Sunday, January 18
Up by the bootstraps
The reason for the lack of posts is not very clear to me. But rather than waste time parsing it out, let's move on. The above shrine is in Kagurazaka, a slightly more traditional area in Tokyo.
So nothing much has changed over my absence. I have been reading, shopping and eating out as usual. Actually, one thing has changed – the weather. Each winter I contemplate getting some boots. I came close to pulling the trigger last year on some New Balance boots like this. But they were not at all comfortable. This year I started to see some nice things from Nike like this...
and this...
[pics via Mita Sneakers]
But they were not quite right: too bright and dark, respectively. Although I loved the shape of the second one, the Air Magma. But somehow a suede-like material on a boot just doesn't seem proper to me.
But then I saw that Nike was releasing the Air Magma in ripstop. I figured that these might be the ones for me...and, they were.
I ended up getting the tan/khaki colorway over the black because I think the color matches the shape better. Plus it looks better with jeans as seen below.
So there you have it – one of my more recent purchases. I hope to get back at this more often.
As for music, lately anything by either Rusko or Caspa has been devastating. This one is by both of them and its dope, a complete growler.
Until next time.
Monday, December 1
Book Corner: Unruly – King of the kitchen
Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin is a fantastic book, but it is really a combination of a things: a magazine article about Kenny Shopsin and his restaurant of the same name; Shopsin’s musings on topics like family, customers, fancy restaurants, food critics, etc.; as well as about 100 recipes, each with a short story, all thrown in for the cover price.
Since I love books more than cooking, Shopsin’s writing appealed to me just a bit more than his food. However, with food this appetizing – “mac n cheese pancakes” as just one example – it was a close contest.
You can be forgiven if you haven’t heard of Shopsin, since he first started serving food in his corner store in New York City he has taken great pains to shun the media. Not only has he vehemently rejected offers to be in any restaurant guidebook, he also tosses potential customers back on the street about three or four times a week.
Shopsin writes that customers’ “neuroses are coddled and their misbehaviors are tolerated for their patronage and their money by every restaurateur in America. But not by me. My approach at Shopsin’s is the exact opposite of ‘the customer is always right.’ Until I know the people, until they show me that they are worth cultivating as customers, I’m not even sure I want their patronage.”
Shopsin has a lot of rules in his restaurant, although he says there are fewer now than in the past. Here is just a sampling; no copycat ordering, no special orders (unless he thinks it sounds like an improvement), no seating for groups larger than four, no take out, and everyone must eat.
How can you not love such a grumpy old man? But he is not all gruff and blustering, Shopsin just wants the respect and attention from the customer he feels he deserves. And it seems he and (some) of his customers have found a comfortable niche to inhabit.
Regarding the atmosphere of his shop he writes, “The thing that makes my restaurant special is my relationships and interactions with my customers – and the way they relate and interact with one another.”
One of the things I like most about the book is that he dispels the commonly held belief that there is some magic or mysterious “thing” that occurs in a restaurant kitchen that cannot be replicated at home.
Shopsin’s philosophy on cooking is both simple and elegant: “Do what you can within the limits of what you can do, and it will all be just fine.” For him, that means using good ingredients, buying quality equipment and finding the most direct way to create dishes that taste good.
In addition to an amazing assortment of recipes, Shopsin dispenses wonderfully efficient methods for cutting peppers, grilling chicken, cooking burgers and making eggs that have already proved successful in my meager kitchen.
One of my favorites from the book is the “Gidget” sandwich – tuna salad, avocado, and tomato on garlic bread. As he says, this is more of an assembly dish than a true recipe. And since he says “use the ingredients you like,” I threw on some cheddar and it was delicious.
The book also contains a replica of his menu, which he reprints at least twice a week from his home. The six-page behemoth has more than 900 items squeezed on it to the point of illegibility. But each one gives just one more example of Shopsin’s creativity.
The next time I visit New York City I will surely visit his restaurant, whether he wants a food tourist or not. I just pray I measure up to his strict standards and get to try one of his dishes first hand.
Since I love books more than cooking, Shopsin’s writing appealed to me just a bit more than his food. However, with food this appetizing – “mac n cheese pancakes” as just one example – it was a close contest.
You can be forgiven if you haven’t heard of Shopsin, since he first started serving food in his corner store in New York City he has taken great pains to shun the media. Not only has he vehemently rejected offers to be in any restaurant guidebook, he also tosses potential customers back on the street about three or four times a week.
Shopsin writes that customers’ “neuroses are coddled and their misbehaviors are tolerated for their patronage and their money by every restaurateur in America. But not by me. My approach at Shopsin’s is the exact opposite of ‘the customer is always right.’ Until I know the people, until they show me that they are worth cultivating as customers, I’m not even sure I want their patronage.”
Shopsin has a lot of rules in his restaurant, although he says there are fewer now than in the past. Here is just a sampling; no copycat ordering, no special orders (unless he thinks it sounds like an improvement), no seating for groups larger than four, no take out, and everyone must eat.
How can you not love such a grumpy old man? But he is not all gruff and blustering, Shopsin just wants the respect and attention from the customer he feels he deserves. And it seems he and (some) of his customers have found a comfortable niche to inhabit.
Regarding the atmosphere of his shop he writes, “The thing that makes my restaurant special is my relationships and interactions with my customers – and the way they relate and interact with one another.”
One of the things I like most about the book is that he dispels the commonly held belief that there is some magic or mysterious “thing” that occurs in a restaurant kitchen that cannot be replicated at home.
Shopsin’s philosophy on cooking is both simple and elegant: “Do what you can within the limits of what you can do, and it will all be just fine.” For him, that means using good ingredients, buying quality equipment and finding the most direct way to create dishes that taste good.
