunken, cake smearing machine.  Why did your sister invite this asshole?  As you contemplate this, he lands some icing and cake directly into your hair.  You retort by slapping cake on his exposed butt check.  He turns, laughs maniacly and says "It's a portable model Mary-Kate, I'm gonna live forever!"

Now I can't specify who is what or even who I am in this situation, because I want to be president some day, but let me give you a hit; It wasn't my 23rd birthday last weekend. 


More of this sort of thing when I see you guys with a beer in my hand. 
link3 comments|post comment

Of Spring and Arrows. [Apr. 3rd, 2008|11:00 am]
[Tags|, , , ]
[Current Location |Sanwa]
[mood | contemplative]
[music |Laughter]

 You give me all this,
and ask so little in return....

I wasn't lost but wandering outside the back of Sanwa for something to do.  I had in my pocket a warm Royal Milk Tea from the machine in front, and the sun begged me to stroll towards the back of the school towards the tennis courts.

My meandering found me between the court entrance and the kyudo range.  A delighted squeel of "LICKU!" signalled to me that my destination would be the kyudo range behind me.  

I removed my shoes and was met by three shy boys and 5 excited girls, all in varying degrees of kyudo wear.  One boy was in full regalia, with Hakama, breast plate and an artful, long kyudo bow in hand.  Many of the girls only wore the breastplate and gloves.  All were still in the process of warming up and chatting, and my presance had sent them afflutter.  It's always a nice feeling.  

We chatted a bit about movies, music and video games, standard fair when connecting with boys and girls in High School.  We all laughed at each other's mispronouciantions of our corrospondingly foreign languages.  

I sat on the make-shift rug placed inside the range and opened up my milk-tea, to the utter torture of the students, who told me it was "unfair" to drink it in front of them.  I made sure to sip loudly and satisfactoraly.  They all enjoyed it.  

I remember Brad spending a signifigant amount of time here when he visited last year, and I could see why.  There was an element to this place...  Maybe how the traditional hardwood floors give way to a grassy expance, or how an artful expression is made from a form of aerial harm...  or maybe it was just the sun ushering past sakura blossoms in the distance where the rugby team ran manuvers.  Somehow, it was delightful.  

I took another sip of the warm Milk tea.  Soon they would replace the warm ones with cold, as the changing of seasons demands it.  I delighted in warm milk tea in winter, and now being the Spring they would be ushered out until the chilly Fall.  It felt like a brick being dropped into a placid river when I thought it;  "This would be my last one."  I could be wrong of course but that wasn't the point.  I shook it off quickly though, as a question about Spider Man movies and X-men comics diverted my attention.  

Shortly after the entire team played a group game of Rock-Paper-Scissors.  This was not for fun but to decide who would do what for the remainder of the practice.  I took it as a queue to make my exit so they could practice without interferance.  They all smiled and waved goodbye, and then upon my exit I pretended to make the voice of Minney Mouse, who was adorn on one shy girl's socks.  She smiled and ran off into the room, and I fell into the sunny expance past the door.

It was like floating in my pool when I was 11...  That's the best way to explain the lap of the school I took back to the teacher's room.  It was a path full of dirty concrete and old pipes, parts of a school jury-rigged amidst farmland and high tension powerlines that astutly lined up into the horizon, disappearing to where I assumed the earth curved.  

I stared for a moment past the gates, over the hills and into the mountains miles away.  I don't think I had a thought in my head.  I think I was just watching the moving painting as my feet closed the distance between my body and the door.  After that I stepped inside.  Or something like that.     
link1 comment|post comment

It's been a day,,, [Mar. 2nd, 2008|03:15 pm]
[Tags|]
[Current Location |Koga]
[mood | bouncy]
[music |Coheed and Cambria]

It's been a day, and I realized you all might have forgotten that I played Street Fighter 4...   Well I just wanted to make sure you guys didn't forget so I took care of this....





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxjFzngmrYY

Your welcome. 

BTW, I get my ass kicked by this dude. 
link3 comments|post comment

Big Dork Cred [Mar. 2nd, 2008|12:50 am]
[Tags|, , ]
[Current Location |Koga]
[mood |enthralled]
[music |Crappy Pop Punk]

I bet your wondering who played Street Fighter 4 today before it even came out officially in Japan.  I'm sure you're curious who played as Ken and did the meanest huricane kick into Shoryuken combo the world has ever seen.  I'm sure you wonder who did that in Akihabara on a location test night that only lasted this weekend.

