Devo and Xuxa.

I saw Devo. That's right. And it was glorious. Indescribable. Magic.

I might also add that I recently acquired a dvd of miscellaneous episodes of Xuxa. Yes, Xuxa, the vixenous children's show hostess. How I loved her. It was a pocket of my childhood I remember well. I was seven years old, it was at the peak of kid's variety shows like "What Would You Do?" and "Wild and Crazy Kids". This show is obviously a cash in on both, the success of such shows and an American vehicle for the Brazilian sensation, Xuxa. I remember colors, shoulder pads, hot pants, dancing, singing, animals, kids having fun...

Then I watched it now.

It's so terrible. Her english is so atrocious, she has no idea what's going on. The jokes aren't funny, the music's pretty lame. It's really just an awful show. Does this mean I dislike Xuxa now? Of course not. Her memory will live in my heart forever, and apart of me wonders if that's where she should have stayed. Thankfully, no matter how sucky the show might have been, there will always be this...

New Year, New City, New Life, et cetera...

Have you ever started an epic blog and gotten distracted from it? You say "I'll come back to it after work or school or whatever..." but it never seems to happen. This long blog sits unfinished in "draft" limbo before you finally realize that all it's doing is preventing you from moving forward into future blogdom.

I usually write this grand scale gift blog after Christmas. I've been doing that since the ancient days of Xanga, but this year for some reason the blog just couldn't seem to finish itself. It could be that I'm out of my comfort zone and there are endless distractions around me constantly. This could also be why my movie reviews have come to a screeching hault. I'm doing the best I can to keep myself balanced and unfortunately my blogs seem to be suffering. A pity because writing has always been a pivotal part in what keeps me well adjusted. Since it's a new year I've made a few resolutions I'd like to share here...

1. Write more often. Now that 2010 has passed I can safely say it was a good year. I married my sweetheart, my creativity levels were high and I even made a little money from it, not to mention my movie business which is still doing extremely well paid for MANY supply shopping sprees, birthday presents and even the occasional bill! One constant thing I can say about 2010 is that I kept a good journaling regiment. Whether it was my hand held journal, sketch book or one of my various blogs. Now with all of these distractions I'm going to have to make time for it. That's why I've made it a resolution. To set time aside at least once a week to put some thoughts down on paper or into blogosphere cloud.

2. To bring Endless Fall back. What's Endless Fall you ask? It's this movie marathon me my friend Tony started over 4 years ago! Watch a movie every day. It's as simple as that. Of course life comes up so I changed the rules to a movie for everyday of the month. Meaning, you can skip days, but make up for it on a free day. You'd be amazed how fulfilling it is. I always kept an Endless Fall diary where I logged every movie I'd watch along with any notes I may have. I'd usually make a list of the top 10 at the end of each month. I bought a notebook specifically for this purpose the other day. Now to just start doing it again. It will also motivate me to write reviews again, which will aid resolution #1. It's win/win across the board when Endless Fall is involved!

3. Up the ante with my jewelry making. I love making jewelry. In all reality it's the one creative thing I could see myself doing permanantly for a living. I learned alot this past year and now I'm ready to advance even more. I've just learned some basic wire wrapping techniques and I'd like to get even better at it. Not only that, I also want to start using better materials. I want to graduate from base metals to silver and gold. I want to use stones instead of glass and cheap crystals. Of course I'll still use those things, but I want "Atomic Caravan Studios" to be associated with quality not just pretty costume jewelry. I've been spending all my spare time getting an inventory back up and now I finally feel like I have enough to revive my Etsy. Also thinking about trying out Artfire, just a basic account, since I've heard so many mixed things about it. Eventually I'd like to graduate to really professional jewelry. Real fire tools and metal saws. All in due time! Stay tuned for updates on all of these things.

4. Learn to bake. Thankfully I come from a long line of amazing cooks. Not just cooks, natural chefs. Holiday events in my family are something to be revered. Being the youngest, I'm the last to start exploring this gift that we all have. Yes, I'm using the word gift, because now that I'm seeing what it's like in another family I can appreciate the fact that not everyone can make a meal happen with a magical finesse. I think for the most part I have savory dishes down. A combination of trial, error and Martha Stewart have made me a decent chef. What's standing in my way? Baked goods. Sure, I can make a simple drop cookie, but what about pastries, cakes (and icing), fancy breads, tortes, et cetera. There's this whole world of chef-ing-ton I've yet to explore. Getting a Cuisine Art food processor as a wedding gift will bring good tidings, I'm sure. So by the end of the year, watch out!