In addition to an amazing assortment of recipes, Shopsin dispenses wonderfully efficient methods for cutting peppers, grilling chicken, cooking burgers and making eggs that have already proved successful in my meager kitchen.
One of my favorites from the book is the “Gidget” sandwich – tuna salad, avocado, and tomato on garlic bread. As he says, this is more of an assembly dish than a true recipe. And since he says “use the ingredients you like,” I threw on some cheddar and it was delicious.
The book also contains a replica of his menu, which he reprints at least twice a week from his home. The six-page behemoth has more than 900 items squeezed on it to the point of illegibility. But each one gives just one more example of Shopsin’s creativity.
The next time I visit New York City I will surely visit his restaurant, whether he wants a food tourist or not. I just pray I measure up to his strict standards and get to try one of his dishes first hand.
Saturday, November 15
Make it your own
I took this picture in the neighborhood of Roppongi in Tokyo. [It is kind of the nightlife center of Tokyo...and the mecca for foreigners looking to have fun (with a bunch of other ex-pats). I have a bad attitude about the area, but its not really worth going into.] My girl recently started going to a new salon there, and I discovered this little playground festooned with robots nearby. It was dope and I hope to tag alone again next month and snap some more pics.
As anyone who has read this blog for a minute will know, I have a little thing for track bikes. I continue to see them in the streets and outside shops more and more often. The fad/movement shows no signs of flagging with the release of a new toy. (JB...that is the bike I was trying to explain the other day.)
That's right, now you can buy your own 1/9 scale track bike from PedalMafia for a measly $30. Not only that, but they sell optional parts you can get to customize your mini-ride.
[via: PedalMafia blog]
If and when I see this in the shops, I might have a hard time not throwing away some hard-earned cash on it. I have resisted buying toys for a while, and there is only one good way to reward myself for such good behavior – buy some toys! Until then, I have will to settle for PedalMafia's online application.
Yup, you can build your own virtual track bike. So far I have thrown together four, but I will show some restraint and only show you my two favorites. And it is very possible that, since I have no practical knowledge of these bikes, that I have embarrassingly misplaced some part. That would be really sad, but if that is the case...please do tell. (I'm looking at you JB) I would hate to remain ignorant.
You can try it out yourself HERE. All the items are way on the left, so make sure to scroll on over. If anyone wastes as much time as I did, feel free to send the pics my way.
So customization seem to be the name of the game, from bikes, mobile phones, and all the way to cars – see Ferrari's Carrozzeria Scaglietti program for evidence.) And let's not forget sneakers! Nike introduced their NikeiD program years ago, and now Puma has its Mongolian shoe BBQ, and Reebok and Adidas have both had different schemes running in the last year or so. Well...not to ruin the suspense, but I finally did it after debating about it for a long time.
I have to explain, there are two different types of NikeiD's you can do: (1) you can use their Web site and select from the options available or (2) you can go to a NikeiD Studio and have a "Design Consultant" help you and there are "special" options that are not available online. Wanting only the best, I always hesitated going the online route but there was a problem – there was not iD Studio in Tokyo. (Well, after I had mine made...one just opened last month in the new Nike Sportswear store in Harajuku, but that's a story for another time.)
Until very recently the only iD Studio has been in Osaka. And wouldn't you know it, I had an opportunity to go there this past September for the first time since 2002. I knew I would only have one afternoon there...after spending time with my girl's family and before heading back to Tokyo. My only goal was to go to the NikeStore...never imagining that I would have a chance to make a shoe.
But...since we didn't really have much to do, my girl and her brother encouraged me to go bananas. But I knew they would be patient only for so long...I figured an hour max before there would be trouble. (Not really enough time...but since I didn't even make a reservation and it was such a spur of the moment thing, I was game!)
So, with no real time to prepare I sat down at the terminal and started working. It was a given I would make an Air Max 90 (if there had been the Air Max 87 I would have had to make a tough decision) the only real question was whether or not they had mesh available: and boy did they ever!
They had white and black mesh available so those were easy bases to work from. But I quickly ended up wasting quite a bit of time trying out some wacky lime-centered colorways. After regaining my senses, I decided to take a more conservative path. The Design Consultant was not all that helpful and I have no idea if I used any of the "studio only" options. But at that point I was getting signals to wrap things up, so I said I was done.
All of the colors came out a little darker than what I had expected, but I can't really complain. I am pretty happy with the results. They provide two lace options and I was sure I would like the blue better than the red...but I like the red a lot. And of course any sneakerhead worth his sole can see the influence the original Infrared 90 colorway had on my shoe. What can I say...I like the classics.
In addition to the two laces that came with it, I can easily see some crisp white or black laces spending some quality time in there. But for now, I am really enjoying the red.
I am not sure if I will ever do another pair of iD's again...but I am happy I did at least one. I to think that at some point, you will be able to customize shoes even more – either online or in a studio and more options and colors would be a nice start.
Music
Here is a great video for my favorite track of DJ /Rupture's new mix album Uproot. I might do a more complete review of the album in the near future. For now...enjoy.
That's it and I'm out.
Thursday, November 6
Book Corner: Making the case for a long attention span
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I am a big fan of Neal Stephenson’s writing. Since I first read his groundbreaking work Snow Crash, I have eagerly awaited each new novel. So I approached his latest effort Anathem full of high expectations.
Let me assure you, Stephenson did not disappoint. From its comedic and slightly confusing start, to its verging on hopeful ending, the reader is led every step of the way by the likeable main character Erasmas, or Raz for short.
The story is set on the planet Arbre, which has a 7,089-year history that is somewhat similar to Earth’s. One of the largest differences is that there are two separate groups of people on the planet that interact under only the strictest of rules.
