Cal gave Jeff Tedford a five-year contract extension today, a glimmer of sunshine in an otherwise dreary weekend for Cal fans. I was really, really worried the millions of dollars lost because of the BCS debacle were going to cost Cal their new facilities, and ultimately, their head coach. I'd much rather lose the Rose Bowl berth and keep Tedford than to sink back into the inevitable mediocrity we'd suffer if he left. Remember when Steve Mariucci left (both Cal and San Francisco)?
ESPN also has some comments from my boy Aaron Rodgers about Texas coach Mack Brown. It's the #2 most-emailed message on ESPN.com right now, so maybe I'm not the only one uber-pissed about this. Now if we can just Rodgers to stay another year...
Maybe the Niners will get him. (It just occured to me the Raiders could end up with him, and that absolutely sickens me.)
Monday, December 06, 2004
Screw the BCS
Every year the Pac-10 gets screwed by the BCS. First Oregon, then USC, and now Cal. Every. Year.
I'm sick of hearing about how screwed Auburn got because they can't play for the title. Boo hoo. I can't understand why that's the story that dominates ESPN. Oh wait, yeah I can, it's because Auburn is on the East Coast, and we know those are the only sports that matter.
Screw ESPN and the broadcast crew they sent to Southern Miss. Screw their incessant commentary about how Cal did not look like the number four team in the country. And screw those Texas fans who drove to Mississippi (I guess truancy is okay, as long as it's in the name of school spirit!).
Screw the Conference USA officiating crew, who blew a pass interference call in the end zone in the first quarter and called a non-existent clip on the Arrington TD in the fourth. That cost Cal their so-called "decisive margin of victory", which isn't even supposed to factor into the voting.
How do you win six in a row and lose votes in the polls each of the last three weeks? I'm waiting for Texas coach Mack Brown to pull off his mask to reveal himself as Karl Rove.
Screw Texas and their whining. It seems like in America, whining works. Worked for Terrell Owens after he got traded to Baltimore, worked for Mack Brown and Texas. I hope Michigan beats their asses.
Fact is they got their asses handed to them on a platter by #2 Oklahoma on a neutral site, whereas Cal's only loss was at #1 USC in a game they dominated except for four plays at the end of the game.
This is a pretty bitter pill to swallow. I didn't feel like going to work or even leaving the house after the latest BCS punch to the Pac-10's gut. Thanks to Marv and Jess, for having us over yesterday for a few hours to watch football and talk about comics and video games, anything except college football.
I'm sick of hearing about how screwed Auburn got because they can't play for the title. Boo hoo. I can't understand why that's the story that dominates ESPN. Oh wait, yeah I can, it's because Auburn is on the East Coast, and we know those are the only sports that matter.
Screw ESPN and the broadcast crew they sent to Southern Miss. Screw their incessant commentary about how Cal did not look like the number four team in the country. And screw those Texas fans who drove to Mississippi (I guess truancy is okay, as long as it's in the name of school spirit!).
Screw the Conference USA officiating crew, who blew a pass interference call in the end zone in the first quarter and called a non-existent clip on the Arrington TD in the fourth. That cost Cal their so-called "decisive margin of victory", which isn't even supposed to factor into the voting.
How do you win six in a row and lose votes in the polls each of the last three weeks? I'm waiting for Texas coach Mack Brown to pull off his mask to reveal himself as Karl Rove.
Screw Texas and their whining. It seems like in America, whining works. Worked for Terrell Owens after he got traded to Baltimore, worked for Mack Brown and Texas. I hope Michigan beats their asses.
Fact is they got their asses handed to them on a platter by #2 Oklahoma on a neutral site, whereas Cal's only loss was at #1 USC in a game they dominated except for four plays at the end of the game.
This is a pretty bitter pill to swallow. I didn't feel like going to work or even leaving the house after the latest BCS punch to the Pac-10's gut. Thanks to Marv and Jess, for having us over yesterday for a few hours to watch football and talk about comics and video games, anything except college football.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Downward spiral continues
As if the events of October's election weren't depressing enough, the War on American citizens is picking up steam.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is suing individuals for sharing crappy movies on the Internet. Unlike their evil ilk the RIAA, they're evidently not just targeting people who are sharing hundreds or thousands of files, but anyone who has shared any file. The MPAA claims pirates are costing the industry millions of dollars, but it's more likely because the movies the studios put out are crap and taking a family of four to the movies and buying snacks requires a second mortgage.
There is also a total garbage bill going through Congress that, among other things, makes "offering for distribution" (aka, file sharing) a crime regardless of intent, outlaws fast-forwarding through trailers at the start of a DVD, and lets the Feds go after copyright infringers on taxpayer money, when it is clearly up to the rightsholders to bear that expense. We should all contact our representatives to let them know this bill is ridiculous.
I'm going to toss out a plug for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is sort of the ACLU for the digital set. If this sort of thing makes you angry, you should head over there and sign up for their newsletter.
Lastly, what is the deal with this Monday Night Football controversy? It's all terribly hypocritical, especially by the NFL, who is up in arms over a woman's bare back, but whose games are punctuated by ads for beer (which are often much more salacious than the Terrell Owens/Nicolette Sheridan sketch) and erectile dysfunction pills.
Who can forget last year's Super Bowl? Most people remember Janet Jackson's bare breast, but what stuck with me is that Cialis users who have sustained erections of four hours or longer require immediate medical attention. When we talk about protecting our kids from being exposed to nudity (or in this case, semi-nudity) during a football game, what about that?
The funniest thing about it all is that, just like Janet Jackson, the networks show the clip over and over and over again to show how distasteful it is. If no one had made such a stink about it, I would never have seen it at all (I was on the way home at that time). Now I see it three or four times a day and I couldn't be more sick of it.
When did this country go back to the 17th Century?
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is suing individuals for sharing crappy movies on the Internet. Unlike their evil ilk the RIAA, they're evidently not just targeting people who are sharing hundreds or thousands of files, but anyone who has shared any file. The MPAA claims pirates are costing the industry millions of dollars, but it's more likely because the movies the studios put out are crap and taking a family of four to the movies and buying snacks requires a second mortgage.