5. Explore LA. Ok, so since I've been here so far I've spent my "spare time", job hunting, then jumping right into a full time job. A shitty retail one at that. Now January is underway and I'm still working 5 days a week. I'm not complaining, the cash flow is good and in a place like LA you really need it. But I still don't feel like I've had the full LA experience. I know, that takes years, right? Even a partial LA experience. I'd at least like to put a dent in it. So to remind myself why I moved here I'm making it apart of my New Years resolution to do the following....

• Have one day a week where I venture out of my city. Living in SGV can be a little boring. Sure, I love the Asian markets but I can only buy so many herbal teas and encounter oh so many pissed off Chinese people. There is more to the area than this. There are over 200 cities in Los Angeles County and I'm going to have to make an effort to pursue these little adventures. I'll try and take pictures to commemorate these events.
• On a smaller scale, something I can do around my neighborhood to get the full experience is try a new restaurant every week. Let's face it, we eat out a lot. There are too many people in this house eating any groceries we may be bringing in to rely solely on that.  Besides, eating out is cheap here and there are a lot more healthy options (one good thing about all the Asian food) than most places. So rather than getting pigeon holed into the same greasy spoon I'm making a point to be bold and experiment with the varieties of culture I'm surrounded by.

So there you have it. Not too bad, eh? Nothing too difficult to accomplish, but small things I can do to ensure a good year. And just so I don't completely break tradition here are my top five favorite Christmas presents...

FINALLY!  Thanks to my Aunt Regina I can retire my crappy German bootleg of my FAVORITE movie! I think this calls for a revised review on Atomic Caravan!

I LOVE Finders Keepers, even more so if it's under the "B-Music" cannon. This was from my awesome hubby. The description says it all, "Imagine Melody Nelson taking a trip to La Planete Sauvage with a synth, a drum kit and some herbal french cigarettes."

Since my discovery of it a few months ago, Mystic Topaz is my very favorite stone. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that my Mother in-law got me these GORGEOUS earrings!

Through out the month of October when we were doing some serious job hunting I really just wanted to curl up into the fetal position and watch Powerpuff Girls non-stop. I'm not sure what brought that urge on but being out of my comfort zone and having to branch out into a brave new world made me want to retreat to something safe and familiar in my spare time. I made several passing comments about wanting to watching some Powerpuff, so what does my husband do? Gets me the ENTIRE series! What a sweet heart! It's even better than I remembered. Fan fo' life.

Oh, Grandma. You spoil me so. I got this awwwesome espresso machine from my Grandma. I use it every day. I suppose that technically makes it my favorite gift? BEST EVER.

<3

On that note I shall depart. I have more jewelry picture to edit and I have to go to work soon. Sucks. Until next time...

Meet the Pink Rangers!

So as I briefly mentioned in my last blog, Super Sentai is one of my current interests. Sadly because I'm an American, (meaning I was an American kid raised on American TV) I missed out on shows like Go-Go V and Gaoranger. We had, of course, Power Rangers. To be quite honest, I always liked Power Rangers. I remember catching a lot of slack for it in school because it was so campy and redundant. That was apart of it's charm to me. The bad graphics, the bright colors and the Monster of the Day schtick. At first, there was really nothing else like it on American TV and I was way too young and unexposed to know about anything going on in Japan. This became a passing interest, meaning like timeless shows from the days of yore, such as Ren & Stimpy, Pete & Pete and Clarissa Explains it All, it didn't hold my attention for long. It was a little kid thing that I just eventually grew out of. Now that I'm in my Mid-20's, I'm easily given to nostalgia and I'm also a bonified Japanophile, my interest in tokusatsu has lead me back to Sentai. Which is a word I didn't even know existed at that time.

Just in case you need to brush up on the lingo...

Tokusatsu: "a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects (tokusatsu literally translates as "special filming" in Japanese)."

Sentai: "a word for a military unit and may be literally translated as "squadron", "task force", "group" or "wing". The terms "regiment" and "flotilla", while sometimes used as translations of Sentai, are also used to refer to larger formations."

Years ago I found out that  the Power Rangers thing was the Americans cashing in on a formula that was big in Japan. That's all I really knew though. It wasn't relevant to my interests at the time so I never did any further research. Now that I'm starting to get into a few of these shows I'm noticing how highly superior they all are to Power Rangers, which unlike most Japanese Sentai shows, was definitely geared towards younger kids.

