littleforeigner

Fontstruct

Wed, 14 May 2008 13:24:37 +0900

Fontstruct: You could - and I probably will - spend hours playing with this free online font generator. Like all the most malicious time sinks, it’s easy to convince yourself that you are doing something productive.

Why is your living (lack of) space so bloody cold/hot?

Wed, 07 May 2008 14:27:34 +0900

Why is your living (lack of) space so bloody cold/hot? :

Following their attempt to get to the bottom of “What’s with all the concrete facades?” in part two in their Ask An Architect Neojaponisme goes part way in answering the question “Where’s the insulation?”

We’ve just moved into an old Japanese house made of wood, dirt and straw and know full well that mikan oragnges in our genkan will be more likley to get frozen solid than go off in the winter, but I’m looking forward to putting the old “Japanese houses are traditionally constructed to make the summer more ~~comfortable~~ bearable” chestnut to the test this August.

Kintaro ukiyo-e prints ::: Pink Tentacle Nice selection of pics...

Fri, 02 May 2008 17:12:00 +0900

Kintaro ukiyo-e prints ::: Pink Tentacle

Nice selection of pics and explanation of the “Golden Boy” who features heavily on next week’s Boy’s Day holiday.

Flower tower = a few days off coming soon (-:

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:36:35 +0900

Flower tower = a few days off coming soon (-:

twitterに日本語で書けることになったが最近日本の携帯のメールアドがなければmixi登録ができなくなりました。つまり外国から登録できない。ちょっといやな感じ！

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:08:31 +0900

twitterに日本語で書けることになったが最近日本の携帯のメールアドがなければmixi登録ができなくなりました。つまり外国から登録できない。ちょっといやな感じ！

引っ越し地獄！　In the middle of moving hell. Roll on Golden Week!

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:39:24 +0900

引っ越し地獄！　In the middle of moving hell. Roll on Golden Week!

Shonen Young by Denki Groove Denki Groove may have not had a...

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:30:54 +0900

Shonen Young by Denki Groove

Denki Groove may have not had a single out in years, but they are still huge. I’m not really in a position to comment on W. David Marx’s analysis, but I do love the ironic spin through idol culture in the video for their new single. I’m sure those who can recognise all the references will love it.

They are performing on Day 2 of this year’s Setstock festival. From a look at some of the vids of their show at Fuji Rock in 2006 could be a nice way to spend a summmer evening - assuming they will be billed to play last.

Joi Ito - Creative Commons man in Japan - is someone I greatly...

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:45:46 +0900

Joi Ito - Creative Commons man in Japan - is someone I greatly admire. Here, in this well put togther 4 minute video by Loic.tv, he makes a nice contrast between the economics of “old” and “new” media. He also answers the old chestnut, “Isn’t all user generated content a load of crap?” pretty well.

On his blog he apologises for ranting, but I think the straight talk is refreshing.

Next Level Bentos I was pretty chuffed with myself for producing...

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:37:16 +0900

Next Level Bentos

I was pretty chuffed with myself for producing this bento for my son last year. Nothing special, but I got up pretty early to make sure that he didn’t get too many “poor gaijin kid” looks at his school picnic.

I’ve seen some cool looking bentos arranged to look like Hello Kitty and Ampanman and wondered just what time their parents get up to make them. However, these bentos made to look like album covers by Obacchi Jacket Lunch Box and introduced by Pink Tentacle via Zaeega are on a whole other level.

I just hope my kids don’t see this post…

The Logic of Life

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:14:00 +0900

Cycling around in the rain, I’ve been catching up on my podcasts. One of the many excellent (and free) podcasts offered by the BBC is Start The Week, and last night I listened to an excellent edition that featured a great interview with novelist Peter Carey on his latest book His Illegal Self. The bit that really caught my attention, however, was on a book called The Logic Of Life by economics columnist Tim Hartford who specializes in making connections between economic theory and every day life.

The thrust of the book seems to be that many of the decisions that people make in their lives which seem irrational or “stupid”, may actually be rational after all. One example he gives in the podcast concerns the US teenage “oral sex epidemic”. Hartford points to studies that suggest that the “epidemic” is a rational response on the part of teenagers bombarded with information about the risks of unprotected sex. It seems teenagers are having sex later, using condoms more and the pill less, and substituting intercourse with oral sex.

Here is the author running the gauntlet on the Colbert Report (4 minutes), and in a more formal setting, here at Authors at Google (40 minutes).

Pangea Day, May 10, 2008 In a world where people are often...

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:45:41 +0900

Pangea Day, May 10, 2008

In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it’s easy to lose sight of what we all have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that - to help people see themselves in others - through the power of film.
On May 10, 2008 — Pangea Day — sites in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai and Rio de Janeiro will be linked live to produce a program of powerful films, visionary speakers, and uplifting music.

In this video a Japanese troupe performs the Turkish national anthem (though I would skip the less than peace inspired comments). See more anthems here.

Youth center a bit like an army camp; MUST be getting old as...