Well let me set your curiosity at ease.   For friends, I am that man. 
link4 comments|post comment

Enter Kev and Mary (pt.1) [Feb. 21st, 2008|02:43 pm]
[Tags|, , , , , ]
[Current Location |Koga 2nd]
[mood |artistic]
[music |MOTR - Beck]

Well, as sometimes happens, I had what I think was a cool moment here.  About two months back I was asked if I could help out wit what is called the "Yosenkai" a sort of farewell party for the seniors.  I said of course, because it was for Koga 2nd, one of my favorite schools, and because well, I like stuff like that.  

What I was not expecting was to be asked to sing two rock songs in front of the entire school.  Yeah.  One was called "Moon on the River" and played a prominent roll in an anime called "Beck", so I sort of knew it, so it was going to be no problem.  The other was "Space Sonic" by Elle Garden.  Full of Engrish, but whatever.  I would have to study it for a while to pick it up and not correct the English. 

So I had to do this with the school's rock band, a rag-tag set of kids who were a to-themselves cool set.  Which is well, I have to say, it's always been a little wish of mine to see these kids.  While running around with the track kids year round, I would always here the tuning of a guitar from across the field, eminating from the club rooms.  Part of me always wanted to plow up the stairs and grab the microphone.  Apprently now was my chance.

I walked into the club room one day after practice and met the students;  two seniors and one junior, along with one guy who graduated and comes and volunteers to help them.  Two other guys came occasionally as well.  Here is a little secret; I am horrible at remembering Japanese names.  So since I needed to refer to them, I told them from the outset that they would be given new "Rock" names.   First there was the couple;  the female drummer and lead guitarist male.  The girl was well, for all intesensive purposes cute and a little wacky.  I dubbed her "Crazy Mary."  Her boyfriend was a bit more reserved, but quite cool, seemed to know his place in life at the age of 17.  His name was Kevin Drew.  The junior bass guitarist I would later find out loves motorcycles and speaks of little else.  He was called Bill.  The alumni, being older and sort of that guy who could not let high school go, was called Red.  The other guy who visited every so often was Alan Greenspan.  

Together we were going to Rock all of Koga 2nd with our sound.  Except you know, we just had to find it first.  This is not easy since I see them once a week and oh yeah, we speak entirely different languages.  This was evident as we started.  They kept trying to tell me when to sing and when not to sing, were to come in on notes, and what they editted in and out for time.  But you know, we sort of had to do it in sign language since my Japanese really covers teaching, not so much the finer points of musical composition.  Their English was good for high school kids, but again that means they can order french fries with mild difficulty.  

So as the first practice started I belted out "Moon on the River" thinking that I would obviously impress them a bit, since you know, I had heard the song before.  We did it twice, and then I asked them, "how was it?"  I did a thumbs up, and, being that I live in Japan, I was expecting them to shower me with praise and tell me I was amazing.  Crazy Mary and Kevin Drew looked at one another, then at me, and gave me a silent side-ways thumb.  As in, "pretty shitty, but not totally shitty."  This was well, both depressing and cool at the same time.  Depressing since I apparently sucked, but cool since I had never been told by Japanese people before that I sucked at something.  This was actually a good thing; it let me realize that this was important to them, it was their goodbye to their school, and I mediocre attempt on my part would not be accepted.  

Crazy Mary handed me a MiniDisc (yea Brad!) player with the songs I was to sing.  She wanted me to practice them in my spare time.  They then told me they had other music to practice, and that they would see me next week.  I smiled and thanked them.  We shared a few laughs and I made a little progress, but there was still a lot to go.


-Next time on "Behind the Music"-  Rick attends more practices, track and music clubs colliade, and friends are made.....
link1 comment|post comment

American Express [Feb. 21st, 2008|01:39 am]
[Tags|, , ]
[Current Location |Apartment]
[mood | annoyed]
[music |The horrible R&B I put up with in her car.]

Sushi Dinner....  40 dollars.

Coffee at a local Coffee House....  10 dollars.

Two Hours of Karaoke...  28 dollars.