Like any little girl, Kim, the Pink Ranger was my favorite! It didn't matter what her character was like, all that mattered was that she was pink. So just for fun, I found pictures of ALL THE PINK RANGERS. And there's kind of a lot! I enjoyed it so much I decided to post them all here! Pink only (and a few spectacular White Rangers as well).

 Let's start with the old American stand-by...

I remember squealing with retarded delight when I was 14 and realized that "Julie" from Felicity was "Kim" the Pink Ranger! But really though, she's kind of lame compared to the following Sentai Ladies (arranged alphabetically)...

Bioman: Pink Five

Boukenger: Bouken Pink

Carranger: Pink Racer

Changeman: Change Pheonix

Dairanger: Houou Ranger (one of my favorites! Check out that Pink Peacock!)

There she is again. Wow! Love her <3

Dekaranger: Deka Pink

Denziman: Denzi Pink

Dynaman: Dyna Pink

Fiveman: Pink Five (any Pink Ranger with a heart shaped face is an automatic winner!)

Flashman: Pink Flash (she's not wearing her mask, but I so love this picture)

Gaoranger: Belle Tiger Gaowhite (kinda, pink? Totally cute!)

Gingaman: Ginga Pink (Kitty helmet!!!)

Goggle V: Goggle Pink

Go-Go V: GoGo Pink

Goranger: Momo Ranger (one of my FAVES!!)

Goseiger: Gosei Pink

J.A.K.Q: Heart Queen (ANOTHER fave, this show is just great)

Jetman: White Swan (SWANNY ATTACK!?!)

Magiragner: Pink Magician Magi Pink (totally effing cool, but wait! It gets cooler...)

Pink Magician, wow! I need a suit like that for when I have to go pay my bills.

Maskman: Pink Mask

Megaranger: Mega Pink

Ohranger: Oh Pink (I like the simplicity of this one)

Shinkenger: Shinken Pink (BUT WAIT...it gets better...)

hmm, what could she be doing?

WAHHH!! Turning into a turtle!!!

Timeranger: Time Pink

Turbo Ranger: Pink Turbo

Zyuranger: Ptera Ranger


I wish all the Pink Rangers had gotten together and formed their own Sentai! I guess it'd be hard to tell some of them apart in fight scenes. Well, they're all cute! Even the more basic ones. This was just a little labor of love to see all those pretty pink faces together. Let me know if I missed any. And because I'm not a total sheister (only kind of), I got most of my photos from http://supersentaiimages.blogspot.com/ which is a really great blog and you should check it out if you're interested because, unlike me, they actually know what they're talking about, lol.

In closing I'll leave you with one of my favorite Sentai ladies, not pink, but totally amazing anyway...

Miss America from Battle Fever J...

So cool.

The Art of Being Frivolous

I've found myself interested in beauty and fashion a little more lately. I've been shedding weight pretty rapidly since I found out I'm lactose intolerant which has been kind of a re-awakening of my femininity. I normally can't focus on such frivolities. It's much easier to be a ragamuffin and give it no nevermind. Especially when you're obsessed with movies and culture the way I am. Sometimes I feel like I've immersed myself in boy things for so long that I find myself grasping for girl things that I can also enjoy. I usually default to the things I liked in high school, hell, I still use some of the make-up I bought in high school. 

It's all really just a matter of forming good habits. Making sure I wash and moisturize my face every night. That's not frivolous, that's important. Being confident and well groomed is important! So there you have it. I'm still a girl, go figure? I forget sometimes and then it's like this crazy epiphany.

So here are some of things that have been giving me the gimmie grabs lately...


1. Bust Magazine ♥

I really think that Bust is the greatest women's magazine ever. I used to buy it religiously but over the course of the past few years I've only gotten a few here and there. I should really just think about getting a subscription because they always brighten up my day, give me ideas, remind me that all new music doesn't suck, showcase clothes I would actually wear (and could afford, modeled by women with all body types), they even have a dirty story at the end of each issue! This issue they had a quiz about the late Lena Horne which surprised and delighted my music aficionado fiance (who got almost every question right!). Alongside my all time favorite movie magazine, Shock Cinema, Bust continues to deliver and is definitely an old stand by I'll never stop loving.