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:50:09 +0900

Youth center a bit like an army camp; MUST be getting old as starting to think “it’ll do the students good”!

Little run b4 kimi ga yo and dinner.

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:47:09 +0900

Little run b4 kimi ga yo and dinner.

Bike parking Kirikushi Port

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 10:04:41 +0900

Bike parking Kirikushi Port

2 days on Etajima with the uni

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 09:58:17 +0900

2 days on Etajima with the uni

1700 Japanese babies. Another great picture from Okinawa...

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:01:19 +0900

1700 Japanese babies. Another great picture from Okinawa Soba’s collection on Flickr.

This picture was made over 120 years ago by Japanese photographer REIJI ESAKI of Tokyo. It is a collage “head shots” made from baby photographs taken in his studio over a three year period of time. He cut out every one, pasted up this collage, and photographed it with a full-plate camera….offering copies for sale starting in 1893.

View the full size image here.

With Arthur C. Clarke in mind. Is my computer mocking me?

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:53:17 +0900

With Arthur C. Clarke in mind. Is my computer mocking me?

Yesterday was one of those days when I REALLY love the Internet....

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:32:00 +0900

Yesterday was one of those days when I REALLY love the Internet. When it works exactly how it is supposed to. While checking the Flickr feed in my RSS reader, in among all the shots of the Peace Park and Miyajima, I found a gem of a Meiji Era photo of women in kimono enjoying a stroll in what looks like Shukkeien Garden. I shared it here on the GetHiroshima blog yesterday.

Clicking through to Okinawa Soba’s Flickr page, I found a huge collection of quite amazing photographs, which it turns out he spent years collecting - all uploaded in great quality and under Creative Commons licences. I listed him as a contact, which he must have noticed while online in the US, took look at some pics in the GH Flickr account and posted a nice comment on one. Seeing this, I fired off a quick message complementing him on his collection. I later received a very nice reply in which, mouthwateringly, he wrote that what he has uploaded so far is “only the tip of the iceberg”!

I highly recommend spending some time looking through the 200+ pictures; really are fascinating and Okinawa Soba’s comments make for good reading too!

Through another of his pictures I can accross this discussion on the risks and issues involved with uploading private photo collections to sites like Flickr. I appreciate the concerns, but can’t help feeling that the benefit of sharing historically valuable such as this far outweighs the risk of being ripped off.

Bravo to Okinawa Soba!

Hug A Speaker

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:48:18 +0900

Tomorrow I’m DJing with the mighty windcheater at Hug A Speaker at MUGEN 5160. It’s a pre-holiday night, so if you fancy a bit of reggae, dub, breakbeat and dubstep, feel free. There’s no charge and women get their second refreshing beverage gratis.

The other DJs - Filter Kings, Jah Love Is Sweeter and Doikle - will be playing reggae, but windcheater and I will be going more uptempo, but trying to our set keep dub infuenced. I’m quite keen to see how MUGEN’s refurbishment looks.

Here’s a windcheater mix to listen to on the way to work.

Lhasa unrest

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:15:12 +0900

Boing Boing has a good round up of links relating to the current unrest in Lhasa and updates on the flow of information in and out of Tibet. They include a link to a site posting translations of microblog posts by Chinese netizens on sites similar to Twitter.

Here is one entry

What you are destroying is the very place that you live in. Aren’t you followers of the Living Buddha? You think this is something your Living Buddha instructed you to do, to destroy the very place that you live in? I think that most of these people haven’t thought about this, and that most of them have been deceived by the words of certain people who would see the motherland split! But if you just think about it, just who was it that made Tibet the developed place it is today? Who set up the bridge between Tibet and the whole world? And who is it that sends qualified people each year from every sector to educate the children of Tibet with knowledge and culture? AND who is it that sends aid from every developed city in the motherland each year to assist Tibet? I think you seem to have forgotten all this……

littleforeigner

Fontstruct

Why is your living (lack of) space so bloody cold/hot?

Kintaro ukiyo-e prints ::: Pink Tentacle Nice selection of pics...

Flower tower = a few days off coming soon (-:

twitterに日本語で書けることになったが最近日本の携帯のメールアドがなければmixi登録ができなくなりました。つまり外国から登録できない。ちょっといやな感じ！

引っ越し地獄！ In the middle of moving hell. Roll on Golden Week!

Shonen Young by Denki Groove Denki Groove may have not had a...

Joi Ito - Creative Commons man in Japan - is someone I greatly...

Next Level Bentos I was pretty chuffed with myself for producing...

The Logic of Life

Pangea Day, May 10, 2008 In a world where people are often...

Youth center a bit like an army camp; MUST be getting old as...

Little run b4 kimi ga yo and dinner.

Bike parking Kirikushi Port

2 days on Etajima with the uni

1700 Japanese babies. Another great picture from Okinawa...

With Arthur C. Clarke in mind. Is my computer mocking me?

Yesterday was one of those days when I REALLY love the Internet....

Hug A Speaker

Lhasa unrest

引っ越し地獄！　In the middle of moving hell. Roll on Golden Week!