Saturday, November 25, 2006
Thanksgiving Festivities
Here's some photos from our Thanksgiving Day dinner/debauchery. Enjoy the magic...
Friday, November 24, 2006
Oh The Humanity...
Hi again! Here are a couple images from one of my favorite artists/graphic illustrators, Banksy. Technically, I don't know if you can consider him a graphic illustrator, but what he is is a British guerilla/graffiti artist who has left his controversial mark in several urban/famous places around the world. When you hear "graffitti" it evokes images of a bunch of senseless dribble spray painted on the side of your local 7-11. This is different. This is well-thought and planned out, witty, biting, humorous social and political satire usually done via stencils or silk-screening. Nobody really knows his real identity or personal background (except maybe his closest friends), but books of his work are available at Amazon and you can also see most of his stuff at his website, http://www.banksy.co.uk. Check it out!
Love Is All Around
This is a blog post about a whale........NO!!! This is a blog about love! (sorry, Ren & Stimpy reference there)
Just wanted to mention the new Beatles album entitled "Love"...
If you're not a Beatles fan, then stop reading this and go do something else (loser)! If you ARE a Beatles fan, you definitely need to get this disc. It's being sold as just the CD only, or the CD plus audio DVD (which is the entire CD selection in Dolby 5.1). I bought the latter and have been listening to it for the past two days. The concept is this: Long-time Beatles producer, George Martin and his son Giles Martin, were asked to select and remix approximately one hour of their favourite Beatles tracks to accompany a new Cirque Du Soleil show entitled "Love". The connection between that show and the Beatles is that the late George Harrison was car racing buddies with the owner of the CDS franchise. George Martin, the obvious most-qualified person to undertake such a monumental task, takes the songs you know plus tons of additional studio extras and outtakes to come up with the most incredible, continuous mix of the Beatles' best songs ever. The timeless songs are beatifully overlaid and sampled without sounding overproduced, creating gorgeous new textured versions of the songs you already know and love. There are elements in the songs that come out that you never realized were there, creating an incredible aural journey. The only piece of new music which appears on the disc is some additional string arrangements George Martin wrote to accompany Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". I have yet to see a CDS show, but I can just imagine all of the psychedelic imagery they'll use to translate the music visually. I'm looking forward to seeing it if it tours through Japan. Anyway, when you hear this disc it will all come back to you why you loved the Beatles in the first place and how much their music endures, and why they were probably the most influential band ever on modern music.
Also wanted to recommend a movie we watched a couple nights ago called "Brokeback Mountain" - you may have heard about this one. Now, yes, it is a gay cowboy movie, but it's not "A Gay Cowboy Movie". That is, this is not what defines this movie. It is actually an engaging, tragic depiction of two people that share a forbidden love in a time and place in which it is completely taboo. Ang Lee did a fantastic job with the cinematography and direction, and the actors give so much, both verbally and non-verbally, that the film is emotionally-saturated without being a cheesy Lifetime network drama. I think this movie should have taken more awards than it did at last year's Oscars, especially compared to "Crash". There was so much controversy surrounding this film (in fact, it wasn't even shown on-base here in Yokosuka), but there was amazingly very little sexual content. "Snakes On A Plane", on the other hand, was shown practically around the clock at the theaters for two weeks straight. That's a very sad commentary on what we as an American culture consider quality entertainment. Just feeding more Soylent Green to the Sheep, I guess.
Anyway... go rent this movie.
Just wanted to mention the new Beatles album entitled "Love"...
If you're not a Beatles fan, then stop reading this and go do something else (loser)! If you ARE a Beatles fan, you definitely need to get this disc. It's being sold as just the CD only, or the CD plus audio DVD (which is the entire CD selection in Dolby 5.1). I bought the latter and have been listening to it for the past two days. The concept is this: Long-time Beatles producer, George Martin and his son Giles Martin, were asked to select and remix approximately one hour of their favourite Beatles tracks to accompany a new Cirque Du Soleil show entitled "Love". The connection between that show and the Beatles is that the late George Harrison was car racing buddies with the owner of the CDS franchise. George Martin, the obvious most-qualified person to undertake such a monumental task, takes the songs you know plus tons of additional studio extras and outtakes to come up with the most incredible, continuous mix of the Beatles' best songs ever. The timeless songs are beatifully overlaid and sampled without sounding overproduced, creating gorgeous new textured versions of the songs you already know and love. There are elements in the songs that come out that you never realized were there, creating an incredible aural journey. The only piece of new music which appears on the disc is some additional string arrangements George Martin wrote to accompany Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". I have yet to see a CDS show, but I can just imagine all of the psychedelic imagery they'll use to translate the music visually. I'm looking forward to seeing it if it tours through Japan. Anyway, when you hear this disc it will all come back to you why you loved the Beatles in the first place and how much their music endures, and why they were probably the most influential band ever on modern music.
