It’s been ages since my last post, but strangely enough, I’ve had 3 comments in the past week on various topics – even heard from an old friend that I haven’t talked to since high school.  Like usual the post about squid ink pasta remains popular, and according to Google Web Tools, I’m ranked around number 7 when you type in that key phrase.  Guess not many other people have written about it.  Anyway, I thought it might be nice to write again and keep everyone up to date on what is going on.

Tonight I sat back to enjoy the third presidential debate.  The first two were pretty boring, but this last one had a sense of urgency that made for good viewing.  Both candidates seemed to be surrounded in a cloud of pressure forcing them to get their message out much more forcefully, and I can only ask why this didn’t happen before.  I felt that this third one was pretty evenly matched, but unfortunately McCain came across as being a little whiny.  I used to be a huge McCain fan so it’s pretty disappointing to see how far he’s fallen in this campaign.  I’m sure a lot of it is the work of his campaign team, even his brother told the press to let him be him, but you’d think he’d have more control over what is going on.  Obama’s policies just make more sense to me this time around – especially in areas such as health care, which I was without while living in the US.  I will say this though: even if Obama wins, I’m still disappointed in his Yes vote for telecom immunity.

As for other going ons, there’s more after the jump:
(more…)

Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech.

I find it hard to believe how much time has passed since my last blog entry. Work has been busy, and my usual ramblings don’t seem important enough to sacrifice some free time. I have been doing a little behind-the-scenes maintenance though, and I’ve been very happy with result of installing Spam Karma 2. It has completely stopped the amount of crap coming into my mailbox, and I can at long last live without the annoyance of cleaning out junk mail. You have no idea how much this annoys me.
Today I thought I’d just cover a light topic that might be of interest to some of you. When I first came to Japan I had terrible posture. Even now it’s not perfect, but I have been actively trying to fix the way I sit and stand over the past few years. My mom always warned me about sitting up straight, but it wasn’t until I started Kendo over here that I finally realized why.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Kendo, it’s kind of like Olympic fencing, except it’s the Japanese traditional form of sword fighting using a two-handed weapon. Most of the gear is the same as in fencing except the gear is very top heavy and is constructed using plastics, wood and a heavy canvas-like material. I think the full set of Kendo gear wears around 20 lbs. (roughly 8 kg) and probably more than half of the weight is in the helmet. When you first put on the gear, you learn right away whether your posture is good or not. If your center of balance is off just the tiniest bit, it becomes very hard to stand up straight, and after about 10 minutes of trying to maintain your footing your legs feel like jelly. The key to doing kendo right is to keep your back straight even when moving forward.

(more…)

Originally the internet was created to transmit information from one scientist to another. This goal has obviously been met, but what the internet has become is, for better or worse, so much more. Anything you can possibly think of is available at your fingertips, and it’s really hard to imagine what this world would be like without this easily accessible source of information waiting to be accessed. The only problem with this is that the access never stops. The mind becomes dependent on this constant flow of input, and much like Johnny 5 from Short Circuit, the ultimate quest becomes less about quality and more about quantity.
With that said, I find myself searching web sites late into the night on that journey to become more informed. I don’t even care about the topic, to be honest, as long as I understand what is being said. It’s never static either. One minute I’ll be reading about Marvel super heroes and the next I’ll be investigating the principles behind flight. Does anyone else find themselves craving more knowledge?

(more…)

Despite the excessive length of these blogs you might be surprised to know that for the most part I’m writing these on my cell phone. Usually on my way home from work I’ll have an idea pop into my head and since I’ve got around two hours to kill, it becomes a great way to pass the time. In this way it’s also interesting to see how the phones here have developed differently to match the needs of the market. The whole idea of texting as it exists in America and Europe never materialized here, and instead most people either send actual email from phone to phone or sometimes a lighter,more text-like message. It costs around 3 to 8 cents to send an email based on the length and attached pictures and it can be cheaper or free if that person is in your family. Unfortunately for Europeans and Americans cell phone companies saw how popular this technology could be and jacked up prices even for the bastardized format that is texting. Lrn2grmmrnoob … The future of our children is oh so bright.
Yesterday I talked briefly about a group of rocketeers making a replca X-wing and I was thinking that I’d focus on that topic more. Of course I’m interested in the project itself, but what I’m actually really happy to see is this kind of casual teamwork still alive in the US. I’ve always believed that what made Americans great was that sense of individualism and curiosity of our surroundings being applied to teamwork and ingenuity. It’s not so often that you see this kind of community activity anymore, and even more-so for one related to a scientific venture. Perhaps I’m simply uniformed or just plain wrong, but it really feels like times have changed a lot even in my short lifetime.

Also, as an update to last week’s X-wing replica story, you might check out the story again to see the launch video. The launch was a great success, but the X-wing fell to pieces very quickly after rocketing into the sky. It’s really a cool thing to see and a perfect time to cue the Porkin jokes.