Being fed an awkward rejection for the second time in a row in your parking lot at 2 in the morning?   PRICELESS.

The American Express Card can take you around the world....  but it's up to you to get blown off.
link1 comment|post comment

Video Question [Feb. 5th, 2008|05:02 pm]
[Tags|, , ]
[Current Location |Aparto]
[mood |creative]
[music |The Ibaraki Rap! (WIP)]

Okay I suppose I could go online and search for a while and figure this out, but I realize that a bunch of you know a shit ton more about this than most, and so I figure I might as well go to the source.

I want to start doing some more blogging via my blogger account, but I would much rather do it with video.  Now I figure the best way (correct me if I am wrong) is to upload the videos to youtube and simply link to them in Blogger.  Here is the issue though;  my videos from my camera are tremendous, we are talking like, 125 megs for a little over a minute.  

So I ask aloud, what programs can I use to make this smaller?  If Youtube is not the best way to do this, what do you suggest?  Other than Premiere, what can I edit the videos in?  Is there anything that is small and simple to do easy cuts/etc.? 

Basically I'm just curious what technical things you guys would do if you were doing a video blog, how would you streamline the process, etc.

Any help would be cool.

Thanks guys.

-R
link4 comments|post comment

Where art thou? [Jan. 25th, 2008|10:08 am]
[Tags|, , , ]
[Current Location |Shimodate Technical]
[mood | blah]
[music |I know Kung Foo -Discoshit]

So I've been not posting a while, which is bad, because well, I enjoy posting.  I don't even remember the last time I posted on my "public" blog.  I mean I bought a new camera and everything and I intended to start doing all these updates annnndd... nada..   WTF?  Anyways, things I should be telling you about;

Nagana-uh-oh-  My trip to Nagano that was well... up and down... and down... and...well...  Let's say it ended with me being sore and cold.  I want to run more with this.

Taipei-Hong Kong recap- This never happened.  It should have but of coruse I was overrun by whatever.  I suck, and I needto collect all the pictures off of everyone elses flickr from it.  Still, good times.

Class Party-  This I can talk about quickly.  My 3-6/7 class from Koga 1st threw me a party in our last class with the third years.  Here in Japan the seniors basically leave school a few months early, then show up again for graduation.  So for our last class we ate cake and chatted.  it was nice and I have some pics that need posting once I figure out how to do so with pics that are like, seriously, 5 megs in size.  The downside of an awesome camera is you need an awesome computer and hardrive, which I am currently lacking.   Still, really nice, and it reminded me that I have 7 months here, which scares the shit otu of me.

I was going to sell THQI yesterday.  I basically jsut held on when the market dove 3 months ago;  I thought about selling but my shit was pretty well diversified so I was not angry.  So finally most of the banks are cool now after all the bs so I was going to invest in one or two of those.  I was going to do this with funds from THQI, which you know is a video game company that for the most part I lost profit with, but not much.  I was ready to sell, hell, I even created the sell bid, and then looked at the price.  It was at 25.10 before the market opened.  Then I looked at the "opening" price.  I also read the news.   Turned out that the day before I decided to sell the stock, it announced it was cutting earnings, pulling projects, and closing studios.  Pretty much worst case scenrio.  They dropped to 16 something, and came back oh so slightly.  This happened pretty much the instant I tried to sell it.  So yes, that blew giant beluga balls.  I will still probably sell it, along with another holding, and then buy the banks  next week.  Next time I am in a mall, I am buying the first THQI game I see (Probably a shitty Pixar game that wasn't developed enough), going to the top of a building, and chucking it out into the distance, with the hope that it kills a puppy in it's downward arch towards teh pavement, not unlike the downward arch my portfolio took, and in this case the metaphorical puppy it hit was my positve feelings towards teh stock market in general.

So this weekend I am going to see sumo, which should be cool.  I'm pretty excited about it.  Afterwards will be the usual drunken revealry I have not partaken in in a while.  Dan will be there with a friend from home.  All sorts of people.  I have a feeling I may let my self go a bit Sat. night.  If I wake up in Yokohama naked and bleeding with no idea what hapened, I will consiter it a success.  It's pretty much "ramp up to serious/get the next year figured out/start shipping shit home" time soon, so this weekend will be one of my last big weekends out before the end.  

So yes, hopefully this weekend will bring stories to this lj that I direly need to write.