On one hand we have the “Saecular World,” which goes through endless cycles of booms and busts, world wars, and climate change. At the time of the story, it is a consumer culture with people forever distracted by blazing advertisements, “jeejahs” (advanced mobile phones), and all the food contains “Allswell” (a type of anti-anxiety and anti-depressant).
The people are for the most part aliterate or illiterate, and receive all their information coming from “speelys” (a type of advanced television). There are some educated people – who often become leaders – and artisans as well. Religious groups possess a lot of power, but are split into countless factions.
On the other hand, we have Raz and his friends, which live in one of many “concents” (a type of walled monastery) that are dotted around the planet. This group, called the “avout” – made up of scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians – have taken oaths to stay cloistered for one, 10, 100, or 1,000 years.
Raz, who entered the concent when he was eight years old because he liked books, is a Decenarian (Tenner), and is allowed to visit the Saecular World once every 10 years. The only other time an avout leaves the concent is when whatever government is in charge at the time needs help solving a crisis. And wouldn’t you know it, but a crisis is in the making as the story begins.
So, with that brief sketch of the novel’s story, you might see that Stephenson is working with some pretty conceptual stuff. And once he starts talking about string theory, “new matter,” and high-level math, the reader is bound to learn something whether they want to or not.
The book tackles such weighty topics as the conflict between science and religion, as well as comments on today’s culture here on Earth. Stephenson was quoted as saying, “As far as culture and politics are concerned, the important theme is long-attention-span vs. short-attention-span thinking.”
The avout, especially the Centenarians (Hundreders) or Millenarians (Thousanders), have a very different relationship with time and it allows them to do things that others can’t.
But don’t think this is all work and no play. For as much as Stephenson writes incredibly technical and challenging novels, he is also a big fan of adventure stories. Every one of his novels to date has at least one badass character, and Anathem is no different.
The reader meets the avouts from the concent of the “Ringing Vale” just at the right time. We quickly learn that they practice the concept of “vale lore” or “vlor,” a short jump from the English word valor. While some concents have been studying geometry for thousands of years, they have been working on their own unique martial arts – and they use it to devastating effect.
As great as this novel is, it is not perfect. There is a dead spot about three quarters of the way through that is tough to get through. That 50-page section – dealing with divergent realities – is the most abstract and challenging part of the book. But, once you make it through that, it is a tremendous, adrenaline-pumping race to the finish.
As you may have noticed, Stephenson created a lot of new words in the novel, so many that there is a 20-page glossary – not to mention 25 pages of math lessons that are interesting, but not strictly necessary for the reader to understand. But the words soon become second nature and you stop looking in the back about halfway through the book.
But I have to warn you, because you forget there are 45 pages of filler at the end, the grand finale may catch you by surprise. It was not the best feeling to eagerly turn the page, only to find the start of the glossary.
But, I went back and re-read the last couple pages a bit more slowly and it did provide a satisfying ending – even though I could have read at least another 100 pages.
The World of Anathem
Let me assure you, Stephenson did not disappoint. From its comedic and slightly confusing start, to its verging on hopeful ending, the reader is led every step of the way by the likeable main character Erasmas, or Raz for short.
The story is set on the planet Arbre, which has a 7,089-year history that is somewhat similar to Earth’s. One of the largest differences is that there are two separate groups of people on the planet that interact under only the strictest of rules.
On one hand we have the “Saecular World,” which goes through endless cycles of booms and busts, world wars, and climate change. At the time of the story, it is a consumer culture with people forever distracted by blazing advertisements, “jeejahs” (advanced mobile phones), and all the food contains “Allswell” (a type of anti-anxiety and anti-depressant).
The people are for the most part aliterate or illiterate, and receive all their information coming from “speelys” (a type of advanced television). There are some educated people – who often become leaders – and artisans as well. Religious groups possess a lot of power, but are split into countless factions.
On the other hand, we have Raz and his friends, which live in one of many “concents” (a type of walled monastery) that are dotted around the planet. This group, called the “avout” – made up of scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians – have taken oaths to stay cloistered for one, 10, 100, or 1,000 years.
Raz, who entered the concent when he was eight years old because he liked books, is a Decenarian (Tenner), and is allowed to visit the Saecular World once every 10 years. The only other time an avout leaves the concent is when whatever government is in charge at the time needs help solving a crisis. And wouldn’t you know it, but a crisis is in the making as the story begins.
So, with that brief sketch of the novel’s story, you might see that Stephenson is working with some pretty conceptual stuff. And once he starts talking about string theory, “new matter,” and high-level math, the reader is bound to learn something whether they want to or not.
The book tackles such weighty topics as the conflict between science and religion, as well as comments on today’s culture here on Earth. Stephenson was quoted as saying, “As far as culture and politics are concerned, the important theme is long-attention-span vs. short-attention-span thinking.”
The avout, especially the Centenarians (Hundreders) or Millenarians (Thousanders), have a very different relationship with time and it allows them to do things that others can’t.
But don’t think this is all work and no play. For as much as Stephenson writes incredibly technical and challenging novels, he is also a big fan of adventure stories. Every one of his novels to date has at least one badass character, and Anathem is no different.
The reader meets the avouts from the concent of the “Ringing Vale” just at the right time. We quickly learn that they practice the concept of “vale lore” or “vlor,” a short jump from the English word valor. While some concents have been studying geometry for thousands of years, they have been working on their own unique martial arts – and they use it to devastating effect.
As great as this novel is, it is not perfect. There is a dead spot about three quarters of the way through that is tough to get through. That 50-page section – dealing with divergent realities – is the most abstract and challenging part of the book. But, once you make it through that, it is a tremendous, adrenaline-pumping race to the finish.
As you may have noticed, Stephenson created a lot of new words in the novel, so many that there is a 20-page glossary – not to mention 25 pages of math lessons that are interesting, but not strictly necessary for the reader to understand. But the words soon become second nature and you stop looking in the back about halfway through the book.