There is also a total garbage bill going through Congress that, among other things, makes "offering for distribution" (aka, file sharing) a crime regardless of intent, outlaws fast-forwarding through trailers at the start of a DVD, and lets the Feds go after copyright infringers on taxpayer money, when it is clearly up to the rightsholders to bear that expense. We should all contact our representatives to let them know this bill is ridiculous.
I'm going to toss out a plug for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is sort of the ACLU for the digital set. If this sort of thing makes you angry, you should head over there and sign up for their newsletter.
Lastly, what is the deal with this Monday Night Football controversy? It's all terribly hypocritical, especially by the NFL, who is up in arms over a woman's bare back, but whose games are punctuated by ads for beer (which are often much more salacious than the Terrell Owens/Nicolette Sheridan sketch) and erectile dysfunction pills.
Who can forget last year's Super Bowl? Most people remember Janet Jackson's bare breast, but what stuck with me is that Cialis users who have sustained erections of four hours or longer require immediate medical attention. When we talk about protecting our kids from being exposed to nudity (or in this case, semi-nudity) during a football game, what about that?
The funniest thing about it all is that, just like Janet Jackson, the networks show the clip over and over and over again to show how distasteful it is. If no one had made such a stink about it, I would never have seen it at all (I was on the way home at that time). Now I see it three or four times a day and I couldn't be more sick of it.
When did this country go back to the 17th Century?
Monday, November 15, 2004
Geez, those trip reports take a long time.
Further proof you can get anything on eBay. Where would you put this thing?
This is horrible. Saw it on the news tonight. I'm sure the press and the powers-that-be will blame this incident on the individual soldiers, as they did with the Abu Gharib scandal. The blame should be directed at the administration, which has kept troops in Iraq under intense conditions for far longer than they were prepared for. The government will hang these guys out to dry. And, oh yeah, by the way, Osama bin Laden is still at large.
Bush wants Condi Rice to replace Colin Powell. Sad to see the one guy who tried to keep America out of war go. So Powell is out and Rumsfeld is still in? To the 52% of Americans who helped make life a living hell for the rest of the world until 2008, thanks a friggin' lot.
I was all set to beat Lou at fantasy football this week...then, with five minutes left, Vinny Testaverde threw a pick and Philly returned it for six. So now I have to wait until the scores are tallied up in the morning to see if Franks and Beans squeaked out a win against the Phurr Burgers. Hopefully the 18 points from Lou's nemesis, Adam Vinatieri, will be enough to pull it off.
I guess I should cheer up. After all, it's Big Game Week, and Cal looks poised for Pasadena. Go Bears!!!
This is horrible. Saw it on the news tonight. I'm sure the press and the powers-that-be will blame this incident on the individual soldiers, as they did with the Abu Gharib scandal. The blame should be directed at the administration, which has kept troops in Iraq under intense conditions for far longer than they were prepared for. The government will hang these guys out to dry. And, oh yeah, by the way, Osama bin Laden is still at large.
Bush wants Condi Rice to replace Colin Powell. Sad to see the one guy who tried to keep America out of war go. So Powell is out and Rumsfeld is still in? To the 52% of Americans who helped make life a living hell for the rest of the world until 2008, thanks a friggin' lot.
I was all set to beat Lou at fantasy football this week...then, with five minutes left, Vinny Testaverde threw a pick and Philly returned it for six. So now I have to wait until the scores are tallied up in the morning to see if Franks and Beans squeaked out a win against the Phurr Burgers. Hopefully the 18 points from Lou's nemesis, Adam Vinatieri, will be enough to pull it off.
I guess I should cheer up. After all, it's Big Game Week, and Cal looks poised for Pasadena. Go Bears!!!
Tokyo Day 4: Monday, September 27, 2004
The number of pictures we took dwindled the last couple days as we tried desperately to get some shopping done.
Monday was by far our favorite day of the trip. Despite some soggy weather, we were headed to the Ghibli Museum, followed by a stop in Nakano to do some serious anime shopping. For those not familiar with Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki is Japan's answer to Walt Disney. If you've never seen any of his films, go rent one. Now. Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke are the two with the most exposure here in America. I think Spirited Away is better, but they're both great, great films for people of all ages. Fans of Lupin III will also enjoy Miyazaki's Castle of Cagliostro
After we met up with our tour and boarded our train, we waited for the Studio Ghibli bus. Isn't it cute?
This is the outside of the Ghibli Museum. Currently, it's one of the hottest tickets in Japan. Unlike some American animation-themed attractions, Ghibli Museum limits the number of visitors so that the museum will not become overcrowded. Because Studio Ghibli is hugely popular both inside and outside Japan, visitors often need to purchase tickets far in advance.
One of the refreshing things about Ghibli Museum is that photography and video are not allowed. We were told Miyazaki wants to keep the museum's exhibits a surprise for people who haven't visited it yet. Also, children are allowed and encouraged to interact with the exhibits, which is much different from American theme parks where you are largely a spectator. Museum admission includes a ticket to a short film from Studio Ghibli, which is rotated periodically.
So alas, I have no pictures of the inside of the museum, although you can take a picture on the balcony with the giant robot from Laputa, Castle in the Sky.
I did buy three books from the bookstore, however: a program with pictures of the museum, a heftier book on the museum and how it was built, and a book on the Spirited Away exhibits. All three books are translated in English, and all have gorgeous pictures of the museum and art from the Ghibli films. Ask me and I'll gladly drag them out so you can thumb through them.
We can't recommend highly enough visiting the Ghibli Museum if you will be in Tokyo. If you have any interest in animation or film in general, the museum's exhibits are extremely inspiring and breathtaking.
