[Unexpected only in that it hasn’t been a week since my last post.]

Today I discovered that the iTunes Music Store now has the complete set of Final Fantasy OSTs listed. I think Apple’s just figured out its newest way to squeeze a buck out of me.

Inspired by this new development, I poked around and discovered that the Chrono Cross OST will be re-released at the end of June. Yay! I no longer need pester people hawking bootleg copies on Amazon’s marketplace.

And if you think I’m crazy for being modestly excited to find access to these old-school tunes: you’re right. I am. But listening to Golbez, Clad in Darkness still sends a bit of a chill down my spine, and Kefka still pisses me off by being both the most evil, and easiest to kill, enemy ever. Much more recently, the Zanarkand theme still strikes a chord in me—even if, as Andy says, most of the Final Fantasy X soundtrack is rather bland.

…

RightStuf had a Tokyopop sale recently, which means I just got up-to-date on the GTO manga (“Great Teacher Onizuka,” for those of you not in-the-know). Hilarious. I had heard that the story kind of falls apart later on, but—given a half-year hiatus between story arcs—I haven’t found that to be true at all. I stayed up late last night reading, and found myself crying, trying to simultaneously laugh out loud and not wake up the rest of my house. I know of no other story that so easily (and repeatedly and hilariously) crosses The Line, yet maintains its heart of gold throughout.

…

I never really watched the Amazing Race, until these last two episodes (spoilers eventually follow)—I’m not much for TV, and especially not interested in reality shows. And, actually, for the last two weeks it’s more like I join my family in watching NCIS (a surprisingly witty show), and then don’t bother to wander off afterwards. Anyhoo… it didn’t take long to figure out that there was the team of questionable ethics, the team of infighting, the team of old people, and the team of (for lack of a better term) Onizuka. I mean, these guys were steps away from the finish line (and therefore Cash Money) and they stopped to beg money off of passers-by to be able to pay their cabbie. This was the team that tried to help the old couple out, when the old couple decided (stupid! stupid!) to take a “brawny” task rather than a “brainy” task. They consistently kept their integrity, despite the obvious temptation to do whatever it took to win… and they won anyway. Boo yah.

The onion-chopping detour was pretty stupid, though. Amazing? Hardly. Race? I guess.

…And I’ve just discovered that this was actually the seventh season of The Amazing Race. Which means I didn’t know that The Amazing Race even existed for six years. GG, marketing guys.