howdy

Yo Yo Girl Cop.

Gary sent me this clip about this new(?) Japanese movie that's coming out: Yo Yo Girl Cop. At first I thought it had something to do with the Tokyo hip-hop scene, but it's way cooler than that:

I may be primed to like this, since I recognize the weapon as something used in my favorite kid cartoon of all time, G-Force:

If you haven't heard of G-Force, you might want to read up on it. For starters, the original name of the series was Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. For another thing, they dressed like this when not fighting crime:

Amazing Martial Arts Demonstration

I know a little kung-fu, but nowhere near this level. Man, how does he do that?

"Rouge Is For Whores!"

Look, I Just Read Your Blog, But I'm Pretty Sure You'll Like This.

Total Commitment.

Seen at LAX. This woman has a handheld, karaoke-style microphone and USB webcam-on-a-stalk, all hooked up to her laptop. She appears to be videochatting with someone in Asia.

Risaikuru.

I noticed this on the packaging for a USB cable just now. To my non-Japanese eye, it looks way cooler than our recycling symbol. I think I'll make a t-shirt out of it.

Parol

Parol are Filipino star lanterns. I was surprised to seem them at Flying Fish, this great seafood restaurant Venky and Nipali took us to. (Thanks for being great hosts in Seattle!)

Fire Dance at Lele.

I missed the shot where he set his crotch on fire.

Tahiti at Lele.

Uh, so I think Tahitian dance is my favorite. But I'm a simple man.

Front and Center at the Luau.

We just got seated at The Feast at Lele, supposedly one of the über-lüaü's on Maui. So far I can't complain -- we are literally front and center in the first row in front of the stage. This photo is from our table, man!

Tonight's menu will feature dishes from a variety of islands, including the Hawaiian Islands. It will be sort of like eating the Polynesian Culture Center. Delicious.