Rhonda and I ditched our tour and headed to the Broadway Center at Nakano. On the way we stopped and ate some soba and ramen, finally. We tried to do so many times before on our trip. Each time, we would look at the plastic food on the window and decide what we wanted. Then we would go in the restuarant...and turn around and walk back out. These noodle shops have vending machines, where you pick the meal you want and get a ticket. You take the ticket to the counter, where they make the meal and you go off in a corner and grub on it. Unfortunately, these vending machines are always in Japanese.
This place didn't have too many options, and we were able to run back and forth between the window and the vending machine, trying to match the characters on the plastic food with the buttoms on the machine. We are glad to report we got what we ordered. :)
We got to the Broadway Center at about 6:30 and quickly realized we would have to hurry. We went there because it is the home of both Anime World Star and Mandarake. Once we got past the relatively normal first floor, the remaining three floors were almost all anime shops.
By the way, there is not a Mandarake in Nakano. There are like seven of them! There was one that sold manga, one that sold CDs, one that sold character goods, one that sold cels, one that sold used video games, one that sold friggin' cosplay costumes(!)...we had been to Mandarake in Shibuya the day before, and it was awe-inspiring, but it was nothing like this.
What ensued next was a mad dash through as many stores as we could hit before 8, when Mandarake closed. It was unfortunate, really...I didn't get to flip through the anime cels at World Star (the spines on the binders were in Japanese, I just asked if they had Bebop and left). But we did leave with some cool stuff.
Happy and broke, we headed back to Shinjuku. We were starting to realize we had not planned to spend enough time shopping, as Rhonda still wanted to shop for clothes in Harajuku, we hadn't shopped much in Shinjuku, and we kind of breezed through Shibuya and Akihibara. And we still had to pay a visit to the House of Mouse...
Monday was by far our favorite day of the trip. Despite some soggy weather, we were headed to the Ghibli Museum, followed by a stop in Nakano to do some serious anime shopping. For those not familiar with Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki is Japan's answer to Walt Disney. If you've never seen any of his films, go rent one. Now. Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke are the two with the most exposure here in America. I think Spirited Away is better, but they're both great, great films for people of all ages. Fans of Lupin III will also enjoy Miyazaki's Castle of Cagliostro
After we met up with our tour and boarded our train, we waited for the Studio Ghibli bus. Isn't it cute?
This is the outside of the Ghibli Museum. Currently, it's one of the hottest tickets in Japan. Unlike some American animation-themed attractions, Ghibli Museum limits the number of visitors so that the museum will not become overcrowded. Because Studio Ghibli is hugely popular both inside and outside Japan, visitors often need to purchase tickets far in advance.
One of the refreshing things about Ghibli Museum is that photography and video are not allowed. We were told Miyazaki wants to keep the museum's exhibits a surprise for people who haven't visited it yet. Also, children are allowed and encouraged to interact with the exhibits, which is much different from American theme parks where you are largely a spectator. Museum admission includes a ticket to a short film from Studio Ghibli, which is rotated periodically.
So alas, I have no pictures of the inside of the museum, although you can take a picture on the balcony with the giant robot from Laputa, Castle in the Sky.
I did buy three books from the bookstore, however: a program with pictures of the museum, a heftier book on the museum and how it was built, and a book on the Spirited Away exhibits. All three books are translated in English, and all have gorgeous pictures of the museum and art from the Ghibli films. Ask me and I'll gladly drag them out so you can thumb through them.
We can't recommend highly enough visiting the Ghibli Museum if you will be in Tokyo. If you have any interest in animation or film in general, the museum's exhibits are extremely inspiring and breathtaking.
Rhonda and I ditched our tour and headed to the Broadway Center at Nakano. On the way we stopped and ate some soba and ramen, finally. We tried to do so many times before on our trip. Each time, we would look at the plastic food on the window and decide what we wanted. Then we would go in the restuarant...and turn around and walk back out. These noodle shops have vending machines, where you pick the meal you want and get a ticket. You take the ticket to the counter, where they make the meal and you go off in a corner and grub on it. Unfortunately, these vending machines are always in Japanese.
This place didn't have too many options, and we were able to run back and forth between the window and the vending machine, trying to match the characters on the plastic food with the buttoms on the machine. We are glad to report we got what we ordered. :)
We got to the Broadway Center at about 6:30 and quickly realized we would have to hurry. We went there because it is the home of both Anime World Star and Mandarake. Once we got past the relatively normal first floor, the remaining three floors were almost all anime shops.
By the way, there is not a Mandarake in Nakano. There are like seven of them! There was one that sold manga, one that sold CDs, one that sold character goods, one that sold cels, one that sold used video games, one that sold friggin' cosplay costumes(!)...we had been to Mandarake in Shibuya the day before, and it was awe-inspiring, but it was nothing like this.
What ensued next was a mad dash through as many stores as we could hit before 8, when Mandarake closed. It was unfortunate, really...I didn't get to flip through the anime cels at World Star (the spines on the binders were in Japanese, I just asked if they had Bebop and left). But we did leave with some cool stuff.
Happy and broke, we headed back to Shinjuku. We were starting to realize we had not planned to spend enough time shopping, as Rhonda still wanted to shop for clothes in Harajuku, we hadn't shopped much in Shinjuku, and we kind of breezed through Shibuya and Akihibara. And we still had to pay a visit to the House of Mouse...
Why I don't live in Stockton anymore...
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Stockton has the third-highest vehicle theft rate in the nation.
Not in California. In the nation.
Modesto is first! At least they can make the excuse that the data includes all of Stanislaus County. Stockton's data just includes Lodi.
I knew there was a reason why I bought my Scion tC with a GPS tracking device.
Not in California. In the nation.
Modesto is first! At least they can make the excuse that the data includes all of Stanislaus County. Stockton's data just includes Lodi.
I knew there was a reason why I bought my Scion tC with a GPS tracking device.
Update
Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately...I've just been so busy with work, and bills, and...ahh, who am I kidding, I've been too busy playing Halo 2.
I'll try to finish up the Tokyo trip report, and post some pictures from our weekend getaway to Monterey. Expect a crapload of posts in the next few days.
I'll try to finish up the Tokyo trip report, and post some pictures from our weekend getaway to Monterey. Expect a crapload of posts in the next few days.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Seriously, WTF.