Sorry again for the long and eratic pause.  You guys deserve to hear so much more of the random bs that goes on here, and I don't get around to giving you guys enough. 

p.s. My last day here at DateKo, and yeah... no classes...  and I leave early to do some voice recording stuff...   so lackluster that I don't get to say goodbye to any of the kids.  Which sucks.  At least I got to say goodbye to the Judo team last week.  These people have to hate me though, because I park in the Vice-Principles parkign spot everyday.  Whatever, I am a very important person. 
link6 comments|post comment

There and Back again, the Rick Story [Jan. 7th, 2008|10:43 am]
[Tags|, , , , , , , , ]
[Current Location |Sanwa High]
[mood |enthralled]
[music |Kanye West - Homecoming -Graduation]






PS., Can't get this damn song out of my head.  I first heard it driving around yesterday when I finally got to the later tracks of this CD, and it just grabbed me, because well, I suppose I can relate a lot to going off and doing things, and wondering about home.  Maybe not just one girl in particular like the song sings, but everyone, everyone I care about. Also, the album iteself is damn good. 






link2 comments|post comment

Weekend in Review [Dec. 17th, 2007|02:41 pm]
[Tags|, , , , , , , , , , , , ]
[Current Location |Sanwa High]
[mood | content]
[music |Bob Marley - Everythings Gonna Be Alright]

So so so, fun times here in th3 Japan.  

Friday - Other than creating my playlist for the Shower of Music, nothing.  Just chilled out.  I didn't really feel like going nuts.  



Cut for a kinda big spoiler....

Spoiler! )

Anyways, off to get a haircut.  I better see if I can get a picture of Milo printed up before i have to go.  Later everyone.

linkpost comment

In 22 hours I am thinking of playing this.. gimme thoughts!!! [Dec. 15th, 2007|12:40 am]
[Tags|, , , , , ]
[Current Location |Aparto]
[mood |artistic]
[music |All of this stuff right now]

So yes, I procrastinated like a bitch and now tomorrow night I have to spin, dj or whatever the venacular it is for me making noises at the coffee shop in Koga tomorrow night with CDs.   Anywho, this is my proposed list.  If you think it sucks, please say so.  If it's strong somewhere, let me know so I don't fuck it up later.  If you have suggestions, of course please make with them.  As always, you guys know better than I. 

So yes, I want this to have a laid back, sorta lounge-y, dare I say sexy at some points (the end really) flare to it, with a slightly light poppy-ness intersperced.  It's not loud dance stuff this time around either, so I tried to avoid anything. 

So yes, ideas on songs, order, whatever let me know.  I am starting from a faster paced set, so I started fast, get slower then variate...

Hospital Beds -Coldwar kids
TBtF -Kevin Drew
Endlessly -Muse
Perfect - Smashing Pumpkins
With You - Stars of Track and Field
Syncope - Sparta
Infinifold - !!!
Neon Bible -Arcade Fire
Passanger Seat - Death Cab for Cutie
(Another Song) All over again - Justin Timberlake
Divine Intervention -Taking Back Sunday
Trial of teh Century - The French Kicks
Westminster - Kevin Drew
Hotel - Broken Social Scene

that comes to about 53 minutes, but seeing out ends get cut out it should be fine.  I know I know, a lot of this I think needs help in the ordering, and I feel like I may be missing entire bands that are good for this while relying to heavily on our friendly Canadian Army of a band.  I just know that I like a lot of this music, and I think other people would too.

Okay, let the attacks begin, and if I am not a dick I will try to re-post with what I will eventually play.

A pre-emptive thanks team.
link3 comments|post comment

Fuga Slick and 22 pounds [Dec. 14th, 2007|09:43 am]
[Tags|, , , , ]
[Current Location |Shimodate Tech]
[mood | tired]
[music |Space Sonic - Elle Garden]

Well it's Friday, and all is well.  One week till I find myself back in the ol USA, pretty excited about it.  Gotta buy some cheesy stuff for people or something.  I dunno, I'll see if I can do that tomorrow.  Tomorrow night is that DJ gig, and ofcourse I have yet to post my propsed playlist because I have been well, busy.  I'll obviously have to get it done tonight, so if you guys can, please watch for it and let me know ASAP what sucks.  Sorry for the overt lateness.  