But I have to warn you, because you forget there are 45 pages of filler at the end, the grand finale may catch you by surprise. It was not the best feeling to eagerly turn the page, only to find the start of the glossary.
But, I went back and re-read the last couple pages a bit more slowly and it did provide a satisfying ending – even though I could have read at least another 100 pages.
The World of Anathem
Sunday, November 2
Knowing without understanding
I'll admit it, I can't understand everything I see in Japan. I am always improving, but it is taking longer than it should. Oh well. Luckily, a lot of the time, complete understanding is not really necessary. Case in point.
I always loved this sign in my girl's hometown. We always end up visiting the local supermarket where I encounter these 16 people encouraging me to "Take my time shopping" (but way more polite). Even if you can't read it (rest assured...this sign I can read) you can understand the meaning. On our last visit to her hometown, I spotted another sign I enjoyed, and it takes no reading to understand.
Homeboy looks like he is having way too good a time popping pills! But even without the English writing, the slowest person would peg this as a drug store.
Moving on...
This is the cover to the Keep Watch Vol. 2: Teki Latex put out by Mishka NYC brand. The mix is really good, although a bit of a slow starter. You can read an intro and download it HERE.
The mix by Teki Latex – being the Frenchie that he is – reminded me of this post I have been meaning to put together for the longest time. See...I have this fascination with foreign/non-English hip hop. The following clips (none of which are new) come from different countries and artists. And they are able to pull "it" off with varying degrees of success. The French for their part, seem be able to do just about anything and look good while doing so.
We have a chubby guy (in two different pairs of colorful Nike's) who infects everything he touches with rainbows. He ain't trying to be nothing he isn't. And he pulls it off with aplomb. I love the electro-vibe of the song.
This is Afasi & Filthy and all I know about them is that they are from Sweden. I do like the beat and can enjoy it, even though I don't understand one word. But, I feel like they are trying just a bit too hard, fronting in some way. It is a small thing, but I'm pretty sure these two homies check the mirror on the way out the door for a bit longer than Teki Latex.
Sexfemman seems to be another Scandinavian rapper, couldn't really find that much info on him. (Didn't look all that hard.) I like this song better than the last one. But again, there seems to be a false vibe of trying to be "down with the streets" here as well. Being down is not necessary to make good hip hop. The sparse beat – featuring a well used tambourine of all instruments – is slick enough to stand alone. (But maybe I am reading all the wrong stuff into the track. How would I know??) [both clips via - Discobelle]
One of my favorite tracks that I have stumbled across knowing absolutely nothing about the artist. This is Peter Fox (according to the meta-data and the fact that he says his name multiple times) and I like the way his German just cuts through the dense track. I love the building of momentum with the cellos in the verses that burst in varying ways into the chorus. The video ain't too shabby either. There is no pretense here...just an artist making a good song. [via Kanye West]
That is about all. No big statement about non-English hip hop. Its just something that has been floating around in my head for ages. For me, if you don't try to emulate something, and just put out good music I will give it a listen.
CAUTION: Since I really know nothing about any of these artists, I really don't guarantee my judgement over their entire bodies of work. I only know these track which could be their best or worst work...how would I know??
Until next time.
I always loved this sign in my girl's hometown. We always end up visiting the local supermarket where I encounter these 16 people encouraging me to "Take my time shopping" (but way more polite). Even if you can't read it (rest assured...this sign I can read) you can understand the meaning. On our last visit to her hometown, I spotted another sign I enjoyed, and it takes no reading to understand.
Homeboy looks like he is having way too good a time popping pills! But even without the English writing, the slowest person would peg this as a drug store.
Moving on...
This is the cover to the Keep Watch Vol. 2: Teki Latex put out by Mishka NYC brand. The mix is really good, although a bit of a slow starter. You can read an intro and download it HERE.
The mix by Teki Latex – being the Frenchie that he is – reminded me of this post I have been meaning to put together for the longest time. See...I have this fascination with foreign/non-English hip hop. The following clips (none of which are new) come from different countries and artists. And they are able to pull "it" off with varying degrees of success. The French for their part, seem be able to do just about anything and look good while doing so.
We have a chubby guy (in two different pairs of colorful Nike's) who infects everything he touches with rainbows. He ain't trying to be nothing he isn't. And he pulls it off with aplomb. I love the electro-vibe of the song.
This is Afasi & Filthy and all I know about them is that they are from Sweden. I do like the beat and can enjoy it, even though I don't understand one word. But, I feel like they are trying just a bit too hard, fronting in some way. It is a small thing, but I'm pretty sure these two homies check the mirror on the way out the door for a bit longer than Teki Latex.
Sexfemman seems to be another Scandinavian rapper, couldn't really find that much info on him. (Didn't look all that hard.) I like this song better than the last one. But again, there seems to be a false vibe of trying to be "down with the streets" here as well. Being down is not necessary to make good hip hop. The sparse beat – featuring a well used tambourine of all instruments – is slick enough to stand alone. (But maybe I am reading all the wrong stuff into the track. How would I know??) [both clips via - Discobelle]
One of my favorite tracks that I have stumbled across knowing absolutely nothing about the artist. This is Peter Fox (according to the meta-data and the fact that he says his name multiple times) and I like the way his German just cuts through the dense track. I love the building of momentum with the cellos in the verses that burst in varying ways into the chorus. The video ain't too shabby either. There is no pretense here...just an artist making a good song. [via Kanye West]
That is about all. No big statement about non-English hip hop. Its just something that has been floating around in my head for ages. For me, if you don't try to emulate something, and just put out good music I will give it a listen.
CAUTION: Since I really know nothing about any of these artists, I really don't guarantee my judgement over their entire bodies of work. I only know these track which could be their best or worst work...how would I know??