Who are the people who made Catwoman sleeping with? First the director's next film is the live-action Akira remake, and now the screenwriter is writing Transformers.
How do these people continue to get work? What drugs are these studio executives taking? And after Tuesday's election, where can I get some of them?
How do these people continue to get work? What drugs are these studio executives taking? And after Tuesday's election, where can I get some of them?
Glimmer of Hope?
In the wake of what I can only describe as a devastating loss for the Democratic Party, I want to believe some of the things I've been hearing on TV and reading in the news. I hear Bush finally realizes how sharply divided America is, and will make some gestures to be more moderate in his policies. I want to believe that, but I'm not sure if he will do that, or even why, since his party controls all three branches of the government.
Bush's victory speech showed some surprising class - he didn't gloat, or go into any rah-rah, "we did it!" rhetoric. (A lot of Republicans could learn from that.) What he did say that caught my attention was, "To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust." We'll have to see if that's just talk or if Bush will make some actual overtures to the 47% of America that is completely pissed at him. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, since, well, I don't have a helluva lot of choice.
The AP is reporing John Ashcroft may be stepping down as Attorney General. That would be a start, as Ashcroft has the dubious honor of being my least favorite member of G Dub's Cabinet. If Bush gets rid of Rumsfeld and some of the other Cabinet members, he has a chance to hit the reset button and bridge the idealogical divide in this country that he helped create.
The cynic in me is ready for the worst though. I think the writing's on the wall that a few Supreme Court justices are going to retire before 2008, to be replaced with very conservative judges. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that, since Arlen Specter is warning Bush not to appoint conservative judges in a bid to overturn Roe v. Wade. Also, I can't see why Bush should care about uniting the country when the Religious Right are the ones who got him elected, and you have to figure it's time to paqy the piper.
Rhonda's all ready to move us to Canada, but it looks like there's no room at the inn...
Bush's victory speech showed some surprising class - he didn't gloat, or go into any rah-rah, "we did it!" rhetoric. (A lot of Republicans could learn from that.) What he did say that caught my attention was, "To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust." We'll have to see if that's just talk or if Bush will make some actual overtures to the 47% of America that is completely pissed at him. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, since, well, I don't have a helluva lot of choice.
The AP is reporing John Ashcroft may be stepping down as Attorney General. That would be a start, as Ashcroft has the dubious honor of being my least favorite member of G Dub's Cabinet. If Bush gets rid of Rumsfeld and some of the other Cabinet members, he has a chance to hit the reset button and bridge the idealogical divide in this country that he helped create.
The cynic in me is ready for the worst though. I think the writing's on the wall that a few Supreme Court justices are going to retire before 2008, to be replaced with very conservative judges. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that, since Arlen Specter is warning Bush not to appoint conservative judges in a bid to overturn Roe v. Wade. Also, I can't see why Bush should care about uniting the country when the Religious Right are the ones who got him elected, and you have to figure it's time to paqy the piper.
Rhonda's all ready to move us to Canada, but it looks like there's no room at the inn...
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Bored before bedtime.
Courtesy of The Beat, Disney cast members are packin' heat again.
Sandy Barbour, I don't care what it costs, but re-sign Jeff Tedford, dammit.
Casshern is coming to America, courtesy of Dreamworks. I saw ads for the DVD in Tokyo, and I was all excited to buy it until I realized it wasn't out there yet.
Hey Jess, Anime News Network reports that Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is coming to Cartoon Network November 6th.
I guess Republicans are after the minority vote this year....er, sort of.
Lastly, we're back...
Sandy Barbour, I don't care what it costs, but re-sign Jeff Tedford, dammit.
Casshern is coming to America, courtesy of Dreamworks. I saw ads for the DVD in Tokyo, and I was all excited to buy it until I realized it wasn't out there yet.
Hey Jess, Anime News Network reports that Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is coming to Cartoon Network November 6th.
I guess Republicans are after the minority vote this year....er, sort of.
Lastly, we're back...
Tokyo Day 3: Sunday, September 26, 2004
Ahh, the Tokyo Game Show. TGS is sort of like E3 here in the USA, except anyone can go the TGS. For 1000 yen. That's like nine bucks. It cost us more to get to the show than to attend.
I won't say much about the show, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. A lot of the games that drew huge crowds, like Metal Gear Solid 3 and Resident Evil (aka Biohazard) 4, I had already seen in San Diego at ComicCon. I will say it was crowded (as in, difficult to move around in) and it was loud. Deafeningly loud.
Look, a giant chocobo.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is a CG movie sequel to FF7, rumored for DVD release or for the Sony PSP. The stills and clips I've seen are amazing. This is the one thing I wanted to wait in line for, but the line had already been cut off for the rest of the day.
Speaking of the PSP, here is a giant PSP...
FF7: Before Crisis is a FF7 prequel (boy, FF7 sure is popular) for Vodafone mobile phones. I think it is SquareEnix's first foray into mobile phone games. Sadly, no release here in America.
Kingdom Hearts II was here and playable. I wasn't willing to test the throngs of sweaty gamers to give it a try though.
Can't go far at these types of things without running into cosplayers...
...or Star Wars. Did you know Japan has an official Star Wars credit card? Do we?
A few booth babe pictures. I didn't take a lot because, of, I don't know, I WAS ON MY HONEYMOON. Duh.
We left the TGS and stopped in Shibuya to do some shopping. Here's Rhonda with her friend Hachiko.
We went back to the hotel to change, then went to our one nice dinner on this trip. The restaurant of choice:
Ninja.
I can't make that up.
(I took some video there, but it was so dark I don't think anything came out. Yes, there are special effects, and yes, the wait...er, ninjas, try to sneak up on you.)
We finished off a lovely day at Starbucks, right next to the hotel, our first taste of home on the trip (Pepsi and AM/PM don't count). They had a green tea frappucino so Rhonda had to get it. Unknown why they don't have it here, as it is really good.