(more…)

I was browsing around to my various regular sites and came across this absolute gem of information. I’ve always been a big Star Wars fan (although my interest has waned along with the veritable meltdown of Lucas’ sanity) but seeing something like this brings a tiny bit of the Star Wars spark back to my heart.

It seems that a group of rocketeers has decided to make a 21-foot long replica of the X-wing fighter that will be powered by four jet engines and will actually fly. The beast has a 19-foot long wing span and it’s just a thing of beauty. The model won’t be able to land without the aid of parachutes, but here’s hoping that it has a successful flight. They will be launching it on Oct. 10th. Keep an eye on this one.

Today I’m going to fly off into ultra-bizarre land and explain to you a hobby I’ve had for a few years. I don’t have a name for it or anything because it’s essentially just walking, but it makes crowded places like Tokyo really enjoyable. I have to say that you could probably apply this to cars as well but after you read the below description you’ll understand the inherit risk.

To start off with, you need to walk really fast. Not just a little bit, but pretty much twice as fast as the normal flow of traffic. This sounds stupid, but this is the main, if not the only, rule that you have to follow. The object of this hobby is to move from place to place as fast as possible while maneuvering around the other pedestrians and without stopping. While you’re traveling at that speed the biggest risk is bumping into someone else. This becomes especially dangerous in crowded train stations where there are lots of people moving in different directions, and at night in Japan you also have to watch out for those stopping suddenly to bow and say their farewells.

So now you understand the extremely silly basics of this game that I play. The fun part however comes when you start adding additional tricks to make sure you aren’t stopping. These are just a few (and I added names to these just for the heck of it):

Shielding- Shielding is extremely useful in very large crowds of varying speeds where you can’t seem to move forward. In order to shield you actually have to find someone slow and preferably big. This person actually affects the flow of traffic in their favor and you can use this to your advantage. They usually create natural openings in their wake and this is where you want to be.

Taking up wingman- This is just like it sounds and is the opposite of shielding. You take up a position either directly behind or diagonally from someone faster and more aggresive. Some people are jerks when they walk and expect others to get out of their way. These people are great for being a wingman because they are forcing openings in crowds. Just remember that you still need to be making forward progress so you need to ditch this person the first opportunity you get.

Backdrafting- Especially in train stations you’ll find people moving perpindicular to traffic flow. For a split second, you’ll find that a rift opens behind that person as others move to avoid him. Just like fire rushing to eat up pockets of air, you can use that rift to make great speed.

I already know that this game sounds ridiculous, but when you consider that a lot of people here walk like zombies, you can probably picture how fun this is. As I mentioned before these techniques are probably already being used by professional race car drivers, but I’ve just applied them to walking. It’s not as fun doing this game in the US unless it’s really crowded but you should give it a try.
If anything, you’re moving so fast that it’s going to be great exercise.

(more…)

I learned a new expression today that is actually pretty useful: the Streisand effect. It’s kind of complicated to explain in such a short space, but essentially it is a backlash against censorship on the internet. You can find out more about this term on wikipedia, but it originates from an incident involving Barbara Streisand. Apparently she sued a photographer, who was trying to document coastal erosion, because her house was in some of the photos and she wanted them removed from the internet. In response to the suit filed against the photographer, the denizens of the internet spread the pictures of her house everywhere essentially making it impossible to remove them.
This isn’t the only time this kind of event has occurred, but for the most part the Streisand effect takes place when corporations try to manipulate information.

I’m on the train writing this blog on my cell phone – sorry for any mistakes. It has been a laid back weekend with lots of mini-events that I’d like to detail here.

First of all, I just finished watching Michael Moore’s newest movie Sicko in the theater. I particularly like his movies, but you really owe it to yourself to see this one. This movie is less politically motivated than his last two (although there are the occasional anti-Republican potshots here and there) and it does a good job of skewering the medical system and its numerous flaws. I watched with shock and awe as problem after problem was detailed, and I sat wondering why more is not being done to fix the system. You may be one of those people that believes everyone should pay their own medical bills, but just wait until you or a loved one gets cancer and then can’t figure out why you can’t get coverage anymore. I lived in Seattle for a year without coverage and a routine dental checkup (without cavities) cost me $200 whereas a dental treatment over 3 days with fillings cost me $60 in Japan. Separately, an ultrasound and blood tests cost me $14. My healthcare isn’t free, but it’s certainly not the $12,000 it costs to get one fingertip sewed back on (as seen in Sicko). Please see this movie and then spread the word.

On another less serious note, I started watching Desperate Housewives with my wife and I’m pretty impressed. The show is much more entertaining than I was expecting and does a great job of toying with viewer reactions. It deals heavily in the black and white to misdirect you in ways that you can’t really predict. Another thing that surprised me was the soundtrack by Danny Elfman – it gives the show a very Edward Scissorhands feel. I’m a bit wary of how long a show like this can last, but for the time being I’m guardedly optimistic.