Until next time.
Sunday, October 26
Book Corner: What no one told you
When I first heard about The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, to say I was skeptical would be an understatement. I mean, it’s a career guide in the form of a manga or comic book – depending on which term you are familiar with.
From what I understand, career guides are supposed to be big serious books that you read at the library during the last years of high school. Or possibly when you are just starting out in your career and in need of some sound advice. The career guides I’m used to echo what counselors and my parents told me as I graduated high school – make a plan, choose something safe like accounting or business and then, work hard. In all that advice from the experts, no one ever mentioned anything about job satisfaction or actually liking your job.
And then we come to the simple fact that this book is a manga. Confession time: I have never sat down and read a comic book, Japanese or American. To my thinking, comics are frivolous and only for kids. Real adults don’t read them, despite what you may see on the trains in Japan.
But wait a minute, let’s think about this…career guides are usually boring and useless because of outdated information and no fun to use; young people need career guidance more than any other segment of the population; and young people seem to love the ease of reading comic books.
Well, what do you know? This book sounds like it could be on to something. After reading it, I can gladly tell you that the author, New York Times best-seller Daniel H. Pink, and artist, Rob Ten Pas, have put together something special. Yes it’s the first American business book in manga, but its much more than that.
It might just be the perfect guidebook for people thinking about their future or current careers. If I had any say in the matter, it would become required reading for all high school students. I wish someone would have given me a copy when I was younger.
Pink says he was inspired to create the book after seeing how Japanese tear through manga. He was quoted as saying people were “racing through it, devouring it. Coming from prose, I’d love to see someone read my stuff with that greedy speed.”
He also said that manga, contrary to my original thinking, “is a very potent way to tell stories, convey ideas, and give advice in a world where people have limited time and attention spans.”
In talking about the types of career guides I am used to, Pink said, “Career books in the United States are painfully, alarmingly out of sync with the times. They’re packed with information that’s outdated before it’s even published. What they want from a book is what they can’t get from the Internet: strategic lessons, broad lessons, those things that elude Google-ing.”
And that is exactly what the book gives the reader. Yes, it takes less than an hour to read, and yes, if you really wanted to, you could flip to the last page and see a list of the six key points, but that is not the point. This is a book that you actually tear through and along the way, learn some valuable lessons.
From what I understand, career guides are supposed to be big serious books that you read at the library during the last years of high school. Or possibly when you are just starting out in your career and in need of some sound advice. The career guides I’m used to echo what counselors and my parents told me as I graduated high school – make a plan, choose something safe like accounting or business and then, work hard. In all that advice from the experts, no one ever mentioned anything about job satisfaction or actually liking your job.
And then we come to the simple fact that this book is a manga. Confession time: I have never sat down and read a comic book, Japanese or American. To my thinking, comics are frivolous and only for kids. Real adults don’t read them, despite what you may see on the trains in Japan.
But wait a minute, let’s think about this…career guides are usually boring and useless because of outdated information and no fun to use; young people need career guidance more than any other segment of the population; and young people seem to love the ease of reading comic books.
Well, what do you know? This book sounds like it could be on to something. After reading it, I can gladly tell you that the author, New York Times best-seller Daniel H. Pink, and artist, Rob Ten Pas, have put together something special. Yes it’s the first American business book in manga, but its much more than that.
It might just be the perfect guidebook for people thinking about their future or current careers. If I had any say in the matter, it would become required reading for all high school students. I wish someone would have given me a copy when I was younger.
Pink says he was inspired to create the book after seeing how Japanese tear through manga. He was quoted as saying people were “racing through it, devouring it. Coming from prose, I’d love to see someone read my stuff with that greedy speed.”
He also said that manga, contrary to my original thinking, “is a very potent way to tell stories, convey ideas, and give advice in a world where people have limited time and attention spans.”
In talking about the types of career guides I am used to, Pink said, “Career books in the United States are painfully, alarmingly out of sync with the times. They’re packed with information that’s outdated before it’s even published. What they want from a book is what they can’t get from the Internet: strategic lessons, broad lessons, those things that elude Google-ing.”
And that is exactly what the book gives the reader. Yes, it takes less than an hour to read, and yes, if you really wanted to, you could flip to the last page and see a list of the six key points, but that is not the point. This is a book that you actually tear through and along the way, learn some valuable lessons.
Sunday, October 19
Bless this...
Went on a trip the other day to some small town called Nakayama in Chiba. It was only 40 minutes outside of Ueno, but it felt really far outside of Tokyo. We went to visit this small gallery – the Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Hall if you must know – but the temple on the walk from the train sation was almost as interesting.
My girl and I weren't sure if this temple was famous, but it sure was nice. There were hardly any people which always makes us happy. On the temple grounds there were also a lot of cemeteries. Outside of one of them there was actually a salesman chatting up some older ladies about securing a plot. According to the sign, it was quite a deal, only about $20,000. I'm not sure if that is over- or under-priced to have your name carved on a a stone for eternity...but it sure did look beautiful though.
As we were leaving, we heard some chanting and bell ringing coming from behind this large Buddha. Oh, just to set the scene, here is the enlightened one.
So, we followed the chanting up and behind Buddha. And this is what we encountered. Can you figure out what's going on?
This Burberry-pants-wearing lady and her husband were getting their (newish) BMW 5 series wagon blessed. Hence the opening of all the doors and such. I never considered the need to bless a car, but I guess its not any worse or better than praying before eating. And while applaud that they got their car washed prior to the blessing, I think not cleaning out the tennis gear in the back was in poor taste.
