Thursday, May 29, 2008

Six Things May 29, 2008



Stupid "#%()'$#%( weather.

Rain, The Beatles

(thanks to debsue)

One More Rainy Day, Deep Purple

(thanks to elihzzz)

It's Raining Men, The Weather Girls

(thanks to SuperPat1972)

Singin' In The Rain, Gene Kelly

(thanks to hafizaguncesi)

No Rain, Blind Melon

(thanks to hqvids)

Chocolate Rain by Tay Zonday was supposed to be here but watching the video sent me on a quest for something else so I'm using what I found instead.


(thanks to peternokidding)

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Former TBS announcer Ako Kawada commits suicide 川田亜子さん自殺

Former TBS announcer Ako Kawada 川田亜子 was found dead Monday. Kawada sealed herself in a car belonging to her talent agency and died of carbon monoxide poisoning via a small grill in the backseat of the car. She was 29.

There was a note addressed to her parents in the car but nothing else indicating why she had decided to commit suicide. In her 5/22 blog post she wrote: 一番苦痛であります。(It is most painful) and 今はせつないです。(Right now (I) am sad) and according to her talent agency she was recommended to see a doctor as her physical appearance had worsened at the beginning of the month.

Other reports:
MDN (English)
Tokyograph (English)
Sankei Sports (Japanese)
Yomiuri (Japanese)

This is currently the cover story for a number of the daily sheets and what I woke up to when watching めざましテレビ. One of the main reasons I know who she is is that as a TBS announcer, she was one of the hosts of BODY, the precursor to SASUKE Maniac. She was also a sideline reporter at both SASUKE, KUNOICHI and the Sportsman No. 1 competitions during her time at TBS (2002 to 2007).

Monday, May 26, 2008

SASUKE MANIAC May 25, 2008 Sort of liveblog! サスケマニア

This week! No more Maguro Festival! It'll be like Motley Crue said, "Girls, girls, girls!" Except not! Someone send me a copy of "The Dirt!"

While we're waiting let's see what's happening in the world of Japanese sports! Baseball highlights set to a cover version of Beat It! Kotooooooooooooshu! He won. Women's volleyball! They lost. Soyjoy! Everyone wins!

I hope that monster eats Kimura one day.

Jero! He's already sold out to the man!

Finally! Muscle Queen 2008! Tonight! The final stage!

1st Stage: Yurisa. 2nd Stage: Kayo Noro.

Last week Cherry Pie EXPLODED as one of them took out the other one.

Next up: Yurisa ユリサ vs. Inui Mayu 乾麻由! They are taking each other on that weird balance thing in Muscle Park (バランス). Yurisa's time was 3.03 seconds. Inui's second try! Here she goes! 2.49 seconds! Yurisa wins!

Kayo Noro 野呂佳代 vs. Nishiaki Aina 西秋愛菜 in the Body Clock (ボディクロック)! They have to press the button and try to be the closest to 10 seconds. Noro's time...9.81 seconds! Nishiaki...11.28! Noro wins! Nishiaki is out!

Momomi Yoshino 吉野ももみ vs. Miho of Cherry Pie! チェリー☆パイ みほ Whoever wins here will go on to the Final Stage! They have to touch the pads in order (アジリティ). Yoshino is first! Her time is 14.28. Miho is next! Can she do it? Here she goes! Ah! She misstepped! Will it cost her? 15.85! It did! Wait. Miho gets another chance. Here she goes! No! She missed the top button! 17.18 seconds! Yoshino is going to the Final Stage!

Flash Circle! (What?) First up is Noro vs. Yurisa! They have to touch lamps on poles (フラッシュサークル). Noro is first! AHH! No! She missed! Oh, they have to touch the lamps in order. Yurisa! She did it! Noro is out!

The next event! Workout (ワークアウト)! One minute of push ups! Not exactly the fastest of paces. Yoshino is in the early lead. One minute of sit ups! The pace picks up! It's still close! Yoshino is up by about 7. And that's the final difference! Final tally: 50- 43! Yoshino wins the third stage!

Yurisa is still in the lead with 20 points. Noro is next with 18 and Yoshino is last at 16. Yurisa is still hurting from the Workout!

Now they are in Dex Hiroba! Wherever that is. Yoshino finished 3rd, 3rd, 1st. Noro was 2nd, 1st, 3rd. Yurisa was 1st, 2nd, 2nd.

The last event! 空気椅子 Kuuki Isu! I forget what we call it in English. Chairs? They have do that thing where you have to hold yourself up in a sitting position with your back against the wall. Because of the point totals, Yurisa gets an extrat 40 seconds, Noro an extra 20 seconds. So Yoshino has to start, then Noro, then Yurisa.

CMs.

We're back! Reaching 1:30. This is thrilling! Two minutes coming up. Yurisa is looking pained. This event possibly favors Yoshino. Wait! Noro is the first out! Yurisa and Yoshino! Two and a half minutes! Remember that Yurisa started over half a minute after Yoshino. Three minutes. Yurisa looks pained! She's tilting her head forward!

CMs.

That air conditioner will follow you wherever you are! You can't escape it.

Because when I hear Goldfinger and Shirley Bassey, I think Nissan.

Back. Going past three minutes. Abunai! Yurisa tilts her head forward. Yabai! Yurisa's leg is buckling. That's it! At 3:50 (actually 3:48 is when Yurisa goes down but the horn goes off at 3:50) Yoshino wins and pulls off the comeback! Crying ensues. Yurisa is kind of whiny. Why is Miho crying? Yurisa I can understand. Yoshino gets a laurel wreath! She's your 2008 Muscle Queen! No previews for next week? OK then!

Congratulations to Momomi Yoshino!

Bonus material: Here's her wearing her wreath at home.

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