Well, things in Japan certainly have become interesting. If you check out your favorite news site like cnn or foxnews or whatever, you may see a tiny blurb about the prime minister of Japan quitting. It may seem like no big deal in the foreign media, but over here politics have entered into meltdown mode. Everyone was pushing for the prime minister to resign, but the timing at which everything happened is akin to a laxative finally working during a rush hour traffic jam. I mentioned previously the election in Japan and how the ruling party was massively defeated. To recap, this was mainly because of a variety of scandals as well as a complete botch-up of the social security payment system. People were pissed and they let the ‘Old Guard’ know their feelings through a lack of votes. What I didn’t mention was that because of this defeat, the part was essentially backed into a corner and they were trying to regain their lost position – in other words, their position in the government was tenuous at best. Abe (who is the prime minister) was under a great deal of pressure to resign but he said he was going to stand his ground and decided that a complete reshuffle of his cabinet would be the best way to start repairing his party’s reputation. However, just a few days after his new cabinet had started work, more scandals came to light regarding his new appointees and there were more resignations – I think the running total for one year is at 5 resignations and one suicide. Still, Abe continued to say he would hold his ground, and boldly stated that if his anti-terrorism plan wasn’t voted into law that he would possibly resign. Which brings us to yesterday.

Only 3 days after giving his equivalent of the State of the Union Address Abe suddenly announces he’s quitting. No one, including his party members, was prepared for this. It’s completely out of the blue, and as such, the usual stoic Japanese politicians have begun venting their anger openly in front of television cameras around the country. Some are saying that the timing of this resignation couldn’t have been worse, and I read today that Abe is either having possible health problems or that there could be a breaking story this weekend talking about how Abe was involved in a financial scandal. This is all merely speculation, but I think as the next few days go by I will learn more details about this situation. So, when you read that small article on your favorite news site this weekend about the prime minister in Japan, you might reconsider what it actually means – and just for some extra perspective, the ‘Old Guard’ that I mentioned before, the ones who got voted out of the upper house of the Diet, have always been conservative and the US’s staunchest allies. What effect this will have on America’s ability to function in Asia is something I’m interested to see. For more information, you might check out this article on time.com.

Moving on now, I thought that I might mention one more thing to those technology lovers out there. I’m a pretty jaded computer user/gamer, but two days ago I found an absolutely amazing technology that takes completely random sets of pictures and can form basically 3-d models out of them. Not only that, but no matter how high the resolution of the pictures is, there is no slow down related to viewing the pictures. It’s hard to describe accurately with words alone, but if this kind of technology sounds interesting to you I suggest checking it out. This is currently being developed by Microsoft’s tech lab, and right now the technology is being mainly used for showing buildings. One thing that I need to stress before you view this is that the pictures that form the 3-d images are taken by completely DIFFERENT people. This means, for example, that you could download all of the pictures of the Eiffel Tower off of Flickr and generate a 3-d image of that structure.

On the website there are a few photo sets including historical sites in Europe, but my favorite is probably the really high resolution photograph set taken at the launch pad of the space shuttle. They also have one more set that actually allows you to see the extent of tile damage found on the bottom of the shuttle while it was flying around in space. The detail is so extreme that you can actually zoom in and almost make out the serial numbers on EACH tile. Needless to say, the potential for this is out of this world. The technology is called Photosynth.

I thought that it might be worthwhile going back through some old topics and updating everyone about various odds and ends.

The hunter’s moon: If you remember in August I mentioned briefly about the total lunar eclipse of the moon. I had been looking forward to it for quite some time and the weather in weeks preceding the event was perfect for viewing. However, on the day of the eclipse Japan fell back into cloudiness and I was left pondering the vileness of my luck. Of course I saw some pictures on TV, and I even found out that some parts of Japan were lucky enough to see it, but I was really disappointed. Guess I’ll have to wait until the next one which is supposedly going to happen in about 6 years or so.

Squid ink pasta: I got a lot of response related to this article – it seems that lots of people can’t stomach the idea of eating squid ink – but strangely enough, my blog ranks very high in Google’s search results for things like ‘squid ink pasta’ and ‘black ink pasta.’ Guess there’s no better way to increase your popularity than to write about totally obscure topics. I just feel bad for the person that’s actually excited about trying the pasta and comes across my blog entry.

Election coverage: My sister will probably be happy to hear that based on her advice I’ve put self-imposed limits on my campaign interest. There were a number of factors, but I think the biggest was that there are still candidates that have not yet entered, and there are other candidates that are deciding whether to drop out of the running. It’s kind of silly to make any kind of decision at this point since everything will probably be different in three months.

Blog topics: I’ve had some requests to write more about what my wife and I are doing lately. I’ll try to cover some various things, but I’m still not sure how much personal information I’m going to post. A lot of privacy is lost with these blogs, and even though you probably know the inner depths of my perverse mind we’ll see how much more I feel comfortable with.