Just in case you were wondering what shoes I wore on such an (un)eventful trip...here you go:
OK. As for music this week, I give you a 10 min clip from Starkey's 15 minute set on Mary Anne Hobb's big show from last month – Generation Bass. It was good, I mean as good as six 15-minute sets can be. But Starkey's was the most impressive in my mind. As you watch the clip, after the short interview, the drops at 5:55 and 7:45 get me moving the most.
If you want to hear the whole show, click HERE. It is 2 hours of mostly new dubstep. And its worth a listen, even if you only get into each set as it ends.
That's it for this one. Hope to be back posting again soon.
Sunday, October 12
Book Corner: Even superheros can have bad days
It seems the world has been taken over by Batman, Spiderman, Superman, the X-Men and all their friends. Superheroes began by infiltrating the comic book world, then they moved to our television screens, before staging a complete takeover of our theaters. By now, it seems that even the staunchest critic would have been able to find some hero to believe in.
(This is the U.K. cover I bought, much better than the U.S. version you will see later.)
But if that is not the case, and you are still looking for a way to join in the fun – this book gives you yet another option. “Determined to become costumed crime-fighters, but baffled by a lack of super-villains to tackle, the quintet soon finds the ramifications of their new powers are more complicated than they anticipated, and that human (even themselves) are much more fragile than they’d ever realized.”
You guessed correctly – this book attempts to provide a realistic portrayal of what it would be if a group of five average college students were suddenly blessed/cursed with super-abilities. Admit it, just like everyone else living in this hero-obsessed world, you have imagined what it would be like to be strong enough to lift a car without breaking a sweat or fly like a bird, effortless and free.
But maybe strength or flying wasn’t what you had hoped for, maybe you had always wanted to hear other people’s thoughts, or to be able to run faster than a speeding bullet. This book has those powers, plus a personal favorite – the power of invisibility.
The students that these powers are bestowed upon are believable, if less than completely satisfying. The five students are not stock characters that are often found on poorly written TV shows, but they feel slightly underdeveloped.
They do some of the things you would do if you got these powers, like run to Egypt to see the pyramids in an afternoon or spy on the people you care about. But they don’t allow themselves to do anything really bad, something most people wouldn’t be able to resist. They are a little too good, too earnest and too moral. (But, maybe that says more about my view of people, rather than the author’s storytelling ability.)
But whatever you think of their morals, the characters do lack depth, and since the readers spend most of their time with these five kids, it is not exactly an ideal situation.
None of the characters has a clear development arc and they are a bit thin and static. Now as a reader, you could take that two different ways: you could put that to the fact that this is simply a brief look at one period in these characters’ lives, or you could see it as a lost opportunity in searching deeper into how these powers affect people.
But the thin characters are not the biggest problem I have with this book, my biggest complaint is that it gives away a couple plot points before they have had time to fully mature. (I for one, won’t do the same thing by stating them here, but be forewarned, before the halfway point you will know more than you want to know.)
The book feels a bit too eager to please. I don’t know if this should be blamed on first-time writer David J. Schwartz or maybe an aggressive editor. But, if I had my say, I would let the story build up the suspense, and not give it away. I also might not beat my message of how fear makes people do stupid things into the reader’s head. I might tone that down, just a bit.
With those minor changes, observant readers would be able to enjoy the book’s journey a bit more, without feeling like the writer is holding their hands at ever turn. And don’t worry about the non-observant readers, they will figure it out in due time, as long as they finish the book.
Now, don’t take all this negativity to heart, this is not a bad book. It was not exactly the page-turner I thought it would be, or the in-depth look at how superpowers would effect your life I hoped it would be. What it is, is an entertaining and face-paced story, filled with humor and an interesting supporting cast.
In this age of superhero overload, this book provides a nuanced look at how superpowers would affect people in the real world, even if it doesn’t do it flawlessly.
(This is the U.K. cover I bought, much better than the U.S. version you will see later.)
But if that is not the case, and you are still looking for a way to join in the fun – this book gives you yet another option. “Determined to become costumed crime-fighters, but baffled by a lack of super-villains to tackle, the quintet soon finds the ramifications of their new powers are more complicated than they anticipated, and that human (even themselves) are much more fragile than they’d ever realized.”
You guessed correctly – this book attempts to provide a realistic portrayal of what it would be if a group of five average college students were suddenly blessed/cursed with super-abilities. Admit it, just like everyone else living in this hero-obsessed world, you have imagined what it would be like to be strong enough to lift a car without breaking a sweat or fly like a bird, effortless and free.
But maybe strength or flying wasn’t what you had hoped for, maybe you had always wanted to hear other people’s thoughts, or to be able to run faster than a speeding bullet. This book has those powers, plus a personal favorite – the power of invisibility.
The students that these powers are bestowed upon are believable, if less than completely satisfying. The five students are not stock characters that are often found on poorly written TV shows, but they feel slightly underdeveloped.
They do some of the things you would do if you got these powers, like run to Egypt to see the pyramids in an afternoon or spy on the people you care about. But they don’t allow themselves to do anything really bad, something most people wouldn’t be able to resist. They are a little too good, too earnest and too moral. (But, maybe that says more about my view of people, rather than the author’s storytelling ability.)
But whatever you think of their morals, the characters do lack depth, and since the readers spend most of their time with these five kids, it is not exactly an ideal situation.
None of the characters has a clear development arc and they are a bit thin and static. Now as a reader, you could take that two different ways: you could put that to the fact that this is simply a brief look at one period in these characters’ lives, or you could see it as a lost opportunity in searching deeper into how these powers affect people.
But the thin characters are not the biggest problem I have with this book, my biggest complaint is that it gives away a couple plot points before they have had time to fully mature. (I for one, won’t do the same thing by stating them here, but be forewarned, before the halfway point you will know more than you want to know.)