I was a little taken aback when I ordered a scone and they asked if I wanted it warmed up. Since that never happens, I said, "Hai!" It was a lot more biscuit-like than here in the States, not sure if I liked that more.
Coffee is like $4 at Starbucks. Not an espresso drink, coffee. If you go somewhere else, it's more like six bucks. And there aren't free refills in Japan, at least not very often. No Big Gulp at AM/PM. Oh, and they don't have venti on the board behind the baristas. They do, however, have a size smaller than tall. They have venti on the menu at the counter (where ignorant foreigners like me point at the pictures), but I doubt many people get it. I like a venti coffee now and then, but just one cup a day - I pity people who are used to drinking a pot of coffee every day. They must go broke.
Then again, a can (I mean, an aluminum bottle) of soda is 120 yen, or a little over a buck, and there were no 12-packs (or 6-packs, for that matter) to be found...
All the pictures from Tokyo can be found here.
I won't say much about the show, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. A lot of the games that drew huge crowds, like Metal Gear Solid 3 and Resident Evil (aka Biohazard) 4, I had already seen in San Diego at ComicCon. I will say it was crowded (as in, difficult to move around in) and it was loud. Deafeningly loud.
Look, a giant chocobo.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is a CG movie sequel to FF7, rumored for DVD release or for the Sony PSP. The stills and clips I've seen are amazing. This is the one thing I wanted to wait in line for, but the line had already been cut off for the rest of the day.
Speaking of the PSP, here is a giant PSP...
FF7: Before Crisis is a FF7 prequel (boy, FF7 sure is popular) for Vodafone mobile phones. I think it is SquareEnix's first foray into mobile phone games. Sadly, no release here in America.
Kingdom Hearts II was here and playable. I wasn't willing to test the throngs of sweaty gamers to give it a try though.
Can't go far at these types of things without running into cosplayers...
...or Star Wars. Did you know Japan has an official Star Wars credit card? Do we?
A few booth babe pictures. I didn't take a lot because, of, I don't know, I WAS ON MY HONEYMOON. Duh.
We left the TGS and stopped in Shibuya to do some shopping. Here's Rhonda with her friend Hachiko.
We went back to the hotel to change, then went to our one nice dinner on this trip. The restaurant of choice:
Ninja.
I can't make that up.
(I took some video there, but it was so dark I don't think anything came out. Yes, there are special effects, and yes, the wait...er, ninjas, try to sneak up on you.)
We finished off a lovely day at Starbucks, right next to the hotel, our first taste of home on the trip (Pepsi and AM/PM don't count). They had a green tea frappucino so Rhonda had to get it. Unknown why they don't have it here, as it is really good.
I was a little taken aback when I ordered a scone and they asked if I wanted it warmed up. Since that never happens, I said, "Hai!" It was a lot more biscuit-like than here in the States, not sure if I liked that more.
Coffee is like $4 at Starbucks. Not an espresso drink, coffee. If you go somewhere else, it's more like six bucks. And there aren't free refills in Japan, at least not very often. No Big Gulp at AM/PM. Oh, and they don't have venti on the board behind the baristas. They do, however, have a size smaller than tall. They have venti on the menu at the counter (where ignorant foreigners like me point at the pictures), but I doubt many people get it. I like a venti coffee now and then, but just one cup a day - I pity people who are used to drinking a pot of coffee every day. They must go broke.
Then again, a can (I mean, an aluminum bottle) of soda is 120 yen, or a little over a buck, and there were no 12-packs (or 6-packs, for that matter) to be found...
All the pictures from Tokyo can be found here.
Eminem's "Mosh"
Eminem's new video, Mosh. It's a shame it didn't come out earlier, I think it could've been the most important music video since We Are The World. It defintely should've been his first single, instead of Just Lose It.
My mom asked me the other day, "With this war going on, where are our protest songs?" Well, here's one. Funny how, Eminem, of all people, is a uniter, not a divider.
Mosh lyrics
My mom asked me the other day, "With this war going on, where are our protest songs?" Well, here's one. Funny how, Eminem, of all people, is a uniter, not a divider.
Mosh lyrics
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Wong Kar-Wai's 2046
I stumbled across this review of 2046 and critique of Wong Kar-Wai's films while reading Greencine Daily. It's a good read if you are a fan of Wong's or even if you've never heard of him.
I saw Chungking Express on a big screen in Film 50 class at UC Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive, and it is one of only two movies I can remember where I sat speechless in my seat as the credits rolled (the other being Pulp Fiction). I was coming off a break-up; my first significant break-up with my first real girlfriend; and the movie's theme of love lost-and-found-again and the stunning visuals really left a mark on me. That, and I thought to myself, geez, I hope I am not this pathetic. I need to get on with my life. It's still a sentimental favorite and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it.
Since then, I've followed WKW's career with much interest. Recently, a box set of Wong's films was released and, naturally, I snapped that one up. It's got a couple of films I haven't seen but have heard much about, Days of Being Wild and As Tears Go By. I just got it this week and as soon as I make time to see them, I'll post a review.
I saw a billboard for 2046 in Shinjuku and I had a fanboy moment right there on the street. Can't wait for a domestic theatrical or DVD release.
Go see Chungking Express. Fallen Angels is good in a cynical way; slick and polished and devoid of emotion, it's the anti-CKE. In the Mood For Love has amazing performances from Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung (Broken Sword and Flying Snow in Hero, respectively) and is a must-see. Go see them all.
I saw Chungking Express on a big screen in Film 50 class at UC Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive, and it is one of only two movies I can remember where I sat speechless in my seat as the credits rolled (the other being Pulp Fiction). I was coming off a break-up; my first significant break-up with my first real girlfriend; and the movie's theme of love lost-and-found-again and the stunning visuals really left a mark on me. That, and I thought to myself, geez, I hope I am not this pathetic. I need to get on with my life. It's still a sentimental favorite and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it.
Since then, I've followed WKW's career with much interest. Recently, a box set of Wong's films was released and, naturally, I snapped that one up. It's got a couple of films I haven't seen but have heard much about, Days of Being Wild and As Tears Go By. I just got it this week and as soon as I make time to see them, I'll post a review.