Also wanted to recommend a movie we watched a couple nights ago called "Brokeback Mountain" - you may have heard about this one. Now, yes, it is a gay cowboy movie, but it's not "A Gay Cowboy Movie". That is, this is not what defines this movie. It is actually an engaging, tragic depiction of two people that share a forbidden love in a time and place in which it is completely taboo. Ang Lee did a fantastic job with the cinematography and direction, and the actors give so much, both verbally and non-verbally, that the film is emotionally-saturated without being a cheesy Lifetime network drama. I think this movie should have taken more awards than it did at last year's Oscars, especially compared to "Crash". There was so much controversy surrounding this film (in fact, it wasn't even shown on-base here in Yokosuka), but there was amazingly very little sexual content. "Snakes On A Plane", on the other hand, was shown practically around the clock at the theaters for two weeks straight. That's a very sad commentary on what we as an American culture consider quality entertainment. Just feeding more Soylent Green to the Sheep, I guess.
Anyway... go rent this movie.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Yokohama Madness!
I'm a cuckoo!Howdy! Here's a couple of recent photos from a day out in Yokohama yesterday. We went to World Porters, a sort-of mall at MM21/Queen's Square Plaza, to find some replacement covers for our couch cushions and look at housewares. We wrapped things up with dinner at a crazy-loud izikaya and some karaoke with Paul and Brad.
Some other news...
If you're a Nintendo DS owner, and you like dance / rhythm games, you'll love the newly released "Elite Beat Agents".
Just got this game yesterday and am really hooked! It is an American version of a Japanese dance game released last year called "Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!". Sort of a hand-held version of "Dance! Dance! Revolution!", this game takes you through series of crazy scenarios, e.g. a pregnant woman about to give birth in a taxi (!), a babysitter trying to make out with her boyfriend, a down-and-out Las Vegas magician battling some costumed-villains trying to take over the casino he performs at, all which involve a secret-agent team which arrive to save the day through dancing! The game completely utilizes the DS's touch-screen capability, and entails you tapping targets in tempo with the music in order to make the agents dance in sync. It includes some familiar (and bizarrely-selected) tracks like "sk8ter boi" by Avril Lavigne, "I Was Born To Love You" by Freddy Mercury/Queen, and "Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai, amongst others. Though released in the states, the game is still obviously very "Japanese-y" in its depiction of Westerners, its manga-style artwork and comic-book panel illustrations, and its shear surrealness (is that a word?). Very high energy, funky, and addictive!
Later Super-Fly!
Monday, November 13, 2006
What's Going On
Hi squirrels... Just an update on what I've been up to. Friday (Veterans's Day) we did our annual mikan-gari (Japanese orange picking party). Ate some tasty oranges and had a great yakisoba / yakiniku cookout. I'll post some photos soon! Went out to Za-Watami with Paul on that evening for drinks and "oishi" izakaya food. Didn't do squat on Saturday except for reading and watching tv / DVDs, including 'Crash'. It was a pretty good movie, but I don't know if it was Oscar-good. Remember how hyped up it was at the last Academy Awards? It made it seem like every single social interaction on a daily basis in Los Angeles is ready to explode into a racially-charged flaring of tempers with people ripping each other's heads off. Interesting movie, but I got lost in some of the intertwining paths of the characters.
Today, Akemi and I went down to Kura Sushi, a massive "kaiten" (carousel) sushi restaurant where all plates are ¥100. It was sooo good. It's so hard not to overeat there. The fish is actually really good there. You would think otherwise because of the price. I think they can do it for so cheap because the portions are a little smaller. And also, if you want to order something specific, there's a touch-screen computer at each table that allows you punch in what you want. No human interaction. In a couple minutes, voila, your order comes to you on the belt. How dangerous-you can't stop! And then at the end, you bus your own table by dropping all of your plates into a slot at one end of the table. The computer automatically calculates your bill, then you touch another button to call a clerk and she hands you your bill. If that weren't enough, for every 5 plates that you drop into the slot, a digital slot machine comes up on the screen. If you get 3 of the same sushi cartoon characters in a row, a small toy prize rolls out of machine above your table. You think I'm making this up, don't you? It's the model of sushi-efficiency! Would you expect any less in Japan? After sushi, Akemi and I went to the base to pick up some groceries. Oh...and I came to the very sad, sad realization that the NEX stopped carrying Guiness beer. What in the hell?!? I'm going to write my congressman! That's a crime and a travesty!
Have a full 5 day workweek ahead of me! Oh joy upon joys.
If you so have the desire, and you also like my newest most-favorite band in the world, Belle & Sebastian, check out their DVD, 'Fans Only'. It's very well made.
