There, now I've done it. This is now the official GIVE YOUR MEAT blog. Note, usage MUST be in all caps. This is in reverent honor of The True Source. Now I really REALLY wished I asked her where she got the sweatshirt...maybe I can make my own and sell them on the web? Hmm...wonder if the original creator has some sort of trademark or something. If he does, bite me: GYM wants to be free! GIVE YOUR MEAT Are Belong To Us!

OK now I've definitely been working too long...
In case you have any serious desire to set the wallpaper on your cellphone, here's the mobile version of GIVE YOUR MEAT.
I wonder if I can start my own internet meme, like All Your Base Are Belong To Us...From now on, everything will be GYM'd.
In fact, I'm going to rename this blog to GIVE YOUR MEAT!
Stevie posted his pictures from Golden Week in Europe.
Memorable quote:
In conclusion, I can think of no other place where the lifestyle and mentality is the polar opposite to that of Japan..or even the US. Sure, their economies are non-existant and nothing ever gets produced..but what a way to relax.
And his sister Tina is real cute, too. Bummer he missed Joel and Aki's wedding, but it looks like he had good time.
As for me, I just got out of 3 hours of study for the Japanese Registered Representative exam. Why, dare you ask, is an IT web-geek studying to be a certified Japanese Financial Services Registered Representative? No bloody idea...seemed like a good idea, and then by some miracle I passed level 2, so now I just HAVE to take level 1 eh? Best part is, most other fools in the class will lose their jobs if they don't pass. Nice to be the one monkey with no pressure, eh?
Finally got to aikido tonight. Left work early (funny how I think leaving work at 6pm after working since 8:30am is early) and caught the 6:30 class. Wasn't too crowded which is nice, but it's getting humid and I got sweatily schooled. Not too much flying but lots of weird mid-section attack blocking and grip changes that I'm just not flowing at all...gimme another 30 years and maybe I'll learn a thing or two. But damn it's fun.
GIVE YOUR MEAT has arrived! Thanks to Jeremy for hooking me up so quickly. He emailed it to engrish.com already, so this might be my debut!
I was just about to go to aikido last night (haven't been in two weeks b/c of Golden Week holidays) and was leaving the office -- jacket on and bag slung -- when I got sucked back in to do some emergency translations. This FSA audit is no fun. I'd forgotten how tiring it is to write Japanese, and of course I can't stand the fact that after 10 years of studying I still can't write a decent Japanese sentence. Now I remember why I quit my job working for the Japanese gov't: translation as a job is neither fun nor easy for a monkey like me.
But anyway I'm gonna try to bail early from work today and catch the 6:30 aikido class.
Still rainy/cold, btw. What's up with the weather? Serious El Ninonization or something going on, but hardly any snow in the winter, and then nice warm early spring but now nasty cold front coming in from the mainland...maybe North Korea has developed some kind of weather control weapon and they're sending all this cold air over Japan...could prove more effective than the spy-disguised-as-fishing boats they normally send over.
Went to Joel and Aki's wedding this weekend -- long 4 day weekend for Golden Week. Definitely was NOT a boring wedding! Lots of participation, including the X-Files skit I did with Nancy (nice blonde wig!) and Ollie.
Before Jeremy left Japan we went to Akiba and haggled him a good price on a new Clie (with the flippy screen). Also showed Ollie the "sketchy video places" and took THE photo of the day. Jeremy, you gotta send that image. It's going straight to engrish.com: girl on the street handing out flyers, wearing a white sweatshirt and in big black letters "GIVE YOUR MEAT". I love Tokyo.

what the hell is G.Y.M.?

One day I was walking around Akihabara with Jeremy and saw this girl handing out fliers. I of course got my picture taken with her.
The next week, I was in Akihabara again and saw a guy with the same sweatshirt. I asked him where he got it and told him about the girl I saw last week, and he says that's his friend and pointed her out as she was coming out the ticket gates.
I never did find out where they got their original G.Y.M. sweatshirts, but thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can now own your very own G.Y.M. apparel and stuff!