I saw a billboard for 2046 in Shinjuku and I had a fanboy moment right there on the street. Can't wait for a domestic theatrical or DVD release.
Go see Chungking Express. Fallen Angels is good in a cynical way; slick and polished and devoid of emotion, it's the anti-CKE. In the Mood For Love has amazing performances from Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung (Broken Sword and Flying Snow in Hero, respectively) and is a must-see. Go see them all.
Tokyo, Day 2: Saturday, September 25, 2004
We decided to travel around Tokyo on Saturday, since it was the only day left in our trip that we didn't already have something planned. Being big sports fans, we made our first stop Tokyo Dome City.
(Yes, that is Rhonda waving at the base of the Tokyo Dome.)
After breakfast at Mister Donut, we made our way to the Tokyo Dome gift shops, where we proceeded to splurge on Yomiuri Giants merchandise. I found out being a L or XL in America translates to "get the biggest shirt they have." I forget what the actual size was, but it was basically equivalent to a XXL. But in the end, I got a sweet Giants jersey with sewn-on lettering, with a hat to match. Rhonda got a Giabbit, which is a "Giants rabbit" and the Giants' mascot. You have to see it to understand.
We also visited the Tokyo Baseball Hall of Fame.
I took a picture with the jersey of the all-time home-run king, the immortal Sadaharu Oh.
It was very busy around the Tokyo Dome because the baseball stike in Japan had just ended (the first ever) and the Giants were hosting the Hanshin Tigers. That's sort of like visiting the Bronx when the Yankees are in town playing the Red Sox. I wanted to go to a game but we knew we didn't have time.
We ducked out of the rain and into one of the adjoining buildings. There was a small arcade and one of the games was from Konami and was like DDR, but was a martial arts game. Think about a cross between DDR and Tae Bo. Rhonda played it until she was completely worn out. I have video but no pictures, so I'll have to post something later.
Did I mention the rain? The weather our entire trip was brutal. The papers say it was the hottest September in Tokyo in about eighty years. It was hot, sticky, and constantly rainy. (Rhonda picked up an umbrella at AM/PM for 400 yen, or $4. I tried to stick it out without an umbrella, but eventually I caved and went to Eddie Bauer and bought myself an umbrella. And, of course, the rain stopped.)
There was a huge shopping center near Tokyo Dome. We tried to pick a restaurant with a picture menu while avoiding KFC and McDonald's, but we couldn't agree on anything. Instead, we found a grocery store and loaded up on sushi, drinks, and chicken karage from the deli.
After stuffing ourselves silly, we took the subway to Ginza, which is sort of the Beverly Hills of Tokyo. We really only had a couple destinations there, the first of which was the Sony Building.
It's a huge showroom of Sony's cutting-edge products, many of which are not for sale here or even in Japan. For some reason, there was a BMW in there.
This is the PSX, Sony's attempt at making the PlayStation2 a set-top entertainment center.
And there were cute robot pooches that served no practical purpose.
They also have a PlayStation floor where you can play games for free. You can even make requests as to what you want to play.
By the time we left Sony and visited the Nissan Building, we were both getting a little irritable. We made a quick stop to buy tickets to Tokyo DisneySea at the Tokyo Disneyland ticket center in Ginza, then headed back to Shinjuku.
We did some more shopping in Shinjuku, but alas, there weren't any more pictures. I think I had got tired of lugging the cameras around and left them in the room.
All the pictures from Tokyo can be found here.
(Yes, that is Rhonda waving at the base of the Tokyo Dome.)
After breakfast at Mister Donut, we made our way to the Tokyo Dome gift shops, where we proceeded to splurge on Yomiuri Giants merchandise. I found out being a L or XL in America translates to "get the biggest shirt they have." I forget what the actual size was, but it was basically equivalent to a XXL. But in the end, I got a sweet Giants jersey with sewn-on lettering, with a hat to match. Rhonda got a Giabbit, which is a "Giants rabbit" and the Giants' mascot. You have to see it to understand.
We also visited the Tokyo Baseball Hall of Fame.
I took a picture with the jersey of the all-time home-run king, the immortal Sadaharu Oh.
It was very busy around the Tokyo Dome because the baseball stike in Japan had just ended (the first ever) and the Giants were hosting the Hanshin Tigers. That's sort of like visiting the Bronx when the Yankees are in town playing the Red Sox. I wanted to go to a game but we knew we didn't have time.
We ducked out of the rain and into one of the adjoining buildings. There was a small arcade and one of the games was from Konami and was like DDR, but was a martial arts game. Think about a cross between DDR and Tae Bo. Rhonda played it until she was completely worn out. I have video but no pictures, so I'll have to post something later.
Did I mention the rain? The weather our entire trip was brutal. The papers say it was the hottest September in Tokyo in about eighty years. It was hot, sticky, and constantly rainy. (Rhonda picked up an umbrella at AM/PM for 400 yen, or $4. I tried to stick it out without an umbrella, but eventually I caved and went to Eddie Bauer and bought myself an umbrella. And, of course, the rain stopped.)
There was a huge shopping center near Tokyo Dome. We tried to pick a restaurant with a picture menu while avoiding KFC and McDonald's, but we couldn't agree on anything. Instead, we found a grocery store and loaded up on sushi, drinks, and chicken karage from the deli.
After stuffing ourselves silly, we took the subway to Ginza, which is sort of the Beverly Hills of Tokyo. We really only had a couple destinations there, the first of which was the Sony Building.
It's a huge showroom of Sony's cutting-edge products, many of which are not for sale here or even in Japan. For some reason, there was a BMW in there.
This is the PSX, Sony's attempt at making the PlayStation2 a set-top entertainment center.
And there were cute robot pooches that served no practical purpose.
They also have a PlayStation floor where you can play games for free. You can even make requests as to what you want to play.