Today, Akemi and I went down to Kura Sushi, a massive "kaiten" (carousel) sushi restaurant where all plates are ¥100. It was sooo good. It's so hard not to overeat there. The fish is actually really good there. You would think otherwise because of the price. I think they can do it for so cheap because the portions are a little smaller. And also, if you want to order something specific, there's a touch-screen computer at each table that allows you punch in what you want. No human interaction. In a couple minutes, voila, your order comes to you on the belt. How dangerous-you can't stop! And then at the end, you bus your own table by dropping all of your plates into a slot at one end of the table. The computer automatically calculates your bill, then you touch another button to call a clerk and she hands you your bill. If that weren't enough, for every 5 plates that you drop into the slot, a digital slot machine comes up on the screen. If you get 3 of the same sushi cartoon characters in a row, a small toy prize rolls out of machine above your table. You think I'm making this up, don't you? It's the model of sushi-efficiency! Would you expect any less in Japan? After sushi, Akemi and I went to the base to pick up some groceries. Oh...and I came to the very sad, sad realization that the NEX stopped carrying Guiness beer. What in the hell?!? I'm going to write my congressman! That's a crime and a travesty!
Have a full 5 day workweek ahead of me! Oh joy upon joys.
If you so have the desire, and you also like my newest most-favorite band in the world, Belle & Sebastian, check out their DVD, 'Fans Only'. It's very well made.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Find YOUR Spot...
Hi spacemonkeys! Just wanted to give you a link to a cool little website that my friend Paul introduced me to called findyourspot.com. Here it is:
If you're up in the air about which part of the country you would like to live, this site helps you out. You answer an eight part quiz about your lifestyle / home / community / cultural needs and climate preferences and it generates a list of 24 cities based on your answers which may suit you. Interestingly, most of the cities on my list were in Florida (including my hometown, Jacksonville), Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Louisiana. I can see how the first four fit our lifestyle, but Louisiana....ugh!?!
Anyway, check it out! It's fun, and you may learn about some interesting communities where you might like to settle down!
If you're up in the air about which part of the country you would like to live, this site helps you out. You answer an eight part quiz about your lifestyle / home / community / cultural needs and climate preferences and it generates a list of 24 cities based on your answers which may suit you. Interestingly, most of the cities on my list were in Florida (including my hometown, Jacksonville), Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Louisiana. I can see how the first four fit our lifestyle, but Louisiana....ugh!?!
Anyway, check it out! It's fun, and you may learn about some interesting communities where you might like to settle down!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Halloween Night
Greetings superfriends! Just an editorial note -- I tried to post some other photos from last Saturday, 28 Oct, but somehow there were some technical difficulties with blogspot. Anyway, Paul, Akemi, and I went to a Halloween party at Cindy Shalom's (one of our periodontists) dressed as a prostate exam, a penguin, and a Japanese schoolgirl respectively. Had a nice time, especially considering we haven't celebrated Halloween for a few years because it also coincides with Akemi's birthday. There are some pics posted on my previous entry.
So, last night we also dressed up and handed out candy here at our house along with our puppies (also in costume). Here are a couple pics! It's kind of funny how so many people thought I was dressed up as Elvis! Come on -- don't you remember a cultural phenomenon called 'disco'?!?
And just to mention real quick -- a couple of movie / music recommendations. We watched the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk The Line" last weekend and really enjoyed. It's good because it doesn't try to cram in so much information about him like a lot of these biographies tend to do. It's a simple story about him wooing his wife, June Carter Cash. It also only spans a period of about 20-30 years, so there aren't alot of cheesy age-progression effects.
Also recently downloaded the latest Keane album, 'Under The Iron Sea'. Very cool, very mellow, and alot 'darker' than their first album. Keane, the non-gay Coldplay (just kidding), is definitely becoming one of my favorite groups -- I sort of tuned them out when they had a lot of airplay on VH1 a couple years ago (as I tend to do with a lot of overexposed pop music). Hopefully they tour Japan sometime soon!
Ciao!
So, last night we also dressed up and handed out candy here at our house along with our puppies (also in costume). Here are a couple pics! It's kind of funny how so many people thought I was dressed up as Elvis! Come on -- don't you remember a cultural phenomenon called 'disco'?!?
And just to mention real quick -- a couple of movie / music recommendations. We watched the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk The Line" last weekend and really enjoyed. It's good because it doesn't try to cram in so much information about him like a lot of these biographies tend to do. It's a simple story about him wooing his wife, June Carter Cash. It also only spans a period of about 20-30 years, so there aren't alot of cheesy age-progression effects.
Also recently downloaded the latest Keane album, 'Under The Iron Sea'. Very cool, very mellow, and alot 'darker' than their first album. Keane, the non-gay Coldplay (just kidding), is definitely becoming one of my favorite groups -- I sort of tuned them out when they had a lot of airplay on VH1 a couple years ago (as I tend to do with a lot of overexposed pop music). Hopefully they tour Japan sometime soon!
Ciao!
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