The book feels a bit too eager to please. I don’t know if this should be blamed on first-time writer David J. Schwartz or maybe an aggressive editor. But, if I had my say, I would let the story build up the suspense, and not give it away. I also might not beat my message of how fear makes people do stupid things into the reader’s head. I might tone that down, just a bit.
With those minor changes, observant readers would be able to enjoy the book’s journey a bit more, without feeling like the writer is holding their hands at ever turn. And don’t worry about the non-observant readers, they will figure it out in due time, as long as they finish the book.
Now, don’t take all this negativity to heart, this is not a bad book. It was not exactly the page-turner I thought it would be, or the in-depth look at how superpowers would effect your life I hoped it would be. What it is, is an entertaining and face-paced story, filled with humor and an interesting supporting cast.
In this age of superhero overload, this book provides a nuanced look at how superpowers would affect people in the real world, even if it doesn’t do it flawlessly.
Monday, October 6
Traveling man
Yes, I was in Honolulu – and no, I wasn't happy about it. My direct flight to Minneapolis quickly spiraled into a 36-hour marathon trip that had me fly from Tokyo to Hawaii, wait for 8 hours than fly to Minneapolis. Not fun at all. But, it was worth it to see my people, even if for only 27 hours.
Luckily, I had some new shoes to wear on the trip that just wouldn't end. These Nike Rejuven8 fit the bill perfectly. Besides the obvious breathability, they are extremely comfortable and light.
This version was released to celebrate the Olympics in Beijing. The regular version doesn't have the speckled mid-sole, but this tier zero version does. And I like it. It also came with an Olympic inspired interchangeable liner. But, I kept things simple with the black liner - which made for the perfect in-flight slipper.
As you can see, the other liner really represents the Olympic flavor. Shocking, but I have yet to wear the multicolored version. Maybe someday. If anyone does a lot of flying, I highly recommend these kicks. From now on, these are my travel shoes. (Which will same me a lot time debating and deciding which shoes to wear each time I fly anywhere.)
I don't get to ride in cars all the much here in Tokyo, and certainly don't get to see many corn fields. But that is really neither here nor there. It was good to see my whole extended family all in one place, even if the occasion was not happiest. One happier occasion is coming up soon...my b-day. And I got an early gift.
While shopping my girl's Goyard wallet I spotted this orange masterpiece. I have been pining for this wallet ever since, and thanks to a very generous soul, it is now mine.
This will be my first bi-fold wallet in many years. I might have to get a card case to hold all the various store point cards, business cards, etc that didn't fit in this fella. We are still just getting to know each other, but I have high hopes for the relationship - considering how much it was, it better work out really well.
I will leave you with a taste of this hilarious meme that I stumbled upon last week. It is the perfect mix - combining footage of revival churches and the audio from drum & bass parties. It matches up way better than it should. I had thought I had found the best one ever, (the "raise it up" at 1:45 is amazing!) but i was proved wrong when I hit this one.
Sunday, October 5
Book Corner: Making it look easy
It’s a book like these that might make the average reader think, “Gee, this looks easy. Maybe I could write a book and become rich and famous too!” And I agree, it does “look” easy, but this is only because David Sedaris is so good at his job.
So, before you decide to quit your day job and write a collection of essays to be published and enjoyed by all the world, you have to ask yourself some questions.
These questions would have to include: Am I funny? Do funny and bizarre things often happen to me? Did I always keep a diary, so that I can still remember the name the girl who sat next to me in 9th grade? Will the people in my life, including family and friends, allow me to reveal their deepest secrets for the whole world to laugh at? Can I share some of my most embarrassing moments? And more importantly, can I turn that personal mortification into something that readers can enjoy?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, close your laptop and quit dreaming of becoming the next David Sedaris. He is the true champion of the humorous autobiographical story and these 22 essays represent him in his prime.
Although the book is a bit uneven – not every single essay is milk-coming-out-your-nose funny – it shows Sedaris’ confidence in his storytelling ability. He feels assured enough to often bring the reader through an unlikely chain of association, and as often as not, bring it all back together again.
For example, he begins one story at his house in the French countryside at mid-morning. Sadly for him, the town officials, as they do from time to time, have shut off the water unannounced. Now, each time this happens, Sedaris is faced with the awful conundrum of needing coffee to think, but needing to think in order to make coffee when he has no water.
This leads to the sleepy consideration of using wine, day-old tea and even the water in the vase of flowers his partner gave him the day before. I won’t give away which option he chooses, but rest assured, you won’t be able to look at vase-water the same again.
But from this inauspicious morning in France, he takes the reader on a journey to unexpected places – buying drugs from a fighting couple in a mobile home in rural North Carolina, to an encounter with a well-dressed couple on a plane whose language would make a sailor blush. All of these associations are done with so much ease and wit, that it almost hides the skill and quality of writing.
The last quarter of the book was easily the most enjoyable for me. Sedaris takes us with him on his trip to Japan. Now, why would Sedaris travel to Japan you ask? Well, to quit smoking of course!
Sedaris cheerfully recounts his all the significant episodes in his life connected to smoking. The telling of his grade school trip to a tobacco factory, where they handed out free packs to the kids was a memorable one. But as much as Sedaris loved his cigarettes, his love of clean and luxury hotels – which in recent years have gone increasingly smoke-free – led to him making the difficult choice to quit smoking.
And as anyone who has read Sedaris before knows, he lacks will power. And as anyone who has tried to quit smoking knows, will power is what you need to quit. So, to help himself, Sedaris reads as many self-help books as he can and one of them recommended that changing your routine is one of the best ways to break the terrible nicotine habit.
Sedaris concludes that there is no better way to change your routine than to move to a foreign land, and about a week after he decides, he and his partner head for the land of the rising sun.
His time in Japan plays out directly from his dairy. He takes us with him from the moment of landing, all through his three-month stay in Tokyo. His battle to quit smoking, learn some of the language and conform to some of the rules and customs of Japanese society – all at the same time – provide the best this book has to offer.