By the time we left Sony and visited the Nissan Building, we were both getting a little irritable. We made a quick stop to buy tickets to Tokyo DisneySea at the Tokyo Disneyland ticket center in Ginza, then headed back to Shinjuku.
We did some more shopping in Shinjuku, but alas, there weren't any more pictures. I think I had got tired of lugging the cameras around and left them in the room.
All the pictures from Tokyo can be found here.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Sin City teaser
Sin City teaser. Same footage D, Marv, Elt, and I saw at San Diego ComicCon. Check it out and be amazed. (Thanks Marv)
Tokyo Day 1: Friday, September 24, 2004
Because of all that sleep we had on Thursday we got up early on Friday. Way. Early. So we had breakfast in the hotel, which cost us about $20 each (my first shocking experience with the expensive nature of Tokyo, but not my last). But it was a good buffet, and I had all the coffee I wanted (more on that later).
We were supposed to get picked up for our tour to the sumo tournament at 12:30, but it was barely 9:30. We found the hotel where our tour met, then wandered around a little. We ended up at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
I say skip the tour and head to the observation deck. The view was impressive, even if the weather was not participating.
I saw this thing in the building and when no one was using it, I snapped a picture:
It's for smoking. You smoke behind the screen and that green thing sucks up all the smoke. If you made these in America you could make a mint.
Anyway, eventually the bus picked us up and drove us all the way from Shinjuku to Tokyo station, stopping along the way at a couple other hotels. It took about an hour to get to Tokyo, in the meantime we passed the Imperial Palace:
and Tokyo Tower. Finally, we arrived and met up with our tour guide. Anyone going to Japan and planning to take a tour in English should look into JTB Sunrise Tours. We might have been able to get by without a guide, but we wouldn't have known what was going on. The tour guide did a great job of explaining the rules and traditions of sumo to our group.
This is the trophy awarded to the winner of the tournament. There's also a little museum at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, the sumo stadium.
Here are some stills of the action, I'll post some video at a later date:
It's really something to see, and since there are only three tournaments a year, we were fortunate to be in Tokyo during the fall tournament. It's easy to see sumo wrestlers and just think, "big, fat guys," but they really are awesome athletes. Very agile, very powerful.
On the way back, we stopped in Akihibara, aka "Electric Town". It certainly lives up to the name, it's like Vegas or a scene out of Blade Runner:
This is also where I whipped out the plastic for the first time, buying up three Soul of Chogokin Evangelions (to match the Unit 02 Chogokin I bought at FanimeCon and an Evangelion model from the new PlayStation2 game. It was an Evangelion-kinda night:
The store we were in closed, so we checked out a couple arcades. I'm a big fan of Sega games, so naturally this caught my eye.
The arcade didn't die off in Tokyo like it did in America, where they were stigmatized as hangouts for gangs, child molesters and drug users. Which is too bad, because they have much cooler stuff in the UFO Catcher machines (sort of like the Challenger machine, only harder):
Rhonda tried to get one of these cats, and ended up just buying one later at Mandarake. She was pretty bitter about coming up empty.
The games were cool too. I took a picture of the Taiko game for Sara:
Rhonda and I battled at the Azumanga Daioh version of Bubble Bobble. She played as Osaka, and I came out the winner as Chiyo-chan.
By ten we were exhausted. We took the JR train back to Shinjuku, made our way to the room and passed out.
All the pictures from day one can be found here.
We were supposed to get picked up for our tour to the sumo tournament at 12:30, but it was barely 9:30. We found the hotel where our tour met, then wandered around a little. We ended up at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
I say skip the tour and head to the observation deck. The view was impressive, even if the weather was not participating.
I saw this thing in the building and when no one was using it, I snapped a picture:
It's for smoking. You smoke behind the screen and that green thing sucks up all the smoke. If you made these in America you could make a mint.
Anyway, eventually the bus picked us up and drove us all the way from Shinjuku to Tokyo station, stopping along the way at a couple other hotels. It took about an hour to get to Tokyo, in the meantime we passed the Imperial Palace:
and Tokyo Tower. Finally, we arrived and met up with our tour guide. Anyone going to Japan and planning to take a tour in English should look into JTB Sunrise Tours. We might have been able to get by without a guide, but we wouldn't have known what was going on. The tour guide did a great job of explaining the rules and traditions of sumo to our group.
This is the trophy awarded to the winner of the tournament. There's also a little museum at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, the sumo stadium.
Here are some stills of the action, I'll post some video at a later date:
It's really something to see, and since there are only three tournaments a year, we were fortunate to be in Tokyo during the fall tournament. It's easy to see sumo wrestlers and just think, "big, fat guys," but they really are awesome athletes. Very agile, very powerful.
On the way back, we stopped in Akihibara, aka "Electric Town". It certainly lives up to the name, it's like Vegas or a scene out of Blade Runner:
This is also where I whipped out the plastic for the first time, buying up three Soul of Chogokin Evangelions (to match the Unit 02 Chogokin I bought at FanimeCon and an Evangelion model from the new PlayStation2 game. It was an Evangelion-kinda night:
The store we were in closed, so we checked out a couple arcades. I'm a big fan of Sega games, so naturally this caught my eye.
The arcade didn't die off in Tokyo like it did in America, where they were stigmatized as hangouts for gangs, child molesters and drug users. Which is too bad, because they have much cooler stuff in the UFO Catcher machines (sort of like the Challenger machine, only harder):
Rhonda tried to get one of these cats, and ended up just buying one later at Mandarake. She was pretty bitter about coming up empty.
The games were cool too. I took a picture of the Taiko game for Sara:
Rhonda and I battled at the Azumanga Daioh version of Bubble Bobble. She played as Osaka, and I came out the winner as Chiyo-chan.
By ten we were exhausted. We took the JR train back to Shinjuku, made our way to the room and passed out.
All the pictures from day one can be found here.
Tokyo Day 0: Thursday, September 23, 2004
Tokyo is far. It's a ten-hour flight and it's a fourteen-hour time difference. We took off Wednesday and landed Thursday afternoon. Luckily, American offers a non-stop flight out of San Jose for Narita. We kicked back, watched Harry Potter on the plane (not bad, but the second one was better), ate some sushi at dinner (hard to trust airline food, much less airline sushi) and knocked out.