2. Sushi!

Guess what! I can always have sushi! No matter what dietary fuckery I must subject myself to, sushi is fair game. Unless it has cream cheese :-( . Yesterday I had the above pictured, sweetheart roll with spicy tuna! I find myself doubling up on ginger with this one. This whole no dairy thing has been tough, but I'm getting used to it. It's easy not to slip up because when you do, you get sick. It's not like normal diets where you're like "oh well, one little slip up is ok". Asian food, especially Japanese, has been a life saver. They hardly put dairy in anything, it's a fucking miracle. Delicious food that doesn't suck.

3. Pastel/Spring Nail Color

I love painting my nails. It's kind of relaxing. Although I will admit that I hate Revlon's nail polish. It's more tacky than some of the higher quality lacquer, the brush is crappy, they've been using the same bottle/brush design since the 70's or 80's I think. It's thinner than most and takes FOREVER to fully dry, BUT...look at that color. I'm addicted to their shade "Minted". It's ok though, a few coats and a thick layer of clear makes worth it. Am I seriously blogging about nail polish? What has come over me??

4. STICKERS!

Paperchase's new Dreamland line ♥ How I Love Thee. Borders always has the cutest stationary stuff. Yesterday when I was picking up Bust I noticed they had some EXTRA cute stuff! I'm a sticker FIEND! I'll shout it from the rooftops! I never plan on growing out of stickers. These are some of the cutest I've encountered in a while. though I'm not a fan of the puffy stickers. I usually sue them in journals and collages where puffiness is counterproductive. I'll deal with it though because they're just that cute!

 

5. MUSIC. duh.

I should just face the facts. I can't get enough Japanese music. Lately that is ALL I've wanted to listen to. Shibuya-kei has filled my ears with so much happiness that I just can get enough of these poppy tunes. Here are some things I've been listening to lately...

Maki Nomiya - Pink No Kokoro

Five years before Pizzicato Five would release their first album lead singer Maki Nomiya would release her first solo album. You can totally hear the early stages of what would later become the biggest pop sensation in Japan. It's more raw and unpolished, but still totally great!

Singapore A-Go-Go vol.1. I love all of these Eastern comps of  60's girl garage groups! This one was taken from rare Malaysian 45's, wonderful 60's and 70's surf, psychedeic and girl groups. Chew Yan & the Stylers is my favorite. Their song "Mimi Cat" is sooo adorable!

 

I got volume 1 (3003) for Christmas and have PLAYED-IT-OUT! These Sushi comps are the best introduction to Shibuya-kei music. If you like Pizzicato Five or Cibo Matto (and I know you do) this is a good next step. The first in the series introduced me to artists who are now favorites like Kahimi Karie and Les 5-4-3-2-1. I can already tell the second one will do the same. I'm already semi-obsessed with Oh! Penelope.

 

Not Shibuya-kei at all. eX-Girl is an experimental classically trained girl group that has become one of my favorite things ever! I also got their album for Christmas, Back to the Mono Kero, and it is wildly wonderful. But after downloading Endangered Species I can definitely say I like it better. It's a little less brash and lies more within the realm of J-pop/rock opera, which works really well for them. The first track on this album has been in my head for DAYS!

 

So I discovered a new (to me) genre! Pico Pico Pop! From what I can tell it's basically a new wave of cute kitschy Japanese pop groups who were raised on the shibuya-kei movement and inspired by the various "bloops" and "bleeps" of Nintendo games. This group, Macdonald Duck Eclair, is one of the front runners and one of my favorites so far! It's so chipper and cute you might not even be able to stand it!

 

OMG. I love Marino so much. If this album cover wasn't enough to sell me (check out that purse!), obnoxiously infectious happy fun tunes definitely sealed the deal. Also apart of the Pico Pico cannon, Marino is just as good Macdonald Duck Eclair.

6. Super Sentai!

Now it's past my bedtime and I'm just about to snuggle up in bed and watch some Super Sentai. It's the 25th Anniversary special, I'm especially diggin' J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai. They're so cool looking! Especially Big One and ♥Heart Queen♥. Words cannot express how much I love Toei! Tokusatsu is pretty much the best thing ever and Toei really knows how to deliver.

That's all for me right now. Suddenly I feel the urge to go on a tangent about how much I love Toei Sentai Heroine's like the pretty heart faced Heart Queen above, so I better just quit while I'm ahead.

G'night!