Radicalpatriot

BULLETIN: I have a late cancellation on a hotel share. Room is at Hotel Max, 3 blocks from Sakura-Con. Cost is only $201 for 3 nights, April 21-22-23. First to e-mail at [email protected] gets it!

I lurk a lot... But I would love to meet some of you!!! We will be at the Hello Pro Party. My daughters' dance troupe (only 3 of us, it was a challenge to get our gang out of Texas. money wise) will be performing and well, meeting others who understand our fandom!

If anybody could give me heads up on gatherings (places where my kids can come, too.)

Any rumors on when they arrived. I hadn't heard anything, I just thought they may come in early so they can sight see.

I've made some highly recognizable Berryz costumes, that I hope will look right...

How amazing. I am a news reporter by trade but used to be a music-dance teacher, K-6. I just finished a big piece on local dance teams and I had to mention some of the Japanese groups which I have followed since 2006. I also lived in Japan while in the third-fourth-fifth grade and have been there three times, 2008, 2009, 2010' and have seen Berryz Kobo 10 times live in Japan, the most recent Dec. 12 in Nagano, twice. Perhaps we can compare notes in Seattle. Please email me at [email protected]. When I arrive later today I can give you my cell number. I, too, plan to attend the Red Lion get-together. Thanx for sharing/gerryc, http://yankeeotaku.com

I'm signed up! HAPPY STANDUP! Check it out! Check it out! HAPPY, HAPPY FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Headin' out from Fresno tomorrow! Will also be reporting "live" from Sakura-Con: http://yankeeotaku.com/?p=1626

That's really sad that they didn't even get an announcement. But I guess they would've have to do a bunch of things or appear at a H!P concert, so maybe they didn't want to do that. D: That sucks. It would've been awesome if they could've held one last concert. My guess is that they were probably all back home and they didn't want to fly them back to Japan for announcements and stuff... What a let-down for the fans.
Unless this leaves potential for a comeback someday...?

I have a possible explanation, and I saw this happen first-hand in the January 2009 Elder club graduation concert at Yokohama Arena. ICM performed their debut single at each of the three shows. In the first two, all of them introduced themselves in Japanese, a new language for those Taiwanese kids, and everything went smoothly. However, at the final Sunday night show, the first ICM member stumbled on the intro, and then forgot the lines completely. This flub spread to the other girls, panic ensued, they all screwed it up despite ample prompting from well-intentioned fans in front, and it was a hugely embarrassing catastrophe for these decent kids. My first thought was that UFA would simply splice in that segment from one of the other shows into the DVD, but they just used the screwed-up version and I am convinced that permanent stain on their first-ever show in Japan destroyed their confidence. Just watch that segement on the DVD and see the pain in these kids' faces. I don't really blame H!P, UFA or Tsunku, and the policy on DVD tapings is that you don't mess with what that final show produces. However, they could have included a clean version of those intros as an extra to the DVD. Instead, they just hung them out to dry. Anyway, that's my opinion and the proof is in the DVD.

I've sent Ohta $50 through PayPal and I asked that he forward it to the most deserving charity he knows in Japan; preferably one that is directly dealing with the massive need of the 700,000 refugees without water, food, shelter or power, living in freezing cold, with the elderly and children most exposed.

I will try and send more as soon as I can. It might be a good idea for anyone here to find out a PayPal address for someone in Japan who is in dire need and send any cash straight to them, bypassing the snail-slow (and greedy) Red Cross. I cannot imagine the suffering. The nuclear problem, to me, is secondary right now. Let's adopt a Japanese family, or something like it. I just want to reach out and gather them all out of that setting and care for them as much as I am able.

It makes me better appreciate the unrelenting optimism, energy and beauty of all the idols. Somehow, as I have followed closely the growth of these astonishing singers and dancers, who are by far the most pleasing and prolific in the world, it didn't seem possible such greatness could last forever. Well, I'm sure they will come back with a vengeance, as Japan has always dealt with adversity and won the ultimate human victory.

Anyway, Ohta, buy whatever rice and water you can and get it to whoever can use it. I can only send love to all otherwise.

http://yankeeotaku.com