We checked into our hotel, the excellent Hotel Century Southern Tower, in the early evening. We were so beat we went to the room and called it a night.
We checked into our hotel, the excellent Hotel Century Southern Tower, in the early evening. We were so beat we went to the room and called it a night.
Good times, good times...
So I got married. Hope everyone who could make it had a good time, we know we think we did (we'll have to see the video to confirm). It is completely true that the whole thing is a complete blur. I was just hoping I didn't screw up my lines.
My advice to young couples planning to get married: if you can afford it, go for the open bar.
So Rhonda and I tied the knot Saturday, September 18, 2004 at 3 in the afternoon. On Sunday we opened our gifts at her place, and headed back to our apartment in Campbell, near San Jose. Exhausted, we hauled our stuff up the stairs, collected a fat stack of bills, and opened the door to the beeping of the answering machine.
Rhonda got a call from her professor from last semester at San Jose State, where she is getting her teaching credential. He recommended her for a long-term temporary position at O.B. Whaley Elementary in the Evergreen School District, which is a really excellent school. In addition, there are some openings at that school next fall, and if they like her, she could be hired permanently.
An e-mail and a couple of phone calls later, and Rhonda was off to meet with the principal Monday morning. By the time we left Wednesday for our honeymoon, she had the job. She now has an emergency credential, a steady paycheck (goodbye, unemployment), and a roomful of first-graders.
Oh, and when I returned to work at Sun, I found out I'd been promoted. At least so far, married life is good.
So if you haven't seen much of us lately, that's why. That doesn't even mention all those new appliances and kitchenware we had to clean, or the messy apartment we let go to hell while we frantically rushed to pull off our wedding.
I haven't even got to play Fable or X-Men Legends very much. Paper Mario is still in the shrink-wrap. Sigh.
My advice to young couples planning to get married: if you can afford it, go for the open bar.
So Rhonda and I tied the knot Saturday, September 18, 2004 at 3 in the afternoon. On Sunday we opened our gifts at her place, and headed back to our apartment in Campbell, near San Jose. Exhausted, we hauled our stuff up the stairs, collected a fat stack of bills, and opened the door to the beeping of the answering machine.
Rhonda got a call from her professor from last semester at San Jose State, where she is getting her teaching credential. He recommended her for a long-term temporary position at O.B. Whaley Elementary in the Evergreen School District, which is a really excellent school. In addition, there are some openings at that school next fall, and if they like her, she could be hired permanently.
An e-mail and a couple of phone calls later, and Rhonda was off to meet with the principal Monday morning. By the time we left Wednesday for our honeymoon, she had the job. She now has an emergency credential, a steady paycheck (goodbye, unemployment), and a roomful of first-graders.
Oh, and when I returned to work at Sun, I found out I'd been promoted. At least so far, married life is good.
So if you haven't seen much of us lately, that's why. That doesn't even mention all those new appliances and kitchenware we had to clean, or the messy apartment we let go to hell while we frantically rushed to pull off our wedding.
I haven't even got to play Fable or X-Men Legends very much. Paper Mario is still in the shrink-wrap. Sigh.
Bachelor Party
I'm sure everyone wants to know what happened at the bachelor party. Too bad, no one brought a camera and so there's no evidence to destroy.
I will say the sheets at the Palms are of a very high thread count, Le Village Buffet at Paris is still the best breakfast in town, I still have never won at the sportsbook, and Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House is the best restaurant I have ever eaten in. I spent more on that meal than I did my first suit, but it was well worth it.
Oh, and never try to eat at the ESPN Zone on a Sunday during football season. You are not the only one who has had that idea.
I will say the sheets at the Palms are of a very high thread count, Le Village Buffet at Paris is still the best breakfast in town, I still have never won at the sportsbook, and Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House is the best restaurant I have ever eaten in. I spent more on that meal than I did my first suit, but it was well worth it.
Oh, and never try to eat at the ESPN Zone on a Sunday during football season. You are not the only one who has had that idea.
No blog progress - too much Halo
It's a good thing I haven't told everyone I know to check out my new blog, especially since it's just lying around dormant...sort of like I did this weekend.
That's not exactly true, Rhonda and I tried (in futility) to make it to Tokay's homecoming, where Sara was on the court (she didn't win, but had a great time). After a stay at the Hotel Caranza, we had breakfast with my mom and went to Gottschalk's to spend some wedding gift card. We had dinner at Rhonda's, visited a little with Peter and Joy, watched the Sox nearly blow it, then headed back to San Jose.
I dropped Rhonda off and headed to Marv's to play some Halo (oui, c'est Halo Deux) and poker. Had dim sum with Marv, Lou, Bubba, Rhonda and Rhonda (not a typo) and played some more Halo before heading home. Made a half-assed attempt to pay bills and clean up before calling it a night.
I have a ton of stuff to put up here, just haven't made the time. Promise to try harder tonight. Hopefully details about Vegas, the wedding, Tokyo, Rhonda's new jobby job, etc. etc.
That's not exactly true, Rhonda and I tried (in futility) to make it to Tokay's homecoming, where Sara was on the court (she didn't win, but had a great time). After a stay at the Hotel Caranza, we had breakfast with my mom and went to Gottschalk's to spend some wedding gift card. We had dinner at Rhonda's, visited a little with Peter and Joy, watched the Sox nearly blow it, then headed back to San Jose.
I dropped Rhonda off and headed to Marv's to play some Halo (oui, c'est Halo Deux) and poker. Had dim sum with Marv, Lou, Bubba, Rhonda and Rhonda (not a typo) and played some more Halo before heading home. Made a half-assed attempt to pay bills and clean up before calling it a night.
I have a ton of stuff to put up here, just haven't made the time. Promise to try harder tonight. Hopefully details about Vegas, the wedding, Tokyo, Rhonda's new jobby job, etc. etc.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
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