So, in closing, for all you prospective writers out there, save your energy and quit dreaming. I recommend you simply enjoy a master storyteller tell masterful stories.
So, before you decide to quit your day job and write a collection of essays to be published and enjoyed by all the world, you have to ask yourself some questions.
These questions would have to include: Am I funny? Do funny and bizarre things often happen to me? Did I always keep a diary, so that I can still remember the name the girl who sat next to me in 9th grade? Will the people in my life, including family and friends, allow me to reveal their deepest secrets for the whole world to laugh at? Can I share some of my most embarrassing moments? And more importantly, can I turn that personal mortification into something that readers can enjoy?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, close your laptop and quit dreaming of becoming the next David Sedaris. He is the true champion of the humorous autobiographical story and these 22 essays represent him in his prime.
Although the book is a bit uneven – not every single essay is milk-coming-out-your-nose funny – it shows Sedaris’ confidence in his storytelling ability. He feels assured enough to often bring the reader through an unlikely chain of association, and as often as not, bring it all back together again.
For example, he begins one story at his house in the French countryside at mid-morning. Sadly for him, the town officials, as they do from time to time, have shut off the water unannounced. Now, each time this happens, Sedaris is faced with the awful conundrum of needing coffee to think, but needing to think in order to make coffee when he has no water.
This leads to the sleepy consideration of using wine, day-old tea and even the water in the vase of flowers his partner gave him the day before. I won’t give away which option he chooses, but rest assured, you won’t be able to look at vase-water the same again.
But from this inauspicious morning in France, he takes the reader on a journey to unexpected places – buying drugs from a fighting couple in a mobile home in rural North Carolina, to an encounter with a well-dressed couple on a plane whose language would make a sailor blush. All of these associations are done with so much ease and wit, that it almost hides the skill and quality of writing.
The last quarter of the book was easily the most enjoyable for me. Sedaris takes us with him on his trip to Japan. Now, why would Sedaris travel to Japan you ask? Well, to quit smoking of course!
Sedaris cheerfully recounts his all the significant episodes in his life connected to smoking. The telling of his grade school trip to a tobacco factory, where they handed out free packs to the kids was a memorable one. But as much as Sedaris loved his cigarettes, his love of clean and luxury hotels – which in recent years have gone increasingly smoke-free – led to him making the difficult choice to quit smoking.
And as anyone who has read Sedaris before knows, he lacks will power. And as anyone who has tried to quit smoking knows, will power is what you need to quit. So, to help himself, Sedaris reads as many self-help books as he can and one of them recommended that changing your routine is one of the best ways to break the terrible nicotine habit.
Sedaris concludes that there is no better way to change your routine than to move to a foreign land, and about a week after he decides, he and his partner head for the land of the rising sun.
His time in Japan plays out directly from his dairy. He takes us with him from the moment of landing, all through his three-month stay in Tokyo. His battle to quit smoking, learn some of the language and conform to some of the rules and customs of Japanese society – all at the same time – provide the best this book has to offer.
So, in closing, for all you prospective writers out there, save your energy and quit dreaming. I recommend you simply enjoy a master storyteller tell masterful stories.
Sunday, July 27
Festival time
My man Boba Fett welcomes you to another installment of my blog. Its a Be@rbrick that came a free gift with Pespi Nex. Confession time: I hate Pepsi, and I really don't like Coke too much either...but it was worth the price of the soda to get the free gift. And other thing, I don't love Be@rbricks all the much, but this bounty hunter special came out pretty dope. Shout out to John at Super Punch who was interested to see the finished version.
Mid-summer in Japan means fireworks and natsu matsuri. And since I am not waiting all day in the hot sun to see some fireworks, this leaves the local summer festival.
With my old job, I would always miss the party...but happily I was able to go this year. (By "go" I mean walk through the tiny park filled with the local community on my way home from the grocery store.)
It was a nice thing to see. I was also happy by the way the pics turned out. I tried a bunch of settings and ended up with something kinda cool...in my opinion.
Well, on to other things.
This is the poster that Mita Sneakers used to announced a special edition that they designed with Asics. The images of the shoe were the first I saw and they looked promising. Even from the drawings, I was already leaning towards the black ones - call it growing up, blame it on the new job, who knows - but these days I like a bit more subtle look.
On the day they were to drop I woke up early to snag me a pair. I think I was at the shop a bit before 11 a.m. (they open at 10 a.m.) and if you were in the Ueno area around that time, I was the tall white guy walking fast and trying not to run. I'll admit it, I got all worried at the last minute that the black one would be sold out.
But of course, all was well...and it looked like I was one of the few people interested in the release. The one thing that made me hesitate before pulling the trigger was the patent leather. I have never had patent on a shoe before, and I am still getting used to the idea.
The ripstop nylon toebox saved the shoe for me. I mean, the mix of materials is quite interesting. I mean, the tongue is a quilted nylon with the inside being some felty kind of thing. It sounds bad, but its actually really well done.
And as you can see, it's only on the toe and the heel of the Gel Lyte III's. And I looked past it - to the split tongue, the specked outsole and the braided laces. And I love the electric blue highlights that add a nice contrast to the overall darkness of the shoe. Last pic here, I promise.
And there you have it folks, my latest pick up. I have already worn them a couple times and they are very comfortable. If you like them...head HERE to get yourself some. But hurry, they don't have many sizes left.
MUSIC
I don't have much this week. Just one clip and one mix. Clip first - an oldy but a goody. This track has turned up an a bunch of the mixes I have been listening to lately and I simple love it.
I give you Poison Dart the Bug featuring Warrior Queen.
The mix is from Nick Catchdubs of Fools Gold fame.
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