Rocked out with some indoor rock climbing last night, and I haveto say it's slightly addicting.  Just as excersize it's nice, but the cost of shoe rental, usage of the wall and a harness when you need one quickly adds up, making it a little tough to rationalize more than once a week.   Still, it is just fun when you are doing some fo this stuff.  

So two random funny things, one from two days ago, one this morning.  This morning I sort of came to like the guy in Shimodate Technical I call "Fuga Sensei."  Why?  Well, for starts the name.  I always wondered who rolled in the pimp ass Fuga that I park nextto in the mornings, and it turned out to be this guy.  I mean he is obviously in his 50's but this guy has rims and shit on this car, it looks like he is ready to roll to some Japanese rap premiere, but no, he's going to teach at a tech school.   Also his hair is amazing, it's got the greased back thing going.  Thats shit SHINES.  It's amazing.  With his larger than life glasses he sorta comes out as a comic book character.  He does the morning anouncements, and of course his hair is blinding, and he stands in front of the main door.  Now unerstand, in a tech school, the kids can kinda be a little excitable and literally just run into the teacher's room without fore-thought.  This often happens in the morning.  What will happen sometimes is that kids will walk in during the morning meeting, and Fuga sensei, without even turning around, hears the door opening, and while stil talking, reaches behind myself, still facing forward, and slams teh door in their faces.  The man does not even miss a beat with his speech, and the face of the kids as the door shuts on them is pretty priceless.  So yeah, Fuga sensei, very funny dude.  

Then there is my other one.  I often lift weights at Sanwa, it's just really convenient to do so.  I always usethe real nice bench that is there, because well, it's the nice bench.  I usually throw on 20k on each side, and for the most part all bars are 10k, so I assume 50k and just go to town, then add weight from there.  I would often get to 60K (135 pounds ish?) and I would start to have a tough time, maybe getting only 5 or 6 out.  This would frustrate me because when I did my quick conversion I realized I was a total bitch.  This was annoying.  Still, I kept going at it here and there, doing less weight (50 or so, sometimes 55) and did a lot of reps.  I never go for "max" since I do this un-assisted for the most part.  I assume though, that if I had someone spoting me I could probably do 70k, maybe slightly more. 

o anyways I go to workout and for the first time in a while kids are in there with me, and they are doing some chest stuff.  They eventually get to the bench and I hear them talking and what not.  I watch one kid go for the weight I can do (60k) and he can't get it up.  The next kid can't either.  I, beign an asshole, then go and do five.  Tehy all get excited and start saying "nana-juu kilo, sugoi!"  Which, when you translate it, is "70 kilos, awesome!"  I sorta laugh a bit and being to correct them, telling them that it's 60.  They then laugh back.  I am confused.  

As it would turn out,  was the idiot.  The bar was not 10k, it was 20k.  So basically I had been lifting 10k, or 22 pounds more every lift under the assumption I was well, lifting less.  So it turns out I was doing reps of 70k (156 pounds) multiple times, which now makes a lot more sense and makes me feel well, a lot cooler.  So I now can assume my max is a full 22 pounds heavier. 

So there it is.  I am an idiot.  I hope you all have a nice day. 
link1 comment|post comment

Copying Everyone else.... [Dec. 12th, 2007|11:42 pm]
[Tags|]
[Current Location |Aparto]
[mood | mischievous]
[music |Obviously my own]

Stolen from Hsien....

"Go to the Wikipedia home page and click Random article. That is your band's name. Click Random article again. That is your album name. Click Random article 15 more times. Those are the tracks on your album."

Band: Abdelkrim El Hadrioui (Arabic: عبد الكريم الحضريوي)
Debut album:  The PhD Project

1.  Minerva, New York
2.  Shirley Escalante
3.  Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk
4.  Mount Menzies
5.  Eastern Sierra Regional Airpot
6.  Hoshiful
7.  Tapanuli ogong
8.  Grey-winged Trumpeter
9.  Bob Shaw
10.  Shimose powder
11.  Bookbinding
12.  Paranoid Android  (Seriously, Didn't make that up)
13.  Scott Moore
14.  Earlington, Kentucky
15.  Hot Buttered Soul

I am happy with that. 


linkpost comment

navigation
[ viewing | most recent entries ]
[ go | earlier ]

Advertisement